A PERFECT SEASON!
Part 1: The Weather
In all of the years I've lived in Colorado since I came here in August of 1968 following my graduation from BYU (and a last "hurrah!" winding down before I had to enter the real world of full-time employment), I have never seen a more perfect season than we had in 2014. And by that I mean all the way from Springtime in the Rockies, through a temperate Summer, and into a dazzling Fall.
Normally the earth turns brown by the end of June simply from a lack of adequate rainfall. After all, we do live in a semi-arid climate which sucks the green out of most pieces of ground that are not irrigated--full-scale like the farms or in our own little plot of land in the subdivision--and turns anything that is not artificially watered into a sere landscape.
Not so this year. Cooler temperatures and more rainfall combined to make a veritable greenbelt--within the parameters of a Plains existence, of course. But even from the air as we flew over the Rocky Mountain West, it was apparent this was no normal summer we had. There was no stark demarcation between the fields in the states just to the east of us and our own checkerboard squares of crops and uncultivated prairie--not only in Colorado but in Wyoming, too. Everyone commented how unusual it was to "see green" during July and August, and September, too. Nor did we have that unseasonal snowstorm in mid-September or early October which always brings our Autumn to nothing more than brown or gold leaves on the trees. What's left of them after the windstorms, that is.
But none of that happened in 2014. We experienced warmer temperatures clear until time for Daylight Saving to be over. And that lengthy period resulted in a riot of color the likes of which I have only seen in the East and the Midwest. It was on a smaller scale, to be sure, but there were the reds, the oranges, and the purples which usually don't materialize here because the first frost is much, much earlier than it was this year.
Yes, I think the weather was just about perfect. The flowers in my pots just kept blooming and blooming--until four days ago when the temperature plummeted from 50 degrees at 10 am to 26 degrees at 2 pm following a rambunctious windstorm and the beginning of snowshowers. All was in place when I left the house to run errands, but by the time I arrived home after having been gone for less than three hours, the pots were overturned and the blossoms were stiff and frozen white. What a difference less than a day made!
Part 2: The Patio
I love an atttractive yard--but I want nothing to do with making it that way. My dad tended to the yard when I was growing up. He didn't WANT any help, and he made it the way he wanted. It was very pretty. But he also didn't want anyone out there sitting on the grass or enjoying the yard other than in a visual way. Consequence of that? I do not like yard work, for it is truly WORK as far as I am concerned. Plus when I was growing up, any time outside produced these two results: nose bleeds and sunburn. Just not something I wanted to go out and subject myself to on purpose.
I preferred being in the house and sitting in my dad's big chair in the dining room reading my current book. When my mother would tell me I needed to go outside and get some fresh air, I would dutifully ride my bike around the block and then find my way back to my favorite haunt. The spot probably hadn't even cooled off while I had made my way up Eighth Street to the corner, turned east on Alder to Seventh Street, down to Birch where I made a left and biked north the rest of the block to my own driveway at 1019 Eighth Street. (Or maybe the next time, I would bike exactly the opposite to make the same obligatory trip to satisfy my mother's concern for my health.)
Marie, on the other hand, enjoyed utilizing her yard and taking advantage of someplace to sit down and relax outside. She had a small deck built on to the "big house" after they moved there following the death of Keith's mother. She would sit out there for hours knitting, crocheting, and otherwise just enjoying the outdoors. I often wished we had something like that at our house where we could also sit outside.
However, my mother did not like being outdoors either. The mosquitoes were tortuous for her. When she got bit, the site would swell and cause a lot of discomfort. When we went to the mountains and had to be outside a lot, she would wrap her legs in plastic wrap and always wore a long-sleeved jacket to protect herself. I must have inherited the same disposition toward mosquitoes because I can't be outside for more than a minute or two before those pesky creatures are eating me up, too. So, I haven't found lounging in the yard at the top of my priorities, even when I really, really want to be outside.
Plus, I don't like to see weeds either. And there were a few summers that the weeds won the war here at Sweetbriar that I didn't bother to go outside at all. Also, the flowers in pots were subject to two or three days in a row without water either because Louis thought the "rain" had been sufficient, or he didn't even think about watering the plants after he got home and went straight to bed after a long, long day. There were tons of unhappy exchanges about that until I decided to work things out on my own. When I did, I was excited because then I could see the visual rewards of my efforts shaping up into an inviting place to sit. I also discovered bug sprays for the yard and OFF for me. What a difference!
When I am out walking I am always admiring any neighbors who have an inviting space in the back yard with actual lawn furniture. Ours was utilitarian--a table and resin chairs. Good for a few minutes of reading or a quick meal. One day last spring when Louis and I were out shopping, he stopped at the outdoor furniture display and indicated he wouldn't mind having a comfy chair to sit in outside. So that's why he never wanted to spend time outside! I thought we could remedy that!
I was going through the process of getting rid of my old car which had been sitting in the garage for a few years because it needed some repair work. It was during that shopping trip that I determined I would use the money from the auto salvage people to purchase some decent patio furniture. And that's just exactly what I did. It wasn't a lot of money, but enough to make some basic purchases.
The finished project was my very own mini Garden of Eden. The potted plants and blooming flowers enhanced the whole patio, and I spent a fair amount of time outside in the earlier and later hours of the day reading, preparing lessons, napping (a big one!) and just enjoying the yard. I kept on the weeds from the beginning, so it wasn't such a big job all at once, and I got a separate hose and special long nozzle to help with the watering so I didn't have to lug the sprinkling can back and forth, back and forth.
My only wish is that I had had more time at home instead of being away at someone else's summer place. That's always something to look forward to when I retire from United--more time in my own Personal Paradise.
Here's a little glimpse of our transformed back yard. And the front porch which was also very attractive. The huge planter on the table at the left of the picture was a Mother's Day gift from Brice and Judy and girls. It was a watering can filled to the brim with blossoms. The flowers were prolific all those months, even until the snow came the other day. The tall plants flanking the door were from seeds that I just threw into the pots and began to water. Everyone who came to the front door commented how nice the porch was. That made me happy, as I felt that way, too, and sometimes either circled the block or drove backwards down the street just a few more feet after exiting the driveway just to see how it looked from the curb. The backyard was a special treat for me to see each day at the end of my walk when I came down the neighborhood path behind the house. I had to pinch myself to know THAT was my house and my yard.
Yes. I think the patio was just about perfect, too.
WHAT A WONDERFUL SEASON!
