The "Blizzard of 2015"

HI!
The second snowfall of the season was dubbed "The Blizzard of 2015." The news was predicting anywhere from 8" to 16" of snowfall in our area and more in the areas to the East of Denver in the open plains.

Here's a pic of the South deck during the snowfall with about 10" on the table and more still falling. It snowed softly until about noon and finished with around 14" total.

The areas to the East of Denver in the open plains got hit the hardest. Snowfall continued into the evening and, in places, the totals were near 2 feet.

But that wasn't their biggest issue. The winds kicked up and topped out at over 100 miles per hour gusts with sustained winds in the 60 to 80 mph range. I heard on the news that these sustained winds qualified as Cat 1 or Cat 2 hurricane force.

At one point, I-70 was closed down as several over-the-road trucks fell over in the wind and blocked up the freeway; at one point, 100 cars were stranded. Wouldn't you know it, the day of The Blizzard of 2015, Deb had a scheduled 7:00AM flight from Denver to Chicago for a knee checkup. That means we have to get up at 4:00AM to be at the airport by 5:00AM when the snowplows don't hit the road until 6:00AM to make things right for the morning commute. What normally is a 1 hour trip turns into 2+ hours on the road at 40 miles per hour in snow 10" deep. Thankful for good tires, full gas tank and 4-wheel drive!

As is usual here, after the storm the clouds disappeared, the sun came out and it warmed up (slightly). When the sun appears, the snow disappears .... but only on South facing surfaces. Our driveway faces South. I watched my neighbor using his snow blower to clear his driveway, manhandling the thrower around for about an hour. The other neighbor is low tech, using a snow shovel to clear his driveway. After about two hours, he had the snow piled where he wanted it.

Last year I too chose a low tech solution to snow removal and, using a shovel, moved the snow when it approached 3" deep. Clearing my driveway takes nearly two hours. Had to do that a couple of times when the storms dumped over 10". This year I went high-tech and used solar power to clear the driveway. Lots easier on me, but somewhat slower, the sunshine taking close to two days to melt all the snow away!

Here's what makes the snow worth having around. At sunset this evening, around 4 PM, the air was crisp and clean, the clouds pink with the setting sun, the deer were resting in the back yard, and winds were calm.

We went up on the top deck this afternoon and cleared a little snow, but mostly sat and warmed ourselves, looking out over the snowy landscape. Really nice to get a sunburn in the Winter!

First Snow of Winter

HI!

One of the things I'm slowly getting used to is Winter. Last year we moved into the house on Deb's birthday - November 17th and missed the run-up to the snow and cold. 

Deb says we were lucky to get a South facing driveway - I say skill. A South facing driveway means that the snow comes and soon after, the skies clear and the bright sun begins to melt it. Usually it's gone in a couple of hours and there's no need to shovel.

Not true in the North facing back yard. The snow comes, and because of the design of the courtyard, the swirling winds build drifts against the walls and the snow can get up to a few feet deep. No sun means no melting back there, and like Rochester New York, where daughter Kelli lives, the snow comes and stays around seemingly forever.

There's another lesson that the cold here is teaching us - the lessons of preparing for Winter. We completed the landscaping in late July, and (grrrrr) have a sprinkler system that needs to be drained. I have to find my snow shovel cause sooner or later I'll have to do some shoveling. A few years ago there was enough snowfall in Roxborough Park to strand people in their houses for a couple of days. Last year was the salt lesson. At the local grocery, one can buy bags of salt to sprinkler on the ice to melt it. Trouble is , the salt also ruins the finish of the sandstone deck and the concrete driveway; no more salt this year.

So, the succulents of Summer have been safely tucked away, we have anti-freeze car windshield washer fluid reservoirs filled, the hoses are off the spigots, the freezable water lines have been drained and we're getting ready for Thanksgiving.

All-in-all, I'm looking forward to learning some new (hopefully inexpensive) lessons this year. If El Nino comes true and we get dumped on, we'll get into snowshoeing big time. Watertown Canyon is the perfect place to learn. And, seems like I heard there are a few ski areas around; maybe it's time to find out if that sport is still available to me.

We are well; hope you are too.

Cheers!

Normandy Area of France

HI!

One of the things we like to do is sit in the sun at an outdoor cafe, sipping a drink, and watching the people go by. Deb's enjoying the sun in Bayeux, France, a small town west of Caen.

When we got to Caen, France on the Normandy Coast (not Cannes, France) we were about 10 days into the trip and we wanted to explore the D-Day monuments and the American Cemetery. 

My Dad's brother, Uncle Bob, was an Army Ranger Assault Group member. He and his comrades scaled the 100 meter cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc to disable the German gun batteries overlooking both Utah and Omaha beaches. 

We did tour the battlements overlooking the D-Day beaches and the Overlord Museum, but were disappointed to learn that the American Cemetery was closed due to a downed electrical transformer.
















We did get a chance to use the French Laundry in Bayeux ....... quite a challenge to read the instructions without really knowing French. Deb worked it all out and got the clothes washed and dried about the time two women from the US came in to try their luck. With Deb's translation services, they sailed right through their tasks. 

Love Locks

HI!

We're in Paris, and we've taking the pedestrian bridge, Pont des Arts, from Quai Voltaire where our apartment is located to the other side of the River Seine and the entrance to the Louvre. We noticed a whole side of the bridge covered from the top of the railing to the treads of the bridge covered by "love locks."

This isn't the first time we've seen these locks; we saw them in Salzburg on one of the foot bridges over the River Salzach.














While in Paris, we met a nice young American couple who stopped us and asked us to take their picture; they had just gotten married and were on the bridge to cement their live together by attaching a love lock and throwing the key into the River Seine.

Nice tradition!

At least from the lovers' view point. The City officials all over Europe have a different view. From Wikipedia .......

A love lock or love padlock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love. Typically the sweethearts' names or initials are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away to symbolize unbreakable love.

In May 2010 the city of Paris expressed concern over the growing number of love-locks on the .. bridges, stating: "they raise problems for the preservation of our architectural heritage".

In Florence, Italy, 5,500 love padlocks affixed to the Ponte Vecchio bridge were removed by the city council ... because they both pose an aesthetic problem as well as scratch and dent the metal of the bridge.

In Dublin, Ireland, padlocks on the Ha'penny Bridge, River Liffey were taken down by Dublin City Council in early 2012. The padlocks could damage the protected structure .... The padlocks have been criticised for being an eyesore on public structures. They can also cause further damage when they have to be removed ...

In Las Vegas, a 1/2 scale model of the Eiffel Tower located at the Paris Hotel the famed Vegas Strip has inspired visitors to place lovers' locks on the walkway out to the elevators to the top of the tower. Visitors are told not to throw the key from the tower and locks sold in the lobby are opened and provided for a fee without a key to prevent this practice.

It looks to me like Love Locks will live on and prosper. So far, no city has banned the sale of Love Locks in stores throughout the city and if they did, lovers would just bring their own. Stay tuned for a list of bridges that fall down due to the weight of the locks!

Cheers!

Sham Castle, Bath, Somerset, England

HI!

Sitting having a quiet lunch at the Cowshead Restaurant in Bath, England and I look out across the valley to a hill on the other side of the river Avon and spy a castle on the hill top (look just to the right of the top of the umbrella in the picture on the left). I asked the waiter the name of the castle, and he says "It's the Sham Castle." Being busy with other patrons, he moves away without explaining the history of the Sham Castle.

I learned one thing on this trip to Europe that I intend to continue now that we're back in the USA - there are an layers upon layers of information that we'd miss if we didn't use a tool like the internet to peek at each layer. The peeks yields a wealth of new knowledge and an understanding of people and their circumstances that one would miss using only guide books and listening to conversations.

So, being inquisitive, I check the internet, and find that it's not the "Sham Castle" - a proper name, but a noun, sham castle.

This "castle" is merely a screen wall with a central pointed arch flanked by two 3-storey turrets, which extend sideways to a 2-story square tower at each end of the wall. The castle was probably designed around 1755 and built in 1762 for Ralph Allen "to improve the prospect" (view) from Allen's townhouse in Bath. 

The Sham Castle is a fake. Officially, the English use the term "folly" to describe a structure that was built in the 18th century to mimic a Medieval structure. It's smaller in scope, but appears to be the real thing from a distance. It seems that 18th and 19th Europeans, who had a lot of money, were so obsessed with castles they hired someone to build a fake one in their own backyards!

Europe!

We're deep into planning for our trip to Europe so maybe it's time to share the itinerary ......

The cities we'll visit include

Salzburg, Austria
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bruges, Belgium
Caen, France
LeMans, France
St. Cyprien and Sarlat-en-Caneda, Dordogne, France
Paris, France
Bath, England
Cork, Ireland
Kinsale, Ireland
Kenmare, Ireland
Dingle, Ireland,
Doolin, Ireland
Bunratty, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland

I know ...... Sounds like a whirlwind tour, and maybe it is! When we went Europe on our honeymoon, we spent 21 days touring Italy, France, Switzerland and did a lot of driving, staying in some very small towns like Sisteron and Colmar, France.

This time we'll be more "city visitors," going to name places like Paris. The whole trip is 5 weeks, so we'll have at the least, a couple of days in each city with longer stays in Paris and Dublin.

So, if you've experienced Europe and want to contribute your favorite places to go, things to see, places to eat or helpful hints and advice, we'd appreciate it!

Cheers!

Phil

Plant / Herb Rack is Done

Deb wanted a new rack on the South facing deck so that her cacti, succulents, and herbs would have their "place in the sun."

I made one out of some old, weathered fence wood salvaged from a friend. It has three levels and removable racks - very convenient!

I finished the trays and Deb bought her herbs and filled the trays

Trouble is ...... one of those April snow showers in Colorado. We brought the trays of cacti and succulents into the house .....

and found a place for the herbs under the glass topped table. 

That was then and this is now! Spring looks to be here although there's been enough rain to fill all the California reservoirs over the last few weeks. Looks like the rains will continue on and off for a while yet. Year to date, this year's precipitation in the South Platte drainage area is 129% of normal ... whew!

We started planting areas around the home, and will have the pros in soon (as the ground firms up) to plant some large trees and bushes. Nothing makes moving into a house feel real more than plantings.

Now off to put in sprinkler systems for the plantings so they won't dry up and blow away when the rains stop!

Welcome to Colorado.

Cheers!

It’s Spring--- Wake Up the Bears!

HI!

Here's a quote from our Roxborough Park newsletter, the Echoes.


According to a Native American legend, sleeping bears begin to stir when they hear spring’s first sharp crack of thunder. Roxborough’s bears always need additional encouragement after their long winter’s nap. At 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, children and adults will join together to bang pans, blow whistles and break up the sleeping bears’ camp in Haney Park. Grumpy bears and happy fairgoers will then parade through the park filled with booths bursting with art and crafts.

But you have to wonder. June 13th seems like middle of Summer to me, and I'd expect the bears to be awake and walking around long before then. Checking it out, CO Department of Wildlife says that hibernation for bears runs from mid-November to March .......

So that's why we see these signs at the entrance to Roxborough Park!

Yeah, Right!

and

Cheers!

Weathering New Wood

HI!

I'm building Deb a rack for our South facing deck to hold herbs, cactus and succulents. Had to do this because you can't grow anything in the ground around here - because of the critters! Deer seem to eat everything up to 6' - as far as they can reach - and aren't particular about their diets. There may be a few things the deer won't eat, but no one seems to know what they are.

Anyway, here's a pic of the mostly completed rack without the removable trays. The wood is naturally weathered - it's reclaimed wood from our friends replaced fence. Only problem is, when the wood is ripped or crosscut, it's "new" wood again and doesn't have the distinct blue-gray patina that this naturally weathered wood has. It's not such a big problem for the rack - there's not so much new wood area showing. But, on the removable rack, most of the bottom strips are new wood on both sides and will show. So, I had to have a way of "weathering" or "aging the wood" quickly.

Here's a "before" pic of the removable tray that will be on the second level. As you can see, most of the strips cut for the bottom of the tray are a different color from the seven strips that show the naturally weathered surface. There's the rub; can't leave it that way or it will stick out like a sore thumb. In fact, it's the first thing Deb noticed when I sent her the pics!

Thanks you internet! I googled (I believe 'google' is commonly used as a verb now) "chemically weathering wood" to see if there was a fast, easy home made way to weather wood to the blue-gray patina. Turns out that there is.

Here's a pic of the final results. The naturally weathered strips that showed up so well in the first pic are no longer readily visible. I succeeded in duplicating the look of the naturally weather strips!




The method is this:

• In a container (plastic is preferable), place a steel wool pad that has been pulled apart. 
• Add vinegar (I used distilled white vinegar) to the container with the steel wool. The amount doesn't seem to be important. I put in about 2 cups.
• Let the mix sit for 24 hours or so. I haven't experimented yet about whether or not more stew time will darken the final product. I suspect it will, but only up to the point where the steel wool is completely dissolved. 
• Apply the mixture to the "new wood" with a brush. Nothing will happen immediately. 
• Allow the application to dry. As the mixture dries, it reacts with tannins in the wood creating a chemical patina. 
• I didn't need a second application, so I don't know whether or not a second coat will darken the patina. I may try that and report about it later. Isn't chemistry wonderful!!

There are a few cautions that you MUST pay attention to if you are going to try this method:

1. Always wear gloves and eye protection!! Vinegar is acidic and can harm your hands and eyes. 
2. Use a container with a lid, but DO NOT secure the lid!! The mixture generates gases as the steel wool dissolves and a closed, secure lid could be blown off the container, splattering nasty stuff all over everywhere. You DO NOT want this to happen!

If you try something like this, drop me a line and tell me what you did and how it worked. As far as I can tell, there are many different chemicals that can be added to the brew to generate patina washes from red to brown to gray.

Cheers!

Winter Time Around Our House

HI!

Winter time ..... for the first time ..... around our house. We are inside a good portion of the day; it's usually cold, and maybe there's some snow. But always the views are spectacular!

We learned to make Lemon Drops, but I've forgotten the recipe. Lemon juice, simple sugar, vodka .... sounds right. Guess we'll have to go back to Jessica's and Dave's for another lesson, LOL!

 It snowed a few times, but oddly enough it's always powder - you couldn't even make a snow man out  of it - and it always goes away quickly, say in a couple of hours or at most a couple of days. It's unlike Rochester (NY) or Burlington (VT) where it snows and stays ..... all winter!

I kinda like the snow. It's cool to see the foxes listening for movement under the snow and then jumping up and diving to catch mice and vols that run their trails under the snow. 

I learned that one doesn't "shovel snow." One pushes snow out of the way with a snow shovel. Trying to lift a snow shovel full of snow - even the powder - just gives one a sore back! The other guys around the neighborhood still asked if I'm going to get a snow blower - but I'm still resisting!

Deb picked up a new hobby this past Winter. She (and I) went to the first meeting of CSS (the Cactus and Succulent Society) - a real treat. The meeting showed off many of the cactus and succulent varieties that are "cold hardy" and have a reasonable chance of staying alive through the Winter.

We listened to a lecture on fertilizing cactus / succulents, ate some cookies, and Deb signed up to volunteer at the CSS show in March ..... she just finished the two-day event a few weeks ago after having fun, exploring lots of new varietals, and buying some experimental plants for our upstairs party deck.

February brought a welcome change to the Winter weather of Denver - Mazatlan, MX! Our friends have a three-bedroom villa, complete with private pool, across from the health / exercise / spa center, just a short walk from the main pool at Pueblo Bonita Emerald Bay - and we got an invite to stay with them for a week!

I hadn't heard of "all inclusive" before. That means that, for a daily rate, all food and drink is "free" - just say "Villa 656" and the tab goes away!

So, you can probably guess what we did ..... got up late, went to the exercise / spa /health center and worked out a while, showered, went to one of the restaurants to eat breakfast, back to the room for a change to pool clothes, down to the pool, eat, drink, eat, drink, back to the room for a nap, change of clothes for dinner, off to a different restaurant for dinner an home to bed. Exhausting schedule, but we were equal to the task.

We did go downtown Mazatlan one day and looked around, and shopped a little - not the new fedora!

 And had a great time getting out of the wintry weather (at least in Denver).

Cheers!

Long Beach in Winter Time

In January, while the weather was cold and snowy here, we took a trip to see Milana and Simon at their place in Long Beach.

I totally expected to be warm and comfortable, basking in the sunshine of southern California .... but no, it was mild and foggy early in the morning, and even though the fog burned off in the afternoon, it was still a temperate visit.

We took a flyer and stayed at an AirBNB in Long Beach not far from Jim's place. Interesting experience. The place we stayed is an older home nestled in a park-like setting. We had one room and the run of the lower floor; I'm sure the owner was upstairs most of the time we were there, but she wasn't around to talk to us.

One of the days, we went to the Farmer's Market along the wharf and, walking through the booths, we came upon the face-painting lady. Of course, Milana and Simon couldn't wait to get painted. We knew that our landlord for the weekend was painting faces, but really didn't expect to meet her for the first time at the Market. Serendipity.

Of course, it's a tradition to take the G-children out to breakfast, not so much for the steak and eggs, but for Hot Chocolate!

Eggs, pancakes, hash browns, toast, hot chocolate, ......... and about an hour later we got to waddle on home to continue our day.

We took a day to trip to a fish farm and caught some fresh trout for dinner. I think it was Milana and Simon's first time fishing, and I think they enjoyed it!

Fishing with corn and worms, a cane pole barely long enough to reach the water, in a shower / rainstorm, we had a ball!

Big fish of the day goes to Milana - enough to feed the whole family a trout dinner.

















All-in-all, a funky, fun, energizing, great break from the snowy winter time in Long Beach!

Cheers!

I Always Wondered ......

HI!

We bought a TRX suspension trainer to use at the condo, and liked it so much that we took lessons in how to use it and bought the kids' families one for Christmas. With the TRX we got a set of exercise pictures that we could follow to make new routines ..... and I've always been challenged by how to do a pull up with the TRX.

Here's a link to a video all about how to do pull ups!


https://www.trxtraining.com/train/trx-pull-up

Cheers!