My Nephew

It's T-minus 6 days until my family arrives here in Telluride for my nephew's Bar Mitzvah. He will turn 13 on Friday, July 24th and have his Bar Mitzvah ceremony on top of a mountain here the following day. I can't believe my little guy is becoming a man. Here he is with his grandpa (my dad) in a shot taken in April.

This is him during last summer's visit.

I can't wait to see him and be with him for this blessed event.

Peaceful, easy feeling

All is fairly quiet and peaceful here on the western front. We had a wonderful July 4th holiday with friends, enjoying the Norman Rockwellish parade down Main Street and our infamous fireworks display that evening. The weather is finally acting like the summers we've always treasured, pure blue skies and delicious sunshine. Our hiking is in full-tilt, and we are both feeling good.

We're having our house painted, and they are supposed to be finished in time for our family visits, beginning in a little over a week. We'll see, as these guys are super laid back (and super painters). I am finished, for now, with my indoor painting projects. We've enjoyed the new look in our mud room -- the main entry to our house -- and last week I finished the side entry, painting it the inverse of the mud room (red walls, brown trim).

Tomorrow we are planning on going to an outdoor concert in Mountain Village with a picnic and a bunch of friends after a big hike with another group of friends.

Somehow we keep busy, but just about always peaceful.