Do you like spring? Have spring rituals? Engage in treasured activities or events? Take off your clothes and expose your white winter skin to the first warming rays of the sun? If you just reread this last question and are now worried about getting subjected to my exhibitionist tendencies, fear not—they are nonexistent. But apparently … Continue reading Spring Firsts
Surprises come in two variations—positive and negative. Like most people who care about our planet and its denizens, I worry about contagion, wars, and climate change. While I’m extremely grateful that nobody is shooting at me or making me leave my home and country, that water flows when I turn on the faucet and electricity … Continue reading Spring Surprises
As a short, squat person, I have always envied long-legged creatures. That fact alone doesn’t explain my fascination with birds who seem to walk on stilts, but it might contribute. And so it was with great joy that, in early April, I greeted the first sizeable flock of migratory shorebirds to grace the shore of … Continue reading April Brings Avocets
A continual chant pouring forth from the beaks of Western Meadowlarks. The occasional twitter of Horned Larks. Near-constant chirping of curious yet cautious Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. A sporadic appearance of Pronghorn. Last but not least, sweeping views of Pikes Peak, our local fourteener, and its lower Front Range neighbors. These are some of the delights … Continue reading Precious Prairie
At 6,000 feet, spring takes its sweet time arriving, and night frosts threaten to damage or destroy early bloomers until the middle of May. Most years, the flowers in our garden are tempted by warm March sunshine, only to be covered by April snowfall. We have been making an effort to replace water-guzzling lawn with … Continue reading Spring Has Sprung
tanja britton 