Happy Birthday, Rae.

Rae sitting at the Firefly table before we built
the structure for it.

Hi Rae,
Today, July 2, 2017, would have been your 80th birthday.  I miss you.  Ray misses you.  Your family and friends miss you.  I am not sure you ever knew what a positive impact you had on so many people.  Today I have a birthday present to celebrate your life.  We have the perfect structure built at Cuyamungue Institute where people can go have a smoke.  We have named it Rae's Firefly in your honor.  I have already written two posts about this building so I won't say anymore about it.  Today I want to share the pictures we took showing Zac all of the places you loved when you would spend time at Cuyamungue Institute.




I invited your grandsons, Zac and Shane, to come to Cuyamungue and experience the place you loved.  Shane was unable to come, but hopefully will make it next year when Zac returns.  I can not speak for Zac, but I do think he was able to feel the energy of the Land.  He even spent the night sleeping in the Casita which was one of your favorite places to sleep.  Later, just like you, he moved down to Cities of Gold where he could take a 'real' shower.

This is the Casita where Zac spent the night.  Rae, Stephanie and I would put cots out on the patio and sleep under the stars
looking at the constellations (and sometimes fighting mosquitoes).

This is the Thunderbird Lodge.  I am showing Zac the small shrine for the Owl that watches over the entrance.

This is the Bear statue that some artist built for Cuyamungue Institute.  We have the Rae's Firefly sign on display for this picture but it will be posted at the structure.  These are the board members and Zac, Bruce and Ray.

We did not stay here (Buffalo Thunder) this time (no rooms available) but Rae, Stephanie and I would sometimes get a room there with a balcony. Zac and Ray are saluting the art of Buffalo Thunder.  This sculpture was created by George Riviera. 

This is the back of Cities of Gold where we often stayed.  It is a few (well quite a few) steps down from Buffalo Thunder (a Hilton Hotel) but has the basics we need and the WiFi is free.  Rae loved it here.  We took Zac on her usual walk to the Cities of Gold Casino across the parking lot, and we all played a few slots for about fifteen minutes and then headed to another of Rae's favorite, The Big Rock Casino in Espanola.  I forgot to take a picture of us there.  It has a big rock out front.  Rae, Stephanie and I would touch it before going in, hoping it would bring us good luck.

Here is Rae posing with the rest of us a few years ago.  She loved the bear sculpture.

Rae, Stephanie and I are at the ridge after greeting the sun.  We look to the east and wait for the sun to rise above the mountains  Rae loved sitting on this bench soaking up the morning sun.

Zac is looking west from the ridge where we greet the sun each morning.  I think we all felt Rae's energy.  This was another of  Rae's favorite places.  The wind seemed to whisper to us as Zac spread some of his Grandma Rae's ashes at the ridge and I swear I heard gravely laugh.


 Rae, I wanted to end this post with Zac looking at the Land, the place you loved so much.  I know your spirit was with us as we stood on the ridge and that it was your laugh that I heard in the wind.