Summer Race, Run, & Fun

This is the first summer we've both had off. We've usually always taught summer school. But my wife had surgery planned for mid-summer, and I, laservision surgery, and so I'm glad we've done this. More-than-usual trips the Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Denver are the result of previously-made plans. We've taken in some fun things.
29 years ago this summer we became engaged. I was working at a Dude Guest Ranch in Creede, Colorado. I had weekends off so would drive back down here to be with my gal, or she would drive up to Creede where we would enjoy it's art and Repertory Theater. It had been a long time since we've been up there, but we took in a matinee there recently. It was fun to be back there, walking hand-in-hand. Also, we took in a fine new movie, "17 Miracles" in a nice stadium-seating theater in Colorado Springs. It was the touching story of the Willie Handcart Company. We had done a re-enactment of part of that trek a few summers ago now. It featured the dedicated life of Levi Savage. Great movie, great soundtrack. And I've had some amazing summer runs and races as I train for the upcoming Kansas City Marathon. Even brought home a 2nd place trophy, had an amazing race that day. But the best part of that day was not merely my race results and the way I felt while running (as great at that was), nor the parade and beautiful floats. What resonates is time with family. For years I've disliked the entire Pioneer Days experience. I've always felt very isolated. Marginalized. Outsider looking in. This year...my own little family, me and my granddaughter playing in Jack Dempsey park, some of my nieces & their families joining us at a park, visiting, having lunch, listening to live music (who can forget the Cajun piece wherein my son-in-law gets his 6 month pregnant wife up, they dance and he says, "we're goin' to do some 'gator huntin' now, gunna get me a gator." Ha ha ha). And giving our granddaughter wheelbarrel rides, the way I did with out own kids, was especially memorable. She enjoyed the trampoline too.
We had a lot of fun. .... it was very, very nice indeed.
Be Well. Do Good.