Summery Thoughts

Another birthday has come and gone. I wasn't planning to do anything at all until Friday morning when I suddenly decided I wanted to take off for Moab for a few days of hiking and camping before the hordes of child-toting families kick of the summer vacation season. The truck was half packed with gear when I learned that Scott was flying up from Austin that evening to surprise me. So Moab wasn't in the cards last weekend, but we had a good time. I got a few friends together for dinner, we saw The Flatlanders at the Boulder Theater, and we spent an entire day hiking Roxborough State Park and touring the ancient Anasazi ruins in Manitou Springs. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather, and all-in-all it was a good way to celebrate the passing of 35 years.

I'm still pushing for Moab. Hopefully this weekend, though the forecast is showing more than a slight chance of thundershowers out there. If Moab still isn't in the cards we'll have to rough it in Boulder. I say "rough it" because this weekend is hands-down the craziest time of the year in Boulder. Memorial Day weekend is three days of Boulder Creek Festival stuffed with a farmer's market, and capped with the Bolder Boulder. The Creek Fest stretches a good six blocks or more and it's one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) event in Boulder County. Food, crafts, carnival games, rubber duck races down the creek - everything you'd expect from such an event. The Bolder Boulder, a 10k race which takes place on Memorial Day, is the largest timed race in the United States and is the 5th largest road race in the world. This year the one millionth participant registered for the race which brings in about $10 million annually. All told, the weekends events are expected to bring well over 50,000 people to our fair city of less than 100,000. All this will be taking place literally outside my back door. It really is a nice way to kickoff the summer. Boulder Creek is swollen with spring snowmelt, the sun is up by 5:45AM, and this weekend officially marks the end of frost season.

Summer, you are most welcome.