Having Betsy, Joe and the girls in Colorado gave us a good reason to go see them and try some skiing. They scouted several ski slopes and recommended Copper Mountain. Betsy enticed us with a postcard and some photos of the Copper Mountain village she took on a January visit with her friends Pat and Deanna.
In February around President’s Day, we headed out to Colorado. We rented a car and made our way to Betsy and Joe’s house at 10312 South Fairgate Way in Highlands Ranch. I had been in Denver a number of times before for business meetings and conferences, both downtown and at the Denver Tech Center not far from Highlands Ranch, so I felt like I knew the area a little bit. I think it was Barb’s first time in Colorado.
The girls got together for their first reunion after more than six months apart. That’s a long time in little girls’ lives.
Betsy and Joe made us feel at home and gave us tours of Highlands Ranch and Denver. We also headed down toward Colorado Springs and saw the Garden of the Gods.
Just down the road from Garden of the Gods is Colorado Springs, including the U.S. Air Force Academy and an airfield right by the highway they use for training flights. I think it was this trip where we noticed parachutists jumping out of planes. We pulled into what turned out to be the Ackerman Overlook and watched them for a good while. It was the first (and so far only) time I’ve seen parachute jumpers practicing over and over. I found it mesmerizing and a little terrifying. We could see the little black dots fall out of the planes and drop a short while before deploying their chutes. I held my breath each time one fell, breathing again once the chute came out, then watched each one float down gently to the ground. We could also see the entire route of the little planes that took off from the airport, climbed a few thousand feet, slowed to drop their packages, come back down to land at the airport and do it again, over and over. A vertical bus service. The whole scene was fascinating. It reminded me of watching hang gliders in Chamonix a few years earlier. I could watch forever but can’t imagine ever actually doing it. It’s possible all this happened on some other, warmer day, but until I find out otherwise, this is where I’m plugging that memory.
At the Ackerman Overlook 
After a couple of days getting acclimated to Denver, we headed up to Copper Mountain and checked into a two-bedroom condo together. The condo had a loft upstairs for the girls, accessed by a spiral staircase which made for good photos.
Time to hit the slopes. I was very much a novice skier; I’d skied once or twice as a kid when we lived in New Jersey and a few times since college at slopes in Virginia and West Virginia, including Massanutten and Snowshoe. I think it was at Snowshoe where I wore some orange-colored jeans thinking they and some longjohns would keep me warm. When I finished my attempt at skiing, we could look back up the hill and see all the orange skids from places I’d fallen on the way down. It was pretty impressive. I don’t think I’d been skiing since and really had no business being on the slopes in Colorado. But at least this time we’d invested in slightly better clothing. We also invested in a beginner’s lesson for me on the first day which helped build a little confidence.
Over the three days I worked up to where I was more or less comfortable on the easy slopes and tried one or two of the intermediate ones before settling back onto the easy slopes. Even a novice like me could tell the difference between these Colorado mountains and the icy little hills back east. In Colorado you could take one or two chair lifts to go way up the mountain and then spend quite a long time working your way back down before having to stand in line again for a lift. Back east, I remember spending an inordinate percentage of the time shivering in lift lines. Also the quality of the snow was markedly better in Colorado and the views of the other mountains were hard to beat. I could finally see the appeal of skiing even if I never quite got the hang of it.
Barb and Betsy were much more accomplished from school ski trips in the Alps when they lived in Germany. Barb’s basic philosophy of skiing was to point the skis straight downhill and go very fast. Betsy was more artful and measured. Joe pretty much shared Barb’s philosophy and the two of them had a good time tackling the intermediate slopes, though even they were a little intimidated by the expert runs. Sara was already out on her own skiing whatever she felt like. Kids.
Me…going this way 
…and that way 
Snow bunny Barb 
Joe and Barb 
Me and Joe 
Sara…who needs poles?
We enrolled Allie and Kristen in ski school so they would get some proper instruction but also so none of us would have to worry about them for a couple of days. Kristen was already fairly accomplished and went off with instructors to the real slopes. Allie spent the first day on the very gentle bunny slope with an “elevator” conveyor belt lift. They kept us parents and would-be spectators a long way away to keep from distracting the kids.
Allie in pink, riding the escalator 
Allie’s first day skiing
By the second day, Allie was ready for a real chair lift. We caught photos of her getting on the lift with her instructor and another student.
Allie in pink, just getting on the lift 
Coming up, in the middle lift 
Wave for the camera! 
An old pro already
… and skiing down a real slope.
Here they come… 
Already snowplowing better than me 
See ya… 
Ready for another lift ride
Back at home, Allie and I attended a father/daughter country line dance, on March 1…somewhere. Maybe school? Maybe scouts? I wish I could say I remember. I don’t usually forget my dancing experiences, especially country line dancing (well before Laurie discovered it). Maybe Barb or Allie remember. I’m glad there’s a photo.
Grandpop (or GranPop) sent Allie a little grandfather clock along with this fine note (worth clicking to read). The clock still sits proudly (though quietly) in our family room.
(click to see whole note) 
The clock…still on our shelf
Barb enrolled Allie as Daisy, the first level of Girl Scouts. Her troop did some project about Greece that I can’t remember. The troop leader was Miss Barb who lived in a house just down Centennial Road from us. She was a true taskmaster, even more than our Barb. They were quite a pair together.
Katie was a Daisy, too 
The troop leader was Miss Barb who lived nearby
On March 9 we went to Baltimore to see the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, The Greatest Show on Earth! A sight to see (once) in its three-ring glory.
Allie helped us celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March.
On April 8 we ventured into Baltimore to see Annie Get Your Gun. The big stars were Tom Wopat (from Dukes of Hazzard!) and introducing Karyn Quackenbush (we hardly knew ye).
Spring and Easter came once again, and once again we took some shots with our cherry tree for Granma.
We tried some Easter bunny shots, too.
I think this ended up being the winner for Granma
Stephanie and Kristin came over to celebrate Easter (April 15) with an egg hunt.
On April 19, Helaine and Joel had their second child, Louisa.
On May 4-6, Barb participated in the Avon Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure. Barb walked with her co-workers Leila Carp and Dawn Popp. Barb had done some 5K Walks to help fight breast cancer in honor of her mom over the previous years, but this was a much bigger deal. Joe had done a similar walk the year before, I think, and offered inspiration and some coaching. Barb practiced walking longer and longer distances over the fall and winter, working up to this 60-mile trek from Frederick, MD to the Mall in Washington DC, 20 miles each day (actually, more the first two days and a short third day). We were very proud of her commitment to the cause and happy to cheer her on. My job was to watch Allie for three days solo, which seemed like challenge enough for me.
Day One started very early, before dawn, at Hood College in Frederick. We drove Barb there, rising sometime around 5am. Barb marched in a cohort of a few hundred from Howard County.
Barb and Leila with unknown tall person 
Getting sorted at Hood College with the dawn 
And they’re off! Marchers as far as the eye can see. 
Leila marching along 
Sometimes the path went cross country 
Leila out sitting in her field 
Leila enjoying a rest break 
Leila made a friend 
Barb made a friend though she claims it’s really Leila’s friend 
Barb, Leila, and fellow walkers from Howard County (probably)
The Komen organizers took care of all the food, camping and facilities for the marchers. It was quite a production, suitable for an army. I think this was Barb’s first time sleeping in a tent, which she shared with Leila. They took showers in a trailer, used portapotties and had dinner in a big communal tent. It seems to have gone surprisingly well. It didn’t hurt that everyone was exhausted.
Dinner time. Leila finds some friends. 
Leila’s meal (standard) 
Barb’s meal (special!) 
Tent city 
More tents 
Shower time 
Observing speed limits 
Some of the volunteer helpers, bless them 
Barb gets interviewed 
Somewhere there’s a tape 
Leila and Dawn with walking friends 
The official photo
On the second day, a group from Barb’s work picked out a spot in Rockville, just off the Pike, to see the walkers and cheer on Barb, Leila and Dawn. We had to camp out in the spot for several hours, watching the walkers go by, because we didn’t really know when our ladies would come along. We didn’t have cell phones at that point so we had to rely on our wits…the good old days. They stopped for a few minutes with us, took photos and grabbed a snack, then they were back on their way.
Sign for Barb, Leila and Dawn…not done by us. 
Our cheering committee for Barb 
Allie made a sign but I can tell what it says 
Two sided! 
Barb with her biggest fan 
Miss Hannah and her beau 
The Marchers: Barb, Leila, Dawm 
Barb, Leila, Dawn, Hannah and others
After one more night somewhere in the wilds of Bethesda, the marchers rose for the final day. They crossed into DC early in the morning and finished around noon in a big ceremony at the Mall under the Washington Monument. We were there to celebrate, though the actual crossing the finish line was something of a cattle call.
At the DC line 
Maybe a different day…but still on the walk 
Somewhere in DC, 1.68 miles to go 
At the Potomac River near Watergate
Big finish at the Washington Monument 
It got a little hectic at the end 
Leila didn’t exactly enjoy the finale 
Everyone was glad when it was done. The girls with Leila’s friend, Marilyn.
Auntie Mary and Uncle David sent Barb a nice congratulations note commemorating Barb’s march for Louise.
(click to see whole note)
Mothers Day was May 13. Allie made sure we knew.
Some shots of Miss Hema’s class at Love of Learning, maybe near the end of the year?
Miss Hema and a helper 
Miss Hema (or is this the helper?) 
Allie at her table. I don’t think they had school uniforms, but Allie looks prepped in case they did.
Allie matriculated from Daisy to Brownie in a ceremony at Miss Barb’s house. It was a fairly elaborate to-do.
Betsy and the girls came back east in May in time for a Memorial Day visit to Louise’s memorial at Arlington Cemetery.
Betsy and Joe made a stop at Fred and Louise’s tree in Purcellville.
Allie and Kristen enjoying a summer evening
Allie attended Bobo’s birthday party, I think at the Columbia Gym.
Some of the Howard County Avon marchers got together for a reunion brunch at the Columbia Sheraton at Lake Kittamaqundi.
There was an end of season dance recital with Cindee Velle. Allie was still in a young group…Pre-Ballet II, one of about 30 kids onstage for the Don Quixote Selections. We sat through two hours of dances to see her for a few minutes, but I would learn that was par for the course at dance events.
Our little dancer 
The official photo 
Our little dancer
Razer scooters became all the rage for a while, so of course we got one for Allie, even though we’d heard of other people getting hurt on them. I didn’t realize how dangerous they were until I tried it one day, hit a bump on our sidewalk and went flying for a pretty rough tumble. Allie told me later to watch out for that bump on the sidewalk. I never went on the scooter again. Fortunately, Allie never hurt herself badly and lost interest in the scooter before long.
Zoooom!
Allie and I took summer walks around Centennial Lake, one of our favorite trails.
At Centennial Lake 
A rock for me
We made a June return to North Carolina with Nancy. She once again rented a house near Corolla and we joined in for the week along with Nancy’s unknown friend and her daughter. The house was again a block or two from the water, far enough that we had to drag things back and forth each day. I dug holes and played golf again while the girls got their sunburns. We had dinners at various Timbuck II shopping center restaurants and got food and supplies at the Food Lion across the street. A fine time was had.
Masters of our domain
Directions to the house 
Backed with a note from Barb
We made another evening trip to the amusement park in Kitty Hawk with the girls.
I think we had access to a pool in Corolla. Either that, or these are from Columbia (Dorsey Search pool?). I really can’t tell and don’t recognize the other people in the pool. Allie had fun trying to swim with her water wings, though.
Graduation Day from Love of Learning. We drove back early from North Carolina so Allie could attend…and show off her tan. The ceremony was held at the community center in Clarksville. I was there and remember it being a big deal for a kindergarten graduation but don’t remember a whole lot of specifics about it.
Allie snagged a prime spot on the couch to wait 
Allie and her boys 
Getting nervous? 
Getting bored? 
Getting a little overwhelmed? 
It’s all too much! 
Miss Hema gets the show on the road 
I’d like to say a few words… 
Our graduate! 
Allie and the girls: Devayani and one more 
Hugs from Miss Hema 
Allie was one of her favorites 
The kids all sang a song, but I think these shots are from afterwards… 
…when Allie was a little less nervous 
Belt it out!
This cap and gown picture was taken professionally before we went to North Carolina. It’s one of our favorites. Congratulations on making it through kindergarten!
June 2 was Graduation for Jill from Gainesville High School. Belated congratulations on completing high school, Jill, from your ever-attentive Uncle.
At the end of June, Barb, Allie and I visited Granma and Granpop in Riviera Beach. A highlight of the trip was a journey to Lion Country Safari about an hour away, Granpop’s nod to trying to entertain us. We saw a ton of animals from his car as we drove through the park and I know we took a ton of pictures but you’re lucky I haven’t found them yet.
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