Jude relaxing at the top of the Incline

On Friday I took half a day off work so we could all go to Manitou Springs to do the Incline. I think this is the fifth year in a row we have done this and with the kids on Fall break we headed down south. It was a beautiful crisp and clear day, perfect for the challenging climb. I climbed the 2,768 steps slightly faster than last year at 41:41 and Jude also lowered his record to 30:59. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch in the town and the kids had their traditional funnel cake afterward.

At Falcon Stadium on a chilly fall night

Anna did a cheer camp at the Air Force Academy this summer so she wanted to go back to see a football game. On Saturday afternoon we headed down to the Springs to see the Air Force Falcons defeat the Wyoming Cowboys. There was the usual flyover, with an AC-130 bomber this time, and they also had a bunch of paratroopers drop into the stadium.

One of the actual falcons the Air Force trains (the headgear is to help keep them calm)

The highlight for me at a Falcons game is watching the actual falcon fly. It came out at halftime and flew around the stadium for a couple of minutes. They are such amazing creatures – the fastest living thing on the planet, they can fly at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. We got to meet one on our way out which was really cool.