And the valley below

We could not let me dear wife Karen’e five-day Family Reunion in Estes Park go by without heading the rented SUV back up the mountain to that pull-off on Route 36 with the big rock sign and panoramic view. Yet the two times we drove past the majestic point going back down toward the village…

There’s a lightness on the edge of town

If there was one theme that repeated itself every dang day during my dear wife Karen’s Family Reunion in Estes Park, it was: Take a Hike. So on Monday morning bright and clear, the gang that remained gathered on the Village Green with a mission to walk along the Creek Walk that at its start…

A wild time at the Denver Zoo

When my dear wife Karen put a Sunday baseball game on her Family Reunion group page on Facebook, nephew Drew from Alaska quickly indicated that he’d love to join his aunt, the Uncle from Syracuse he’d not yet met, and new cousin Elisabeth and her boyfriend George Three on the excursion to Coors Field to…

In search of the Blue Moon over Syracuse as a skunk cloud lingers

The dreaded skunk made its late July appearance in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood last night. Fortunately, Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyke was safely on the back porch when I caught the first whiff, and I was able to shut the door before she raced to investigate. So — knock on wood — no…

Take a hike, gladly, ride a jeep with the gang

The first day we walked around the town of Estes Park, outside a storefront my wonderful daughter Elisabeth spotted a bunch of people hopping aboard a big jeep. We wondered about the adventure awaiting. The next day, we ducked inside, grabbed a brochure, and talked turkey with the woman behind the counter. Well, elk, actually,…

I’m glad there’s crying in baseball

My Mets lost last night, but even during a pennant race, that wasn’t the big story. Wilmer Flores got tears in his eyes. On the field. During the game. He couldn’t hide it from the TV cameras. There is crying baseball, Tom Hanks’ crusty manager Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own. And that…

Sharing the space at the Stanley Hotel

Driving, walking, visiting Estes Park for the first time, you can’t miss the big white place up the hill. All eyes at the my dear wife Karen’s Family Reunion were drawn toward The Stanley Hotel. Something about it just seemed so darn … familiar. On Friday morning, we four walked up from our cool blue…

Bags of Blessings (Feeding Hungry Children)

The Kindness Blog writes today about a program that packs and distributes food for those who really needs it. Bags of Blessings reaches children who feel the love and benefits. Click the link below and read the hand-written letters of appreciation. Also, thanks to Paul Curran for pointing the post out to me. Bags of…

A little light in the Rockies

There’s an interesting relationship in Estes Park between the sun and the Rocky Mountains. We found out during my dear wife Karen’s Family Reunion in this little village at the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park. So, in this parade of pictures and posts that will continue daily from the Little Bitty in the Syracuse…

Now that’s a salutation

So many exciting moments crammed into five full days for my dear wife Karen, wonderful daughter Elisabeth and tremendous boyfriend George Three and the entire Miner clan. Yes, Estes Park, Colorado, was a fine place to hold her first Family Reunion. I have much to write about in the week or more to come. Today…