Hi Gram,
I’ve been having such a great time here! My friends and I have engaging conversations, they’re supportive and happy, and they’ve introduced me to new ideas, sights, and experiences. Tuesday morning, my alarm clock got snoozed a few times before I reluctantly agreed to allow reality to enter. I got up and did my exercises and had breakfast, then headed out on a bike ride.

This area has a great trail that winds through town, the St. Vrain Greenway. I was able to pick it up a few blocks from the house and headed west towards the mountains. Similar to the path that I followed near Nicki’s house, the trail winds behind houses, following a creek, with underpasses at each major road and plenty of signs to help with navigation and wildlife to help us find some peacefulness.

A weekday morning, there weren’t many people along the route but enough to greet and wave at as we passed each other. I ended up on a spur that wound around a lake, so I decided to turn around and head back to the house.

When I got back, John and I loaded up the car and headed down to one of their properties so he could turn it over for guests and we could do some repairs on the garage in preparation for paint. I dropped him off to do his cleaning, then headed to Home Depot to grab some boards and screws. He had just finished cleaning when I got back, and the two of us made quick work of removing the old trim boards that had started rotting and replacing them with new treated boards. The old boards were MDF, which is a great substrate if you can keep it sealed from weather and moisture. The previous owners had not kept up on the maintenance and painting, though, so it was beginning to fall apart. These new boards were treated to survive the elements plus John caulked the seams to keep water from getting behind them, then painted the boards (the whole garage, actually) to protect them even further. They should get a good many years out of the garage as long as they keep up with the painting when it starts to show wear.

Once the boards were up, we took a break for lunch and enjoyed some curry chicken that John had prepared. We sat in the shaded back patio area, talked about houses and life and dreams and plans (and the recipe for that chicken!), and ate our delicious homemade food. After lunch, we went inside for John to show me the place and ask my opinion on some maintenance he’s considering before packing up the car and heading back to the house. I got on a zoom call with Amberly and a group of friends that we meet with every week for a lively discussion about insurance (it was more lively than one might imagine a conversation about insurance could be), then I headed to bed eager to go see the mountains the next day.

Wednesday morning, I woke early and got my morning routine done as quick as I could. My friend Cara picked me up around 8:30 and we headed up into the mountains. I used to take an annual trip to Dillon and Summit county every winter, but I had never been up there in the summer. We had an animated conversation on the ride up county and state roads with beautiful scenery on either side. We passed through a few tunnels, which elevated my mood even further, and saw some raging water and snow capped peaks in the distance. Once we got to the Frisco Nordic Center, we found parking and headed out on a trail. Cara really knew her stuff when she picked this trail.

We didn’t face any big uphill or downhill challenges, the trail wound in and out close to the water’s edge, and it was well-groomed for most of our trip. Instead, we were able to focus on sharing our stories, talking about childhood and adulthood, friends we had in common, discussing each of our plans to go to Bali, excited to explore with our group of friends. Every now and then, we would step off the path to allow mountain bikers to pass or chat with hikers coming the other way and even a kayaker out on the water before continuing on our way.

We ran into some volunteers with Americorp who were repairing the trail and gave us some guidance on where to go next. I could not have asked for a better hiking experience. She followed her GPS to keep us from getting lost, maintained a pace that was slow enough for me without feeling too slow, and engaged in conversation that made the time fly by.

Once we got back to the car, we decided we were both pretty hungry and headed into the town of Frisco for lunch. We quickly parked and walked down the main drag, full of people out enjoying the beautiful weather, until we found Bread and Salt, a fun little cafe with the mountain town charm. Our friendly waitress offered some suggestions and before we knew it, mouthwatering plates were set in front of us. We dug in, commenting on the balance between sweet and savory that we were each enjoying. With a breathtaking view of the mountain face at the end of the street, the succulent food before us, and the engaging conversation, I couldn’t imagine a better cap to our fun day of hiking. After lunch, we ambled back to the car and made our way back down the mountain. Satiated with a full belly, the tunnels added one final joy to the trip.

I know I’ve mentioned how much I’m enjoying this trip. I’ve told you before how lucky I feel to be able to see old friends, see the sights, and enjoy my experiences. Well, Thursday just added to the thrill. After an uneventful morning, I drove down to see my friends Jesse and Karla and their kids. I’ve known Jesse and Karla for probably twenty years, since we all started skydiving way back when. They actually met at Skydive Chicago, fell in love, then moved out to Colorado to start a family. I make a point of seeing them whenever I’m in Colorado or when they come back to Illinois to see their family. I’ve known their kids since they were toddlers, and look forward to hearing their progress in school and activities when I visit. I got there around 5:30, hugged everyone at least once, then we all settled into the kitchen around the countertop while Jesse prepared a dinner feast fit for kings. I am so proud of the STEM camp their daughter participates in, hearing about her experiments that day with paper airplanes, as well as their brilliant son who showed me the robot (with side car for the stuffed animals) that he made out of cardboard boxes. These kids are what I picture when I think of all-American kids raised by caring, thoughtful parents. Neither of them cares about phones or screens, they’re very creative and imaginative with the stories they tell me about their recent activities, and you can tell that they really care about people and animals. From the horseback riding, the cat, the dog, the rat… the fact that they sleep out in tents almost every night of their summer vacation… the way they ask mom and dad if they can help get ready for dinner, then clear the table right away… I just can’t say enough about the wonderful kids my friends are raising.

As if the conversation and camaraderie wasn’t enough, I always look forward to the feast that Jesse prepares when I visit. This guy knows how to cook simple yet delicious meals. The chicken is always tender and moist, the asparagus seasoned and popping with flavor, the zucchini carved out and filled with cheese and spices – after a plateful, my belly tells me to stop, but my taste buds tell my belly to shut its darned mouth! I could have stayed and talked for hours, but aware of the hour drive back to the house, I bid my adieus, hugged everyone some more, and made my way back to Amberly and John’s. My cup overflows with joy.