The friend of my son is my friend

This morning we had breakfast together on the deck overlooking Boulder Creek under the windows of our temporary home, the 'Inn at Nederland' as we prepare to leave Nederland and pick up the coach for our next jaunt on the road.

Looking across the creek I spotted this cute couple being nice to a stray dog (quite a few of them in small towns all across North America. And more south of this continent). So cute, in fact, I had to snap their pic.  Then I took the foot bridge over the creek to ask them if I might have an email address to send it to for them.  They saw our name on the card we hand out as we travel and wouldn't you know it, Jason had worked with Jim at the Tungsten in back in 1997, the very year I went into ministry and Mona and I moved from Manheim to Douglassville, Pa.

Today Jason and his wife Erin own and operate a 35 acre organic vegetable farm near Lyons, Colorado.  This was a cherished weekend away from the never ending work of any size of serious farm. Erin said they were blessed that Grandma could take care of the place so they could get a break, and Nederland has always been their favorite place to unwind.

This morning we met two of Jim's dear friends, Lawrence and Lorraine, who have owned their great rock, gem and fossil shop in the center of the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado for many years.  Jim got to know them about 9 years ago when he began to express interest in their collections.  Then he began to buy some items, as he could afford them. Now he is the photographer for their website and advertising venues.

 Sometimes the best of friends can  do business together.

We met their son today as well, who was visiting from Taos, New Mexico, and he invited us to look him up when we travel down his way.

 The Pearl Street Mall used to be the downtown business district.  Crammed with cars once, it was gradually becoming derelict like so many old downtowns in America.

But some very forward thinking town fathers closed it for several blocks to traffic, saved the right buildings and created new ones and for decades now it has been a destination for browsers seeking fun, funk, and food.

We met Clarissa at an evening event at the 'Very Nice Brewery Tap Room' in Nederland. She is originally from Northumberland, Pennsylvania but has lived out here for several years.  She calls her home town by its nick-name 'Northie'. She loves her home town and all her family there and spoke particularly with fondness for her grandma this evening. She teaches fourth grade at Nederland Elementary now, and loves her home in these mountains and with these Nederland people.

Clarissa took this nice picture of the three DeWalts while we were there, and Jim took a few pics of the bluegrass band who was entertaining the crowd.

Susan, who with her husband opened the Tap Room to their several year old brewery just a year and a half ago broke even at the end of their first year and are looking to make profit by this December.  You've just got to admire folk who risk all their savings and for cash, no loans, but with good planning, go for it in today's economy... and can say they were in the black at the end of their first twelve months!

-Ken