(This site is best viewed with a maximized screen)
THIS IS GEORGETOWN, COLORADO!
First
Annual Letter Day Weekend
(taken from school yard)
LETTER DAY WEEKEND/GEORGETOWN, COLORADO: DAY I
BJ's Story
(For a text only version, email BJ)
As I arrived in Georgetown on Friday, November 27th and pulled into the
information center asking for directions to the Hillside Bed & Breakfast
on 11th Street, I immediately felt hometown hospitality in the welcome I
received when told, "Oh, that's Ken and Marge's place; you'll just love
them!"
|
Meet Ken and Marge Ackers! |
|
Of course, 11th Street was just about one block away and as I drove up the street, which was actually a dirt road, I became more intrigued.
After meeting Ken, the "Mr." of the Ackers, owners of the Hillside, and after unpacking, I walked down Main Street to the corner of Main and Rose where I observed a pretty red-haired lady scurrying around ladders and boxes of ornaments and such in a little corner park (known as Library Park) directly across the street from another tiny park (Strousse Park) where stood a very large, decorated Georgetown Christmas Tree.
|
|
I just sort of hung around for a few minutes watching the lady and a few other folks readying to decorate a tree. Then I saw some "John Denver ornaments" in one of the boxes and immediately knew I was in the right place! I introduced myself to the red-haired lady, Jenifer Burbank, who was so friendly and excited that I was one of the JD fans coming from out of state, I immediately knew we would quickly become friends and after just a couple minutes, Cari Hamilton - Police Officer - walked up and Jenifer immediately introduced us...making another instant friend. |
The next person I met was Jeff Alexander, who was riding a three-wheeled bicycle with a Fire Dept. license tag. Jeff is Georgetown's main helper when there is anything that needs to get done and offers his hand graciously, lovingly, and with his heart-of-gold...and a grand smile to boot! Below is a picture of Jeff Alexander, under the pine-archway entrance to the Georgetown tree's area.
I hung around most of the day watching our monkies as Jenifer referred to Steve Reynoso and Jason DeCanto for climbing both the JD trees the town allowed for our memory ornaments...and I will say that the trees were far too high to use ladders so the guys got into the middle of the trees and climbed to the top to string the lights.
|
Meet Jeff Alexander! Jeff has his own "Fire Dept." tag on his 3-wheel bicycle and is Georgetown's all-around helper. |
|
After discussion and a bit of confusion about the Letter Day post office stamp, I went to the post office to meet the Postmaster, Patty Sanchez, who looked strikingly like the woman who played her part in John's movie - The Christmas Gift; very pretty and just as friendly as everyone else I met in Georgetown. We talked about the cancellation stamp and got some confusion cleared about whether or not there was an actual stamp being allowed for a souvenir - which there wasn't - but who knows what we will accomplish in future years of Letter Day?! They are trying to at least get John's name on next year's stamp and Patty will keep me posted (no pun intended) on that issue, so keep your fingers crossed, fans, we're mighty in numbers!
Later that day I met Becky and Bill Richardson, owners of the Full Circle Cafe and had a great lunch there. What a wonderful, homey atmosphere with fun and loving neighbors for customers! One is simply drawn into the warmth of Georgetown; you can't help it. There is something magical in a town such as this, folks, and it's definately contagious!
I spent the rest of the day taking the first of my Georgetown in pictures...walking from store to store, house to house around the town, and crossing little bridges spanning the creek which flows throughout the town and around homes. Each time I've viewed The Christmas Gift, since 1986 when it was first aired, I have wanted to just step right into the t.v. screen and be there!! This year it finally came true for me, and I will tell you folks that it certainly is a dream come true. I found a peace and magic there untouched by anything I've experience to date in my life and it is something that Harold and I can only attempt to share with you, for it goes far deeper that the imagination; it is simple living and neighbor loving neighbor; it is the real of what Christmas means and our John knew; it is the love that one only learns when it goes deep enough into our hearts........into a small, protected place, untouched by humanness, and it is the richest feeling in the world. I wish I could give each of you a piece of what I feel in my heart, brought back from Georgetown, Colorado and the first of our annual Letter Days.
|
|
Meet Officers: *Cari Hamilton (has a trained police horse - Luke) *Chief Gary Paxton |
|
|
|
Close-up of Georgetown's Police Patch |
