If it's June.....

..............it must be Pickleball tournament time.    Montrose Rec Dept hosts a popular event each year with players of all levels and ages.   And it's surprising how far some will drive to compete.    These two guys came really close to capturing the Gold in their division and proudly wear their Silver 2nd place medals.    The next day, he played in mixed doubles with Bev and did well but came home medal-less.    A fun two days, especially for me proudly cheering from the sidelines.   

Meanwhile, back at the homesite , the cement truck finally pulled up and discharged a patio sized amount of pebbly concrete.  After it partially dried, the guys washed it to reveal a textured dark grey surface.   

 At least we can  have chairs out and enjoy the evening sunsets.    I'm hoping the remainder of the project will be finished soonly.....but not holding my breath.  

It's been fun to see what pops up in the spring yard these days.     I'm not a gardener so don't always recognize a plant until it blooms.   The previous owners did a good job of keeping me surprised and happy.      We have a small lilac, many day lilies and other interesting colors of lilies.    The peonies are in full glory and I have given many bunches away.   And now the  many roses are in full bud and I can't wait to be awed.  

The golf game has improved dramatically altho the scores haven't.    Frustrating.   But I'm pleased and I'll keep at it.    We play Couple's golf on Monday night and that is a casual fun way to meet other Cobble Creeker's.   I play in a Lady's league on Tues and P plays with the guys on Thurs.   I also head out once or twice a week with   my neighbors.  

 Spring also brings out the baby ducks on the course.    There are a few geese and one couple have 4 goslings....cute as babies but not so much as adults.     The mallards are plentiful and I was surprised by this momma and her EIGHT little ones enjoying the view of the 1st green from their little rock in the Creek.    The picture is a bit blurred but you get the idea.     We have a great blue heron on our pond but not sure he has a mate.  

I had to get a new hummingbird feeder.    The bees completely took over the other one.    I got the saucer type of feeder and now everyone is happy except the bees.   This one is bee-proof.   I might have to get a 2nd as the little hummers are very territorial and aerial dog fights are frequent.

We've been pretty lazy and haven't been out on any of the twice a week hikes with the Club.    But, we did make the annual dinner and signed up for a couple hiking get-aways planned in the fall and next spring.     I'm sure it would be better for me to do a 5 miles hike than a walk/ride around the golf course.    According to my iWatch, I do about 3 miles when I play 18 holes.    If I could hit the ball farther, I wouldn't have to walk so much.  

AHH, Spring in the Mountains.....

This is the beautiful view this morning.....    We had hoped there would be the pouring of the cement on the extended patio  today..😕

On a brighter note....this gorgeous box of succulents appeared on my doorstep from Jeff and Jen....it arrived in perfect condition with lovely yellow and white flowers and mosses and my favorite succulents.    I think I can handle the care and feeding as it says, one cup of water once a month !    It came from a site called Urban Succulents and apparently, this is a favorite for wedding bouquets and such.  

 So, before the grounds were covered in snow, I was playing a lot of golf.    Not well, but thoroughly enjoying being outside for 4+ hours surrounded by gorgeous scenery and  having fun with friends.   The game has moments of brilliance followed quickly by deep frustration.....   I actually got a point in league play on Tuesday.....I think they are used in the Pro Shop when you get enough.   

Meanwhile, the Pickleball player is on the courts every day and gearing up for a tournament in early June.   Plus, he's signed up for golf with the guys so we will both be in great shape to take on Couple's Golf next month.    

 The snow started while I was at Mah Jongg.....we play upstairs in the Clubhouse with a wall of windows facing the mountains....I should have taken a picture as the  big flakes started.     The little hummers are quite amazing and they were feeding well into near darkness.  

As the wet sticky stuff accumulated , it settled on the satellite dish......My handyman figured out that  a hose was the best snow shovel.    I had to repeat the process this morning.

The house is coming together....and hopefully, the patio  will get back on track once the weather improves.    I have everything ready to put flowers in their pots but glad I looked at the forecast.  

Well, darn........

I do believe it is the end of April but it looks like January around here.......

Most of Colorado has been covered in the white stuff with Denver expecting up to 12 inches.   I'm 

 not sure how the peonies feel about this fluffy coating of their flower buds.    I'm wondering if they will flower.   The weather is to warm up and be actually hot by the end of the week.

 So yesterday, when it was 40 degrees and windy and cloudy, I dragged out the bread maker and made this cute loaf of plain white bread.    I remember trying to make bread years ago at this altitude and it was a total failure.   I followed some hints for high altitude baking and it turned out OK.   I would like to make whole wheat next and pizza dough.     And so, for lunch we had TLT's.   Fresh bread, Just Mayo (egg and dairy free...really good), fresh plump tomatoes, lettuce/spinach and tempeh "bacon".     Tempeh is soy and brown rice and spices and it is made into strips.   Heat it in a pan until it's a bit crispy and it tastes and looks very close to bacon.  (minus all the bad fat)   We don't use substitutes very often, mostly sticking to just plain whole foods.    But the fresh bread and tomatoes insisted we have sandwiches.  

Home

We picked the perfect day to fly home.    Since we have the privilege of flying stand-by, we (meaning him ), follow the bookings very closely for days.    Flights can appear to have plenty of seats and few stand-bys and then the seats disappear and the stand-bys multiply.   It can be a nerve racking process if you have to be somewhere.  As parents of the employee, we have a low priority.  I really think that management should reconsider that policy.   After all, if we had not done such an outstanding job of parenting and paying for all those shoes and cars and tuition, they wouldn't have this outstanding employee..... but, I digress......   We usually buy a refundable ticket on Southwest (the cheaper Senior fares) and then, if we get on the flight, we cancel the SW ticket and bank the funds for another day.   It really reduces the stress of flying.    Yesterday, there were about 120!!! available seats on the flight from Denver and the next one to Montrose was about half full.   We each had our own row!  We had planned on staying a few more days but those numbers made it a no brainer to head home earlier.   

Arriving in Denver.........


We got home about 1 pm.    A long half day, considering we left CT at 2 am MST.        We left in rain and arrived in rain.    And snow is expected by the weekend.     I need spring, not winter.

We had a delightful time with Andy and Mason.   Such a privilege to see them grow and develop their personalities.    We arrived a bit under the weather with our respiratory bugs that kept hanging on.    Luckily, they are not toddlers and were pretty self sufficient.
They are both extremely bright (aren't all our grandchildren ? ) and I so enjoyed their wit and enthusiasm.    Today's kids are so much smarter than we were at that age.   Now, if they would eat vegetables, they would be perfect.

We stayed pretty housebound, not wanting to scare anyone with our ugly coughs.    Reading and knitting was the activity of the day.    I'm late to the game, but just discovered Mary Oliver and her poetry and essays.     I bought them in hard copy so I can return again and again to her imagery of nature and the natural.

Lots of activities going on here at the homestead and lots of projects still needing to be done.     Little by little...............