Of birds and blessings...........

The feeding station continues to receive rave reviews and repeat customers.     And now we have a newcomer ...... a western tanager.    Apparently it is related to the cardinal and gets it's red head from a pigment found in it's diet of insects.    Info that I have read says nothing about enjoying grape jelly and oranges.          We raised the feeding station and have had no more nightly marauders that remove the bowl of jelly.     We did put a heavy rock in the pie dish to keep it stable in the strong winds of late.       

 Speaking of winds, we tried to play golf today and watched as our balls were puppets of the vicious winds.   We gave up after 9 holes, slightly wind and sun burned.      We always get spring winds but lately they have been up to 30 mph and ravage anything loose .....we suspect one of the outdoor decorative pillows is in Utah.     The snow in the mountains has now become an extreme menace and there are valid  concerns about flooding and more rockslides.    You may have seen pictures of the house sized boulder that come down south of Telluride, on the road we take back and forth to AZ.    More snow for the mountains tonight  and freezing temps down here.    My beautiful roses froze the other night..... the plant is fine but the flowers are gone.     This has really been a bizarre spring but at least we don't have tornadoes.

The aches and pains are all gone ..... I give all the credit to strict plant based eating.   You are what you eat !!




And now to the miracle news.....We've been holding our breaths for weeks and finally I can share a bit of our joy.         This dainty little miss joined our family as our first great grand baby.     She's still a bit shy.       Her parents have been through unimaginable stresses the past few years as they watched hopeful joy turn to indescribable grief when the birth mothers made other choices.     This little one's birth mother was very brave but is content with her decision and the initial legal hurdles are over and we are overjoyed.        Welcome little one !

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. 

Life is good but not necessarily blog worthy.........

We've been busy ......     Drove 6 hours to Salt Lake City on the 22nd so one of us could have our eyes fixed by the expert.        He has a condition called pseudo exfoliation and this apparently makes for tricky and complex cataract extraction.    The Eye Institute in SLC was impressive and he was able to have the one eye done on Wed and the other on Thursday and then we ( I ) drove the 6 hours back home.      The recovery has been uneventful and he says he can see our beautiful mountains clearly once again.     

Otherwise, spring is in full bloom around here.    All the trees are blooming and fragrant.   Lilacs are prolific everywhere.    The distinctive Columbines are beginning their show.    Peonies are budding and some tulips remain altho the daffodils are long gone.      And the hummingbirds came back earlier than usual.    We have the black chinned variety and they are feisty and territorial.

The garden center finally received their 500 rose bushes and we picked out 4 lovelies to fill the holes that Jon created for them.     This gorgeous one is called "About Face".    We also picked out a theatrical bunch, "Ingrid Bergman (deep velvety red), "Doris Day" ( large sunny yellow )  and a red and white variegated "George Burns".     Roses do very well in this climate without aphids and many diseases.    I had Japanese beetles when I planted them in Connecticut.

Golf league has started  and the course is in great shape with the help of all the winter snow.    I'm playing at least 3 times a week and could play more but it does use up much of the day.    Today, I managed to finally break 100.......  !!      When we moved here, I had a very high handicap.....it continues to trend downward and I'm mostly pleased with my game.    I'm a good putter, which saves me many strokes since I really don't hit it very far off the tee.    But even that is improving and today I shared my friend's new driver  and finally hit my drives equal to hers.    It's tempting but I'll probably stick with my current one.     I did spend $7.50 for new spikes for my golf shoes and I walk with a new spring in my step....  It's the little things......

Spring Break

Jon and Andy and Mason showed up for a break from school and work.    Before they could play, I made them work.   Jon  transplanted 3 peonies and pulled out 4 roses.   It's too early to plant new ones but the nice deep holes are ready.    Andy power washed the front of the house.    I supervised closely to avoid stripped wood trim and broken windows.   I had done the back earlier in the week.      Then it was time for some playing around.    We got in a fun round of golf and Mason had plenty of time to drive the golf cart.     They are both avid Pickleball players (well trained and coached by their grandfather ) and despite the spring winds, they got in many hours on the courts.     We played "Ticket to Ride, Europe " most evenings

 and the competition was raucous.

And then they drove to Aspen/Snowmass for some spring skiing and Mary Beth flew in to join them.

Spring came to Colorado.    After a long long winter season of record snows,  the grateful well- watered trees and flowers came to life.    The aspen are opening up and the roses are leafing out, the peonies are poking through the ground and grass is greening.  

On the weekend, Mike and Jenna drove over from Denver and we drove the 2.5 hours to join the party.    It's been too many years for us to try it again, but we remember many many ski trips and fun times on the slopes.  

Mike got a few runs in as well and gave a shout out as he passed our rooms.

 

We had spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and ski runs.

 Spring skiing brings out the strange  costumes. Bikini tops and bare torsos were abundant.   And sunburns ......    Saturday night we went to a popular Mexican restaurant and took the required group photo.    The menu was a bit limited since they were closing the next day but we enjoyed  freshly made guac, chips and salsa and varied tacos and fajitas...... and despite being out of several brands of beer, we managed quite well.

Jon and group planned to leave on the early early flight to Denver..... But, without a crew, the plane wasn't leaving, so they came back to the hotel and we all sat down for breakfast together.    They were successful on their 2nd attempt to fly to Denver but their connection to LaGuardia was delayed by 2 inches of hail and severe weather.    They will eventually land about 6 hours later than planned.   Meanwhile, we had a beautiful drive back home, through the snow capped mountains and then the blooming fruit orchards near us.    

 It's been a good week !!

I noticed that some glitch in the blog has made it look a bit wonky on some devices.    I tried to fix it but my elementary skills are not up to the task.  

Home

 Mother Nature is showing her finest colors in AZ and the views from our site at Cave Creek SP were splendid but I longed for the mountains.

 Nearing Moab on the 3rd day, we enjoyed the sandstone sculptures with the La Salle Mtns as a backdrop.   Moab was packed to the rafters with spring breakers, slick rock riders , off road vehicles and Jeeps.    The hotel building continues at amazing speed and I wonder how soon the beautiful back country will be over run and damaged.     The double waiting line to get into Arches NP at 9 am was at least a mile long.  

Our beautiful San Juans are magnificent from our windows.     The snow melt will be well into July and then the wildflowers will be bountiful and beautiful.  

   After 2 days of tedious unloading and cleaning, the MH was moved to it's favorite place, Centennial RV.     We hook up to electricity for a month or so while the temps are in the freeze zone at night and then will move to the storage area.     The new owners are very nice and motivated.    They have been totally booked for the summer since last fall.   We used to stay here on our trips west when we lived in FL and the views and proximity to the best of the west is perfect.      

Unbeknown to us, we had a hitchhiker on board.     Lurking in a hiding place, was this cute Oregon Duck !!    Our friends and neighbors in Palm Creek are known for their highjinks.    In past years, they have slapped colorful bumper stickers on the unsuspecting as they pull out and head home.  ( by colorful, I mean things you might not want your grandchildren to read about you ) .   They once attached a VERY large bra to the ladder on the back that flapped in the breeze going down the highway.    They hide things inside as well.     We were very fortunate to be recipients of the traveling Oregon Duck.    Most of the group are from Tillamook and the rest from Arkansas.    It's a fun group and we will show the Duck the best of Colorado and beyond.

I'm off for my first round of golf.    The course is in great shape from all the water this year but it is chilly out. (high of 44).    Yesterday it snowed lightly.             It's good to be home !!

Moving right along......

We made the familiar trek back to CT for Andy's 16th BD.    I remember the moment of his birth so vividly and often can't figure out  where the years went !!

Caesar, meet Shy!   The dragon has grown since our last visit and now takes walkabouts and both the cat and I find it a bit unnerving.   No apparent confrontations have resulted.

On a clear but definitely chilly day, Jon drove us down to the Jersey side of the Hudson River to find some of the Revolutionary and Hamilton historic sites.

     

Apparently, this is the rock that cradled the head of Hamilton as he lay dying after the duel.

When not exploring history, we had a pretty long learning curve in order to play Catan . We got better as the days went along but we were never much of a threat to the competition.



And then, we were back in the desert.....almost like time travel, except it involved long flights.   We're packing up and saying  goodby to our neighbors and friends.    As the temperatures finally warm up,  we look forward to our migration north once more.  

Before we headed out of town, we got to see Jeff and Jen's new (old) home that will soon be undergoing a huge renovation.    Can't wait to see her vision come together.

Contrasting views................apolitical.

 The popular Duel in the Desert came and went and, despite courage and bravery and a strong will, no medals came his way.    But he was very popular with his GoPro videos that captured friends and neighbors matches.    He edits them down to manageable size and hands them out to very appreciative players.

The desert is slowly starting to bloom.    We drove about an hour  to an arboretum and took a guided tour through the history and stories of the varied gardens.

Not too hot but sunscreen was useful.  

  

 This plump, water saturated saguaro needed some help to stay upright.

Later in the week, friend Bonnie and I drove 20 min to Pichacho Peak SP to see the Mexican poppies and their opposite on the color wheel, the purple lupine.  

 And then, yesterday, we decided to mix it up a bit and we drove the long 10+ hours north.    We needed to get the new car back home since we haven't figured out how to tow TWO cars behind the RV.     We'll go back next week and start packing up and more slowly make our way home.

Colorado has seen massive amounts of snow this year.     We watched the forecast closely, studied the CDOT road updates and decided that Sunday was the best day to navigate the high pass above Telluride.    There had been some avalanches and mitigation of known slide areas so we hoped the delays and warnings would be over.      It was a beautiful drive.     That sign says 'avalanche area'.

We'll enjoy fresh snow (coming down now) from our windows before we head out once again for more adventures.....someone is turning 16 soon.

AZ days.......

It has been cold and rainy and snow came down in record numbers of feet north of Phoenix.   But now it is moderating and we are seeing the thermometer hit 70 for the first time.   

One day we wandered to the nearby Catalina mountains with intention to take a loop Jeep trail.   We started out in high desert with stately saguaros looking plump and majestic.   It is said that they gain over 1500 lbs when they take up lots of water.    But then a friend also said that the weight causes them to fall over and one crashed on a house and through a window in their neighborhood.    Anyway, back to the scary part..........

The rain had muddied the roads and there were deep ruts in parts but mostly dried.    The ranches became farther apart and cell signals disappeared.    We came to a 'road closed' sign but continued on, thinking it was left over from flooding from previous rains.     Then farther in, we came to a stream covering the road in 2 places with a higher sandy island in between.    We hesitated and I thought we would just turn around.    The higher elevations and scenic views were ahead so the driver decided we could cross ..... we were in a Jeep after all and the water was shallow.   

  

 We drove fast through the stream and up onto the island and then felt ourselves sink into the muck.   It looked like beach sand with some weeds on top.    I stepped out to survey the situation and my shoes were quickly mired in the sand.    I had a momentary panic attack thinking that maybe we were stuck.    It was just an uneasy feeling that not all was well...... I quickly saw the headlines in the local paper of elderly couple dying of dehydration and starvation when they ignored signage and came ill-prepared with little food and water.      We both walked around and pondered the partially buried tires and I said in a quiet voice "Are we stuck?".    Since I was with my 'guy who can solve all problems and fix anything', I was waiting for the NO that he would surely say.    But he said YES!!    That was the scary part ..... My panic turned to real fear.        And then he said, " you direct m e so I can back up and I'll put it in 4 wheel drive" !!   What !!   I thought we were in 4 wheel !!!!   All of a sudden I could breathe again.    He put it in the proper gear and drove right out of the nightmare in my brain.
I know it doesn't sound so scary but sometimes I wonder if we should be wandering the desert or the Colorado mountains on our own and this minor adventure has made me think that maybe we need to be more cautious on some of our outings.        We crossed back with little effort and met up with another 'elderly couple' in their Jeep doing the same thing.    It made me happy that there would have been someone to rescue us in this desolate area.

 We get frequent balloon sightings ..........

On the weekend, we went to Jeff and Jen's to babysit the grand dog.    He's getting up in years and prefers to stay close.

 After all the rain, the spring season is blooming.    These are two yards in their neighborhood  that are just glowing from the color.

This week, the Duel in the Desert has started with over 800 pickleball players descending on Palm Creek.    P plays on Sat and Sunday in both men's and mixed.    More medals ???

It's all about the pickle ball....

This week it's been all about the Member/Member tournament.   The weather gods apparently thought it was a good idea to throw in a few curves with rain and wind.     Schedules and matches were all rearranged and it was cold and windy much of the time.
  
Palm Creek is a very large RV resort.... they also have nice small houses for those who want to give up the mobile house.     But their big claim to fame are the Pickleball facilities.    They have 32 lighted courts and wonderful supporting facilities.     National tournaments are held here.      In the above pic, you can get an idea of  only a portion of the courts.

  This morning at 8 am , it was 29 degrees and down jackets, gloves and hats were in order.   But the wind had subsided from the day before so it was more tolerable.    Every year, I'm surprised how cold AZ can be ..... it will warm up quickly by next month, but woolies are always required in Jan/Feb.  
   
Paul and his partner Therese, medaled in their age/skill bracket.    Paul had to drop to the 65-70 bracket because of Therese's age so he had to play against all the young kids.      He and his partner Tom did not medal in the Men's division but held their own.    P was having issues with his wrist and needed an ace wrap and a massage with the MaryJane cream in order to hold the racket.   His personal nurse has prescribed several days of rest.