Life Transplanet

Last night was wild! We had fireworks going off on every side of us from about 8pm until 12midnight. Luckily it had rained because our neighbors were blowing stuff up left and right. We had bottle rockets and flares hitting our house and yard -and one almost hit Britton! I was getting really nervous for Kitty because we had left him outside when we usually bring him in on the fourth (we found him happily this morning).  The fog rolled in too and so the fireworks were displayed behind an eerie haze of an almost-full moon.

We saw the professional fireworks going off in Loveland in the distance from our backyard and then the Country Club’s. The Stampede fireworks were delayed because of rain and didn’t start until about 11pm. We went to our front porch for those.

It was a nice and relaxed day (until all the blasts started) and I cut one of the lilies and put it in a vase as we were cleaning the house. I love making my own flower arrangements.  The roses started drooping right away, so I looked online and found that if you add a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of bleach and two teaspoons of lemon juice to the water that it is supposed to help and by this morning the roses were perked right up! It was a colorful day, to say the least.  Oh and Happy 31st Anniversary to my parents!

When Britton and I got back from our trip to the mountains, we checked our messages on the answering machine. My friend, Kelly, called to let us know that she was able to get us free tickets to the Kid Rock concert if we wanted to go. We didn’t have anything else to do, so we told her we’d meet her down there. We got ready and headed off on our bikes once again to the Stampede.

Me and my bike

When we got there, it turned out that the Weld County Sheriff, John Cooke, had the extra tickets for us. We got the hook ups! So we asked for a picture with him.

Me, Sheriff Cooke and Kelly at the Stampede

The tickets were for standing room only, but that was fine with me. We ended up running into a lot of our friends including our friend, Al and spent most of the concert with him since Kelly and her husband already had seats outside of the standing room area.

Al and Britton at Kid Rock concert

I know a few of Kid Rock’s songs and he definitely appeals to a certain demographic that is an interesting marketing mixture of hard rock, country and rap.  I had to laugh at the crazy lyrics of one song that I had never heard before: Low Life. Do people really live like this?? Often music, like art, reflects life, so I am assuming some people must.

Here’s a little sample of the lyrics and video (turn down your speakers):

I got my Cat Scratch Fever eight-track
My best friend’s in a gun rack
I’m a lowlife
I owe everybody money
I think racist jokes are funny
I’m a lowlife
I got a dirty mind, a gutter mouth
I’m makin’ time, I’m goin’ out
With your wife

Cuz I’m a lowlife
I’m a lowlife

I got kids I never seen
And their momma’s seventeen
I’m a lowlife
I take strippers out to breakfast
You can add that to my checklist
I’m a lowlife
Ahh the landlord called the rent is due
I spent it all on a Kiss tattoo
I Rock n Roll all night

Cuz I’m a lowlife
I’m a lowlife
I’m a lowlife

Livin’ the highlife

It’s also interesting how at concerts of the past for the slow songs people would pull out their lighters and sway to the music. Now, people pull out their cell phones! It’s quite the cultural phenomenon. I think I was one of the very few who didn’t have a cell phone. In this video you can also see the moon shining over us.

It began to rain toward the end of the concert so Britton and I saddled up our trusty bikes and headed off into the night with a moonlit backdrop and ringing ears. What a great day!

Yesterday after running a bunch of errands (since we both had the day off), Britton and I headed up to the mountains. We are lucky in that we can be in the mountains in only about 30 minutes (from Greeley to Thompson River area) and Estes Park is only about 50 miles away.  The Thompson River once flooded in the 70s killing many people. It has a historical park for remembrance. It is no wonder! The canyon cuts straight up with rocky cliffs. You can take a drive with us in this video. In the beginning you will notice the “Dam Store” and then the steep canyon walls near the river.

We decided to take the Glen Haven road rather than the Estes Park road. It was a peaceful drive and we stopped off and had a mini-picnic break by the river. It was really beautiful.

Britton and Me: hanging out near Estes Park, Colorado

No refrigeration necessary: just put the beer in the river!

It was a nice drive. We had intermittent rain and sun. When we got up to Estes Park we didn’t feel like parking and walking around like tourists, so we went up to the Stanley Hotel for a bit. Britton and I got engaged in Estes Park and had considered having our wedding at the Stanley. It is an awesome old hotel and was the inspiration for Stephen King to write “The Shining” as it is said to be haunted.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park

Overall, it was a good trip to the mountains, but the day wasn’t through yet. When we got home, we were invited to the Kid Rock concert!

Lily-bloom profusion

I just noticed the lilies are blooming again! I can’t believe  how the  time goes. We are already half-way through summer! When you grow things you really notice the seasons. The chickens are getting big and should start laying some time in August I am guessing. I can’t wait to see a green egg! That’s what the Americana is supposed to lay. The other two are brown-egg layers.

Holding the New Hampshire Chicken in the air

Britton and I have a three day weekend starting tomorrow which we are really excited for. He has been working so much on the little rental that this is really the first moment for a break (and we’ll still be doing odds and ends). I am not too sure what we’ll do for the Fourth, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.

Orange Hybrid Lily After a Rain