Team Neidens is home. Home on the ranch. where the deer, and the elk, and the moose, and the picket-pens, and the wildflowers, and the trout, and the humans range.

It is terribly difficult to “blog” when you are deeply submersed in living. Where each day of existence pushes all your boundaries – happily.

The love i feel for my family runs far deeper than the Archbald Pothole. and spending 2 weeks on a Movable-Feast-of-a-Reunion, in the summertime, with so many of them in the flesh-and-chat-and-hug, that the emotion chokes me. and i learn to breath through it. and it will help me on my quest to grace.

it was a truly remarkable visit to “the East Coast” as Betty often declares. every single day was spent doing remarkable things, memorable activities, with people i love dearly. and crit and squawk love dearly too. the ones the met for the first time were all indelible, and we talk about all of it every day.

and this trip was strange too. we didn’t spend our time with many of the people we ALWAYS see. and that was kind of tough.

balance. big picture. let it go. (are those considered hashtags? please say no.)

i thought perhaps Crit and Debul and I might have a tough time transitioning from that life of pure saturation, to the arid existence we share out here.

but then we got home. and Daddo was back in the game. and that is way rad. he’s a rather key player on this team, and it is always a huge sigh of relief and triumph when he steps back on the court.

and Leah and Evan came. and it was my birthday. and Mungbean came. and Shank, and Jorge, and Czas and Joe, and Judith and Terry, and Jen and Mike, and Luke and Katfish, and Tony and Brit, and Neil came for Happy Hour. and amny fabulous people called, and left messages, and spent a minute to think about us. and we ate, and we slacklined, and we hugged, and we were grateful…and we had garden-fresh Mojitos…and that was cool.

and i biked, and i hiked, and i hottubbed, and i had a fire-by-the-creek with 3 of my most kindered souls. and i ate a garden-green dinner. and got beets, and carrots, and greens, and basil, and mint, and cucumber from two different farmer’s markets. and a 6-pack of IPAs. and 2 birthday cakes. one made by leahandbettyandevan and the other with hand-sculpted carrots by the Of-Arcs.

and when all my people headed out, and our hearts started to heave, Amrita and DerelandCherickandpipes showed up for dinner.

We had it so great on out East Coast Tour. And i was truly filled to the brim. and we have it so great Here on the Range. I am grateful day in and day out for the people in our world that show up. just show up to spend some time together. real time.

Luck continues to sprinkle us toward gratitude.

and I registered for a race. 50 miles. Its just the Small Fry. that’s cool. i’m pretty much a small fry, i’ll wear it well. i just started my training. although my runs through Matamoras were among the many highlights of my trip…i just got back on my bike. and it is gonna be a flipping tough month, but i will be ready to race.

i got my bikes tuned up in Lander yesterday, and in between birthday morning and now, i’ve checked 2 rides off my list.

and there are other interesting developments…