Colorado

“Spring Break” – Day 4

Published on by Casey

What a difference a day makes!  Yesterday the weather was sunny and in the 50s, which is warm for early spring in Colorado.  This morning we woke up to about 3″ of snow on the ground and heavy snow falling from the sky.  By noon we had white-out blizzard conditions.  Around 2 or 3 the snow had abated enough to shovel the driveway and sidewalk.  Then, we went snowshoeing in 12″ of snow…plus it’s still snowing.  There are conflicting reports on how much snow we will continue to get tonight.  The blizzard warning is over, now we are just under a snow advisory.  But should still get anywhere from 1-8 more inches of snow tonight, then possibly another 1″ tomorrow morning.  It always figures that the snow falls around trash day.  And that saying the post office has about “Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow…” does not apply to Colorado…at least not my neighborhood.

At least Hayley has had the full spectrum of Colorado’s schizophrenic weather during her trip.  All that’s left for tonight are elk burgers on the grill (yes, we bbq regardless of the weather), down a few more rounds of hot cocoa and we still need to get in that game of farkle!

“Spring Break” – Day 3

Published on by Casey

Today was our last chance to get out and explore before the snow.  Yes, it is supposed to snow…more on that later.  We left relatively early this morning to drive down to the Springs.  When we got there the weather was great.  The sky was a brilliant blue, there was snow on the ground in spots.  Pike’s Peak was mostly hidden behind incoming storm clouds, but as the day progressed and the clouds moved east, the snow-capped peak was exposed.  Beautiful!

Hayley and I thoroughly enjoyed Garden of the Gods…our reason for making the 90-minute trek south.  Lots of pictures have been posted on my facebook page, but not yet on here.  The res is too high right now, so once I adjust the pics I’ll post them on the blog.  After the Garden we headed to a shopping mall in Aurora so I could get a jacket at the Tilly’s there.  The store in Westminster told me they carried the jackets.  The store in Westminster lied.

Back to Lafayette.  We could see the storm clouds move in as we drove and rain pounding the plains.  Hayley is very excited for tomorrow’s snow.  Not that I’m not, I am too.  Yesterday the forecast was calling for 5-8″ of snow.  That’s a lot, especially for our area.  Today, the forecast was changed to 8-16″!  The National Weather Service has even issued a Winter Storm Warning from 6am tomorrow through 6am on Friday.

Hayley and I probably won’t travel further than my yard tomorrow.  Plans for Day 4 – teach the girl how to play Farkle!

“Spring Break” – Day 2

Published on by Casey

When the weather is beautiful in Colorado it truly is a shame to stay inside all day, especially when this state was designed by God to be explored!

This morning I drove Hayley up to Chautauqua where we proceeded to hike 3 of the different trails that surround the Flatirons…including the Royal Arch, which took us to the top of one of the mountains and 6800-feet in elevation.  All three hikes took about 90 minutes…because we are that good!  Even with Hayley adjusting to our thin atmosphere.  😀  We made it down in 30 minutes.  These hikes were not suitable for Bella, but we managed just fine.

After the hikes, I took Hayley to Boulder Falls.  She loooooved it;  then up to Nederland for Elk burgers.  Yum!  She got to see some snow too as flurries fell in earnest up the canyon.  Although, according to the National Weather Service we might get 6″+ of snow on Thursday!  Maybe snowshoe around Kneebone??

Tomorrow we will tackle Garden of the Gods…got to get that one in before the snow makes the drive to the Springs unbearable!

“Spring Break” – Day 1

Published on by Casey

Today my friend Hayley arrived for a week-long visit from California.  We both took the week off from work for a “we’re not in college anymore but still deserve a spring break vacation”.

Day 1 –

I picked Hayley up at the airport this morning around 1030.  She was hungry.  We stopped by the house to drop off her suitcases then headed into Boulder for some Colorado Pizza…BeauJos anyone?  She loved it!

After lunch we drove around “old town” Boulder and then headed-up Sunshine Canyon.  Never been up that canyon before, but we took it until we could take it no more…and ended up in Gold Hill.  What a cool little town that is!  And oh the buildings, the history!  That town was founded in 1859 and started the Gold Rush in Colorado!  Not to mention it also has oldest continuously operating public school in Colorado (in operation since 1873)!  The buildings were amazing; left over relics from the 1800s!  It gave me so many ideas for the story of Logan and Noelle!  Our favorite was a dilapidated mining section outside the town limits.  The coolest house on one side of the road, and on the other a crumbling barn and mining cars.  We might have to make another trip up the canyon for more pictures and to walk around the cometary (1866!).

After coming back down the canyon, we drove by a few more historic houses in Boulder before returning home to our feed on our Twilight obsession.

Tomorrow, maybe hiking in and around Chautauqua, Flagstaff Road and perhaps even Boulder Canyon.  Elk burgers for lunch in Nederland!

Maybe one day she will choose the Angel of Darkness

Published on by Casey

Last summer I learned that my all-time favorite musical was coming to Denver.  Three months ago I gobbled up tickets as soon as they went on sale.  Last night all my patience in waiting finally paid off.  It was almost hard to believe that the performance was here, already! What am I talking about (incase you could not tell from the subject line), none other than The Phantom of the Opera!

This was not the first time I have seen a live production of this wonderful masterpiece.  Eleven years ago I went with a friend to the Pantages in LA, a few years after that I saw a “version” called Phantom up in Santa Barbara (not the same).  But now, I’m older, more mature, I’ve fallen increasingly in love with Phantom and thus was able to better appreciate everything about the performance.  Plus, our exceptional seats didn’t hinder the experience either (dead center, about 20 rows back).  😉

As far as we know, this was Noah’s second professional live musical performance.  The first was in December when we went to see The Producers, however, this was his first musical put on by a national tour ensemble.

If I were to re-write the play, Christine would choose Phantom.  I just love his character so much more than Raoul.  But last night, it was Raoul’s baritone voice that enchanted my ears.  Plus, perhaps it was the fedora that donned Phantom’s head that continued to dissuade me.  I was almost rooting for Raoul…almost.  I still would prefer Christine to end up with the Phantom.  🙂

All in all, it was an amazing performance and an exhausting night (we got home quite late; I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow) that we thoroughly enjoyed, even though I had to turn and tell the woman behind me to be quiet during the beginning of Act II.

So which play will be next?  Wicked will be in Denver this autumn and my sister has demanded I go see that one.  Perhaps then Wicked will be the next Playbill to grace my palms.

Winter has returned

Published on by Casey

For a couple of days at least.  We finally got back to cold and snowy weather on Sunday, overflowing into yesterday.  I loved it!  Yesterday’s high was only 11° and this morning when I left for work it was -2°.  The only thing that would have made yesterday’s weather better would have been me curled up on a couch at home, warm, cozy and reading a book (which at the moment happens to be Twilight and I am thoroughly hooked!).  Today and the rest of the week the temperatures are supposed to head back to “normal”, although today we won’t make it above the freezing mark.

I’m just glad that “The Death Turn” in my neighborhood did not ice over. I’m sure the people who live along it are glad as well seeing as how they fixed their fence Saturday from the damage caused during the last snow.

Surprise!

Published on by Casey

I love it when the forecasters are wrong, in my favor.  🙂  Sunday night we went to bed expecting nothing more than a dusting of snow, maybe a 1/2″, since the weather reports said our area would receive 1″ or less.  Think of the surprise when everyone woke up to 3-6″ of snow (depending on metro location).  We ended up with a lovely 3″ at our house.

The only downside to surprise snow is terrible road conditions!  I commute along a 2-lane highway between Lafayette and Boulder, so if there’s a hic-up, you’re pretty much stuck.  Think PCH, for all of you California readers.

My commute is 11 miles, which normally takes 25 minutes during morning rush hour.  Yesterday it took 90!  This is due mainly to un-plowed/snow-packed roads and a broken down bus blocking 1 1/2 of the two lanes.

Noah’s commute was just as bad.  It took him 2 hours to go about 15 miles.  He was supposed to work in Bailey yesterday, but with the roads so terrible (and the fact Bailey had more snow than we did) there just was not a way he would be able to get there and have time to get any work done.

Another fun road fact is that there is a 90° turn in our neighborhood that gets very icy during snow.  When I had the pleasure of driving on it yesterday morning I slipped, slid and “crashed” into a curb.  Thankfully it was only a curb!  Noah told me he also slid on the turn but he has 4wd as opposed to my AWD (which has to engage itself before it does any good) and was able to maintain course.  Last night, when going around the turn on my way home I was glad to see it the road had thawed.  But I also noticed that someone was more unlucky that I and had taken out the fence on the other side of the sidewalk from around where I hit the curb (it was not me!).

Needless to say, snow = pretty; icy roads = long commute.  I miss carpooling to Boulder with Noah behind the wheel.  This California girl is still getting trying to get the hang of ice-driving!

When the wind blows, it takes your trashcan away

Published on by Casey

You know how people say a tornado sounds like a freight train?  Yeah, I can understand that.

Last night it was very windy and by very windy I mean 64mph.  Noah and I slept terribly because the wind continued to wake us up when we did manage to fall asleep.  Between the loudness of the wind and the sounds of tree limbs breaking and falling in our yard or on our house (have not noticed any damage, but Noah has not been on the roof yet).  I did notice that there is a large Y branch on the porch roof, other smaller branches strewn across the yard and we are missing a trash can.

We have 2 large trash barrels, and 1 large recycle barrel.  The recycle was still standing upright, one trash can was laying down (the cans are all empty since our trash was just picked up on Saturday), and the other trashcan is MIA.  It’s not in either of our yards or in the cul-de-sac.  Perhaps the loud boom we heard of the roof at 3:30 this morning was not a tree limb, but our trashcan!  I guess when Noah climbs onto the roof after work tonight perhaps the mystery will be solved!

Also, just in, the weather service has just issued another high wind watch (last night was a warning) for tomorrow night into Thursday morning.  Woohoo!

Christmas 2008

Published on by Casey

No new snow this year on Christmas, but we did have old snow still on the ground and ice on our street.  I think that counts towards a white Christmas.  We still had at least an inch on most of the backyard (North facing).

Christmas was relaxing this year.  Christmas Eve we went to a family dinner at Noah’s grandparent’s house followed by a gathering of friends at, what else, a friend’s house.  Christmas Day we continued our tradition of opening gifts with my family via webcam.  We’ve been doing this since Noah and I moved to Colorado in 2006.  It’s almost as good as being in the same room.

The rest of the day Noah and I lounged around in our pajamas.  With no where to go Noah and I didn’t see any need to get dressed.  One of the gifts Noah gave me was an MP3 player, so I spent several hours ripping CDs to load onto the device.

Today was the first day we ventured back out into public, for church.  We then went around town spending gift cards we recieved as gifts (Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target and Walmart).  Noah still has a gift card for The Home Depot but is not yet sure what he wants to put it towards.

Tomorrow is back to the real world for Noah, working up in Bailey (the town where he grew up).  But not for me!  I’m still off until the 5th!  I have BIG plans for my remaining time off (researching more on setting-up Homestead, cleaning house, taking down Christmas decorations, setting-up the 2009 budget, etc).  I’m sure I’ll find time to lounge around too.

Hope y’all had a great Christmas and have something exciting planned for New Year’s Eve and Day!  I’ll post more on our happenings after the fact.

Arctic Chill Part 2

Published on by Casey

This morning the weather channel said it was -17° at 6:30.  Denver just all but obliterated the previously set records.  Yesterday the previous record of -12° (I think) was set in 1901 and smashed by -18°.  Today’s previously set record low of -6° in 1954 was replaced by -19°.  And yet people still by into the global warming mumbo jumbo.

A plus is that our current 10-day forecast shows a 60% chance of snow on Christmas Eve (day).  Woohoo!  Everyone keep your fingers crossed that it stays in the forecast!

Currently the weather channel is reporting a sweltering -1° in Boulder!