We all say it: “It’s a small world.” Indeed, it is! In one day, Kathy ran into two people at our resort in Vail who are good friends with our friends. And so, we now have connections with people in Wichita, Kansas, who are Bible study partners with our friends who live in Wichita. We have visited in our Wichita friends’ mountain vacation home in Breckenridge in the past and my friend in Wichita also served with me on the Board of Regents for Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. On our way back home to Tomball in two weeks, we will stop over in Wichita so that all of us can “do lunch” together. That way, “new friends” can become “old friends.” Next, Kathy met family friends of our Tomball friends, Kevin and Betsy Schlichting. Kevin’s parents eat out regularly with these Denver area folks and Kevin attended high school with their sons. What great visits we have had!

Unfortunately, in all of this, I went swimming with my new iPhone 5. This is not the first time in my life that I have done this. I had put the phone in my swimming trunks’ pocket and, in all the visiting with new acquaintances, simply forgot. After about 20 minutes in the pool, it kind of jolted me when I remembered. The phone now resides in rice for the next few days. It may power up and it may not–such is life. You would think I would learn that iPhones and water do not mix–maybe this time that truth will impress upon my mind and maybe not–such is life. WEG

Sitting with legs lodged in different directions while balancing on the edge of a raft and rowing for three and a half hours made me aware of muscle groups I did not know I possessed. This advanced two and three level whitewater trip on the lower Eagle River outside of Vail, Colorado, was a blast. Not only was the scenery–red rock cliffs and snow capped mountain peaks–breathtaking, but the water was clear and cold and rushing rapidly. All of the trip, save one small section, was whitewater. I had the three grandgirls on this trip, Mikayla, Miranda and Aurora with me. Our guide was fantastic and we felt safe under his care. We all loved the level three rapids we encountered. Dressed in wet suits, wind breakers, life vests, helmets and water shoes, one would think we would not be cold, however, being regularly soaked in the rapids, we were quite cool. There was one rule drilled into us, “Stay in the boat!” And we did! The only real problem for me was getting out of the raft when the trip was over. My muscles did not want to respond and my feet were numb from sitting in 40 degree water for over three hours. Oh, did I mention that I sat at the very front position on the raft, the one that takes the brunt of the action? Did I mention that you do not sit in the raft on level three journeys but on the edge of the raft? You lock your feet into crevices that fill with water to secure your body for pulling the oar and to keep your body from falling backwards into the water. And in case you wondered, Aurora did not row, but held onto safety ropes to keep her safely in the raft. What a great day we enjoyed together!

While we rafted, Kathy and little Micah mountain hiked with guides. It was rated a moderate hike, but Kathy said there was a misprint. She declared it was moderately extreme. In fact, it was a five hour hike going straight up the mountains with an over 2500 foot ascent. Little Micah stayed at the front with the lead guide while Kathy and the rear guide followed. The destination was a beautiful waterfall about 11,000 feet above sea level. They actually walked over five miles on the journey and Kathy said she had a few sore muscles when finished. Micah started out in clean white shorts and tee and came back covered in dirt from head to toe. What a great day they enjoyed together! WEG

No not San Antonio but the Pueblo, Colorado Riverwalk was our surprise for the day. After driving through the dry flat lands of the upper Texas Panhandle; the near desert of far northeast New Mexico and the mountainous views of the Raton Pass into Colorado we settled into Pueblo and discovered that a riverwalk was right by our hotel. We needed exercise and a walk along a river in the cooler Colorado air was the right prescription. What a delight! The riverwalk is wonderfully laid out and clean and frankly, wonderful. Sculptures and outdoor art mix with water features and gardens. Boats ply the water as folks sit in outdoor cafes in the cool breeze under a warm sun. Who would have thought that such a great ambience was in this location, but it is and it was a fantastic find.

You can never forget the place of your birth and upbringing and going back opens the floodgates of memories. So on our month long journey with four grandkids in tow, Kathy and I happily went back to my place of origin and formation, Granite, Oklahoma. We wanted to give the grandchildren a taste of what it was like where Poppy grew up.

The area around Granite has a rugged beauty. The granite “mountains” indiscriminately pop out from the flat countryside reaching upward to about a thousand feet at the highest. The deep red soil rolls flat for as far as the eye can see, broken occasionally by red and grey clay protrusions that run along creeks and rivers. It looks like an old Wild West movie set. Somehow, growing up here, it did not look this beautiful or interesting.

We took the grandkids to my childhood home, the mountain lake, our farm and the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery to see the graves of many family members stretching back to their great, great, great grandparents. They were intrigued and asked many questions and, I believe, got a sense of my past and the values that drive our family thinking and acting, most especially our Christian faith and life. WEG

The cemetery filled with Graumann family members