The Wounded Warrior program is a big deal here.  Fort Carson is right near us and they have had so many soldiers from here killed and wounded, I think they are second only to Fort Hood.  It is a great improvement over the way that these things were handled in past conflicts.  And, as I have said many times, today's US soldiers are among the very best people this nation has to offer.  It is no surprise that they are competitive. 

A lot of the western United States have "cowboy" traditions and I know that Germans are very fond of that image.  So come on over, kiddo, and saddle up.

I think the Wounded Warrior programm is great as well.  I suppose that many of the soldiers used to be very active, athletic and fit people before they were injured and it is a good thing that they can retain that aspect in their lives. One of the guys they showed during the outing in the Breckenridge skiresort in the film had lost both legs and his hands had been badly burnt, he could hardly use them. It was amazing to see that he didn't quit even though it was very difficult for him. He could hardly hold the skiing poles he needed to keep the balance on his sleigh slash ski. They also said that many of the trainers in the programm are former military so I guess they share that culture and feel more at home. It is probably alot easier for wounded warriors to train with people that honor and really grasp their sacrifice and don't pity them. What do they say - you leave the army but the army doesn't leave you.. or was it the marines? You'll have to forgive my lack of knowledge in military proverbs.

Oh I liked cowboys as a kid.. loved westerns, still do. But I did some research long ago because of my interest and the romantic version clashes quite a bit with reality. What I found so amusing was the fact that I have a specific image of what a skier looks like and it does not involve anklelong dark overcoats and cowboyhats nor horses. All that was missing to make the image complete was friend  beans cooked over a fire, cigarettes (and a few guns) - before the skiing they could have been part of a malboro commercial.

Colorado would definitly be one of the places I want to visit on my next trip, it's really beautiful. I sometimes envy americans their great landscape and beautiful nature because you have so much of it lol I've seen only a tiny bit so far in Yosemite national park and lake Tahoe. Iowa isn't really very beautiful, except down at the Mississippi river. Where I stayed was way up north close to the border to Minnesota and the landscape was flat with alot of gravelroads and gigantic cornfields, interparsed with soybeans and hog factory farms. Those are not very pretty at all. But the huge combines are kind of amazing, and everybody is a fan of John Deer tractors - if you count ballcaps as an indicator.

And lots of Bavarians wear lederhosen.  In parts of the US they don't call it "cowboy" attire...it's just gettin' dressed.  There was a top rated US skier on the international circuit many years ago who was famous for wearing his "cowboy" hat where ever he went...no, not in competition, but everywhere else.  I want to say his name was Billy something.

Well, I had to describe the attire somehow... I think skiing in Lederhosen would look equally odd and be really cold unless you opt to wear thermal stockings. Can you imagine a garter being part of skiing clothes? A man wearing one, not a sexy blond bavarian Fraulein as only men wear Lederhosen. The Frauleins wear Dirndls with lots of cleavage as I am sure you are aware of

A lot of spring skiers go out in bikinis...well, the guys wear shorts.  One of the worst sunburns you can get is out on the slopes...reflected light and all that.  Hmmm...sexy blondes in dirndls with lots of cleavage...uh...what were we talking about, again?