We had a massive cloudburst here for about 20 minutes earlier today. The indicated rain rate was 1.6"/hr, and it was the "Blowing Sideways" type rain. Really torrential, and probably about as hard as I've seen it rain since we moved here. And at 2120 LT it's raining again. So far today, at 2330, we're about 1/2", and I think it'll keep drizzling till midnight or so. Yesterday was spectacular, sunny with BLUE skies, white puffy clouds, and temps in the high 70's. Just gorgeous. Green things went insane with the sunshine following the rain, and I could almost "Hear The Grass Grow".
Today, between deluges:
This stuff, which I really like.:
Has DOUBLED in size this year so far. It just about doubled last year, but not quite. I gave them a shot of fertilizer in the Spring the last two tears using my Ross Root Feeder. and YOWZER did they take off. I've been doing the same with the cluster of lillys (lillies?) in picture #2 above, and they've TRIPLED over the last three years. Amazing what some fertilizer can do. The soil here is "Colorado Red Dirt", and while rich in minerals, is lacking in organic matter. Since the CSU Dairy Farm used to be located here, you'd expect the soil to a bit....uh...."richer" in organic material, but perhaps that got scooped off and trucked away for sale when this area was graded for residential use.
Had grandson #2, TNLG (The NEW Little Guy for those who don't know), over last night for his first Sleep Over at Grandma's, and all went swimmingly well. He went down around 2100, and slept until 0300, at which time he made a Request For Bottle, and then settled right back to sleep. He'll be two in a couple of weeks, and it's amazing to watch another little boy go from infant to toddler. And GAWD Is He FAST! At least I'm getting some good mobility enhancing exercise via the stair-climbing he's taken a shine to. Every time we went up or down the stairs I counted them out loud. Soon, he was trying to repeat me! I figured it might be a way to introduce him to sequential numbers, and sequential operations, at the same time. I firmly believe in teaching kids multiple-things-at-once if you can find some way to strongly tie them together. I feel it gives them concrete examples of things that are "connected" in some (obscure) way, and that the ability to make that type of "connection" between seemingly disparate "stuff", is an important skill to learn. When you learn it, you tend to see "deeper" into common, everyday things. The latest reorganization of the "Audio Rack" has some strategically placed items of 1960's~1980's Radio Technology prominently displayed, and easily reachable, by toddler through Middle School.
He had a ball turning the knobs and watching the pointers and scales move!
So between the dozen flights of stairs (yes, I counted...) we went up and down on today, and the change of weather, my hip and knee are squawking tonight.
Time to hit the hay......
It has been many years since I've seen this much green. Trips to extreme NE Colorado this week and SE Wyoming last week were amazing. All the local rivers are running high. Good thing, will clear the channels.
ReplyDeleteNormally dry waterways like Bijou Creek near Byers and the Arikaree River in NE Colorado are now flowing water. That hasn't happened for years.
At Sisty picking up Banner the news reported a major rock fall between Lyons and Estes Park with footage. Me being the smartass said signs needed to be posted declaring loose gravel. It will be days, maybe weeks, before that will be cleared.
I think I've seen Estes Park "shut out" several times since we moved here. Usually it's a wash-out of the road, or snow. First time I've of a rock slide closing things down.
DeleteDefinitely GREEN! And smart way to introduce the new little guy to numbers.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's crazy green here. Walk out the door and you 'smell' the plants growing. He's a smart, observant toddler. He was trying to mimic my counting by the end of the day.
DeleteAnd man, are my knees killing me today from all the stairs and cul-de-sac running we did yesterday!