MOTER'S DAY 2014

It is Mother's Day. A day set aside to honor all women, those who are physically mothers, but also those who “mother” us. Motherhood may be the least appreciated executive position in our society.  The pay is minimal if any, but the pay-off is critical for our future.  

But who would have thought that we would have snow at Glen Eyrie in the middle of May?

A widespread cold snow storm blanketed the Rocky Mountains here. In the Glen it started snowing mid-morning and it still continuing as I write this at sundown; not that we did see the sun today, however.

What a change with the other days this past week. 

Less than a week ago, when we went up to our favorite spot, overlooking Queen's Canyon from the east.          Glen Eyrie overlook - Garden of the Gods, & Cheyenne Mountain

 

It was in the mid 70's on Monday and today the high was early this morning at 43 degrees Fahrenheit. It got progressively cooler after that.

I am worried about our hummingbirds, we have cleaned off the snow from the feeder, and they have been coming all day. They are not as feisty as usual, though. I hope they make it through the night, the temperature is supposed to go below freezing. By Tuesday it should be a bit warmer again, but no 70's for another few days. I am glad that I brought a few sweaters. 

 I honored my bride, the mother of our children. All our children did something special for their mother as well! All I all a very memorable day.

Of Blizzards and Christmas celebrations

Oh, the joys of winter!

A monster storm kept those who “were not there yet,” where they were for Christmas.
We celebrated Christmas with just the two of us. We enjoyed a special dinner, which we prepared together and ate together.

We saw the sun today! The day after Christmas, cold but sunny. I was afraid this storm might be like “The Day After,” but so far people are moving about and the temperature is tolerable, even to take the dog for her walks. Fortunately we did not have as much snow as they had at many other locations. As a matter of fact, we had rain before Christmas and above freezing temperatures, which allowed some of the snow of the previous blizzard to melt away.

Next year is now less than a week away! We are looking forward to a good time with our children and friends during our celebration of “old-and-new,” when we “pray in” the new year. All of which is coupled with traditions from both our old and new countries.

Home Sweet Home

We are home again! The mid-west blizzard of December 8 & 9 went before us. We left Colorado Springs with sunshine and drove to Norton, Kansas. Here we spend time with good friends, a good meal, and a great night’s rest. Although there was an overcast sky for our trip on Saturday (12-12), we had an uneventful trip to Des Moines. Upon our arrival we visited with our daughter, who has been battling a persistent illness withe daily fevers. Corrie made soup for her and her husband on Sunday and we shared dinner together.


Some more snow on Monday, but we had enough food to wait with grocery shopping until Tuesday. We needed to stock up again; especially, with the Christmas and New-year’s holidays just around the corner.

That said, I wish all of you a Blessed Christmas celebration.

Winter, Wonder, White

“Winter Wonderland,” a quote from Michigan, - many years ago. Here at Glen Eyrie winter transforms the place wonderfully. E have had another white blessing. Our children from Missouri spend the weekend with us a s guests in the Pink House. We took them to Dorothy Falls at the end of Queen Canyon. Rick, ever the amateur geologist, had a blast looking at all the rocks and the exposed layers of rock formation in the canyon wall, never mind the flowing water.
The weather was in the sixties with sunshine, but on
Sunday we started getting snow. It did not really stick to the roads, but transformed the surroundings with about a two inch accumulation.

Oh yeah, we shared the experience of a mountain lion stalking turkeys in our front yard. The turkeys flew into the trees and the lion bounded off, back into the woods. (He did not look too hungry!) We didn’t get a picture because it all happened fairly quickly.

Monday was a wonderful day to see the snow covered trees and rocky crags. We took a lot of pictures and took even a ride through the Garden of the Gods, to see the clean white covering on the red rocks.

We unexpectedly had overnight guests.
The guests-services did not know that the kitchen was closed this morning; we had gotten a box-breakfast yesterday. Since the overnight guests usually have breakfast included, we cooperatively agreed to cook and serve breakfast at the Pink House and serve it in the gorgeous Pink House dining room. Our guests were delighted, as were we, to have a scrumptious warm breakfast served in style! One more week and we’ll move to the chalet, leaving the Pink House to another couple to manage for a month.

Another Tradition

Finding Spring...
Well, we have started on one of our other “rituals.” Finding spring. I was done with the need for more snow, by Christmas. Yet it take another 3 or more months for even the first promise of spring, here in the Heartland of the USA. (When we lived in the Dakotas it took until May, usually.) So, after we retired and spend winter at home, we use an early opportunity to go a bit farther South. We look for Red buds, Dog woods, and Forsythias, even a Dandelion gives me great hope for the coming warming period. This usually goes coupled with a Mission Support trip to CEF in Warrenton, MO. On the way and during our weekends there, we visit with Rick and Jena. Often there is some project for which an extra hand comes in handy; so we get to work together while we visit. By the pictures you can see, that we were successful in finding Spring. We are at Rick and Jena’s house in Saint James and even though it is rainy and cold outside, we see the huge forsythia blooming. This weekend in the later part of March is our start of our enraptured enjoyment of the budding of the trees and other wild vegetation this year. Missouri is a great place to find spring. At least until Saturday night, winter tried to get back in, with about 1 ½ inches of snow. It was a wimpy show, fortunately. On Sunday the sun was back to melt it all away. Keep coming spring!