It has been nearly a month since my last entry. July has been a busy month. We celebrated Independence Day with all our friends, in our local community. Rain put a bit of a damper on most of the fire-works displays, but because of the long weekend some of the celebrations were on Thursday, already. We watched the downtown fireworks from a high point near our home. We were not quite in the spirit yet on July 1...
We came home from Glen Eyrie on June 2. We did the family camp the weekend of June 12, we attended one wedding, in Orange City, Iowa on June 19 and visited with friends in the Sioux City area. On June 25 we were in Mt. Sterling, Illinois for another wedding. Coming home on Sunday we were looking for a relatively quiet week, but the Independence day weekend started on Thursday already.
Although June may be for weddings, we also did some great family stuff. A weekend camp-out near Pella at Red Rock lake. The grand-children got washed in their sleeping bags by rain the first night, but we had a great time in spite of some not so perfect weather. Being together is so precious, even on rainy days. We rode our bikes on the beautiful lake side trails. We cooked most of our food over open fire
and sometimes got smoked in the process. We ate smores and roasted marsh-mellows. We took shelter under a great tarp when the drops fell. We slept in comfort in the pop-up camper. Others were in nice tents, keeping dry most of the time. Families that accomplish things together in spite of some short comings, are special! We really appreciate our special family.
We celebrated a week with our two grand-sons. We did crafts on rainy days, we rode our bicycles all over Johnston, enjoyed ice cream, and rode the motor scooter too. The visit to the zoo on a beautiful sunshiny day, was a high-point of their visit.
Between volunteering at the local VA, these visits and trips we also needed to shop for groceries, wash and clean house. Oh, yeah, we continued to provide hospitality as a stop over for travelers using “Mennonite Your Way,” a great way to travel and enjoy Christian Fellowship as you go, or as you provide a room and hospitality for “total strangers.” Some of these strangers become new friends, and these friendships grow and grow.
Then the preparation for our wine-motorcycle tour started taking shape, but I plan to highlight that in the next blog.
Although the first one we attended was on Memorial Day weekend at Glen Eyrie. A grandiose wedding on the Pink House Lawn. A week earlier there had been another wedding on the Pink House Lawn, but then we were mere observers. The Jessica Graham wedding on May 29 got us very involved. We beautified the rooms, catered to the bride and her attendants and we provided hospitality and service for a formal Victorian tea. We got to know the family very well; all of whom were involved in the wedding in some way. The wedding took place in gorgeous sunshine on the lawn with the reception following at the castle terrace. A great weekend experience!
On June 19 we were invited to witness the joining of Marc Pederson and Anne-Michelle Altena in Northwest Iowa. They both work in Des Moines and we got to know them very well at out Bible study. They have become very dear friends and we attended their formal church-wedding. The reception dinner was scrumptious and the whole experience was very uplifting. The rest of Saturday evening and early Sunday we spend with our dear friends in Bronson, Iowa.
This past weekend we were at another very special wedding in Mt. Sterling, Illinois. Our daughter’s best friend, (since first grade,) finally found Mr. Right! Our daughter had met the Bride while we were stationed in Germany, back in 1979. The last time we had met her parents was in 1985, when they came back to Germany for another tour. We had remained there for all this time. Getting together for this wedding was like a great family reunion! The groom’s mother had arranged for all the “out-of-towners” to be part of the rehearsal dinner, so people could get to know each other and have time to interact before the hustle and bustle of the wedding. It was a great success. We were able to renew our friendship with the parents of the bride and also her brother. We had not seen each other for 25 years, but the time melted away, as we shared many old and new experiences.
The wedding ceremony was held at a local winery, out on the deck; with bright afternoon sunshine and a warm experience. The reception and dance were inside at this rustic location. The whole event flowed on beautifully and ran like clockwork; everyone had a wonderful time. The brides’ maids were all special friends from different times in the life of the bride, so this made for a very special reunion as well. Many events from the past were reenacted, which made for surprising hilarity, and great reminiscence.
While we were volunteering at Glen Eyrie we attended church at the Flying W Ranch. The Flying W is a Western hang-out in NW Colorado Springs. It is only about 10 minutes from Glen Eyrie. We were invited by another volunteer to attend church here, with her the first Sunday we were present on the grounds of Glen Eyrie.
Although our job of hosting the Pink House usually involves work on the weekends, we are able to break away to attend one of the many churches in the area. The Navigators are not a church, or a denomination. So, they do not operate a church on the grounds.
This does not mean, of course, that one cannot worship on the property.
Obviously many guests do exactly that. The serenity of the place, the peace it exudes, no cell phone signal in may areas, and no TV make you appreciate your surroundings. 
The handy work of the Creator is manifest all around. The quiet wild life one may encounter, the rock formations, trees and flowers, and the beautiful sights seen on any of the many hiking trails.
But let’s go back to Sunday Worship at the “Cowboy-Church. The winter dining area is set up as a worship center.
The stage area contains the pulpit and also accommodates the Praise Team, which leads the congregation in singing and helps to focus on God. As you enter the rustic worship center, you are encouraged to take a pillow along. The pick-nick table benches get somewhat uncomfortable after about a half hour.
Old time hymns with guitar and mandolin music accompanying, makes for a great time of singing together. The sermons are very much Bible based, yet contemporary and helpful for daily living. No strange theology here!
We continued to attend worship here, except for our last Sunday. We had a great wedding celebration involving both of us on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Maybe I’ll share some pictures of this in another blog.
We are the host and hostess of the Pink House at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. Many of you may have read last year’s blogs about our duties and activities here. These are still available and you can check last year’s October (and November) blogs. 
We have had a variety of activity this time. From an empty house, which allows us to be involved with other activities on the grounds, to a wedding on our front lawn. We have entertained visitors, who just came to check us out, – there are no formal tours of the Pink House, in contrast to the Castle. We did serve a Victorian Tea to a private party in out dining room.
We host many hummingbirds as well, who empty their feeder every other day!
The turkeys have been scarce the past few days, I think they are nesting or protecting their chicks in a safe place. The only Bighorn sheep we have seen were some young males, who transition the premises occasionally.
We did have about 300 boy-scouts here for a great camporee the weekend of May 15. They celebrated 100 years of the Boy-scouts of America and blessed us with a couple of days of trail maintenance at Glen Eyrie.
Although the weather was cool and rainy for their first day, all the tents could dry out on the last day when the sun shone brightly, but it was not too warm for them to continue working on the trails. There was a Civil War re-enactment as part of their camporee experience, and the sound of gun-fire echoed of the surrounding sandstone rock formations. All in all a very pleasant experience for the scouts as well as the other guests here.
Occasionally we have the chance to go for a hike on the property and at is always a thrill to enjoy the quiet nature around us. Blooming trees and scurrying squirrels, weathered bristle cone trees and busy birds, even vintage airplanes flying over, like the B-17 I got a picture of. 
This week there is a family reunion, which uses the whole house. We should be busy refreshing rooms and changing towels for the next three days. Then on the weekend there will be another wedding on the front lawn with a tea-brunch in our dining room.
It has been cooler here, in Colorado. We spent the first night in Fairplay, visiting Corrie’s brother. Here we experienced snow on the ground! The weather in Colorado Springs has been a little bit gentler, but we have gone from sweaters to shorts and back. 
I guess we get to celebrate spring all over again. It has been slower in coming than what we experienced in Iowa. Only two irises blooming in a sunny spot.
There is water running in the creek and if one wants to go to Dorothy Falls, wet feet will be part of the experience. The many creek crossings needed to get there, are awash with cool running water.
The Big Horn sheep are in the mountains, probably taking care of the lambs. The turkeys are alive and well, still roosting in the trees every night. They wake us in the morning with their calls and noise, when they come down again. The deer are losing their winter coat and the grass needs mowing.
We do have many new “SOWER” volunteers at Glen Eyrie and the General likes showing them around. 
We were privileged to show off the “Pink House” to a group of them. 
Normally the “Pink House” is not open for public tours, but we have the option to conduct private tours while we are hosting here.
It really is a blessing to be able to serve here. We meet many really great people and are able to share many of our experiences.
Not only do we serve as Pink House Hosts, we also help with food service and facilities functions, like helping with landscaping, painting, building maintenance, and other services.
Just a quick update.
We plan to go back to Glen Eyrie, in Colorado Springs. We will be host and hostess at the “Pink House” during the month of May. We were here also last fall. You can review my blog entries on October 8, 19, & 27 and also November 15, for my notes and pictures of that time.
The weather has turned to "real" spring weather here. The temperatures are cooler and we are enjoying spring rains. I am glad that we decided to take the motorbike trips when the weather was dry and balmy. We were able to see many of the trees in bloom and also the tulips and other spring flowers have been in full bloom already. 
Our trip includes a stopover in Norton, Kansas, where we spend a day with dear friends we met on previous occasions, providing hospitality using the “Mennonite Your Way” system. We have used this hospitality network for many years already and have met with a lot of interesting travelers. With some of these over-nighters we have developed ongoing friendships. It is surely much more enjoyable to spend an evening with acquaintances after a day of travel. Most, if not all, of these travelers have a decidedly Christian world view. So, we always have something in common. I also wrote about this in my blog of September 21, 2009.
The winter weather has vanished. Trees are sprouting, grass is greening, birds are singing, and the sun is nice and warm on my face. We have put on nearly 500 miles on the Bergman, since the temperature has remained above freezing. We are exploring the surrounding area of Des Moines. Usually we find a local hang-out for something to drink or a bite to eat. Many times we look for local wineries, for a taste and maybe taking a bottle or two home for later enjoyment.
On Tuesdays we work at the VA. Corrie works at the volunteer office and I work as a HHV volunteer, Helping Hospitalized Vets. We provide leather-craft kits, wood working kits, some modeling kits, like cars or airplanes, as well as a variety of other occupational activity kits; poster painting, sun-catchers and so on. Most of the patients I am working with have some limitations, they usually need some help completing their craft kits. I really enjoy doing these crafts with the patients and I get to complete some for myself as well, like the clock.
and sometimes got smoked in the process. We ate smores and roasted marsh-mellows. We took shelter under a great tarp when the drops fell. We slept in comfort in the pop-up camper. Others were in nice tents, keeping dry most of the time. Families that accomplish things together in spite of some short comings, are special! We really appreciate our special family.
