Springtime in the Rockies

The last few days in Northern Colorado have been wonderful. Warm and sunny, today I saw the first leaves emerging on a few trees. Meadowlarks have been calling and the Blackbirds are flocking. I love this time of year.

Tonight? Snow through Tuesday.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?x=164&y=71&site=bou&zmx=&zmy=&map_x=164&map_y=71

The upside is the Coven won’t be meeting outside for a few days.

April in Colorado is like that. I remember a blizzard in April 1956 that filled the roads bank to bank and nothing moved for a week. Skied the two miles to school.

My relatives in Casper, WY have had a brutal winter and are getting hit again.

May will bring flooding as the mountain snowpack, far above normal, starts melting. Look out Nebraska.

This year’s heaviest snow has been in the southern part of the state’s mountains. Good news for those depending on water from the Rio Grande and Arkansas rivers.

Chinese Flu

Our dilettante Governor has extended the shutdown until April 22.

The local meat packing plant was been hit hard and is closing down until Tuesday so they can test everyone. Buy beef now because it will be in short supply soon.

Shocking to me is the old folk’s home that was my Mother’s home for the last few years of her life has had at least 14-16 COVIN-19 deaths. Is there an explanation? This place has always been well run, clean and clean smelling, and residents well cared for.

So far, none of my immediate family or extended clan has contracted this vicious malady. For that I’m grateful.

Easter

A couple living on my floor are traditional Hispanic Roman Catholics. Sharing is important to them. Part of their Easter tradition has been preparing a large dinner. This year they are doing the same, but will prepare individual plates and distribute them door to door in the building.  Adapt and persevere!

Hope this finds all of you well and coping with these “Interesting Times”.

Welcome, Spring

 Shamelessly lifted from a received email.

Spring has Sprung

The Blackbirds are back so it must be springtime in the Rockies.
Next door this morning were blackbird, sparrows, and two doves picking up seeds my neighbor throws out.

Our small ranch in the Steamboat Springs, CO area had two quarter acre “wetlands” (we called them sloughs) that my father left alone. Cattails grew there and hundreds of blackbirds made them their summer home. His belief was the birds kept the insects under control.  I’ve always associated their calls with spring.

My neighbor is a baby boomer hippie who is in serious need of a twelve step program for gardening excess. Not for her the formal English style garden. No, it is plants galore. She has four dogs, three cats, two caged birds, and who knows what else crammed into her 900 sq ft one bedroom house. She is a mental health counselor and a perpetual doctorial candidate. It is safe to say her political outlook and mine differ.  Since she bats for the other team, we peacefully co-exist. I tell her misogynist jokes and she calls me a troglodyte.  I do enjoy her yard and the wildlife it attracts. I enjoy her yard since I don’t do any of the work but have the benefit of viewing it every day. I don’t like yard work; no, not at all!

Looking like we will have a terrible summer for fires. I blame it on all the Californians who have moved here. They brought their brush fires with them.