Carol Von Michaelis, II

Welcome to Awe Nice!, where we highlight moments of wonder while working outdoors. We're on the radio and we're also on podcast platforms.

This week, I visited again with Carol Von Michaelis from Arvada, Colorado. Carol runs The Community Farm which seeks to bridge the gap between agriculture, the outdoors, and urban residents. Lots of people visit and when they do, they are likely greeted by Pepsi, a mini donkey that came into Carol's life when the two were paired for a burro race.

What's a burro race? Glad you asked! Pack burro racing is the Colorado's official summer heritage sport. Runners and donkeys pair up for races of varying lengths. All donkeys must be loaded with a pack, which includes mining gear. The race Carol and Pepsi ran was about 15 miles and started in Fairplay, elevation about 10,000 feet.

It was a bit of a blind date as sometimes goes with people who have donkeys but don't run and runners who are donkeyless.

I was so glad to hear that Pepsi ultimately landed at the Community Farm.

Carol told me that Pepsi also serves as a mascot for the Colorado School of Mines, where he specializes in meeting fans and having photo opportunities.

Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us. We thank Kershaw knives and Redmond salt for their generous sponsorship.

Music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl. You can find a link to Forrest as well as an Awe, Nice! donate button here.

Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.