Spring ....

Our beautiful part of the world is generally immune to  really really bad weather events.    No worries of tornados, hurricanes or earthquakes.     We get rain, hail and snow and lots of wind in the spring.    This year the San Juan mountains are at 159% of snow pack. ( Update:   Just read in the Denver Post that snow pack is 5 times what it was last year !!)  And it keeps falling.    We've never seen the peaks so blanketed.    There have been record numbers of avalanches and now as the melt slowly starts, the rocks start falling.   For those of you familiar with beautiful Glenwood Canyon, you know the steep corridor that has been carved by the Colorado River and that allows the trains and I-70 to  cut hundreds of miles off a route across the state.   It has been plagued with rockslides and closures this month/winter.    Luckily,no cars have been crushed but I'm always looking up and wary as we pass thru.....as if I could stop a bus sized boulder from making me into a pancake.   

We're not sure when we'll be able to find the Jeep trails open ..... the hoards descend in late June and the brave snowplowers somehow manage to get the trails passable but this year, they expect at least a 2 week delay, if not more.    But under all that snow, the wildflowers are just waiting waiting to pop up and give us a glorious show.    

Our resident and singular heron continues to hang around.    His wing span is huge as he swoops down and then with dainty strides on his long legs, he concentrates on the tiny fishes that he choses for dinner.     He did have a mate they tell me but now he is alone and stays all winter.    The geese and ducks are showing off their young.   Very cute.    One day, I saw a mother mallard sitting stoically on the edge of the fairway with golfers about 3 feet away.    She did not move.    Once she felt safe, she got up and 8 ducklings waddled out from under her.     I love all the nature we have around the pond in our back yard.   

 More flowers....the lilac is getting a bit bigger but for a 10 year old bush, it seems stunted.   But it blooms and if it does ever grow, it will block my view so I"m hoping it's just a short version.

George Burns is doing well as are all the newly planted roses......the older residents are getting their buds.  

I have discovered the Bullock Oriole.    It is a brilliantly large orange/black bird in the males species but the female is smaller and non-distinct.     I saw one at the hummingbird feeder and did some research.    Then I put out a feeding station for them and have been rewarded with lots of birds.

 Since they are attracted to the feeders, I put their food close by.    They like oranges and grape jelly.   Every morning I replace the hollowed out oranges and add more jelly.  

Doris Day continues it's extravagant blooms ..... good name for this rose.  
We bought three baskets for the large pots in the front of the house.    I used to make up my own arrangements, put new soil in and plant.   The results were good but now, I just buy them already planted and sit them in the large pots.    But, we've had freezing weather the last week so mostly they get lifted out and spend their nights in the garage.  

Golf has had to be cancelled for many days due to heavy rains.    We also had hail/sleet yesterday.      I get my morning walks in but it is chilly.    I listen to audio books as I walk and it is a great motivator to get out there and find out who the killer was..... I listen to Louise Penny mysteries and am about 2/3rd through the series.... she does keep writing so maybe I won't run out.  

I"m also working my way through "Big Magic"..... I both read and listen to it.   Written by  Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote "Eat Pray Love".     It is the best I've read on creativity......highly recommend.   

On the health front, and at this age, isn't that what's always out front.......I've been plagued by generalized joint pain.     It is annoying and uncomfortable and I'm not sure why ...... aside from an achy hip now and then and my irritable MCL in my knee, I am generally pain free.   My hands are gnarly and ugly due to arthritis and if I golf  or knit too much, they complain.     I decided that the only reason I could come up with for the flare of discomfort was a lousy diet.   Yes, we are plant-based but that doesn't mean we are perfect.    We occasionally throw in the Gardein meatballs and Beyond Beef burgers and I do like cheap chocolate and occasional butter.    I avoid most oils in cooking and foods  and no meat or dairy.    If we do go out, we give in and eat as well as we can....and if you invite us to dinner , we will eat your meat dish (sorry, can't eat ribs since they look like ribs....same with chicken parts ).   So, I am back to very basic eating , trying to eliminate the inflammation that has taken over my body. It's been 4 days of very clean eating and I'm starting  to see results. 

.     I am scheduled to play golf tomorrow so will give in and take Advil.    Otherwise, my aging body parts all work just fine and I think I"m good for at least another 50 years.