July 4th Weekend

There were no fireworks this 4th of July in Boulder. Now, that is not entirely true, but it was raining quite heavily so we opted-out of leaving the house with 6 expectant children and 4 adults for a fifty-fifty chance of seeing fireworks under a foggy and rainy sky. Instead, we opted to stay indoors, with great friends who were visiting from DC and enjoy laughter and company and good food. I reason that I've enjoyed enough great fireworks over the years to give up one year of fireworks without a big complaint. One year, Boulder, one year.

With the Miller clan in town for four days, we packed up two cars for an adventure, heading west to Brainard Lake, one of several lakes in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. While it is less than an hour from Boulder, it feels very far away. We left under sunny warm skies and by the time we reached the parking lot at 10,000 feet, the weather was very cool and windy. Fishing was a flop, but we discovered a stunning lake next to Brainard called Long Lake. Long Lake was postcard pretty and had an adjacent pond with water so warm that the 5 boys and Ruby stripped down to their underwear and jumped right in. This is a place to return to.

Alex Turns 41!

Hiking the Flatirons

The boys and I hiked up to the Flatirons this morning. The Flatirons, named by pioneer women after the flat, metal irons used to iron their clothes, are 5 stunning rock formations that are Boulder's Golden Gate Bridge, a welcoming and defining landmark of the town that makes its way into nearly every Boulder postcard or poster. I see them everyday, while driving to Target, or walking in the neighborhood or even catching a small glimpse out of our second story window. The trailhead leading to the Flatirons is only a 5 minute drive from our house, but despite its popularity and beauty, we just hadn't made it up there...until now. Cole and Carson were hiking champs, blazing up the trail enthusiastically, and enjoying the surroundings like adults who had been kept in windowless offices for too long. They gushed at the beauty of the trail, grew giddy at the heights and views and repeatedly told me that they wanted to come back as soon as we could. Not a whine or a complaint or a "I'm too tired, I want to go back". I love spending my time with my boys when we get to be this happy, this unencumbered, this free from everything that makes us rub each other wrong. We've found this same state of happiness while biking and skiing together. After today, I think we can add hiking to the list.

Jamestown Ride

Grant and I celebrated father's day with an amazing bike ride from central Boulder to Jamestown. It is considered one of Boulder's top rides and now I know why. The 30 mile ride along a rushing creek is not only incredibly scenic, but the gradual climb on a paved bike shoulder enabled even a novice rider like me to feel comfortable the whole way. It took us about 3 hours total and I needed a two hour nap in the afternoon to recover, but it was a memorable way to break in my new bike. Here are some of the statistics on the ride from bicycling.com:

State:	Colorado (CO)
Distance:	23.37 mi (Change units)
Calories:	2039
Average Speed:	13.7 mph 0:04:23/mi
Duration:	1:42:29
Survey Elevation:	Total Gain: 3107 ft Total Loss: 3134 ft Net Change: -28 ft
Difficulty:	7 / 10

Mountain Bike Camp

The boys completed their first week of a Boulder mountain bike camp through Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures (SMBA). I dropped them off at a different trailhead around Boulder everyday. They learned the fundamentals of mountain bike riding and took responsibility for their lunch, water needs, helmet, gloves and repair equipment. They came home each day exhausted and exhilarated, empowered by what they learned and experienced. I was thrilled for them to get a chance to be outside amidst so much beauty, and perhaps a bit envious too.

Mapleton Avenue Lemonade Stand

The boys had their first lemonade stand during the Mapleton Hill annual rummage sale on Saturday. They made an astounding $150.00 from the sale of their goods. Grant sold our cd collection and piles of clothes and odds and ends that should have never been in our moving truck last August. We met so many nice people and got to see our unwanted stuff fall into the happy hands of new owners. We made enough money to make a trip to University Bikes, where I am going to be outfitting myself for my next Boulder adventure: road biking.

Boulder Boulder Memorial Day 10K

Our Pasadena friends Amy and Martin Whist spent the Memorial Day weekend with us in Boulder with their girls Ava and Adelaide. The older kids ran the famous Boulder Boulder 10k race with us, an annual Memorial Day race that attracts over 50,000 people. It was the kids' first 10k race and they ran most of the way. As for our visit, well, Boulder is an easy place to host friends in these warmer months. Grant showed Martin the sporty side of Boulder with a 6 am hike, a 40 mile bike ride, and a couple of neighborhood jogs. We went to the legendary Red Rocks open-air amphitheater for a STYX and Foreigner concert, an underwhelming concert in an overwhelming setting. We will go back to see something spectacular one day. Amy and I got to catch up with hours of conversations about the last 8 months, demonstrating the female gift for marathon talking with no need for rest stops. I love showing people our life in Boulder: our quiet, tree-lined street, our friendly neighbors, our lovely natural surroundings. Amy lost her scarf on a stroll downtown and two days later it was nicely propped on a fence, waiting for its rightful owner to claim it. This is a town with so much going for it, including a very generous lost and found policy.