And It Snowed

“Look at those big, beautiful snowflakes!” I arrived in Colorado exactly three hours before the official start of Spring. And, it snowed. As I pulled my loaded car up to the curb, exhausted from the 10-hour trip with ancient kitty and my Pyrenees-mix and the remainder of my things, it snowed. I think I was still wearing a tank top and flip flops, because it was much warmer when I left my former home. Here I was, starting a new life in Colorado – which boasts of 300 days of sunshine per year – and it snowed.

In April, we were getting ready to go look at what would become our new home together, and it snowed. Six inches of the fluffy white stuff covered everything by morning. I offered to go start the car so that it could defrost and be easier to scrape the windows. My Sweetpea suggested that I just dust the car off with the broom he kept by the garage. What?!? It doesn't work that way where I come from. Sure enough, the dry snow fell off the car with no effort at all. “This is awesome! I've never seen snow like this before!!!”

May 12, 2014 - that's right - MAY

It was Mother's Day weekend, and it snowed. Not in the mountains. Right in town. Noticeable snow. Accumulating snow. We actually considered loading the kayaks and hitting the lake while the giant flakes fell. Problem was, it wasn't just falling, it was blowing sideways. Scratch that plan. I'm hibernating. When will summer get here?

September it started again. Briefly. Just a light dusting – but geez, it was only September! October made the record books with no snowfall in town. It actually held off until mid-November. A measurable amount of snow hit the Denver area the week before Thanksgiving. I'm a little bit weird and actually LIKE to shovel snow. I didn't have to go anywhere or drive in it, so it was kind of fun. I can do this whole winter thing.

A few flakes escaped throughout Christmas morning. By mid-afternoon, the predicted dump of snow was falling. We are west of town, close to the mountains, and ended up with around 10 inches of the white stuff by the time it quit. A few days later, we got another four inches. Did I mention that our driveway is steep enough to kill a sledder? And, is in the shade? My new ICEtrekkers came in the mail just in time. Without them, I couldn't get up the driveway. And it snowed, again. I don't love shoveling as much as I thought I did.

Until last March, I had lived almost my entire life where summers are in the triple digits for triple-digit number of days and winter might not bring any snow at all – but there were the deadly ice storms. All the Coloradans would just laugh if you mentioned that you could never live in Colorado because of all the snow. “It melts the next day,” they said. “You'll be in a t-shirt even before it melts.” Snowy Colorado is just an anti-tourism ploy to keep the masses away and keep the breathtaking scenery to the natives. Those bastards can come shovel our driveway.

Then, we went ice-skating. On a real, frozen lake. In the middle of postcard-perfect mountains. An eight-acre section of Evergreen Lake is dedicated to ice skating and stays frozen solid through at least March. Solid enough to drive a Zamboni on it.

Then, we went for a snowy hike, or three. I saw waterfalls half-frozen under a brilliant, blue sky. I saw trees laden with snow so thick they looked like white palm trees. I trudged through foot-deep snow to scenic overlooks. I witnessed the magic of the dry snow sparkling in the sun as gentle breezes shake the branches.

I hiked in my Xtratuf Alaska boots with my new ICEtrekkers...and a tank top.  And a grin brighter than the snow in sunshine.

And then, there were snow-garitas. Snow ice cream was a rare treat when I was a kid. Snow-garitas are dangerously available, especially since our porch is in the shade. Let the other side of the street get the melting rays of sun. We will sip our snow-garitas and warm our bellies with home-cooking.

And it snowed, again. I learned the two-shovel method of clearing the driveway from watching the neighbor. I love shoveling snow again. And, I am loving the Colorado winter.

Ask me again next month...