The Nature of Family

After leaving the sandbox challenge of the Great Sand Dunes, we wandered the back way through the mountains toward Palmer Lake, CO.  Along the way happened to be the Royal Gorge which ended up being a commercial mess of a gorgeous landscape and we chanced a short hike before turning our back on the gorge-turned-playground and got back on the road.

So, a little background.  Rob and I met 35 years ago in Denver, CO.  I had a 15 month old son then who many of you now know.  Jacob has always had Colorado in his bones and left the day before our adventure began to move back to his “home in the mountains”.  Along with a son, I had my pre-Rob life of friends and acquaintances who happen to still live in the area.  Some of those friends, Carla and Roland, still live in Canon City just minutes from the Gorge and we managed a quick but memorable reunion at a local coffee house before our final approach into Colorado Springs.

We have been having the time of our lives on this trip but I couldn’t help but be beside myself with excitement to see Jacob again.  Moving into one of his fathers’ previous houses, he has settled easily into a wonderful new life for himself.  Just down the (significant!) hill from his house, the RV was settled into a cozy spot in an historic property overflow parking lot where dear grazed in the evening.  From this easy vantage point, we enjoyed the next 6 days just being family.  We worked diligently on house projects (seemingly endless!) from installing an a/c to a pot rack to organizing to yard work.  We cooked, ate, played games and got to know Luna, the wonder dog. 

Our second day in was Father’s Day.  A first in history, Jacob invited both of his fathers for breakfast and he cooked up a delicious feast before we all played another of Jacob’s crazy board games together.  What seemed a potentially precarious event went great, leaving everyone feeling a bridge had been crossed.

Each day Rob and I found a trail to hike.  The area amazing supplies easy options with land designated as Open Space in every direction.  From Jacob’s house we could hike down and around Palmer Lake, up to the Lower and Upper Reservoir and ride our bikes on the Santa Fe Trail as far as 60 miles south, past Colorado Springs.  A less than five mile drive provided countless other opportunities including Spruce Mountain and Meadow open space trails.  A natural wonderland!

Enjoying every minute of our time together, the time nonetheless passed.  Rob’s best buddy, Cloos, happens to live 20 minutes north and he and his wife Lidia rode their Harley over one evening for dinner.  And the nostalgic, lifelong ties continued.  They headed back before the sun set and we spent our final evening with Jacob before heading out the next morning to move the next step north to Cloos’s, the next stop on the itinerary.

Adding to the Colorado fun, the best man from Rob’s first marriage (Bob) and his wife (Sue) live yet another 20 minutes north of Cloos and Rob’s brother (Rich) and HIS wife (Lisa) are an hour’s drive north again in Fort Collins. Continuing the reunions and fun continued as we all got together last night to celebrate Rob’s 65^th birthday.

Cloos, Lidia, Rich and Lisa and us all met up in Denver for Rob’s birthday at the Colorado Rockies game.  Although a disappointing and great loss from the Rockies who before were first in their division, it was a great way to while away the afternoon with good friends.  Sitting in the nosebleed section at the Rooftop bar area, we were far enough away to enjoy the game as well as each other.  The culmination of the day was the arrival of Jacob, Bob and Sue at the chosen happy hour hangout where we ate, drank and generally made a good memory of Rob’s entry into his 65^th year.  

On a couple occasions, I was able to see Jacob’s new work environment and meet the people he spends his days with.  Once, taking Jacob to work, he gave me the “mom” tour of the area with the Broncos training grounds and a local protected groundhog area right in the city.  Another occasion, the Robs and I went up to meet the boss and take Jacob to lunch.  With a peek into his new life, I have a frame of reference for when the miles will separate us.

Ending our time together, Jacob shared the world-famous Colorado Renaissance Festival with us.  Having visited here many summers with his father, it was a new experience for us and we all had a great time.  With crazy, talented performers at every turn and loaded with double entendre, we wandered for hours enjoying each show, tasting the food favorites (smoked turkey legs, yum) and shopping the handmade wares.  It was a great, fun way to experience more of what Jacob has in store for him in his new Colorado home.

As I sit here and reflect on the significance of this gathering in the middle of our journey, I see the glorious beauty of relationships in the midst of the beauty of nature we’ve become spoiled by along the way.  I am thankful to reconnect with Jacob before returning home without him being nearby and appreciate the familiar faces and comfortable relationships in the midst of all of the new ones we’ve been forging.   This journey of friends would not be complete without it!