This I found in Donna's things today. It was very important to her at the time and she meant to share it to all of you. This has to do with our trip to, at, and the way back from the Estes Park Marathon, June, 2007. Dave and Corrine were there and a part of this writing of Donna's. For those of you who don't know, this year I have along with crewing for Tom and his runs, running a few 5k's since I met him. Today I tried my first 10k at Estes Park, CO, while he ran the full. Wow my time wasn't good as I would have liked (she took third in her age group), better next time and with a trainer like Tom, I'll have to do better next time. I really enjoyed seeing old friends, meeting new ones. Havinga great dinner at the Sweet Basilico Restaurant there in Estes Park with new friends Corrine and Dave. Hope to see them more often. Our lodging was wonderful at the Olympus Motor Lodge. Neat people who run it and what a view. Our trip was long, 12 hours each way. Would like to have spent a few days in Estes and Loveland, but wokr pays the bills. Tom has been a vegetarian for "many" years, my daughter is a vegan, I have been on the edge since Tom and I met. We eat vegetarian at home, but when I am out I have a burger once in a while or taco's and I love seafood. I eat chicken and turkey once in a while, but alnog with the great ride of my trip was the flip side. Something that made a huge change in my life and one that could effect others if only they really could see for themselves. We can be told a thousand times, but when your eyes sees what a difference it makes. For those of you that care and for those of you who don't know, I would like to share with you something that I hope will change your life or at least make you aware if you don't know. As Tom and I were driving thru Greenly and Loveland, Colorado, we came upon a sight that would just chill and torment your stomach. Up to our left were little white houses that were the size of dog houses lined side by side as close as they could get, out in the hot sun, no shade, no doors for the wind and rain protection and inside lay a calf curled up waiting to die so we can have "Veal." That wonderful delicasity that lost this young calf to be raised in this box long enough to be tender enough be butchered and killed and become veal for all of us who were born not naturally to be meat eaters, but to be naturally vegetarians, but have become so callous with our desires and what we think we need and forget that is cost an animal who lives and breathes just like we do to suffer, be bludgeoned to death, butchered so it can be put on our plate for our desires. Along the road as we were driving masses and masses of black, black and white looked like a mass of beetles covering the land. As we became closer it became more clear they were masses of cows farmed together in feed lots as close as they could get standing in their own feces and the smell, not able to move around very much. If they were lucky enough to get to the edge of a fence, they get to eat the hay someone left on the other side of the fence. Hopefully, their head wasn't to big to get through so they could eat enough to be primed for the slaugther house so we could harvest on our dinner plate. This has completely changed my life and I hope it does many of you. All you have to do is see the real thing. With all the delecious protein substitutes we have at our discretion now days, I don't need to take a life to have food on my plate. I hope this makes a difference in your life. This is written how Donna wrote it nearly 2 years ago. We had a great time at Estes Park, but the drive was a real eye opener for Donna. I had told her about how Veal was raised, but seeing it herself made all the difference to her. The animal lover in her was in horror with what she saw. She wanted to turn them into the police, but of course this is not against the law. TomD

Tom, I would cry if I saw what Donna did....a little calf lying in a dog house, not knowing why, wondering where her Mama was. Donna was a very special person, she opened our eyes to things we don't want to see, but are reality. The week before she passed away, everytime I turned on the radio I kept hearing one song.....so much that I know all the words. Angels on the Moon, by Thriving Ivory I haven't heard it played even once since she's been gone. The hair on the back of my neck stands up just typing that. It's sad, but so beautiful. arf P.S. Dave and I will see you at Swan Lake...can we get together before or after the race?

I remember seeing Donna at Estes Park and how proud she was of her race. That altitude is tough--a run of any distance takes considerable effort. She was great. Thanks for sharing, A