Pioneer Day

My dad's hometown of Manassa, Colorado, annually hosts a huge Pioneer Day celebration on the 24th of July. We used to go almost every year, as did a lot of our cousins. It was a blast! However, I was always a little confused, because while we were celebrating the pioneers coming into the valley, it wasn't the pioneers coming into the San Luis Valley, even though that did happen. No, we were celebrating the Mormon pioneers who left religious persecution in the midwest and made it into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th, 18something. And since Manassa is a cute little Mormon town, it hosts its own celebration.

I hadn't been up there for a few years, but this year we were only a couple hours away, so we headed up. We got there on Friday, just as the parade had ended. But that's okay; we'd see it twice on Saturday. We visited with my family who had come into town for the occasion, and meeting my cousin's two-week-old baby, Olive. Usually Vanessa and Kevin (Goertzen, not Fisher) are the center of attention and life of the party. However, this time we hardly saw either of them. :D I know how that goes!

While we were up there, Kevin Goertzen took some pictures of Baby Penny in honor of her first birthday. We borrowed Grandma's washtub and took some pictures in the old barn. Then we went and took pictures in front of this strange house in Antonito, Colorado. In case it weren't already obvious that the owner wasn't firing on all cylinders, here's what happened next. We took some photos in front of the wall of hubcaps, and then we walked across the street to look at some goats. Well, that wrapped up our photo shoot, and we headed home.

And yes, we forgot the washtub.

Kevin G. headed back just 15 minutes later to pick up the tub, but the guy who lived there (and watched us take pictures and visit the goats) had pulled it into his yard and refused to give it back. He even refused to acknowledge that it wasn't his. Kevin started laughing because it was truly such an odd situation. And the man started mocking his laugh, like he was in elementary school.

The frustrating part was that the tub was just 6 feet away from the gate. You could almost reach it. But of all yards I can imagine getting shot for entering, this the top of the list. So we just left the tub. Maybe he needed it for a roof on his castle.

To put a normal end on that bizarre day, we went to the demolition derby. We all (well, everyone but Tom) cheered for a car named Kevin, and it turns out that Kevin won the whole thing! Can we just say it was aptly named?!

And then we headed home, back to New Mexico. I have to clarify these days. But don't worry. The adventure doesn't stop there. More to come... :)