At least it's beautiful. This was taken in between blizzards. There are 2' tall bushes next to that little fence.

The last blizzard was dry and fluffy powder but this one is made up of big, wet flakes. This one, I'm resigned to. Before it started, I made sure to give the dogs a nice long walk this morning and covered up some grassy areas.

I'm annoyed with the city for not even making one snowplow run through our neighborhood. The problem area is the hill that slopes down to the north and doesn't get the solar melt-off like the other streets. We've been driving in snow ruts for the last several days and this will just make it worse. Still, I would rather this mess than a whole winter of dry and brown. One drought is enough for me.

We started our day by going to Eldora so Honey and Sweetie could snowboard. Nice day up there, sunny and beautiful after last week's blizzard, but Windy! Windy enough to close the lifts by lunchtime. We headed back down and put the turkey in the oven. For some reason, it wouldn't finish cooking so we ended up at the table with some raspberry wine and some Fat Tire that Elvar left behind. What a sweet way to pass some time with real conversation, not just talk that happens on the fly. We ended the evening watching "Pride and Prejudice" on our brand new super-duper 32" flat screened LCD TV.

The blizzard itself was one thing. The meltdown is quite another. The general rule here is that the city doesn't plow the side streets, leaving the job to the sun. Usually that works when we've had just a few inches - but it will take several days for our street to clear off this time. The yard is going to be muddy long after the last snow has melted. My poor dogs got their first real walk this morning after being cooped up the house/porch/backyard run area.

I wonder. If I lived near a beach, would I be dreaming about being near the mountains as much as I dream about being near an ocean? I don't even need an ocean - a gulf would do.

More fun:

This is what I'm talkin' about (my sidewalk):

Man o Man, it's really coming down. They've been talking about this storm for a few days and it finally arrived. When I got up, there was just a dusting, just enough that I could sweep off the walk ways but now it's dumping! Our white Christmas is secured, at least with snow on the ground.

Sweetie and I went to see the Ars Nova Singers last weekend. I was suffering from a bout of ennui so much that when they broke into song, tears welled up in my eyes. I checked around for any sadness or reminders of past then realized they were tears of relief. I forget to keep aesthetics in my life sometimes.

I thought I would write more, but the dogs need walking so I'm outta here.

I took the dogs all the way up to the lake this afternoon after missing the morning walk. Each time I go there I'm surprised at how beautiful it is. The dogs like it, too.

A thin sheet of ice had obviously been melting during this last warm week but it was thick enough to hold the weight of a lone goose that was walking from one side to the other. It was a funny sight - a goose walking on water. I waited to see if he considered himself to be stuck but that didn't seem to be the case. He just took his time moving toward his friends. I left before he got there.

I found this Scottie at The Pet Set . Pretty darn cute. More Scotties in the new Bark magazine on the Amanda Jones ad.

Most of the snow has melted in town but it's still on the ground at home. This is the last year I'm going to struggle with the back walkway - it's going to be paved somehow by next winter, either with flagstone or concrete or something.

Plans for the rest of the year include 1) finishing the end of the year promo for the biz 2) getting all tax stuff in order 3) using up my Rec Center pass 4) reading "State of Fear" by M Crichton 5) reading 2 books about edible gardening 6) working on the house-painting project if the air warms up 7)continuing to dekludge.

Holiday plans include: The Boulder Piano Quartet at the Library; Ars Nova, also at the Library (ok, it's free); finding a Wii for Sweetie; getting Honey's Ipod; party at the Mission; and our annual Christmas Eve Chinese Feast and Christmas Day at Eldora.

The lights and tree are up since I followed my neighbor's lead and started the day after Thanksgiving. It sure is a lot easier when not much is done.

2 more weeks to go till the Earth starts tilting back to normal.

Yeah, we got some snow. The pile on the barbeque is about a third higher than this and it's still coming down. I'm fine with winter if there is some snow.

We went to see "For Your Consideration" yesterday at the Landmark theater. Pretty good with some really good laugh-out-loud parts to it ( loved the Entertainment Tonight spoofers). It was a rare outing with all the pack, minus the dogs. I found out that the Landmark got a 3-month extension to their lease before Barnes and Noble moves in to renovate before Whole Foods moves into their space.

Ok, back to work with a trip to Lafayette that allowed me to see the snow-capped mountains on the way back into town. This is a relief since there hasn't been any moisture for a while and it's been warmish. Dillon Reservoir was full on Tuesday when we drove past, but there just wasn't much snow before or after Vail Pass.

Gardening is all over for the year but I've been collecting leaves for composting. Leaf mold is something that I took for granted, growing up in the South, something I have to assist in causing here in this dry state. Attention has moved to the house painting project which I imagine will take us several months with the changing weather and all.


I stopped by Pier One and picked up a tree. It's not quite the aluminum tree with colored lights that Mama had, but it's my first aluminum tree.

Sugar and I are home again just in time for Thanksgiving with Honey and Sweetie.

We took a 10 day trip to LA: drove the southern route through NM and AZ to avoid a snow storm in the mountains. That route is much better on the train for me, though I did enjoy the leg from Flagstaff into Hollywood. This trip was short but intense in terms of moving leaps and bounds toward where I want to go. I could spend half my time in East Hollywood at ASHO, but going back and forth is really a pleasure. We drove back via NV and UT and UT was spectacular. It wasn't too long ago that I thought it was all just brown dirt. Was I ever wrong.

Roxie and Hansel were thrilled to see us when we got back and I was thrilled to see how clean the house was and how well my sons handled everything while were were gone. We celebrated Thanksgiving at the Hotel Boulderado big buffet which was very nice for all. Honey went on to work the T'giving feast at his resturant, the rest of us strolled the Pearl Street Mall for a bit. Then we came back home for sleeping (for the guys) and struggling with the new Blogger Beta version for a blog for the Scientology Mission in Boulder. A little Broncos/Chief football, some "Grey's Anatomy" and now Hansel is saying it's time for some lap time.

Nice to be home

I found this on Yahoo photos.

This time I voted, early again, but I really wasn't into it. I'm the kind of voter who votes for the individual issue or candidate so I'm not sure if I make that much difference. Some Dems, some Republicans, a couple of Libs. I pretty much voted against any amendments in an effort to keep the Constitution de-kludged. Term Limits for Judges - yes. No more money to the school districts (though it was hard to decipher those questions). I was going to vote for Ritter but at the last minute decided Beauprez, just to keep a balance between party control the State Legislature and the Executive Branch. I don't really see a lot of difference in the candidates and I'm fine with Ritter winning.
On the federal level, I'm looking forward to seeing how the Dems tidy up now that they have power.

We went to see Savion Glover at Macky Auditorium in "Classical Savion". WoW! I had seen "Bring in Da Noise" on tour but without him. This was tap improv with Classical music - Vivaldi, Bach, Bartok, Mendehlsohn and then an extended jazz jam at the end. I was enthralled!

Almost as fascinating was watching his light blue shirt slowly turn dark blue with all the sweat.

The clarinet player in the background is Patience Higgins. I have to go find out about him now.

A dusting of snow on the mountains and a flock of big fat geese flying over me from one field to the other. That's what Boulder has to offer.

It's already time to go home. Made a lot of progress this time with Ellen here. Coming back in a month or so. I've pretty much decided that going back and forth is the path we are going to follow for the next few years. I look around and try to image the puppers living here with all the sirens and helicopters and speeding cars. I can't take it any further than that. And now I've been thinking hard about another Wheatie spotted on Petfinder.com. Sugar says no, not now. He and the pups make good anchors.

Lots to be said for Boulder: It's clean and there are smart people living there. Stunning scenery to see everyday. Manageable sized town, great and lovely open space trails. Known and favorite places to shop. Love the business and how far it's come. I know it like the back of my hand.

Lots to be said for this area in Hollywood: Great plants producing all year long. Wonderful mountain views when the skies are clear. An ocean that isn't too far away. Lots of exploring still to do (this time we found the Silver Lake area) like the Getty Museum and park trails, and all sorts of food to find and try. And of course, thousands of Scientologists to get to know.

Ok, well, pack up and take the Metro to the train. Home tomorrow.

I was surprised at how quickly the train ride went by, especially since it was 2 hours late (mudslide in Pennsylvania). 2 hours sitting in that rundown little old station in Raton wasn't so bad since I had knitting and a New Yorker magazine. There were plenty of other passengers waiting this time, too. I forgot to mention the ride to Raton - a brilliant fall day, blue-blue sky, snow covered mountain peaks (not just a dusting), bright yellow and purple flowers all the way down.

I did run into a couple in the dining car who spent time at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival last summer and brought back memories of my summer spent there after high school. I'll have to explore that memory sometime .

But now I'm here, getting settled before getting back on my course tomorrow. I set out for a late afternoon walk up Edgemont to Franklin then over to the shopping district. A tree loaded with ripening pomegranates appeared to my left, then a budding gardenia beckoned, after that, roses that were as tall as me - then a persimmon tree and lots of lime trees, all bearing fruit. In and among all these plants that I recognized were ones I've never seen before and they all kept ushering me further along until I had quite a nice walk under my belt. I turned back down Los Feliz and stopped in at Jon's for some sandwich makings then headed home.

I love LA, especially this neighborhood I've adopted as a second home for a while.

I'm wondering if it's worth fussing over. Since Honey moved back home, he has been really, really good about letting us know about when he'll be home or if he's coming home at night. Last night, he didn't bother calling but did show up in time for work. Tonight, he hasn't called and I happen to be awake anyway since I'm leaving for CA tomorrow/today. We are all agreed that he is an adult and doesn't have to report. But it is one simple common courtesy that I made a point of asking for. Now I have to decide how big this issue is for me. Big enough to ask him to find somewhere else to live?

I was on Skype with my friend Pui when she said her aunt had called to say there was a revolution going on in Bangkok. I can't imagine! Tanks in the same town, surrounding the capitol building and the army taking over the government. She is ok now, back at home a couple of hours away from Bangkok. Such a small world now, isn't it?

Getting ready for another trip to LA. I've made it enough times that it's no big deal now. The worst is getting up at 4:30 in the morning to catch the Amtrak bus in Denver for the ride to Raton. The rest is gravy. I really enjoy the long stretches through the SW and waking up in the 2am to see the moon in the middle of blackness. I really hope someone is able to keep long distance train travel operational out here in the West. Sleeper out, coach back. This time we are going to zip down to Hermosa Beach for a few hours. Just love that ocean...

Yesterday, working the pre-game at CU, the wind was everywhere! I completely forget about those 40 mile/hr gusts that whip up on clear, sunny fall days. I also forget about those golden globes of leaves and how vivid fall flowers are. Ok, I'm resigned to fall's arrival.

When Sweetie bought himself a fancy new laptop, we got our little toy-like iBook back. It was a tiny one that doesn't have much room or speed to do anything. I've been wanting to take a lap top to LA when I go, so Honey went with me to the Mac Shack and we picked up a newer, speedier one that was set up for wireless. It would have been $250 to upgrade the other one and we got $125 credit for the old one so the $700 cost really was 1/2 that. I've only used it to be online during "Law and Order" up in the TV cave, but it's still pretty fun.

Speaking of "Law and Order", WHERE HAVE I BEEN?? I'm addicted to the 'Criminal Intent' version and lucky me: re-runs play on USA, TBS and Bravo as well as the ones on NBC. What with "Boston Legal" and "L & O", my Tuesday nights are pretty well sewed up for the winter.

Anyway, it's close to 7pm and the sun is going down a full hour later than it did the last time I noticed. I'll end with some pics of my lovely 4 o'clocks and my lovely lovies against a Saturday Sky:

Saturday sky a little late. You can see it started out grey and drizzly.

I never knew that I would love someone whose nipples were pierced but now I do. Honey came back for his ID last night and this morning, I found a brochure about piercing on the kitchen counter. The eyebrow and lip just weren't enough. In a gentle effort to discourage further piercings, I lovingly call it 'self-mutilation' when I ask about them. Now when Sugar comes home, I say things like, "Ask Honey to show you his nipples." Life is always offering us new directions, isn't it?

Yep, the yellow haze turns out to be from the 56(!) wildfires in the west. So glad that Colorado hasn't suffered from fires this year. It looks like morning in Dixie except it's yellow. There was a gorgeous orange moon last night against a navy blue twilight sky.

Walking the dogs at night now means dusk and cool air. Today the sun's rays were yellowish like they are when a fire is nearby. Yesterday, a sight I'm unaccustomed to appeared: dew on the car. Mabon is right around the corner.

I found the word petrichor a while back and enjoy having a name for it to go along with the experience. Where is a word for the smell of clothes that have dried outside on a clothes line? During the summer, everything goes outside to dry and the scent is so delicious. It's so fresh and pure and promising and suggestive of LIFE!

Sometime I want to write about this change of life having to deal with adult children. Honey is really giving me a straight up lesson in dealing with this new role. I want to come to comfortable conclusions about the situation and he keeps presenting new challenges. He is calling into play all these people tools that I've been accumulating over the years and seeing if I really understand how to work with them.

This little girl is so beautiful.

I worked the CU game on Saturday so missed the Saturday Sky post. It's enough to say that it was grey and dreary until the game was over then it was hazy blue and white.

This summer has been a ride. June in LA seems like last year. July was so friggin' hot and we worked on so many projects and Honey was gone and not in touch and Sugar was out working most of the time. The crews have changed and new people are here but the feel of the business has changed from the inside out. From the vantage point of mid-summer, autumn usually looks like an ending to me but in reality, so much starts when the sun slants back South.

Now Honey is back home for a while,telling us about his life and planning to go to LA with me later; Sweetie is back in school and sounds great; Sugar is continuing to enjoy life and is also going to meet me in LA later this month.

I finished "Stategery". Now I'm working on "Ender's Shadow" again, knitting some scarves, found a meat market to replace the blend for the dogs that the Raw Food lady used to provide, starting "House" tonight, painting our bedroom, working the games, finished the garden planting for the year, still doing cards. Really looking forward to being back in East Hollywood though I hope the heat wave disappears by then.

A rare early morning rain

Auditioning for the Saturday Skies blog ring...

Denver Botanical Garden
Sweetie's feet on foot massage path.

Denver Botanical Garden
River Birch

Denver Botanical Garden

Lace Bark Pine