Discovering Manitou

So yesterday, I went to this quirky area outside Colorado Springs called Manitou. Kind of like Bardstown Road, but even more separate from the city. I met tons of interesting people as strolled down to the end of Manitou Rd.

Manitou itself is an area filled with natural soda streams. The water is really weird. People seem to love it or hate it. At one time, there was a bottling plant that has long since been swallowed by rows of shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

At the end of Manitou is an artist ampitheater where the really interesting people hang out. There was hobos, guitarist, hitchhikiers, commune members, and the like. By jumping into a game of hackysack, I was really able to meet with them and learn a little about them.

Perhaps the coolest person I met was an old Creole man by the name of Tattor. He was skinny, and wrinkly, and wornout, with his browned skin drooping from years of gravity, but as lively and fun as anyone could be. He was chilling with his other old hippie friends in a corner of this ampitheater/shelter house. The first thing tattor had me do was hold his guitar while he went to the coffee. Between the grovel of his aged voice and his thick Louisiana accent, I basically comminicated with gestures, fist bumps, hi-fives, and energetic voice inflection. He was really something. When he got back I asked him to play me something. He asked whether I had a girlfriend and I said yes (whose name is beautiful and her name is Adaline and her birthday is today!!). As he stuck his cigarette behind the last fret, he dedicated the song to her He then proceeded to sing a song that sounded exactly like the soggy bottom boys, complete with yodeling and dialouge.

I then asked whether I could take a picture of him, and he said sure. When I pulled up my iphone, he told me to hold on a second and look up a video for him. He told me to look for Marvin Tattor Mecom. When I searched, I found a professional music video he starred in, with all the proceeds going to "starving artists."

Overall, it was a pretty cool day. Later, I went to a Carnival and saw a dog frisbee show.  I also learned from these two old guys sittting in mantiou about Barr trail, the trail to the top of pikes peak. I'm planning on doing that. I am also looking for a way to get to a thing called the Rainbow Gathering in Montana. I also learned I need to get a lot better at hackysack. See you later!!