Children

Button Rock Preserve

May 8, 2017 — Leave a comment

Day 33 in my “Leaving Loveland” challenge.

Once again, a planned camping weekend at Great Sand Dunes National Park did not materialize for us. We got a late start heading out on Friday and then took one look at the slow-crawling traffic as we approached the freeway and summarily ditched our plans.

Instead we went home, unpacked the camping gear, ate our picnic dinner in our own yard, called up some friends who came over and sat around a backyard bonfire and we talked and laughed and swapped stories until nearly midnight.

Then on Saturday we “hiked” at Button Rock Preserve, about an hour’s drive away through Longmont and Lyons. Quote marks because this was our second time there, and just like last time, we didn’t get more than a half-mile away from the parking lot. The kids have a favorite spot where there are small rapids and piles of driftwood, and they find boat-like driftwood pieces and launch them through the rapids. (Or, as Luthien did in the very last photo below, lash sticks together with jointed grass to make a raft.)

Nathan and Luthien also climbed Tigers in Lipstick, a small but challenging route Nathan had his eye on last time we were there. And Silas had fun taking lots of pictures while they were climbing and he and I and Cody the dog were lounging at the base of the rock.

 

Loveland Classic 5k

April 22, 2017 — Leave a comment

Day 22 in my “Leaving Loveland” challenge.

Today Silas and I ran the Loveland Classic. We meant to do this other years, just never made it happen, so this year we had to do it since it’s our last chance. It’s a benefit race for early childhood education here in our Thompson School District, and it’s been going for 41 years!

Silas finished sixth in his division (males age 14 and under) and 28th place overall. His time was 25:14. I finished fourth in my division (females ages 40-49) and 53rd overall. My time was 28:07. (Silas asked me to include all of this, so my readers could be sure and understand that he crossed the finish line nearly THREE MINUTES before his mother did! That’s the first time we’ve run a race and I haven’t kept up with him. It’s only going to widen from here, I’m thinking!)

I have enjoyed running – and improving my running – here in Colorado. The altitude took some acclimating at first, but I’ve improved my pace and hope to bring all that momentum back to Minnesota with me! And it’s been fun running with my boy!

On a side note, next time I’ll be sure to bring my ID with me. I was denied my two free beer tickets because I didn’t have it. 😦  But then the sun came out this afternoon and our friend Braden came over and brought us a growler of “Widow Maker” Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout from Berthoud’s City Star Brewing, so all is well . . .

Special thanks to Nathan and Luthien for being our support team, holding our jackets, taking pictures, cheering us on!

Garfield Elementary

April 8, 2017 — Leave a comment

Day ten in my “Leaving Loveland” challenge.

We have been very happy with the elementary school our kids both attended here in Loveland. We moved here the summer before Luthien began fourth grade and Silas began first. Lu has since moved on to middle school, but Silas will have spent all his school years in Loveland right here at Garfield Elementary.

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Garfield is the arts-focused elementary school here in Loveland, so the arts are integrated throughout the curriculum. One project some of the students worked on was making these murals to decorate the modular building the school uses for additional space; and Silas got to be in a group that designed and painted the mural on the left (under the supervision of a local artist).

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Here’s a closeup of Silas and company’s mural. They wanted to include music and visual art and drama as well as the playground, mountains, and their school mascot, Grizzlies.

Jeanne

April 4, 2017 — 2 Comments

Day six in my “Leaving Loveland” challenge.

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I took this photo from my front porch just now. In this house across the street there are some office suites, ClothRoads Studio, and a residential apartment, where our neighbor Jeanne lived until her recent death.

Although she was on oxygen, Jeanne could often be seen cycling around the neighborhood on her recumbent bike, her saddlebags loaded for the day’s errands (oxygen tank included). She told me that she really couldn’t walk around the block anymore, but bicycling was easier, so she loved to get around that way.

She gave us her kitchen scraps to feed our chickens, and loved to see what we were doing with our garden. When both our kids were in a community play last summer, Jeanne came along with Nathan and me to watch the performance. That same summer the kids went over each day to walk a dog she was sitting for a couple weeks, and she always had lemonade and cookies for them after the walk, as well as good conversation. My daughter Luthien especially was so interested to talk with her and learn about her life.

The last time I talked to Jeanne, only a few days before she died, she eagerly told me about her plans to get some chickens. She had a pre-fabricated coop all ready to assemble, and I remarked to myself how vibrant she was. I had seen an ambulance in front of her house in the early hours of the morning only a week before and wondered if it was for her, but after seeing and speaking with her that day, I assumed it hadn’t been.

The next Saturday there was a garage sale at Jeanne’s house, and Luthien came back from it and told me that Jeanne’s family was selling some of her things, because she had died. It was hard to believe, and she cried.

The crabapple tree in the photo bloomed after Jeanne was gone, and Luthien said it was celebrating Jeanne’s life – and a beautiful, generous, well-lived life it was. I’m grateful we got to know Jeanne for the short time that we were neighbors.

Look at Those Mountains!

April 3, 2017 — Leave a comment

Day five in my “Leaving Loveland” challenge.

This week I’m filling in at my old job while my friend takes a well-deserved vacation, so this morning I got to ride my old bike commute. This is the view riding back from work. Nathan also bikes this same stretch of trail to and from work. This is a commute we will both miss.

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When we first moved to Colorado, I would constantly be surprised and wowed by the Rocky Mountain views, exclaiming, “look at those mountains!” It became a little joke between the boy and me, who would roll his eyes and whine, “oh Mom!”

But really. Look at those mountains! I guess in this photo they’re actually a bit hard to see, what with the trees in the foreground and the white clouds blending with the white snow. But there they are. And I’m sure I’ll be posting more mountain photos before this little series is through.