First Christmas in Colorado

This year we met family in Florida the second week in December to vacation at Disney World. Usually we would have left a festive house behind, but this time our Christmas decorations remained in their plastic storage bins so the cats could not do the annual decorating while we were gone. We moved to Colorado in February, which evidently isn’t a long adjustment period for cats since they still easily revert into nervous a cat’s explore and terrorize mode.

We got back home on the 19th and decorated the 20th before Mauri went back to Idaho. The tree was colorful with multi-color lights, the candle lights bubbled, the red chili pepper lights were bright, and the ornaments took us back through memories of time spent together over a fifteen-year period. Looking at ornaments made our the kids is fun, and ornaments that were gifts bring the face of the giver into immediately into view.

Our neighbor, Mr. Jim, joined us for dinner and helped Tad decorated the deck with multiple color icicle lights. They looked so pretty Tad also ran a string up the staircase inside. Besides being festive the multi-color lights also gave a hint of the atmosphere we enjoy at the local Mexican food restaurant we visit. This thought reinforced my happy feelings with the promise of comfort food to continue in 2010.

Friends from Texas visited one day. We took them for Mexican food and came home to sled in the back yard. The idea of snow and sledding is especially cool since that is one thing Carrollton, Texas could never offer.

As we relax into our first year, and first full winter we open our hearts to all the new things ahead.

Loveland

We rented skiis for the season in November. The kids had 3 or 4 lessons at the end of last season when we first moved here, and we figured with a few more lessons we’d all be on the slopes together.

The week of Christmas we took off for Loveland Ski Area on the recommendation of friends. This is a place the locals hang out; the lift lines aren’t too long, and there are plenty of green runs.


On the drive up traffic periodically slows whenever two cars have decide to temporarily become one. At one extra-large, slow section we joined everyone on our side of the highway looking at the other side of the road to see what had happened. Tad pointed out two long horn sheep standing off the right-hand shoulder of the road watching the traffic activity. For now it is still unique to see wildlife so close.

This slow down gave me enough time to remember I hadn’t been skiing in over 20 years. Suddenly the idea of lessons reminding me how to ski seemed a little optimistic. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to balance well enough to even get to the lesson site. Maybe I’d fall down and get hurt? Eek, my two sons will be watching me!

Two hours later-- hurray, I can ski! Because of the traffic jam my group lesson turned into a private lesson. Repeatedly I went down a green hill; not the prettiest sight, but upright never the less. My legs were tired, my nose had run non-stop; I was proud and hungry. Tad came back from the harder slopes and met me for lunch. After a couple of hours skiing a huge hamburger and a lump of fries was heaven.

At 3:30 the boys’ lessons were over and we all met to fill each other in on the day’s events. Justin likes his new snowboard and is ready to go down the bigger runs. Really he was ready to go down bigger runs today, but the rest of his class wasn’t ready. Grant’s teacher unintentionally took his group down a blue, and they all made it. Now both boys have one step left to be level 4s. With another lesson we can go on the greens together and get our muscles use to this new sport.

Florida in December

Mauri flew from Idaho on the 11th. The next morning we all flew to Orlando. It was a long day of travel, but we didn’t care because we were on our way to Disney and to see family.

At the Orlando airport they is a section for travelers going to Disney, so you step into the world of the mouse immediately. A bus picks you up with Disney movies and information to watch, and the drivers have been trained in joke telling. “Peter Pan was flying around Epcot and the children said come down and he said no….. because he’s from Neverland.”

When the bus dropped us at the Polynesian resort the first night we walked under traditional Christmas wreaths and garlands decorated with tropical flowers—hibiscus, lilies, and orchids. The creamy pastels colors stood up against the green.

Our room was in a building cluster named Tahiti. Our balcony opened onto a beach of white sand and a huge hammock hung from two trees—looking as if this was our private paradise.

The next day we met family at lunch. We hadn’t seen them since we moved 10 months ago. The customary hugging and picture taking was in full swing from the beginning. The difference is now with Facebook we could share pictures immediately.

Cousins Jim and Sandie gave the boys and Mauri trading pins and a lanyard. Within a day the trading was in full force. Justin concentrated on Pluto, and Chip and Dale. Mauri looked for ones that were pink. Grant looked for characters it liked, this year that was Stitch.

This year we surprised the boys by having them dressed as pirates and went on a pirate cruise to see fireworks from the water. In fact Tad joined in and had his face painted. Justin was picked to lead everyone down the dock. Looking back at over a hundred people following my son, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smeed I smiled—he’s a born leader! Then Captain Hook talked to Grant and gave him a big high five. Yep, I have two leaders!

Both boys picked out wonderful hats. Grant got a large black and white Nightmare Before top hat. Justin got Pluto with long dangly ears. Mauri got a couture type purse that combined the traditional Disney design with a dignified shoulder bag.

The day before we left we went to Downtown Disney and Tad bought everyone a t-shirt to commemorate the trip. Everyone stands at a computer terminal and designs their shirt with images and text.

Back at the airport the reality of the world sets in quick. We are no longer in the happiest place on earth. Good thing we’re packing our happiness with us.

Happy Birthday, Justin!

Today Justin is 8 years old! He got to choose what he wanted for breakfast—waffles.
He opened one of his gifts, a game for his DS, World of Zoo, and started playing. Soon he came over to tell me about their misleading advertising, which was: feed goodies to gators, make playgrounds for penguins, play with pandas, make mayhem with monkeys, and create your own zoo. We sat together and started figuring it out. In a few minutes he was smiling and playing. A few minutes later he said, “This is the best game ever.”

Grant gave him a silver chain he’d won in a crane game.

Jim and Sandie gave him a talking Star Wars card and a Wimpy Kid book.

He got cards and telephone calls full of birthday wishes.

We went to Go Paint and made ceramics. Justin smiled some more.

Then we went to Taco Bell for lunch and cinnamon twists. Yep, more smiling.

Tonight Justin chose Chili’s for dinner. He had a corny dog and mandarin oranges. When they brought out the chocolate molten cake a group of wait staff sang to him and gave him a coupon to come back for a free meal. He smiled ear to ear.

When Tad kissed the boys goodnight Justin said, “I had a good birthday.”

Mule Deer

We’ve seen the mule deer often this week. Here a buck is scratching his antlers against the dead branches of a bush and digging a hole. We couldn’t decide if the hole was the result of scratching his antlers, or if he was trying to dig.

One morning after I’d put birdseed out for the birds this buck appeared. He kept pushing the feeder with his nose until he figured out how to tip it enough for seed to fall out into his mouth. Several Stellar’s Jays, a rabbit, and two chipmunks searched the ground around the deer picking up the seeds that fell.

Another deer showed up and stared up at Tad as if to ask for more.

Our Heroes

At the boys’ school they had a Heroes Wall outside of the cafeteria for Veterans’ Day. Kids posted information about the person they knew in the service and then the second grade decorated around the pictures with eagles. Justin’s eagle looked regal.

Grant wrote about cousin Jim. Jim was in the Navy, went to Vietnam on the carrier USS Ranger and was assigned to Attack Squadron 155. He flew an A-4F Skyhawk from the carrier on missions to drop bombs in Vietnam. Jim was an Ensign when he joined the squadron and had acquired the rank of Lieutenant by the time he left the service. One fact we all thought unbelievable was his original training was to fly at 100 feet at 360 MPH using only a map—that takes focus!

Justin wrote about Granddaddy Howard. He was a photographer in World War I. He took pictures on bi-planes on the ground with people walking on the wings while smiling. Then he edited the photo so it looked like the plane was flying; very good advertisement for the Army. When Granddad was in the service he was stationed at Fort Dick, which was part of the Fair Grounds. He met Grandma while he was hitchhiking from base

Halloween

Trick or Treating in downtown Evergreen is a big event. In the foothills there are lots of people that don’t live in neighborhoods with rows of houses so the merchants downtown setup candy stations at their door and hundreds of families walk along the sidewalks.

We saw Frankenstein who was over 7 feet tall walking on stilts, werewolves with long fangs wearing torn flannel shirts, Winnie the Pooh, a giant iPod, a basket of dirty clothes, a head on a plate, and lots of unidentified characters covered in fake blood.

The bank gave out fake money, the taffy shop gave free samples, the animals shelter gave away puppies and duck calls. The duck calls could be heard down both sides of the street keeping the kids busy as they waited in line to get into the next shop.

In the late 1800s rich residents of Denver developed downtown Evergreen so they’d have places to eat and things to do when they visited the natural beauty of the area. They left one side of the short strip with its original two levels; the bottom one for hitching up your horse, and stairs leading up to the stores above. Thank goodness ski resorts to the west have grown up- Winter Park and Vail to name two- and now the rich of Denver don’t overrun Evergreen. Hoorah for progress, which brought money to our town, helped it grow, and then moved on!

Today Evergreen is still one of the first towns west of Denver in the foothills of the Rockies. Leaving Denver the land is flat, 30 minutes later you enter a valley surrounded by mountains. You don’t even need to get out of the car to see wildlife. Elk and mule deer wander the town, and bear and fox can be seen once off the road.

A persistent reminder of man are the many Harley bikers that cruise the area and then stop at the bars downtown that offer beer and food, and seating along the river running through town. For the most part the bikers look like a tame bunch, the older crowd out for a drive.

At Christmas time there will be a walk through downtown so we’ll be back for the festivities. And this time we’ll know to get their early to find a parking place, or park around the lake and hike over.

Snow is back!

We woke up to light snow and paw prints on the deck. We're wondering what might have come to visit.

Today the snow is pretty because it is blowing around in the wind and if you don’t look at the ground the trees give the impression the ground would be covered in white.

While the boys are at the school the snow powder starts and stops; is blown away, and then the next round starts. Because it is sunny the snow melts and then freezes in the trees and on the grass.

After school the wind comes up, the boys look out the window and see a mule deer running in the back yard. Two more deer join in, all bucks with wide racks. Like big dogs they chase each other up and down the hill, kicking up snow. The take turns locking antlers and pushing one another down the hill. The largest of the group sees us, runs up the hill, and stands under the window staring at us. He doesn’t appear upset; maybe curious??? We are definitely curious. He continues to play up and down the hill, often stopping for a few seconds to look at us.

For perhaps five minutes the deer take turns playing with each other and scratching their antlers against any tree they can engage. When four more bucks appear and they all take off into the meadow behind our house.

P.S. Sunday we stop at a park to look at the field of ice and ask a park ranger about our deer. She said, “I bet they are just acting like teenagers.”

Gardening?

This summer Justin grew tomatoes. The plant was healthy and flowered, but it took all summer to grow three of them because nights are too cool for the plants to produce well.

Here is a photo of the largest of the three. All were beautiful, bright red fruits with no blemishes. The flavor was wonderful so we cut them into small pieces, added a little vinaigrette and ate them slowly.

We filled clay pots with dirt from our flowerbed and added flowers, herbs, and vegetables to sit on the deck. We heard from our neighbors that the deer and elk eat most of what you plant so we began filling the deck first. Then one day we had a squirrel eat several large holes in the new umbrella Mr. Jim gave us to shade our table on the deck. We wondered if the deck would be safe, but our experiment was in motion so we continued to plant.

Besides tomatoes Grant had luck with strawberries. They too were miniatures with a lot of taste. The only crop we didn’t have luck with was bell peppers. The plant blossomed and a beautiful pepper began, but somewhere along the way it decided to give up and stop growing. Parsley, chives and oregano grew with gusto—plenty for our salads, pizza, and to freeze. Next summer we’ll put our small garden in a little red wagon and pull them in at night. Or perhaps we’ll cover our flowerbed so the plants won’t be eaten and it will be warm at night. Or maybe a greenhouse. Probably the grocery store.

Grocery stores all sell flowers and they are really cheap. The weather is dry and the sun hot, so the stores don’t want to keep watering them a couple of times a day for long. After a couple of weeks, the sale signs appear. Reading on the Internet, talking to neighbors and friends we decide to plant a few bargains- rosemary, red salvia and chrysanthemums. Since all have a bitter taste the consensus is they are pretty safe.

One morning I looked out the kitchen window to see the back end of an elk standing in the flowerbed. She didn’t eat anything, but she was definitely curious. A couple of times a week I’d find several plants pulled out of the ground. Continuing this dance throughout the summer- she’d pulled them out of the ground and I’d plant them back.

The hummingbirds liked the red salvia. Tiny darting iridescent green bodies would travel from one to another. I added a hummingbird feeder and our house was officially added as one of their summer stops. If I forgot to add syrup to the feeder one particular hummingbird would hunt me down. Sitting on the deck reading a shadow would appear over my shoulder. Then the little green bird would fly in front of me, dipping a couple of times before taking off to the feeder. How strange that something so tiny could be so persistent.

Something else liked the salvia, but we never saw what it was. One or two blossoms a day would vanish in a line.

This winter I’ll read about plants for the foothills. Part of our yard is high desert. There are rocks and cactus (not pointy), wildflowers, lots of grasses, lichen, and flowering shrubs. Add a heavy sprinkling of lesser chipmunks, Stellar Jays, and nuthatches and you have our view out back. Maybe I won’t grow vegetables.

First Snow of the Season

Today after the boys left for school the snow started, by 10am there was an inch covering the grass. Yesterday the temperature was in the 60s, the ground is warm so wherever there is gravel there is no snow, but looking out into the backyard the scene is winter. And with 39 degrees it feels like winter.

Several times flakes came down that were so large they were bumping into each other, morphing into icy lace. Other times the snow was so small it looked like rain. In either case the flakes came fast and the temperature didn’t climb as the weatherman said.

Tad built a fire in the fireplace 15 minutes before the school bus was due. We put on our coats, headed outside, and found the snow had just stopped. Five minutes later the snow starts again fast and steady as the boys get off the bus. We watch the bare patches in the grass greedily soak up the new as we walk to the house.

At 5pm there is snow everywhere, 2 to 3 inches. The boys have talked Tad into taking the sleds into the backyard and trying out a slope or two.

The weather forecast says the temperature will be 31 degrees tonight, so tomorrow we may be greeting the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of fall dressed in white.

Justin Makes $28

Today Justin had 7 baby teeth pulled to make room for new permanent teeth. Looking at the picture you can see they had some big roots. You can also see we left them untouched—blood still intact.

First the dentist gave him laughing gas and let him watch Shrek on a big screen television mounted on the ceiling. After about 30 minutes Justin was smiling pretty big and didn’t seem too concerned about having teeth pulled even though it was the first time.

The dentist deadened his whole mouth since the seven teeth were pretty equally spaced throughout his mouth. Then in less than 30 minutes that seemed to me like 2 hours the dentist pulled all the teeth, put them in a big plastic tooth, and gave us instructions so we could go home.

As we paid Justin stood by the office door. He said, “I’m not in pain now, but it hurt several times, the cotton wads in my mouth are bloody, and I’d like to go home.”

We were home by 10:30am and taking to heart the number one instruction: watch Justin so he doesn’t bite his cheek because the deadening feels weird and he might chew on himself checking it out. Since the shot was to wear off by noon this was an easy job. All the cotton wads came out, Justin had soda and relaxed about half an hour. He wasn’t sleepy so I got out the craft kit I’d got as a surprise. He stitched three pictures from Eric Carle books in no time with his shoelace sewing kit.

By the time Grant got home from school at 4pm Justin looked as if he’d never had surgery. Wow, talk about fast healing-- he’s talking about eating pizza this weekend.

Evergreen Lake in Summer

Walking the short one-mile loop around Evergreen Lake I enter the world of nature even though I’m in the heart of town. The wildlife in and around the water keep my eyes busy searching the landscape for movement, they don’t stray to the small highway circling one side of the lake.

I begin at the large log Lakehouse on the west side of the lake. The Lakehouse is owned by Evergreen Parks and Recreation, which hosts special events there throughout the year. Tall, large windows face into the lake taking in the beauty of the water while giving the building a church like appearance.

This part of the lake will host skating in the winter. I look forward to skating with my family on a frozen lake for the first time in a few months. I know skating first began around 1940 on this lake and even though that was over 60 years ago I feel a connection to the past as I follow in the footsteps of others who have loved this lake.

At first the path is wide to funnel people, small sailboats, or small fishing boats down to the shore. Blue spruce trees line the path and give off a resinous odor. Ducks form small groups of four or five and swim around on unseen roads.

Sleek black cormorants float on the water and periodically dive under the water. I watch anxiously for them to reappear for what seems like a long time. When they resurface they resume floating as if they’d never been gone.

I head east pass several maintenance sheds to a long wooden building that houses a nature center and rents paddle boats and kayaks. It is still early morning so everything is closed. I walk along the docks listening to the water lap against the boats and feel the waves pulse below my feet. Here the water smells a little fishy and I wonder how many fishermen visit each day.

The path quickly narrows as a leave the docks. The path isn’t manicured; powdery gray soil and small gravel mark the footpath bordered with wildflowers mingling with tall grasses. The lake is great for walkers, runners and serious hikers use other nearby parks that allow them speed and freedom. Paths angle down the steep slope to bare areas against the shoreline where fishermen are stationed with ice chests, dogs, and family members. My wrong turns go unnoticed, as the fishermen remain focused on the water.

The main path heading to the dam has several thin wooden bridges. Here I nod as I pass a few other hikers out to enjoy the morning. Beneath one bridge I see something move in the water. A very long fish with teeth, a tiger muskie, is heading into the sun. Posted signs say any caught less than 36 inches must be immediately returned to the water. This fish was introduced into Colorado lakes in the 1980s to control other species and to give fishermen a trophy size fish. I’m excited to see such a large fish, one that can weigh over 40 pounds, that dwarfs the brown or rainbow trout I usually see.

The water before the dam is usually calm because the end of the lake is shielded by hills across the street running behind Main Street in downtown. In the afternoon boats at this end of the lake have to paddle to find the wind.

More cormorants line the top of the dam on the east end of the lake. They sit on the edge as if permanently affixed as the water rushes under them.
I walk down the steps behind the spillway; the water is loud, a light spray of water rises in a white mist, and a slightly musty smell waits at the bottom where the sun encourages algae growth. Here Cub Creek comes from the south to join Bear Creek, and the ice-cold water continues east under a bridge heading off behind buildings in downtown Evergreen.

Coming back up to lake level I see the highway. I keep my eyes looking down at the lake and walk quickly to escape eye contact with the people passing in cars. I know I’m in the middle of the city, but right now I want to continue enjoying nature without interruption. Only the smell of car exhaust is hard to block out. Soon I’m on the north side of the lake where Bear Creek enters and the marshes begin. Red-winged black birds sit sunning in the tall cattails, the bright red on their wings stand out against the green grasses and water.

Walking over a bridge something else red catches my eye. A large crayfish over 4 inches long heads out of the grass. It looks more like a little lobster than the small brown crayfish I’m use to seeing in Texas. I pull my camera out to record his progress, but before I can focus he ‘s under the bridge as if intentionally avoiding having his photo taken. Even though this area has many marsh features the cold running water in the area gives off no stagnant water odors.

At the end of the marsh I come back to the Lakehouse and turn for a one last look down the lake. I see a serious wave of walkers begin their circle. Since we moved to Evergreen at the first of the year I’ve enjoyed this walk many times. It is short and I can enjoy it alone or with my family. In a few weeks as fall arrives I will learn what changes a new season will bring.

Walking back in to the parking lot I notice the golf course is busy and carts are traveling across the well manicured grass. The golf course comes right up to the lake, but the golfers ignore the lake and its visitors the same way we ignore them. I’m glad the elite of Denver invested in Evergreen and started the Mountain Park System in the early 1900s. The money created fast economical growth, and later protection of the natural resources. How wonderful that when there isn’t time to hike the mountains and be alone with nature I can come to this man-made lake and get a quick nature fix.

Thinking of Texas

I can travel 799.91 miles back to Texas in less than five minutes. Sitting in the sun on my deck here in Colorado with my favorite gardening hat over my eyes the familiar feel of my hat and its smell of the sweet black earth I left behind is all it takes.

I miss seeing bare trees at the house we built. I remember in the fall and winter stealing minutes throughout the day to memorize the way the trees look before spring covers everything in green. The beauty of the woods is simple--- just gray--- the gray oaks, birds, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, armadillos, and coyotes. In the early morning the gray is opaque; watching the trees I see movement, the shades of gray separate into animal forms.

I miss seeing the brightly colored flowers of spring I knew. My mind playing with the meandering path of color dots, carrying me off into the past, 35 years ago, running through a field near home with my dog. We run as fast as we can until we have to stop to catch our breath standing next to each other with our sides heaving. Walking back home I’m happy in the sun, knowing I will hear mom’s voice, and there would be water waiting.

I miss the flowers and wildlife I saw every year and all of the human traits I gave them. I love reading books about the meaning of each flower’s name and then deciding which person I know matches that description.

WORDS OF WISDOM/OLD SAGES
The tall purple and white iris reminds me of Grandma Frances' advice, "Stand up straight. Keep your shoulders back." I can see Grandma tall and thin among her friends; like the iris their varying heights punctuated with showy white heads.

BEAUTY/LOVE
The viola's delicate purple flowers surprise me from behind the brown rocks of the pond. Beauty can be seen in the most unlikely places. Their large heart shaped leaves remind me love is a gift without regard to size or age. I think of the friends Grandma Frances had. A group of 70+ year old women who played cards once a week and talked of love and live, past and present.

INNER STRENGTH
The pink rose has a very feminine appearance that hides strong inner strength. During difficult times the fragile looking rose can adapt to its environment and turn back to the wild. I remember when my delicate aunt gave birth to a premature and ill son; she kept harm away with large protective thorns I hadn’t seen before.

FAITH/TRUST
The water lily opens daily to float in the sun. Each night the bud closes and hangs at the top of the water holding trapped rays of sun, confidently waiting for a new day. Mom was often sick since she'd been diabetic since she was three years old, but she pushed worry out of her mind, trusted in God, and looked to see how she could help family and friends.

PERSERVERCE
The tulips move throughout the day following the sunlight and defying gravity by moving their large heads on graceful stems. They accomplish what they have been designed to do unaware of how impossible their feat appears. Our daughter has the ability to accomplish much and I can’t wait to see her figure this out!

SHARING/MOTHERING
The sunflower opens to the size of my hat. Birds come to take away the seeds that form the center. Some seeds fall to the ground to sprout later in the season. They are like kids, standing tightly at my feet with their heads tilted up to watch and imitate momma. I think of Deborah, our cousin, and her three kids that follow her lead.

STAMINA/ENDURANCE
In August heat overtakes both day and night in Dallas. The sun's setting giving only a brief reprise. My bed of zinnias will ignore the heat and send out flame colored blooms. Their leaves will be small and often dry as the plant sends all its energy to the top. The flowers will quickly drop seeds to add to next year's zinnia army. I see cousin Sandie and marvel at her strength through years of surgeries.

SELF-SUFFICIENT/SELF RELIANT
Bugs, birds, and small animals also live in my yard with the flowers. Unlike me they live together without walls or barriers. My walls and barriers is called a house--- I'm not sure if it's to keep me in, or things out.

I miss being outdoors in Texas so I dig a garden here in Colorado to see if I can’t fall in love again. Our yard is full of rocks, but there is a raised bed by the kitchen and here we till the dirt. Pulling weeds and grasses I see results and feel satisfied; I delight in a rare instance of immediate accomplishment. As my muscles tire I don’t miss Texas so much. Digging my hands into the soil, clasping my new piece of earth I’m working towards my goal connecting by something strong and simple, mutual touch.

May brings spring

After the snow season the ground that is revealed is already celebrating the arrival of spring. Grass and moss are coming out in patches around the rocks and being joined by what will soon be wildflowers. Garter snakes come out from under the deck and sun in heaps of snake spaghetti. There is a complete family; father, mother, and two babies wrapped around each other. Their gray patterns blends in with each other and only when I look closely can I count heads and tell how many snakes there are.

Fuzzy ping pong balls, the least chipmunks, hop from rock to rock looking for food. The larger ground squirrels that compete with the chipmunks for birdseed don’t pay much attention to the chipmunks. The ground squirrels move slower and don’t seem nervous. They love to sun on rocks and roll in the light gray earth near their burrow.

Pine cones and tree branches left behind by wind and snow litter the ground. The mule deer pick up twigs, taste them, eat a few, and paw at a few. I see green breaking out of the ground and feel the contrast of soft leaves versus the stiff, sticky pine needles. Our family gets outside and removes the large pieces of dead wood so the pine beetles that have left mountain sides in the area bare don't have a base to attack from. We check the bark of the growing ponderosas looking for the little yellow cones of the bumpy waxy substance that signify beetles have bored into the tree.

Three weeks after the last snow green is the predominate color on the ground. Wildflowers are here--- a pasque flower sits in our neighbor’s meadow with six sepals that look like petals, have a purple exterior and open daily to reveal a white interior.

More snow stories

Living in Texas for five decades I was a connoisseur of year round heat and its many variations. Since moving to Colorado three months ago I’ve seen more snow than I ever have and I found out it also comes in many types.

In Texas the weather at Easter can range from beautiful spring warmth to down right hot. In Colorado this year I saw a little rain, a little snow, and then hail that covered the deck with a thin layer of pellets the size of the end of a pencil. Instead of dressing up and going to church we hunted for eggs in the house and drank hot chocolate.

Thursday night after Easter it started to snow. Friday morning there was over a foot and it was still coming down when Tad and the boys went out and made a fort in the back yard. While we ate lunch we watch the five deer we often see walking through the yard jumping through the snow. One went straight to the fort and stuck his head deep into the snow; I don’t know if he was checking out the fort or checking out the scents of our family.

By night over two feet had fallen. It was so wet and heavy tree limbs started going down across the county and electric company trucks were called to restore service to over 6,000 residents. We sat in front of our fireplace, told stories, made lists of things we needed to buy before the next storm, ate cheese and crackers, and went to bed early.

Saturday morning our neighbor snow plowed some of our driveway and helped us shovel the really deep sections so we could get out if we needed to leave. I was happy to hear this much wet snow had not fallen since 2003. I wasn’t worried about our safety, but I wasn’t looking forward to another night without hot food and light.

Saturday afternoon the house began to hum--- we had electricity--- all was right with the world! As I started cooking I realized how thankful I was to be able to cook--- something only a few nights ago I wasn’t wanting to do. And enjoying a hot shower I thought how much I take for granted.

Sunday afternoon we ate on the back deck in the sun without coats looking at the snow melting on the ground. Our house is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where the weather changes from hour to hour. Generally the snow is a fine powder and less than a foot deep. This means the views are beautiful and by the time I’ve shoveled part of the deck the sun is shining and county snow plows have long since freed our cul-de-sac.

Now I know snow can be a part of spring. The big snow storm gave the ground the moisture it needed and plants were budding and the grass was coming out in patches around the rocks within a week.

Today is May 18th and everything in the landscape is covered in green. Chipmunks run from rock to rock each day gathering food and sunning. I can hear birds everywhere in the trees, but often they are little and fast so I’m still trying to figure out what kind of birds they are. The deer are curious about the work we’ve done digging a garden--- they sniff all around as they sample the new grasses.

A new spring time sound I hear is rapidly honking car horns as deer or elk cross the road. The first person to see the deer or elk approach the road stops, honks several times to warn other drivers and then sits to watch the animals cross. Sometimes the procession is orderly and fast. Other times the animals double back a couple of times or stop and stare at the people staring at them from the cars.

I’m sure there will be a lot more to discover about our new home. I looking forward to finding out what the next thing will be.

April snow

Not native, that’s me. I heard the term on a recent wildflower walk and realized, yep that describes me. This year our family moved from Dallas, Texas where I was born and lived for over five decades--where I was native--to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, Colorado.

At first moving was only about physically relocating to latitude 39 degrees, 36 minutes, and 10 seconds north of the equator; longitude 105 degrees, 19 minutes and 17 seconds west of the Prime Meridian; elevation 7700 feet . Four months later I realize our new place doesn't automatically feel like home just because we've wanted to live here for years; now moving is about becoming a part of our new place. Our house is unpacked but my spirit is still figuring out where it is.

Each morning I wake seeing Mt Evans' peak through the tall ponderosa pines behind our house. Since our arrival in February several times I’m also greeted by snow that has fallen during the night, usually leaving 3 or 4 inches that quickly melts by mid-morning. The winter snow it a light powder that makes no sound as you walk through it. When the mule deer run through snow clouds of white swirl up from the ground. If the snow continues into the day it covers the backs of the deer as they sit behind our shed turning them to white stone until the sun comes out. At this altitude the sun is very bright and the snow vanishes quickly leaving small islands of white in pockets of shade; everywhere else the sandy ground dries quickly.

This has been a month of wet snow. Instead of snow falling it rains snow. During the largest storm the tree branches fill with mounds on snow until only a little of the dark trunks can be seen. The second afternoon of the storm I take a yardstick onto the deck and measure 24 inches of the snow. Two hours later it is only 20 inches as the snow settles. By bedtime it is back to 24 inches.

The next morning I measure 30 inches of packed snow. How much that would be unpacked I don’t know. Inside I feel closed in with snow visible out every window and door so I go outside. Shoveling I hear a swoosh, feel something hit my head, and I find myself enveloped in white--- I’ve just learned you don’t have to have sun for the branches to drop their loads, they just reach capacity.

When the wet snow is deep it takes several days to melt. The bark of the ponderosas is full of water and rough plates of rich orange and dark brown stand out against the snow. The intensity of each dark trunk matches the dark green of the pine needles high above; the tree is a unified whole that stretches from earth to sky.

Each day I learn a little more about my new home. The people that live in this area love to share information about the plants and animals. Then I share information with my family and friends so the facts cover me and slowly seep into my being. For years I was a visitor, then an acquaintance, then a want-to-be, now a resident in progress.

So long March

It's the end of our second month. We now have Colorado license plates and the cars are covered in dirt.

The school had a spaghetti dinner and games in the gym. Fifth graders served food; a choice of 3 kinds of spaghetti, sprinkle cheese, salad, and desert. We enjoyed the food but looking around I couldn't find person I knew. In the gym were ten games and everyone got a trinket. Grant got his face painted into a menacing pirate. Two dads had paints, a booklet, and a lot of enthusiasm.

Our neighbor, Jim the Great, brought us flowers to welcome us to Colorado and the neighborhood. The lilies smell wonderful and the bouquet is full of all kinds of spring colors-- white daisies, purple liatris, pink Peruvian lilies, pink carnations, pastel snapdragons, and 4 kinds of greenery. This is the first time I've used the large crystal vase we got for a wedding gift. It was worth the wait!

Spring break started a day early when the first snowstorm of the season arrived. About 12 to 14" of snow covered the deck and drifts in the corners fought for the top rail. Pikachu, Justin's cat, jumped into a snow bank thinking it was solid. She ran back inside fast and didn't try going out again.

Our neighbor, Kim, brought the boys sleds to try out. We couldn't remember where there were open areas on our property so we used the road behind the house that goes to a log cabin. The sleds fit into the tire ruts pretty well. Jim lets the boys try our his toboggan shoot. I forgot my camera but after walking through deep snow I figured my memory would have to save the image of them speeding down the hill. After going for a ride with them I want to get in shape and use to the altitude so I can try more next year.

We walked around the lake in downtown. The boys climbed up on a statue of kids and posed as many times as I asked. We saw beautiful birds sitting on cattails, pieces of ice floating in the water, retrievers swimming for sticks, people sitting of the shore fishing, people walking--- a lot of fun.

The recreation center turned out to be a favorite place. There is a swimming pool with a large slide, fountains, and a vortex area. Also there is a rock climbing wall and someone to help.

Other places we went were Build-A-Bear, Chili's, Baskin Robbins, and roaming around looking at the local sights. We didn't complete our list of places to go, but with the snow we just changed our plans and enjoyed going outside here at home.

If you click on the picture below you can see pictures from our first two months in Colorado:

First two months in Colorado

The Ides of March

I started a four-week memoir writing class the first week of March from Carolyn Campbell. In December we’d come to Colorado to look for a house and I met Carolyn, who rented one of the houses we saw. We talked a little and I found out she wrote poetry as well as painted. When we moved here I saw an ad for a class at the Evergreen Arts Center and noticed her name as the teacher. When I went to class I found 18 other students! Many of them had just completed four weeks of classes so listening to their stories was like having many teachers, and many to encourage each other.

The boys got their hair cut at Sandy's Organic Salon. They are pampered to a shampoo and careful trimming. Grant has decided he likes his hair short so he can spike it. Justin still wants his longer, but he likes the idea of looking good as much as Grant.

End of February

We've been here three weeks. One day I feel I'm getting comfortable in our new home and another day I think: What am I doing here? I've always lived in Dallas. How will I be able to adjust after half a century somewhere else?

We had our trees trimmed for fire mitigation. It made our acre lot look much bigger and the trees look nice with the dead cut off. I learned a lot from the guys cutting the trees. Now I know pines don't like to have their feet wet. That is why over the leach field of our septic system the pines are yellow. We have one spruce on the north side of the house where a drain empties. Spruces like the moisture and the tree is a beautiful dark green that is a wonderful contrast to the pines. The man we bought the house from planted trees on the north side of the house in 1979 when the pine beetles last hit the area. One is a small pinyon pine that hopefully will produce pine nuts someday. The man cleaning up the lot told me this was a tree with history from the local Indians--- somthing else to research.

In another couple of months I want to plant a tree to mark the year we moved into our house. Tad would love a flowering tree so I asked what we could plant that the deer and elk wouldn't eat. We can try New Mexican Locust, or Common Purple Robe, or Russian Hawthorne.

We had 1 to 2" of snow on the 20th. The snow is soft, dry, and melt before the morning ends. I took the boys to see a movie on Saturday. We had fun getting out of the house and becoming familiar with a part of town we can visit again. There is a bookstore, a mall, a huge Target--- places we can go when we want to come down from our mountain and go shop. The boys also told me about the animals across from their school. On Sunday we went and fed elk, deer and goats. The animals are in a wildlife preserve with giant food dispensers that give out pellets for quarters. There was a goat that bullied the deer. The pupils to his eyes were horizontal lines that gave him an unfriendly appearance; and his attitude to any animal that wanted to share the pellets we were handing out confirmed he was indeed unfriendly.

The boys both have Valentines Day parties at school that I get to go. The classes here go all out with games and foods for the kids. Grant's class makes crowns and has a table where the kids get to make their own sundaes. Justin's class plays bingo and has outdoor games. Watching the kids outside feels strange because in the background are mountains around the school.

By the end of February we are able to find our way around easier, but we are also missing the friends we left in Texas.

First week

Unpacking boxes is slow work. Thank goodness in the morning I get a lot done before my eyes cross and it gets hard to figure out where to put the contents of the next box.

We met our other neighbors, Kim and Greg. Like Jim they make us feel at home with their smiles and offers advice and help.

Tuesday the boys start school. After being out for a week while we moved I think they will be much happier back in a routine. When Tad and I leave them in their new classes for the first time their eyes are big and they look unsure. I don't want to walk away, I feel like I did when they were little and I left them at preschool. Even though I know they will be fine I wish I could stay, be invisible, and be sure everything went fine.

How cold will it be this winter? So far it is around 20 degrees in the mornings, but with the sun so bright it really feels much warmer. Getting out of bed I'm cold until I turn up the heat. We have our chimneys cleaned and order new doors; since the fireplaces are small they won't put out a lot of heat but they will really nice to sit in front of and Grant is big time ready to build a fire.

We've seen a lot of animals this week: mule deer, elk, a fox, and several kinds of birds. I'm keeping a list so I can find out more about them at the library or from our neighbors.

We eat at Beaujos in downtown 2 times. This is a pizza restaurant we ate at a couple of times looking for houses. The pizza is very different from anything we've tried and there are several kinds, so we can all have something we like. Behind the restaurant is a creek where the boys fed ducks last time, but now it is really cold, with some ice and no ducks in sight. It's hard to convince the guys not to go look for them, but I'm sure the other customers sitting by those back doors are glad we did.

Hello Colorado

Today the movers deliver all our stuff to our new homer in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I spend most of the day pointing to places to put the furniture. The job gets increasingly hard as I try to figure how to position wood furniture around all the electric wall heaters. Tad and I haven't had much time to talk about where we'd put things before we moved; and we never thought about the heaters.

Our neighbor, Jim the Great, comes over and gives me the extra house key he has. I'm happy we have neighbors that say they are glad we are moving in.

Whenever I have time I look outside or go out on the deck. For years I've visited Colorado and enjoyed the views. Now I'm looking at a view, and it's ours! The deer come near the house as if checking out what is going on and who is here. I wonder if they miss Jim & Sue that lived here before us.

By the end of the day I'm tired and ready for bed but there’s a problem--- the wall heaters again. They make a lot of noise turning off and on all night. Each time I hear them I wake up, remember what the sound is, and then burrow back into the covers.

Moving

Leaving Texas in February we wore tee shirts, but were still hot. The movers just nine hours to pack all of our belonging--- things we'd taken years to collect and an archive of things left to us by relatives who collected years ago.

For months we have been giving things away and preparing for a move to a new life style but looking in the back of the moving van it still looked like too much stuff for four people. I wondered how much more we’d let go of when we got to our new house.

When our old house was packed we walked through the empty rooms as we said goodbye to memories that played in our minds. I remembered the tooth fairy’s visits in the boys’ room. I smiled at the bold walls colors we'd added to chase away the original bland of white walls. I remembered our Christmas tree from a few weeks ago, and trees from other years--- in each case the multi-colored lights flickered on a tree that was heavy with ornaments made over the years and received as gifts. In my mind I saw family and friends we'd welcomed to this house. In the back yard we'd planted gardens, placed a fountain and wind chimes.

This house held all sorts of memories, but today I enjoyed remembering just the happy ones and letting any struggles go.

Leaving town I drive through a flat landscape wondering what kind of adventure I’m undertaking. After living in one area all of my 50+ years I was ready to try something different and follow a dream.