Spring in the Mountains of Colorado

dawn after overnight snow

We live at 10,000' (3,048M) above sea level in the mountains of Colorado. Spring doesn't announce itself with blooming trees and flowers. Instead, snow comes and goes through May. Temperatures rise and fall, melting and refreezing snow already on the ground. 

When we get fresh snow, we go into the forest on our skis as soon as we awake. Bob breaks trail, and I glide behind him. Our skis barely whisper through the soft powder. The ancient trees murmur in the breeze.

We enter an enveloping silence.

 

Beauty surrounds us.

The large male fox, returning from a night of hunting, often visits in the early morning. 

Unlike the tiny female, he never gets too close to the house. He's curious but remains very alert. I haven't seen the female in awhile, so maybe she's waiting to give birth in the den. A few days ago, the male trotted through the snow carrying a vole in his mouth. Perhaps he was going to deliver breakfast to his mate. 

There is sunshine today, but snow is forecasted for tonight. Our son, Gregg, will arrive soon for an overnight visit. (He's pictured in my Header photo.) He's not been able to stay with us for over a year. We plan a celebratory dinner. Thankfully, we received the second vaccine two weeks ago. Though we remain cautious, we hope to have family visit us occasionally.

The beauty of our surroundings and the love of family are my good things today.

I hope you're also experiencing many good things.

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We Hope for Snow

 

Our melt/freeze cycle will soon end.

Colder temperatures may bring some much-needed snow.

Waldo is happy no matter the weather.

He's lived on our tree for about 16 years.

I greet him every morning with a smile.

He always smiles back at me.

Do you see the cockatoo head on the stump?

It seems too cold for such a tropical bird!

It will disappear to warmer climes if temperatures plunge.

The dirt road is a morass of mud.

I'm hoping the approaching snow storm will make it walkable again.

We downhill skied on the mountain yesterday.

It was our first time using our pass this season.

It's a different experience during Covid.

We smile remembering our beginner ski lessons.

We did a lot of falling at first.

Luckily, we persevered. 

I'm happy that we can still link turns.

This season is our 50th year on skis.

I hope more snow is in our future.

We like to play in it.

Mind and Body - Not Always in Sync

We're having spring-like weather at high altitude.

Temps are just 10 degrees above freezing, but the sun is warm.

I've been walking all week with no gloves.

My jacket is tied around my waist.

Yesterday, I started walking and immediately felt tired.

Reaching the first big hill, I considered turning around. 

I hadn't even gone a mile.

I started making excuses:

exhaustion, slippery surfaces, aches

old, old, old

little tree among big trees

I know from experience that the mind doesn't always cooperate.

The body feels even worse with the mind's complaints.

I decided not to listen to it.

I forged onward.

Slowly....

small tree casting shadow

Today, I had a change of attitude.

I smiled at the blue, blue sky.

The sun warmed my face.

The air felt refreshing.

My mind remained peaceful.

My body responded in kind.

Exercise is important to me.

My body is old but accustomed to movement.

The mind is old, too, and doesn't always act in my best interests.

I'm very lucky.

I have no debilitating illness - no chronic pain.

My aches often disappear with movement.

In a couple months I'll be 77.

I'm grateful for my body's ability to move.

I'm thankful for the natural beauty that beckons to me.

I need to keep moving even when my mind would rather take a break.

I hope you'll keep moving, too, in any way that you're able.

Sometimes mindfulness requires ignoring the mind!