the biz from Boulder

I am on my third day in sunny Boulder, Colorado. Wow, this place moves quickly...in only 2 full days here, I have gone to a Leftover Salmon (blue grass/jam band/modern day hippie followers' band) show at this rickety edge-of-the-mountains outdoor venue, and spent the day at the Boulder Reservoir. The concert is the most noteworthy thus far.The stage faced 400 dancers and groovers on a small hill, while the musicians backs faced some ridge of the Rockies. A deck hung over a small but fiercely white raging creek, that drew many space seekers from the jumpin' crowd, and provided cool solitude. The ride up there was amazing. We wound our way toward sunset, from bright valley to shadowed hills and winding rapids. I was awestruck at how varied the environment became..jagged, sandy cliffs gave way to tall pines the completely covered the next ridge.I continue to be in awe of 'the nature' (as my Hungarian students would say) here. It seems so untamed in some places..and with imagination one can picture what it may have looked like during the cowboy era. On my morning walk this morning, I circled one of the small mountain lakes nearby Whitney and Mark's place. I wanted my eyes to be a camera. Everywhere I looked was a calendar-quality image...that would soon fade as the sun rose over the mountains. There is a feeling of safety and security in mountains. The overshadowing presence of these tall beings that constantly look down on you, no matter where you stray seems to me a steady reminder of God. Never changing, ever-present, ever aware of you. And yet, as you look more closely, you see the jagged cliffs, the hard-packet snow peaks. You imagine how cold it must be at the top, how wild and unsafe those mountains really are. A bit like God, perhaps. The closer I come to Him the more I am assured of His presence, but the greater trembling I experience, as I see that this is an unsafe God, who is worthy to be feared.