My son Joel! 2/8/2020.....OMG!!!! I am the proudest mom on this planet!
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
Weekend of Nordic Skiing! February 1st and 2nd, 2020
It is hard to explain to people that don't love cross country skiing as much as me, but being outside somewhere on my Nordic skis gives me so much joy and happiness. It's like my heart belongs on the trails and in the mountains. I feel like Maria from the Sound of Music!
My love of being in the outdoors seems to expand to any sport that included gliding and moving forward actually! It's made me understand adult figure skaters more since they are so passionate about skating and can't get enough of it. Being on skis gives me that same sort of high, but of course, I still like to skate even though I've done it for over 50 years!
Anyway, my sweet husband Dan took me to BOTH Devil's Thumb Ranch (near Winter Park) and also to Eldora Ski Area (near Boulder) this weekend.
I skied from the moment I got there until the places closed. I think if I'd had more light I would have even skied longer.
At Devil's Thumb, I should have worn my skating skis since my "hike" would have been shorter, but I had a wonderful day venturing into the hills on my metal edge nordic skis on a black trail that was described "For Experts Only" and skiing down.
I headed out on Blue Extra, went up on Swindler, did all of Double Pole, the hiked up Disco and Lactic Grand. I knew "what goes up must come down" and ended up skiing down a really steep hill on Lactic Grand. Then I skied down Wesley which was still black but easier and then took the Sawmill Loop back to Blue Extra which took me back to Ranch Walk and to the Nordic Center. It was a great five hour adventure!
We would have been there earlier, but we have discovered that the traffic going into the mountains from Denver on I-70 on Saturday morning is always bad. We left at 5:30 am from Larkspur and didn't arrive to Snow Mountain Ranch until 10:30 am.
Even though it took a long time to get there, I really loved my day at Devil's Thumb. The Saturday before, we did not arrive at Devil's Thumb until about 12:30 pm, so I ran out of time, but did take Ranch Walk to Monster Cookie and Black 10 and down Meander. Then after a brief rest, I headed on Blue Extra and then went up and down Coyote and then took went on Meadow and Blue Extra to part of Left Field and then headed back to the lodge. My two times at Devil's Thumb were good and I hope to go back again.
At Eldora, I went up 17th Avenue and the went to Snow Cat and skied down the alpine trail. I then hiked to the top of 17th Avenue and went down Deadman’s Gulch to Zarengo Loop. After Zarengo Loop, I did Jenny’s Loop. Then I hiked up Deadman’s Gulch. I cut across on Jaszure and Gandy Dancer and the went down 17th Avenue. I then changed to my skating skis and hiked back up and went down Annie B’s and did the Buckeye Basin blue loop and skied down Mill Iron and Sawmill and Dixie and then went back down 17th Avenue. It was so beautiful and fun!
The drive to Eldora is way shorter than Devil's Thumb and the two nordic ski areas are very different. Devil's Thumb is very spread out and even though there are hills, the are miles of flat open spaces. Eldora is really on a hill and so the trails take you up into the hills. I like both places, but I may like Eldora better. The word "cross country" may not be appropriate for Eldora since there is much more a feeling of climbing and descending there and those who go there feel like they are in the woods and mountains.
Also, Eldora is right next to alpine skiing so some of the trails take the user onto the alpine runs which is really fun.
I also met a “kindred spirit” on the trails in Eldora on Sunday. Liz a speech pathologist from the Denver area wants to meet me at different Colorado nordic centers and also downhill ski with me at Ski Cooper. All I did was ask her to take my photo and we became instant friends!
People you meet on Nordic trails tend to stop and talk. They are interested in hearing about your day on the trails and why you Nordic ski. They like being out in the wilderness and seem to really enjoy hiking.
I like being able to go miles and miles while gliding and I absolutely love hiking up because I get to ski down! I don't have to be in lift lines or on chairlifts ao I get the spend the entire time moving.
 |
| My Happy Place! - Devil's Thumb Ranch 2-1-2020 |
My love of being in the outdoors seems to expand to any sport that included gliding and moving forward actually! It's made me understand adult figure skaters more since they are so passionate about skating and can't get enough of it. Being on skis gives me that same sort of high, but of course, I still like to skate even though I've done it for over 50 years!
Anyway, my sweet husband Dan took me to BOTH Devil's Thumb Ranch (near Winter Park) and also to Eldora Ski Area (near Boulder) this weekend.
I skied from the moment I got there until the places closed. I think if I'd had more light I would have even skied longer.
At Devil's Thumb, I should have worn my skating skis since my "hike" would have been shorter, but I had a wonderful day venturing into the hills on my metal edge nordic skis on a black trail that was described "For Experts Only" and skiing down.
I headed out on Blue Extra, went up on Swindler, did all of Double Pole, the hiked up Disco and Lactic Grand. I knew "what goes up must come down" and ended up skiing down a really steep hill on Lactic Grand. Then I skied down Wesley which was still black but easier and then took the Sawmill Loop back to Blue Extra which took me back to Ranch Walk and to the Nordic Center. It was a great five hour adventure!
 |
| Devil's Thumb - I climbed up this hill and skied down the other side. The down part was so fun! |
We would have been there earlier, but we have discovered that the traffic going into the mountains from Denver on I-70 on Saturday morning is always bad. We left at 5:30 am from Larkspur and didn't arrive to Snow Mountain Ranch until 10:30 am.
Even though it took a long time to get there, I really loved my day at Devil's Thumb. The Saturday before, we did not arrive at Devil's Thumb until about 12:30 pm, so I ran out of time, but did take Ranch Walk to Monster Cookie and Black 10 and down Meander. Then after a brief rest, I headed on Blue Extra and then went up and down Coyote and then took went on Meadow and Blue Extra to part of Left Field and then headed back to the lodge. My two times at Devil's Thumb were good and I hope to go back again.
At Eldora, I went up 17th Avenue and the went to Snow Cat and skied down the alpine trail. I then hiked to the top of 17th Avenue and went down Deadman’s Gulch to Zarengo Loop. After Zarengo Loop, I did Jenny’s Loop. Then I hiked up Deadman’s Gulch. I cut across on Jaszure and Gandy Dancer and the went down 17th Avenue. I then changed to my skating skis and hiked back up and went down Annie B’s and did the Buckeye Basin blue loop and skied down Mill Iron and Sawmill and Dixie and then went back down 17th Avenue. It was so beautiful and fun!
The drive to Eldora is way shorter than Devil's Thumb and the two nordic ski areas are very different. Devil's Thumb is very spread out and even though there are hills, the are miles of flat open spaces. Eldora is really on a hill and so the trails take you up into the hills. I like both places, but I may like Eldora better. The word "cross country" may not be appropriate for Eldora since there is much more a feeling of climbing and descending there and those who go there feel like they are in the woods and mountains.
Also, Eldora is right next to alpine skiing so some of the trails take the user onto the alpine runs which is really fun.
I also met a “kindred spirit” on the trails in Eldora on Sunday. Liz a speech pathologist from the Denver area wants to meet me at different Colorado nordic centers and also downhill ski with me at Ski Cooper. All I did was ask her to take my photo and we became instant friends!
People you meet on Nordic trails tend to stop and talk. They are interested in hearing about your day on the trails and why you Nordic ski. They like being out in the wilderness and seem to really enjoy hiking.
I like being able to go miles and miles while gliding and I absolutely love hiking up because I get to ski down! I don't have to be in lift lines or on chairlifts ao I get the spend the entire time moving.
 |
| Liz - An Outdoor Person Who I Met at Eldora - a "Kindred Spirit" - We plan to ski together in March 2020! |
At Devil's Thumb I met two couples. One of the couples, Lou and Lorraine, were on vacation for a week from Pennsylvania. Apparently there was not enough snow in P.A, so they had spent a week at YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch. The other couple I met, were from the Denver area and were new to cross country skiing. The week before they had nordic skied for the first time in Eldora, and had reserved an Airbnb for the weekend and were trying out Devil's Thumb. We met on the most wonderful green trail, Double Pole. At Eldora, I met a few groups of friends who were just enjoying being out in the wood together. That is part of the fun too...just all the friendly people I meet while skiing.
I find that each time I'm nordic skiing I can't help but feel like I am on a mini-vacation. Yes...it's one of my passions!
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Skiing In Breckenridge 1-14-2020
I had the BEST time ever skiing with my friends Maureen and Jim in Breckenridge 1-14-2020! Skiing and skating are two of my favorite things to do.
Skating Outside in Woodland Park, Colorado - 1/15/2020
Today, January 15, 2020, I went skating outside in Woodland Park with my friends Larisa and Maureen. It was so much fun!
Sunday, January 12, 2020
First Cousins Finally Meet and See Joel Perform in Disney On Ice!
Until this week Joel had never met his cousin Desiree and her children. Well, they got to finally meet this week when the show was in Las Vegas and they got to see the show today 1/12/20! — in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Joel Featured in Colorado Xposer Online Magazine - December 2019
Interview Joel Farris Disney On Ice Skater
Joel Farris has been skating with Disney on Ice and Feld Entertainment since 2014. His first role was as supporting cast in the presentation Frozen but in this current show, ‘Mickey’s Search Party’, Joel says “It has a completely different feel to it, it’s almost like parkour with the way the performance goes, not just traditional skating but we incorporate aerial maneuvers, jumps and stunts like you’ve never seen before!”.
Growing up here in Colorado Springs, Joel was exposed to figure skating at a very young age. A majority of his family are figure skaters and pushed him towards that field, but Joel was much more interested in playing hockey instead. It wasn’t until the age of 10 that he finally decided to give figure skating a try and ended up falling in love with it. Surrounded by the exceptional talent of his family, it didn’t take much for Joel to become the best he could be. Winning the Gold Medal in US Figure Skating and once placing at the US Championships, Joel knew he could achieve anything he set his mind to and eventually that is what led him to his career with Disney on Ice.
What Joel loves most about being a supporting cast member of “Mickey’s Search Party’ is how intense the show is incorporating extreme skating with ramps and jumps involved. This show is action packed and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before in any other Disney on Ice performance. Joel says being involved with this show has allowed him to push himself and his ability to try new things. “Mickey’s Search Party” I would say is more on the lines of a Cirque performance, we incorporate a lot of aerial acts and many stunts, there will also be many characters interacting with the crowd to bring a more personal touch to the show, also bringing a more immersive fan experience with it”. This happens to be the first show to ever incorporate projection lights into the live performance. The projection lights have the capability of painting a scene instantly, allowing for a more realistic setting for the characters to act out their particular scenes from the movies. Joel’s favorite part of the show is the rendition of the movie ‘CoCo’, stating it is by far the most visually stunning portion along with how beautiful the music is. Good news for all of Joel’s fans, during ‘CoCo’ you will have the opportunity to see a lot more of him on the ice and much of his performance will be action packed. The performers can actually hear your cheers of joy and the sounds of awe as the scene from the movie is painted live before your eyes. The crowds engagement really ignites these performers on the ice, so when they hear your cheers, it’s hard for them to not get even more excited about performing for you.
Watching all of your favorite Disney characters come to life on ice can be like a dream come true, especially to all the little ones that truly believe they are seeing their favorite characters come to life right before their eyes. The cast loves being able to see how the crowd reacts from the ice, “We can see quite a bit from our position, especially the audience closer to the rink, their energy and happiness always makes me smile, it pushes me harder to make sure I’m giving them my best performance” states Joel.
Joel appreciates being involved with the Disney on Ice team and states that his years with the company have allowed him to grow significantly, working on personal development and even being able to travel the world and experience many different cultures. While traveling, Joel loves to take photos, capturing the scenery and monuments while exploring whatever city/country he might be in at the time. Through these travels he has also gained a greater appreciation of home and how to be grateful for everything that he has.
Disney on Ice will be here this weekend and Joel would like to remind you that if you haven’t had the chance to purchase your tickets to one of the upcoming shows, you can do so by clicking this link DIsney on Ice ‘Mickey Search Party’ Denver Tickets. Showtime’s are as follows and tickets start at only $15 so it’s affordable to bring the whole family!!
Hosted at the Pepsi Center downtown, performance dates and times are:
Dec 05, 2019 at 7:00 pm
Dec 06, 2019 at 11:00AM & 07:00PM
Dec 07, 2019 at 11:00AM, 03:00PM & 07:00PM
Dec 08, 2019 at 11:00AM & 03:00PM
Still plenty of time to grab your tickets so don’t miss out on your chance to catch this experience of a lifetime!
As always stay tuned to Xposer Magazine… where you go to be scene!
Ciao,
Bella
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My niece Phoebe was also interviewed by the same magazine in March of 2019!
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My niece Phoebe was also interviewed by the same magazine in March of 2019!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Drawing of JO ANN and Rich - 1976 or 1977
I found this in storage on Wednesday afternoon 10/9/19. It is a drawing I did in 1976 or 1977 of me and my ice dance partner Richard Griffin. I don't really remember doing this drawing, but it is my work.
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