303 in Denver

After the crowd surfing event I met the girls back stage because 303 was performing next. As I mentioned this was expected to be a record breaking crowd since they are local boys returned to Denver.

The sky started to change color from the setting sun pinks to grays and blacks and I noticed that Kevin Lyman was on stage eyes upward walky talky in hand. I didn't envy him at all. Obviously and thunder and lightening storm doesn't mix well with electric guitars and amps.

The lightening bolts were awsome. Liz has incredible footage of Sean and Nat center stage with bolts of lightening striking in the background over their heads. But by the 3rd song, it started to pour and rain quickly changed to hail. Those of us on stage were quickly ushered into the semi truck parked directly behind stage. I had no idea what became of Alec and Liz who had been in the pit filming the show.

Even the very short sprint from the stage to semi left me drenched with everyone else. Plus it became quickly apparent inside the semi in close quarters that many of us hadn't showered for a while. But it was still very fun and exciting. The venue was quickly flooded and after about 20 minutes a break in the marble sized hail offered a chance to run for it. We dashed under the overpass. I still hadn't found the girls and was starting to get just slightly concerned when my favorite Warped Tour security guard came up to me and asked "where are the girls?" He eventually found them not far away, equally drenched but fired up.

Sadly 303 was not able to complete their set in front of their huge home town audience but they induced one hell of a wild storm like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was a truly memorable ending to our midwestern tour.

By 11 we were back in the van wet but content. We slept for a few hours and then headed to the Denver airport where Alec and Liz caught an early morning flight back to Oakland. I kissed them goodbye at security and proceeded on my lonesome drive back to Rapid City.

I arrived back at Hospice House about 1 PM to my aunt's bedside. At 5:30 that night, she passed away.

This summer has been one I will never forget, high highs and low lows, but all of it truly incredible in so many ways.

Now I sit waiting for the minister to arrive to discuss Saturday's service. I just read Edna's obituary and admired her picture, one that I took just last summer. She is sporting her favorite colors, black and white with a big grin in her sparking blue eyes. I will really miss her.