Connie in Ouray

 We walked up Veenstra's trail this morning to check out conditions.  We made it to the Y, up to the overlook, down to the mine, and were blocked from going up.  There's still a lot of snow, but we didn't see any bear tracks. At the Y We went down to the mine, some parts pretty muddy, some parts snowpacked, still no bear tracks.  I was kind of obsessed with bears because we'd forgotten the bear horn. We then walked down to Barb and Steve's (3) to check their road.  It was mostly clear, a few inches of new snow in the shady areas.  And a few other miscellaneous photos (no more Jayhawk pictures): Incoming afternoon storm Spring at 8600 feet in the San Juans Old pod removed New shower installed

I woke up to three inches of snow this morning.  I am grateful it wasn't a wildfire as there were dozens around the state yesterday. On the way home from town, the sun peaked out.  

 Here are the promised photos of the vole invasion between JP's and Aaron and Marchelle's.  It's pretty intense: And here are before and after photos of our bathroom renovation.  I am so in love with it, and Mike likes that he can finally dry off while he's still in the shower: And finally, photo of the pond melting, melting ( Wizard of Oz reference ), still lots of fish swimming around:

 My mom was the grammar captain of our house, but every spring she would recite this poem:                     Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, I wonder where the flowers is. I wince just typing it. I found out yesterday that Ross, Catherine, and James, JP's renters (20) are moving to Tennessee next week.  Their lease is up, and rentals in Montrose were so ridiculous that they decided to move back to Catherine's home state, where they can buy a small farm for what they would pay for a Montrose house.  I am sad.  They have been such super neighbors these past five months.  James, who is not quite four, told me that he thinks his mom is having twins.  She just kept shaking her head, but he feels pretty strongly about it. MFL appears to have been invaded with voles, both down at the VRBO and in the area between JP's and Aaron and Michelle's.  I'll take pictures tomorrow and post here.  I have this image in my head of Bill Murray from Caddyshack  trying to blow up

 The big melt is on with temperatures in the 50s and lows hovering around freezing here on MFL.  I heard on the news yesterday that there is big concern that the snowmelt is happenng too fast to help our drought conditions.  Considering the wildfires already breaking out in Colorado, Fort Lyons and Glenwood Canyon being only two examples, it is worrying. Our bathroom renovation is nearly complete, just the last little tweaks left.  Mike and I painted and stained yesterday and today, and I'm reminded that I am the world's most sloppy painter.  One would think after painting every room in my 3400 square foot house in Colorado Springs I'd have mastered the technique, but no, still a slob.   I have to have my special jeans so I only ruin one pair I'm fascinated by the small town machinations of Ouray.  For instance, during this slow mud season, Ouray Brewery will close for a week but Red Mountain Brewing will be open...and vice versa.  I assume there's some coordination

 

 winter storm warning from 6:00 tonight until noon on Wednesday.  Forecast is for snow, gusty winds - up to 60 mps.  Yikes. I have been busy with my friend Karon, who loves the mountains almost as much as I do.  She unfortunately lives in Topeka, Kansas - not so much in the way of mountains.  We are still celebrating the Jayhawks national championship, but tripping all over southwest Colorado looking for the optimal photographs. Mirabella, me, and Karon at Top of the Pines Pine Grosbeak (?) in our pine tree The canyon on the Silverton side of Red Mountain Pass I need to explore...once I can find the road again Dempsey and Mirabella frolicking in the pond at Top of the Pines

 I never expected to be in Lawrence, Kansas, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, when they were playing for the NCAA championship, but there I was, and it was a helluva game.  Rock chalk!  I brought my friend Karon back with me, and we drove through horrific wind from central Kansas through to Central City, CO.  That was madness. I was only gone six days, and it's really changed here in Ouray.  The Ice Park is closed for the season, and according to an article I saw online, it was a record year, both in terms of number of days and number of visitors.  I don't know if number of visitors means actual climbers, but the number is 24,000.  Fantastic economic news for Ouray. MFL is completely clear now.  It's walkable!  The water in the pond is down about a foot and a half, which I don't remember from last spring.  Maybe it was, and I just wasn't paying attention.  Mike was walking on the dam road and saw a fish swimming around.  I can't wait to see my first wildflowers, but