Happy Birthday Scarlett Rose

Today is my eldest grand daughter’s birthday. And as much fun as it must be on lockdown at Casa Claire during this past week of fires, smoke, and haze, and general malaise, yesterday Lisa and I decided to take her out for some alone time to Boulder Colorado. The fires had begun to be contained and we were not waiting for an all clear.

There is a very kitschy (in the most complimentary way) and touristy pedestrian stretch in Boulder, Colorado called Pearl Street. It is lined with all kind of interesting and fun stores, shops, and cafes filled with overpriced everything that certainly helps keep the economy of this small college town famous for CSU, Jonbenet Ramsey, the Mork and Mindy House and my favorite, the summer Shakespeare festival, running.

I’m always amazed at how many foreign tourists I see milling about this corridor on a summer day, given that I had never heard of it until Luke and Georgie moved out here ten years ago. But I digress.

Scarlett was the first McCaffrey born in Colorado and for a short while lived with her parents, 3 cats, 2 dogs and 2 parrots in a small rental in Boulder.

Scarlett’s favorite place on Pearl Street is the Lighthouse Bookstore.

https://boulderdowntown.com/go/the-lighthouse-bookstore

A subterranean mystical mecca where Scarlett likes to engage her preternatural bloodline.

Yesterday she had a free hand at selecting her gifts and came away with lots of energized crystals, pyramids, crystal tree, necklaces and sun catchers. I came away with a cool hand carved ash wand by a local mystical teen. Glad I could support his efforts.

You know what they say, it’s not the wand, it’s the wizard.

But Scarlett enjoys her browsing. She loves the feel of the shop. It has its own mystical energy. She must have investigated every nook and cranny. I was surprised at how much she knows. She would give Hermione Granger a run for her money.

The same way I used to browse the Magickal Childe in Manhattan back in the day.

https://www.wakingthewitch.com/shops-in-new-york/magickal-childe-closed/

Then Lisa took her to this awesome crystal shop on Pearl,

https://boulderdowntown.com/go/crystal-joys-gallery

and bought her a large heart shaped crystal to remind Scarlett of their eternal connection.

Then we went to this very cool indoor food court where I had the most delicious Caprese Sandwich in forever, and Scarlett (still a carnivore) ate a wagyu burger and fries. Lisa snacked on the fries but wasn’t feeling hungry enough to eat a separate meal. It was a lot of fun all around, because Scarlett is just as amazing (maybe a bit more) as her character in The Claire Saga.

Scarlett’s eyes were larger than her stomach, so after she requested a second cheeseburger and fries, she decided she wasn’t hungry, but was thrilled that we were able to wrap it up to go and then luckily share it with a lovely young woman on Pearl who looked a little down on her luck. Pay it forward.

So, it was a wonderful day that distracted us from all of the other bullshit life throws at you.

The rest of the family kept Blue company back home.

And we then got to swing by with a major frozen meal of apples, pears and carrots (as well as some extra for the other lodgers that also appear on our regular rounds) and check on our summer campers, who seem to be enjoying their safe extended stay –

we will collect them Tuesday or Wednesday. Assuming they want to come home.

Before I left for Boulder yesterday morning, I moved all of the outdoor signage from the old barn to the interior of the new one, again, just to psychologically commit to beating the fires.

And if this past week has taught me one important lesson, it is the value of the mock-latin phrase Illegitimi non carborundum.

So, this morning while I was out among the fae I came upon a very interesting crystal hanging above the Faerie town beneath the Old Man.

Given it was addressed to Scarlett I didn’t dare touch it. But I will look forward to her finding it when she awakes, now a year older, but not too old to appreciate the Fae.

We are going to have a family party – Clan Matriarchs v & b will be attending in order to bless their first born Coloradan with their generosity. It seems as of this morning the closest fire is now 90% contained and the fire to the north is 35% under control. Good enough for the McCaffreys of Casa Claire. Time to get back to normal.

For all of you fine, five readers, we appreciate your prayers and concern over this past week. Please continue those prayers for all of those families that were not as lucky as we were. And then make sure you get out there and enjoy your Summer Sunday.

But now I must go check on Blue – give her her meds – and then go out and cuddle the kitties. The rounds can begin again tomorrow until they are back to full capacity.

And, no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.