Oh January...

Oh January. You're so... January.

The holidays and laughter and fun have passed, family has all gone home and all that lies ahead for [seemingly] ever is cold and gloom...

Living with a wee dog and no backyard requires one to walk several times a day. And it doesn't matter what the weather. My wee one loves to be outside.

In any weather.

But even she has her limits on days when the temps dip below Zero.

That's when I see a lot of this. 

On days like that I bundle us both up in our winter warmest and open the door to head outside she takes one look, promptly turns and makes a mad dash back inside. But, alas, she being a dog, she does eventually need to go outside - no matter the weather.

So we dodge ice and snow and dreary mornings.

And feel really sorry for ourselves.

But despite the snow and ice and cold, if we only take time to notice, nature shows us how amazing she is.

Ice crystals on the edge of the lake.

There are days when January redeems itself ~ if I just pay attention.  Days when the Colorado sky is so blindingly blue it hurts my eyes.

And mornings when it is so, so quiet I can hear the rhythmic whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the Canada geese as they glide gently above my head.

And of course there is the lighter side of our January mornings ~ those mornings when, while still a chill in the air, the sun in shining and the promise of a warmer day gives us a lift. Kizzie and I meet our fellow dog people and pups as we round corners. We chat with our Southern friend who has dubbed Kizzie not only as "Miss Kizzie" but has now added a middle name for her.  "Good Morning, Miss Kizzie Mae. How are you today?" he asks in his welcoming Southern drawl.

I don't know many people names, but Kizzie Mae and I know Daisy and Dolly and Chester and Murray and Max and Ricky and Barkley and Monroe and Annie (well, two Annies) and a few others we wave to (hands and tails respectively).

So in looking at the big picture of January ~ for the gloomy days there actually are a fair amount of beautiful days.

And then comes February...

I'll Make My Own Damn Spring.

Tired of me whining about the weather?  Me, too.

But when I woke up to this - again - on May 1

I was happy I keep flowers around me 

and I did a little Lensbaby Original action with them early this morning

And on this snowy day I've got a little extra warmth in the studio.  Boda Buddy is spending the day in here with me.  (It was time to come out of the closet.)

Anticipating Summer. Right.

Spring finally said hello to Colorado over the weekend!

  

(Of course this is a tulip from 2012.  

After seven snows this month my tulips this year are, umm... struggling.)

Temperatures in the upper 70's had me thinking about breaking out the shorts (and crossing my fingers they still fit); putting the boots in the back of the closet and bringing out the Tom's.  

I scrubbed the winter off the deck tables and chairs thought about the veggies I want to plant.

(A tad early to plant yet, so this is a Polaroid from a couple of years ago.)

Screens were put in the windows, the patio doors opened wide to let the great outdoors in.  And the best thing about that is the sounds and scents that drift in ~~

The boats on the lake in the distance

A soft breeze blowing thru the grass...

The scent of fresh flowers on the windowsill in my studio

So we're happy and thinking warm thoughts of summertime fun.

And then I heard the weather forecast this morning.  81 degrees and sunny today. Yay!  

And Wednesday, May 1... 

I have no words.

Just Go With It.

I promised myself I wouldn't whine about the snow again today.  It started snowing yesterday afternoon, continued thru the night and is still coming down at 9 am. And it's April 23.

That kind of sounded like whining, didn't it?  Ok, so my whining reminds me of a quote I read recently:

"I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on Earth. Then I ask myself the same question."
*Harun Yahya*

As much as I yearn to live near the big blue ocean 

and aspire to live that quote ~ and I do in my head ~ in real life it's not practical.  Gah.  I hate being practical. 

The mister and I have jobs, we have a home, we have four-legged people with fur, we have elderly parents ~ all of whom depend on us to be there when they need us.  We have responsibilities.

I'm the lucky one who can do what I do from anywhere in the country.  And although the mister can access clients from anywhere in the country, he also needs to be available to be on site physically when needed.

I am realizing that at almost 60 some of my dreams may have to remain just that ~ dreams.  My days of changing things in my life every three or four years are gone.  We know now that - providing we are fortunate to stay in good health - we have about 15+ years to work like hell and bank it.  We are the type of people who will never "retire" because we love what we do.  But someday it will be nice to slow the pace a bit; take a little more time off to spend near my beloved oceans.

So I had a bit of an epiphany this morning. The quote "Bloom where you are planted" is so cliche and a bit saccharin for my taste but it's kind of where I'm at.  

And I could be in worse places. Denver is a cool city

We are a short drive from the gorgeous mountains I moved here for 39 years ago

And at the end of my street I have space to wander 

I'm a two hour flight from the Pacific I love

So for the next few years we will feather our nest and make our home completely ours, exactly how we want it.  (Finally)

We will make a concerted effort to balance work and play more

And remember that life can change in a heartbeat.  And when you make plans, God laughs. And everything I just wrote could be irrelevant tomorrow.

See?  I still thrive on change.  Gah.

Enough Already

I've lived in Colorado for almost 39 years so I'm used to snow in March and April.  Sometimes even in May.

But as I look out my studio window at yet one more morning of snow drifting down (on top of icy surfaces no less) ~ even I am sick of it.

I've defended Colorado's spring snows for years.  But Ma Nature, enough is enough.  I checked on my struggling tulips and hyacinths yesterday and I think even they have given up.  

So although I'd rather be here right now

St. Maarten

Or here

Miami's South Beach

I'll have to settle for thoughts of Colorado summers.  It's been a couple of years since I have had time to grow a little garden but I am going to this year!

And lots of flowers

And spend some quality time with these guys

And this guy

And never even have to leave home.

Come on summer!

Springtime in the Rockies

I am always surprised when someone who actually lives in Colorado is surprised when we get snowstorms in April ~ and sometimes even May.  I can understand someone who doesn't live in Colorado not getting it.  But if you've been here for a couple of years you know that our snowiest months are March and April.  And that Spring lasts 5 minutes.  

Sorry all you Spring flower enthusiasts.  Although some Spring blooms can survive the snow (it actually insulates them), if you're really into daffodils and tulips, Colorado might not the place for you.   

So as I watch the snowflakes dance outside my window

I'm happy I took a few minutes yesterday ~ when it was 68 degrees ~ with my Lensbaby 2.0 and 4x macro filter to immortalize my little crocuses.  

It was worth getting down on my creaky ol' knees to do so.

And with that ~ Mornin' Peeps!