An Open Letter From GJ Parks and Rec: Make the Most of the Good Days

An open letter from Grand Junction Parks and Rec offers some good advice to Grand Valley residents -  stay positive and make the most of the good days.

While the rainy can get depressing after while because we can't always get out and do the things we want to do, the fact is, not every day is wet and stormy. The following message, I received in an email, offers a great perspective and some really good advice about staying positive, seizing the moment, and making the most of the summer -  in spite of the weather.

"Hi there-
We know it's been a while.  Things have been crazy around here.  We've been busy getting pools opened, summer camps going, staff hired and trained, and lots, lots more.  Not only have we been preoccupied, but we've been a little under the weather.  Literally.  We're sure you've noticed this summer hasn't felt very . . . summery.  Thunderstorms, chilly weather, gusty winds, and freak hail storms that have plagued the beginning of this season.  JUCO games delayed, Lincoln Park-Moyer Pool closing early for daily thunderstorms, rivers of rain water running down North Avenue -- this is not what we (or you) had in mind for the kickoff to summer.

 There is nothing anyone can do about the weather, and lamenting this un-summery monsoonal moisture isn't helping anyone.  That's why we want to encourage you (even though the forecast is highly suspect this weekend) to take advantage of the days that aren't cloudy, rainy, and cold.  Squeeze every ounce of summer out of the nice days so the cloudy days don't seem so dreary.

 Every day that the sun is out, remember to take advantage of it.  Hike Mt. Garfield.  Play Frisbee at Sherwood Park.  Get your friends together, grab a bag of charcoal and some thick ribeyes and have a cookout.  Bring the family down to the pool and stay until we close.  Ride the water slide.  Go camping, even if it's just in the back yard.  Try stand-up paddleboarding.  Go for a walk after dinner and enjoy the sunset.  Summer is short enough already, so when you have the chance, seize the day.  When you get off work and the sun is still up, instead of watching TV, sit in the yard.  Stay out there until the stars come out.  Light a fire in your fire pit.  Stay up too late.  Be tired at work tomorrow morning.  It's worth it to see the Grand Mesa during the magic hour.  It's worth it to see swarms of swallows screaming through the twilight like fighter jets.  To find Sagittarius, Hercules, or the Magellanic Clouds in the warm night sky.  Better than reruns, right?

 With Colorado slated to have one of the (if not the) wettest summers on record this year, we have to take advantage of every nice day we can.  Those hours between punching the clock and hitting the hay have to count.  We must all be weekend warriors.  If the grass doesn't get cut this weekend because you hiked the National Monument with your kids, wasn't that time better spent?  If the laundry doesn't get done because you spent the evening at Suplizio Field watching the GJ Rockies beat up on the Idaho Falls Chukars (seriously?), big deal.  Save it for a literal rainy day.  When it's sunny this summer, as Thoreau would say, we have to live deep.  We have to suck all the marrow out of life. 

We'll see you out there.

 Your Parks and Recreation Department"