It’s essentially early spring here in western Colorado. Tulips are starting to poke greenery above ground, some grass is starting to grow, and tree buds are beginning to expand. Daytime temperatures, still below normal due to recent storms, are reaching upwards of 50 degrees and nights are beginning to stay above freezing. Not every day, of course, but more and more of them are fitting this pattern.
We had quite a bit of rain last week. This has erased all the local snow, except for a few small and stubborn spots of ice that lay in deep north-facing shadows. Even they’ve shrunk significantly. The dogs are going outside a bit more, especially Jo. Jo doesn’t mind a bit of mist in the air, unlike the divas Blondie and Bru.
The High Country, generally above 8,000 foot elevation, received snow while we saw rain. Several avalanches, mostly unplanned, closed I-70 through the mountains several times. A couple of slides made national news when they buried the interstate under more than 15 feet of snow.
The only direct effect this has on us is delays for mail and goods heading east or coming from the east. When the interstate shuts down, there are no good alternative routes for heavy traffic to use. Semi-trucks just park until the road is open again. This includes food and fuel trucks as well as delivery services such as UPS and FedEx. Luckily road crews are used to this and generally manage to get the road open in a few hours, although one larger slide closed the road for more than 7 hours.
I’m gearing up the Kawasaki motorcycle for another year of riding. This year the bike needs a new front tire, battery, and rear-wheel brake pads. These items have been ordered and should arrive next week. I hope to attend a motorcycle rally being held in Kingsland, Georgia, near the Florida state line line, in early April. Plans are to trailer the bike to Atlanta, stay with a friend there, and ride the rest of the way to Kingsland. This will be my “big trip” for the year.
The new dishwasher is working well. We just need to get used to new loading patterns and figure out where the larger pots and pans fit without blocking water flow to the upper rack. Amusing how quickly we get set in our ways, even with dishwasher loading.
Our daily routine is work, internet house hunt, some packing. I did get out to rake the lawn yesterday and Pam is removing layers of mulch in the flower beds. Dogs are outside looking for sunny patches grass. Heavy winter jackets have been replaced by lighter gear. I open the garage door from time to time to get some fresh air circulating through. Vernal Equinox is this month!
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth:
I’ve recently been enjoying from afar the house hunting activities of my high school friend Julie “Nick” Nickles as she retires from the State Department and settles in Sarasota, Florida. Florida is a different housing market compared to the Midwest, but the process is the same. For the first time in decades, Nick will have all her “stuff” in one place. She traveled the world with State representing the USA, working numerous hardship postings – India, countries in Africa, Romania, Bangladesh. I’ll miss all those exotic postcards from across the globe. Welcome home, Nick.
Happy Trails.