NxNW—Heat, Parades, and ‘Christmas in July’

Holiday sign construction crew: George Boryan, John Jamison, Larry Brown, Steve Cromeens

Cherlyn Conway

It’s common not to see your neighbors out much, with the dog days of summer upon us here at the Ranch. The exception could be on the streets of Osprey, Brant, Cinnamon, and Willet (known as the NxNW neighborhood).

The heat doesn’t appear to stop this group. You still find neighbors attending monthly events like Ladies Whine Chat, Dine Around, Potluck, Wine Club, and HOA events. I believe the only exception is that the Drinks on the Driveway are put on hold until early fall. We all do have our limits.

Our annual 4th of July Parade viewing brunch was planned a few months ago. This year the weather was keeping everyone on edge and unsure if the parade was going to take place. There was a contingency plan to get together for brunch if the parade was canceled. The uncertainty didn’t stop our scouting crew from getting up at 5 a.m. to head to Ed Robson Boulevard and secure a prime viewing spot and stake our neighborhood flag. Some 40 neighbors showed up with food, drink, and camaraderie and shared their patriotism to celebrate our great country and cheer on our first responders, law enforcement, city leaders, and the many floats and clubs that passed by.

The neighborhood fun continued as we filled two tables for the HOA event of Colt & the Old 45s concert on July 11. You could see quite a bit of toe-tapping, singing along, and reminiscing of music from our time. Of course, no music event is complete unless some of us get out there and share some dance moves. Other folks love to get in our dance circles and share in our fun. We often hear, “You have the best neighborhood!”

We accomplish many things in our monthly get-togethers. One important item is concern and caring for each of our neighbors. Recently, a committee was formed called NxNW Cares. If we discover that our neighbors need assistance and want our help for a short period of time with food, meals, errands, doctor visits, household chores, trash duty, medical equipment, etc., we have people ready to help. We will always respect the privacy of our neighbors if they say they don’t need us. The support in NxNW is heartwarming.

In 2024 we had a construction crew and design crew put tireless hours into getting our first holiday sign ready to welcome the Ranch to our great neighborhood. Much thought went into the whole process to accommodate the wear and tear of the sign and to plan for future years’ additional decorations. I wonder if this is how “Christmas in July” became a marketing idea—to make you realize the holiday will be here before you know it and give you time to execute a project without stress. We hope our neighborhood holiday sign will find you filled with joy and wonderment on the upcoming magical season and that you come to visit the NxNW neighborhood.