(cherry blossoms from a tree in north boulder park)

today is the first day of summer here in boulder. yesterday was the final day of school for the boulder valley school district so last evening when we walked hank through the park across the street - the park that is the center of our neighborhood - where kids first learn to swing and do monkey bars, where there are lots of trees to climb, but one famous one called “the climbing tree” because the branches are spaced so perfectly that children can get to heights that take their mothers’ breath away, where kids and adults alike play basketball or kickball on the baseball field or baseball on the baseball field, where there are outdoor dance classes and concerts and races and picnics and, of course, celebrations, which is what was happening last night. there were families celebrating eighth grade graduation, fifth grade graduation, kindergarten completion… there were taco trucks and ice cream trucks and music and it was pretty wonderful. but there was an underlying wariness because we had a DOOZY of a week.