Christmas day adventure

Mikey got a skateboard for Christmas, so Jen & I decided to take him & Mimi down a half-dozen or so blocks to the small park off of 53rd Street, where there are some gently sloping sidewalks amenable to the beginning skateboarder.

Mimi wearing some of her new Christmas bling.

On the way back, we saw a chickenwire Christmas tree & a Christmas cactus:

Full moon christmas

Misani, Emoni & Nunu jumping rope by the full moon on Christmas eve.

884 lit up.

Ranchero Xmas.

Neighbor's houses

Maureen's house.

Verdis's house.

Avery's house.

Christmas lights

Life goes on & there are moments of beauty, joy & happiness even while we are grieving those who have died. Here are a few photos of Christmas time in our neighborhood.

Blurry closeup of our tree.

Gordon's bushes.

Gordon's bushes on drugs.

Ouch. Another good one gone too young. Jen just got a phone call today: her friend, mentor & inspiration Tyler Beard died last night.

John Roush

John in Brigantine NJ, probably March or April of 1975. John is making me listen to two albums by a local New Jersey musician named Bruce Springsteen.

- - -

A few days ago on a complete whim I sent a Christmas card to an old address I had for John Roush, whom I'd gone to college in Boulder Colorado with in the mid-70s. I hadn't been in communication with him since maybe 1980 or so. Almost 30 years. I didn't know if the address was any good. All previous attempts at communication had been unsuccessful. Anyway, today I got a reply from his wife Susan. Here's most of what she wrote:

Scott, I have heard your name over the years quite often. After listening to some of the stories, I would like to think we would get along just fine. It is with great sadness that I must tell you that John passed away July 10, 2006. He asked me to take him to the doctor July 5. Our doctor had us go to the emergency room immediately. His organs began to fail. By the 8th he could not breathe on his own. He was my life partner, the love of my life. We were in high school together. I got married young, John spent great years with you and the other guys. Lucky me, he came back to Jersey. We were married on Aug. 28, '92. I miss him more than anything. ... Just take a minute to think about John Roush, the best guy & crazy as they come. He was loved by everyone. My love through John to you, Susan Roush

John, Pete Blethen & John Crawford camping in the rain.
Me & John sitting on Greg Stuart's pickup truck in front of the Fremont Street house in Boulder, maybe spring of 1976?

John with his then-girlfriend Jan on the beach, Brigantine NJ, March or April 1975.

See you, man.

Photos from Ron Sutcliffe

Scott Marvin, Ron Sutcliffe, John Roush on top of Flagstaff Mountain 1978

John Crawford, John Roush & Steve Williams, Broomfield CO 1979

Skinny skinny boys, Broomfield 1979

CHRISTMAS TREE OUTSIDE & INSIDE

OUR FESTIVE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Phat, Suzanne, Victoria, Harald & Jen

Misani & Mikey in the children's art center

Misani & Emoni snacking in the children's art center

Paul

Lee & Susan

Lexa & Dan

WILDCAT CANYON

Boojum & I head off up Wildcat Canyon. This is one of our regular spots to hike. We do about 3 miles round-trip. It's a good place to go in the winter; because some of the trail is old roadway asphalt & the rest is mostly pretty sandy & on the side of a steepish hill, it drains well. So it's not a muddy swamp like Bort Meadow or some other places.

Boojum's not interested in the views.

It takes awhile to get to where we're going, because we have to make sure to eat plenty of grass,

chase the ball a lot, and (busted!) poop a few times.

Finally we get to the road down to the creek, where Boojum goes swimming. Creek's pretty dry this time of year, but there's a few puddles yet.

DECEMBER FIRST

BKS December 1st, 1990