“Our Favourite Little Town” – Telluride Colorado

So I mentioned in Lou’s eulogy on the exact day of her funeral – eight years ago, almost to the hour, I asked her to marry me. An amazing coincidence.

I only discovered this fact when I thought it would be fitting to spread some of Lou’s ashes in the location I proposed. I decided to check the date with the aim of taking the kids to this special spot on the proposal anniversary,  and conduct some kind of “I love you mummy” ceremony.

It’s actually quite amusing that I now have to start checking and taking note of dates surrounding Lou. You might find it strange but Louise I and never celebrated a relationship anniversary. Not a relationship inception date (that was a little blurred so it can be forgiven), not an engagement or even a wedding anniversary date. Not once. It wasn’t a one-sided thing either. It was simply something that suited us.

Anyway, for those that don’t know, I asked Louise to marry me through an article/poem published in the local Telluride paper.

I re-scheduled this post so it went out at both the proposal time and her funeral date/time, simultaneously. Here is the article/poem:

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For the inexperienced, it’s like a vague slice of untouchable dreamy mystery, hard to believe places like this still exist, frozen in time, but embedded with so much history.

From the *Utes who were abruptly told of their fate, when gold was discovered in these grounds, back in 1858. A place where Butch Cassidy for his head placed a bounty, into the hills making chase, the sheriff of San Miguel County.

Silver prices crashed, mining issues and war, brought this little town to its knees a place it had never been before. It wasn’t an option that this iconic community lay dead, the best yet to come in its years still ahead, a tenacious township that never-say-never, revival was to come in the shape of the weather.

The mineral from the heavens was always here, the white fluffy gold was trying to tell us something, perpetually coming back, year after year. This above ground commodity was the inception of revival, inhabitants would utilize this invaluable resource for the town’s new survival.

So the hippies hit the slopes, the resort was open in 1972, although way before our time, it was the catalyst that brought us here, both me and you. This poem also, will become antiquity, buried amongst this infectious, rich, fascinating history.

Now the 21st century, things have changed but still feel the same, peering back through the years loving every bit of what this town has become. Our favourite place, Colorado South West, aspen trees, exposed redrock, wildlife aplenty, it’s simply the best!

While on one knee I do get down, stay tuned to this rhetoric, because first, more about our favourite little town. A family environment, rugged-up children outside find it safe to play, on the streets pedestrians, have the courteous right away. Such an active contagious culture, where people are fit’n-healthy, a preponderance of positive energy, locals nothing but friendly.

It’s on these dramatic snow-covered hills, the place we get our adrenaline thrills, simply no better state of ultimate being, mind free of anything but, for the moment and addiction, this thing we call skiing.

An annual 300 inches of powder-fun, 300 bluebird days the sky filled with the sun, where under lift nine, it’s always game on, every day you will hear, “woo hoo, oh yeaaah *John!”

Every glimpse a postcard picture, in this sleepy little town, no other place could ever look prettier, the frozen ice crystals, they come pouring down, blanketing this sacred hallowed ground.

To this location we are so much attached, everything about it evokes a feeling that is simply unmatched, where kindness and courtesy transcends, it is in this place that we have established lifelong friends.

The Chop House, The Buck, other favourites like Merle’s Brown Bag, all the little things, that to our friends at home we like to brag. It is always hard to leave the Rockies of Colorado, only able to take home memories, to reminisce and speak of our favourite little town, with so much bravado.

Don’t get me wrong, this quaint destination is not always petite and pretty, this town loves to party as much as any big city. We have had some cracker times full of intoxicating inebriation, for we come through our favourite town its one huge celebration.

We are in many ways different, certain things evoke a disparate connect, for instance, you prefer a cruisy carve, further to the west, your favourite run, ‘Prospect’. Where I’m in my element, on the Gold Hill chutes, the mountains ever so steep; but it’s in these words of suggestion that I take a bigger leap.

It’s the dissimilar pieces in our exclusive lives that join us together, so time to commit, and pledge to take care of you forever. I love you all the flakes that cover the Western San Juan, although I never doubted it, you are officially now the one.

There will always be challenges that try to divide, but I have no uncertainty we will conquer, by walking together, step by step, side by side.

So it’s in this setting that I think it’s fitting, do you need to reposition? Perhaps you should be sitting; all I need is both ears a brief moment to listen, for it’s today, right here, right now I have an exciting proposition. If you treasure something, then it should be kept, I am expecting a yes here, so you better accept.

Without hesitation, I propose this question, in this magic place, our favourite destination, I shout out loud, will you be my companion? It is echoed throughout this surrounding box canyon.

In our favourite little town, Louise Maree DeCelis, I do confide, I am asking you to be my bride, right here, right now, in Telluride!

*The “Utes” are the oldest residents of Colorado, inhabiting the mountains and vast areas of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Eastern Nevada, Northern New Mexico and Arizona.

**”Oh yeah John” is a guy named John Roth. He moved to Telluride in 1972, the first year the Telluride Ski Resort’s lifts ran, and has skied 125 days per season ever since. He always ski’s under chair nine so it’s not uncommon to hear “oh yeah john” all day every day in the winter……. He’s a good guy too.