Little Towns

One of my favorite things about living in Colorado, is that you can take a short road trip and land in an interesting little town with an entirely different culture. I love exploring this place and learning about the unique ways that people operate. I am also really fascinated with small towns, probably because I've spent the majority of my life in a huge city. I wonder what it feels like to have one school, and one automotive store. I wonder how they manage without Target, Old Navy, and World Market. How do they like dining at the Piggly Wiggly, and do they feel good about the church programs? There's a part of me that wonders if I would feel trapped or bored, with so little selection. But, there's another part of me that is romanced by the idea of such simplicity. I love little libraries sitting in the middle of a little town, just across from the sheriff's office; and I love the idea of walking into a small wooden church, where everyone knows each other. It's like The Little House on the Prairie, without the penifores and bonnets. I find myself deep in thought as I drive into these little towns, taking deep breaths of the un-industrialized air and envisioning who took out the sharpie to make the store sign for the ice cream shop. It's enchanting to me, and yet, wonderfully peaceful.

Here are some pictures of our adventure at Lake Palmer. The kids got to explore some heavy duty trucks parked outside of the town library. Then, we ran over to the lake to eat a picnic lunch and play at the park. It was a favorite memory for me.

Finley, feeling very affectionate with the plastic horse.