Connie in Ouray

 ...but we have our very first winter weather advisory starting at 3 p.m. until tomorrow morning.  Granted, it's for snow above 9,000 feet, but our house sits at 8,600 feet, so maybe, just maybe.  I'm still feeding hungry fish, but the pond has been icing over in the shady spots overnight.  There are chances of snow a few nights next week, so fingers crossed. I was away last week to Las Vegas, where my sister and brother-in-law live.  Ken bowls professionally on the senior circuit, and there was a huge tournament there.  He did horribly but claims to have learned a lot.  He placed third in this same tournament last year, so expectations were high.  Notwithstanding that, I had so much fun. 60 lanes, three bowlers per lane, 80 entrants Sad news in the neighborhood, Alex and Dustin (15) have moved on.  Mike and I will miss them so much as they were fabulous neighbors.  Additionally, Dempsey is sad that Frankie the black lab is gone also....

 I looked back at my other blog last night, because I was pretty sure this time last year, I was snowshoeing.  November 9, 2024, we had 15.5 inches of snow, and I was out on my snowshoes.  I remember that so clearly, because I was only two months out from foot surgery, and my surgeon had predicted maybe I'd be able to fit in my boots by Jan. 1.  The benefit of a brilliant surgeon and an uber-compliant patient is beating the averages.   All that said, there is no snow in sight for us.  We have rain in the forecast mid-month, and maybe since we're 900 feet higher than Ouray, we might get some.  Still, yikes!  These are definitely scary times. The ice farmers have started working, and when I went to town this afternoon, I saw the water sprayers on and going into the canyon.  Hope springs eternal? Mike and Aaron have been working diligently on the pond leaking issue.  The pond has gotten low enough that they could kind of see where our ...

 We are in another LaNina year, and we have no snow in the forecast for the next few weeks, unless something drastic happens, like a Pacific hurricane.  It's grim.   Mike just removed a tree that had fallen on Veenstras' trail.   By the way, Ouray Trail Group reported to the National Forest Service that for the 2025 trail work season, which this year was mid-April through just about now, over 900 trees that were blocking or impeding trails in Ouray County were removed.  That is not a typo, over 900.  Yay OTG! The pond is really low, and it's helping with diagnosing where the leak is coming from.  It's appearing to be located higher than first thought.  I've started feeding the fish, and I'm going to twice a day because they now don't have bugs to supplement their diet.   In the meantime, the Via Ferrata officially closes after tomorrow, and I assume the ice farmers would like to get started.  It's cold enough at night but ...

 We are back from Ireland - fun trip - and working through jet lag.  About the time I'm on mountain time, daily savings time will kick in, and I'll be a mess again for a week.   Looking at the forecast for the next ten days, there is not a drop of moisture to be seen.  In the past four years I've kept a record of measurable snowfall, the latest has been October 30, last year.  I hope this isn't an omen of what's to come.  There is snow higher up, and you might have seen the story of the Florida man who drove his Jeep up Engineer Pass last week and got stuck in two feet of snow.   Some pictures from a hike in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland: An "Irish Mile" is an old unit of measurement, 1.27 miles per standard mile.

 We have received a lot of rain in the past few days to week but not nearly as much as Bayfield/Durango/Pagosa Springs.  They have been inundated and evacuated and overwhelmed.  All of this is caused by Hurricane Pricilla in the Pacific Ocean. Steve, Barb, Mike, and I took one last hike before the leaves all fell, going out Sunday afternoon during a break in storms.  Mike and Steve took care of a tree that was partially blocking Sutton Mine Trail before the drainages.  We are so lucky to live here. Abram Dempsey and Teddy

 There is rain in the forecast the next six days, flood watch Thursday 6 p.m. through Saturday 6 p.m.  The aspens have been late but glorious, but I think we're coming to an end with this forecast. trail to the mine our very own aspen forest on Sutton Mine Trail looking south Uncompaghre Riverwalk, Sneffels on the left