YOUR AD HERE »

Cyndi Palmer: On touching the sky

Cyndi PalmerFace in the Crowd

This past week has really felt like its finally summer. Everywhere you look, people are smiling, walking their dogs, biking and people can be seen dancing to bands like Zebra Junction in the park (varied free music, Fraser, Tuesdays, picnic, how can you turn that down?).Ill take any season, but it sure is nice to have the sun out, that spring wind gone and the afternoon showers so common up here this time of year. If you get the chance to hear a thunderstorm in the Grand Lake area, its inspiring. The grumble seems to roll into Rocky Mountain National Park and, from what I imagine, bounces off the Continental Divide, and bounces back with a delightful double-dose.Things are heating up all over the place, and I dont mean just the great weather weve been having. The Fourth on a Friday this year was awesome and it was good to see people getting outside together and taking in some culture.So many bright and smiling faces came out for the Granby parade. Grand Theatre Companys pirate ship, advertising How I Became A Pirate, was my favorite. Good job, Nandas and crew.Everyone who went to the Kremmling fireworks were saying what a great time they had with the barbecue and Fire Up the Cliffs display. Friends on the Grand-Lake side said The Lariat, Pancho & Leftys and the lake were crazy.My favorite spot to see Grand Lakes fireworks will probably always be the Lodge where I worked and played for about 10 years (the lake is a close second). The best of wishes in fates hands to such a life-changing place as the Lodge, which is seeing another summer unopened. Deals have come and gone for the gem and lets all cross our fingers that its fate doesnt involve demolition.This year on the Fourth of July, I crashed at my sisters house in Fraser for a funny little vacation. It was my first opportunity to check out Frasers display and entertainment. Many thanks go to Lance Gutersohn for the spectacular display of his generosity for the Fraser Valley with the Fourth fireworks.Afterward, Oly rocked the Winter Park Pub and mandolin maestro Joe Bowman kicked the jam up a notch. They played there on the Fourth (first time the Pub had been open on the holiday for a long time) and at a growing popular pit-stop called Freestyles on Saturday night (where I got to thank Gutersohn in person).An Italian circus and about five bands are in town for a festival at Winter Park Resort base. The festivities start tonight and locals who reserve their tickets with the WP/FV Chamber get in free. Untamed is talking about having live music on Thursdays. Theres free concerts and picnicking at Hideaway Park on Thursdays. Kremmling and Grand Lake are having concerts in the parks. Theres two theatre companies now running their full seasons of three shows each. Artists abound in every form, and the annual Art Affair is just around the corner. This is the perfect time to get out and enjoy summertime in the mountains.Other hot spots of interest include sheet music and oil and watercolor displays at the Fraser library. Some have said classical music is dying and a new book has come out about it called Classical Musics Last Hope: Return of the Amateur Composer. I just finished Stephen Kings Duma Key and ate every word not his best (Liseys Story might have been), but the detailed, suspenseful imagery puts the book up there in the top.As we all eagerly await that debut CD the local bluegrass barons of Hunker Down have promised, and in the spirit of summer, I will leave you all to Jimmy Cliff and Mungo Jerry who sang,In the summertime, when the weather is high, / you can chase right up and touch the sky.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

The Sky-Hi News strives to deliver powerful stories that spark emotion and focus on the place we live.

Over the past year, contributions from readers like you helped to fund some of our most important reporting, including coverage of the East Troublesome Fire.

If you value local journalism, consider making a contribution to our newsroom in support of the work we do.