Imax (age 10) and I went to the Elephant Rock bike ride This morning. We took the 25-mile fat tire (off-road) route which turned out to be 29.8 miles, as reported by my GPS. We completed the course in a little over 4 hours--7:45 AM to 12:05PM--including breaks at the rest/aid stations. It's a great route through rolling hills and "horse country" east of Castle Rock--very green this year and spattered heavily with wildflowers.

One guy a couple of bikes behind us wiped out by running off the pavement into the gravel shoulder. We heard the crash. I looked back and a couple of people had stopped to help. The cyclist was up and walking around so nothing serious.

Elephant Rock is one of the 10 largest bicycle events in the country. They maxed out at 7000 riders across 5 different courses from 7 miles to 100 miles. Our house is just off the 100 mile course and when we came home there was still a solid line of bikes heading to Castle Rock, with about 30 miles left to go.

Tonight's menu, an old standby. Hungry but not ambitious.

- Meat loaf (family recipe)
- tater tots
- tossed green salad
- homemade yellow cake (made with Copper) to be topped with sliced fresh strawberries and a lemon sauce left over from a dessert last week.

Parmesan-sage pork chops

Tonight's menu:

Parmesan-sage boneless pork chops (adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Pork-Chops-with-Parmesan-Sage-Crust-104711).

Diced potatoes and onions rolled in spices and baked

Broccoli with butter-garlic sauce

A nice vinho verde

fresh strawberries on ice cream

Tonight's menu: Marinated boneless pork chops with reduced wine sauce, potatoes (not sure what style yet), fresh braided bread (part whole wheat with olive oil, egg, and a touch of molasses), whole green beans with toasted almonds.

Band concert photos

Ian on clarinet, center right.



Roxanne is standing in the white top.



Roxanne is on the right.

Imax performed last night in a school concert. They play a few simple songs on recorders. That's him in the white shirt and green recorder.

Copper at her piano recital.

Bike/hike geocaching

A few pictures from Little Scraggy Peak and the Chairs of the Gods in the Buffalo Creek, CO area.