Day 2, July 10
   After a few hours sleep I managed a 26 minute run outside our hotel in Denver. I'm training at high altitudes now. It was actually already quite warm at 7:30 a.m. Three hours later we were in a snowstorm. We drove on the highest paved road in North America to the summit of Evans Mountain about an hour from Denver - the summit is one of the many "fourteeners" in Colorado, meaning over 14,000 feet. The drive up is amazing - views that only God could craft including many snow capped mountains and the "perfect" Summit Lake. When we finally reached the summit we got hit by a driving ice and snowstorm that bordered on a blizzard for a few minutes. The grimace on my face in the picture of me getting pelted by the ice and snow is there because Pee Wee thought it was funny to take his time taking the picture and play around like there was something wrong with the camera while he sat in the warm car.
  When it was time to head back down the 14 mile narrow road, which by the way often has no shoulder and caused quite a few KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD comments, we carried out a good deed that has kept us smiling all day. Up to then, the only good deed we did was at a grocery store in Denver when we did a repeat of one from last year and rounded up some grocery carts in the parking lot. The second good deed was helping a very nice young married couple out. They had hiked six hours to the summit and while I was in the one person restroom at the summit I heard them ask if anyone would give them a ride to the bottom. Knowing this was a great chance for a good deed, I actually finished my chore in midstream which we all know isn't easy to do. Then I quickly opened the door and asked who was needing a ride. But Pee Wee had already accepted the request so off we went. Ben and Rachel are teachers in their late twenties, lovers of God, and they are now our friends. In the thirty minutes it took to get to the bottom we learned some of each others past, present, and future. We had a great time and even got to get up close to some mountain goats. They were very appreciative but as usual, we felt like we were the ones receiving instead of giving.
   Next we had a beautiful drive up various highways in northern Colorado and kind of wandered over to Laramie, Wyoming - a new state for us. We just got back from the Laramie Fairgrounds where we watched the area's bull riding championships. This was Pee Wee's first rodeo, which he announced to the people around him as soon as he sat down. Most people like to use the expression, "this ain't my first rodeo," but not my travelling partner. He has no problem telling people this IS his first rodeo. At any rate, it was a beautiful night - cool breeze, mountain range in the background, small town families doing what small town families do ... this is the kind of thing I had in mind all along for this trip. Good night and thank you to those who have been sending texts and suggestions!