Clark in Telluride!

Clark is in Telluride for a month and we're very excited to have him with us through July 4th weekend.  He's here living it up and picking up some odds and ends jobs along the way.  It's been one week and already we've gone on a couple hikes, he's played golf, mountain biked and this morning we tried to go rafting but it started hailing and lightening :(  We'll try tomorrow! 

Full of Hot Air...

Perfect weather last weekend for the Hot Air Balloon festival.  The town woke up to the sound of inflating hot air balloons overhead and it was a sight to be seen (if you were up early).  Apparently, the festival hadn't taken place in years because if there is minimal wind, the balloons can't go up and Telluride regularly has gusty winds in the forecast.  Saturday night was particularly amazing to see 5-6 balloons on main street.  I had never thought about how the colors of the balloon are even more vibrant in the fire-y glow- it was beautiful.  (Check out the last photo of the balloon and para-glider up, overhead- all with the weekend's theme!)

Telluride Mountainfilm: Celebrating Indomitable Spirit

It's hard to describe the Mountainfilm Festival but I think their tag line says it best above... celebrating Indomitable Spirit.  Never have I been so adamant about getting up early on the weekend to go stand in line for a small theater in Telluride.  Actually- this was my first time in many of the venues showing the films as I hadn't gone to see a movie in 7 months having lived here.  The Mountainfilm concept is simple and approachable... it doesn't preach but it educates and I appreciated the intelligence and creativity each documentary director envisioned and executed to perfection. This quote sums up the weekend... "Simultaneously inspiring, devastating, profound, hopeful." Here is the list of diverse films I saw and I hope you can find them.  I loved every minute. 

Our very own Telluride local production will get you thinking about plastic and you won't forget your reusable bag again when you go to the store: 
Bag It- Suzan Beraza
www.bagitmovie.com

Get out the Kleenex- inspiring story of young woman from Zimbabwe and her gift- she was here in Telluride to perform after viewing the film and we hung out with the director at the closing picnic: 
Music by Prudence- Roger Ross Williams
www.musicbyprudence.com

A fun and beautifully executed film by Telluride locals (described best as "fishing porn"):
Eastern Rises- Ben Knight & Travis Rummel
http://vimeo.com/11478378

A Hollywood director changes his life and asks why are we more prosperous today but apparently less happy than ever:
I am- Tom Shadyac

Brazilian artist Vik Muniz goes to the largest landfill in the world and profiles the pickers through film and art:
Wasteland- Lucy Walker

Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints escape or are expelled from their families but the challenges they face are enormous- we got to meet the young boys profiled in the documentary:
Sons of Perdition- Tyler Measom & Jennilyn Merten


Everyone should know about this horrible practice killing dolphins.  This movie also has Ocean's 11 excitement value: 
The Cove- Louie Psihoyos


Films I wanted to see at Mountainfilm but didn't get the chance:
The Fence- Rory Kennedy
Gasland- Josh Fox
Restrepo- Tim Hetherington & Sebastian Junger
Alone on the Wall- Peter Mortimer & Nick Rosen
Africa's Lost Eden- James Byrne
Fish out of Water- Charles Annenberg Weingarten