Tag Archives: colorado

May 9, 2013 · 2:58 pm

An Open Letter to Prince Harry

Dear Prince Harry,

It has come to my attention that you will be visiting our fair state this weekend. As your motorcade drives to Colorado Springs from DIA, I am sure you will be struck by the impressive beauty of the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains.

sunset

You will be attending the 2013 Warrior Games. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, “The teams compete in seven sports – archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball. The event is designed to help the recovery of the 260 wounded, ill, and injured servicemen and women participating.” You will be a spectator at the Olympic Training Center for a volleyball exhibition on Saturday and a cycling competition at Falcon Stadium on Sunday.

These are all well worth your time and yet a thought occurred to me. After traveling thousands of miles across the world for these wonderful events, why not sneak out of the Springs on Saturday night to stop by one of the jewels of Colorado?

The Boulder Flatirons

Boulder is by far one of the must-see attractions of our state. It boasts the University of Colorado’s red-tiled roofed campus complete with the Flatirons rock formation in the backdrop. Our college co-eds are the most attractive in the country. No, I am not biased because my daughter attends the University.

Chautauqua

It is within walking distance of many hiking trails. I am sure after being cramped on an airplane for so many hours your secret service would appreciate stretching their legs while taking in the fresh mountain air and views of the Boulder Valley.

It is home to Pearl Street, an outdoor mall filled with eclectic people, shops, buskers and musicians.  After your hike and shopping you could relax in one of Boulder’s popular micro-breweries.  I think they may give England a run for their money, but hey, you can prove me wrong.

Pearl Street Mall

You have probably heard that marijuana use has recently been decriminalized. Although lawmakers are still working out the details, you won’t get arrested for inhaling while you are visiting.

Boulder is considered a foodie town which means it is home to many amazing restaurants, some of which are the finest in the country.

There is a wide range of choices for nightlife including DJ’d nightclubs, roof top bars and places to enjoy local bands.

dj ksmash

Before returning to Colorado Springs, I would recommend stopping by one of our specialty cupcake bakeries open late in case you get the munchies.

Prince_Harry

You will be glad you came to Boulder. If you get into any trouble for upsetting the royal itinerary, I would be happy to take full responsibility.

Unfortunately, my unmarried daughter is out of town this weekend. I don’t suppose you would consider extending your stay through Monday.

Sincerely yours,

Susie Lindau

Prince Harry’s photo from Wikimedia commons

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May 2, 2013 · 7:50 am

The Bright Side Top Ten List

Most of you come to the Wild Ride for an upbeat quirky post and I don’t think I have let you down yet. This is Boulder, Colorado’s eighth, yes, 8TH week of snow in a row. Talk about quirky!

My husband, Danny, and I enjoyed summer-like weather last weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon and evening on Pearl Street taking in all the sights and sounds of spring in gorgeous 75 degree weather. I walked barefoot on Sunday. I should have known it was temporary.

Pearl Street Mall

Our never-ending winter cycle continued when another six inches dumped from the sky. Instead of a traditional Maypole dancing kind of day, we got a picture postcard of Christmas in May.

May Day 2

Being a hopeless optimist, here are my

Top Ten Reasons Why I am Still Welcoming the Snow:

#1 – West Nile has not been reported in our state.

#2 – The ants I slaughtered last year at this time, are still deep down in their little ant apartments where they belong.

#3 – After realizing I am allergic to yellow jackets, I am happy to report not one buzzed around in the snow today. My traps are locked and loaded.

May day 2013

#4 – I can’t mow the lawn, weed, trim hedges, or deadhead (dang!), so I have more time to write.

#5 – With all of this amazing moisture, we won’t have to start the sprinkler system for at least a couple of days. Our bill may stay in the two digit range this month.

#6 – No wildfires have been reported in our state for the month of May.

#7 – Prolonging my hibernation means wearing cozy Smart Wool socks and eating fresh bread and homemade soup. My Dumb Ass cotton socks will have to wait a few more days.

#8 –  This crazy weather gives me lots of fodder for social media posts.

May TweetMay day 3

#9 – I have another chance to make a snow angel with Roxy.

#10 – I will appreciate spring so much more when it finally arrives, even if I have to wait until July.

Are you an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist?

Related posts:

April 2011,2012 and 2013 – A Photo Essay

April! April! Where for Art Thou?

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April 25, 2013 · 7:00 am

Use Me and Abuse Me Day – Spring Thaw Edition

front range 2

It’s another Use Me and Abuse Me Day here at the Wild Ride. This is your chance to mingle and “pick up” some new subscribers. It’s been a long winter here in Colorado and a virtual party is just what we need to thaw out.

I have some new blogger friends who would love to meet you. Bring ONE link from one of your posts and leave it in the comment section along with a short hook to entice the party-goers. Then start clicking links mingling with the guests! Say, “Hello! Susie sent me.” Hang out at their place for a while. Check out their digs. Subscribe to a few of your new friends. Maybe they will subscribe to your blog!

The more links you click, the better the results.

Only post ONE link from your blog in my comment section or you’ll end up in my spam filter. The spammers have been slipping past the bouncer lately. Stinkers!

It is better to bring a link to a specific post than your blog URL. It’s the difference between being welcomed at the door with a hug and opening it up to find no one home. No one feels comfortable peeking into stranger’s bedrooms while shouting, “Hello? Is anybody home?”

This party always becomes a RAGER, so if you want to stop back in a day or two, there will be more bloggers to check out.

Remember your manners. You wouldn’t go to a party, fill your doggy bag and leave, so make sure to read some posts if you are going to leave yours.

The food is catered from the finest restaurants in Boulder. The barista is already concocting cappuccinos, the bar is open, and the DJ is spinning.

The more YOU click on links, the more fun you’ll have!

Have fun and don’t forget to dance. It’s a great way to warm up. OooooO! OooooO!

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April 23, 2013 · 11:18 am

April 2011, 2012, and 2013 – A Photo Essay

someone give me a sign!

This morning, I watched these robins ruffle their feathers to keep the snow from accumulating. Poor birds…

In March of 2013, a cycle started with snowstorms arriving every Monday. Mother Nature must be on steroids because this has continued for seven weeks!

This is last year’s post comparing April of 2011 to 2012.

A Heatwave Cometh Early 

April 13th, 2011

A lot has been written about global warming and it has become a hot political issue. Pun intended. Regardless of your stand on whether it exists, it has been a warm spring here in Boulder, Colorado. Last year there was so much snow in the mountains, we worried about flooding. This year it was warm and dry. Snow totals are 39% to 49% of normal.

March 23, 2012

This is the first year my wisteria has bloomed. I am amazed that it has survived our harsh winters here over the last 10 years. This is Colorado not California for God’s sake. I love it!

I am kinda digging this warm spring.

April 24th, 2012

Temperatures reached a very hot 88 degrees today and it feels more like June 24th than April 24th.

I have already battled ants this season. The miller moths that usually migrate in the millions at the end of May became the next unwelcome early arrival. I can hear them flapping their wings in the night above our bed. They are one month early and they never knock before coming into the house…So rude!

This foreshortened photo of my legs is really weird and so attractive!

In April 2011, we had a seasonal snowstorm that set back the spring foliage and nipped our fruit trees. The pruned die-back on the rose bushes filled a humongous trash can.

April 24th, 2012 – There is very little die-back and that will save me soooo much time!

April 13th, 2011

An icy garden

April 2011

April 24th, 2012

These are the last of the tulips in 2012 and it isn’t even May!

Last year in April the snow slowed down the tulips and this year they have already bloomed!

This year our spring is so summer-like.

Last year was like an ice age. What a difference!

Lilacs are in full bloom on April 24th, 2012. I have similar photos from last year  in the middle of May!

We are not out of the woods for freezing temperatures until May 15th, but if we continue with this warm weather, we will have amazing fruit this year!

I have already made fresh rhubarb pie and the raspberries are about to bloom.

Raspberry rhubarb pie. Yum!

This is the end of a very lean ski season.

Avoiding the rocks.

Climbing them instead!

If it does threaten to freeze, I will be the crazy lady in the yard protecting everything with sheets like a Hampton’s homeowner covering furniture at the end of summer.

It is a good thing that weather isn’t like a bell curve or we would hit temperatures in the 140’s in July. It is supposed to chill out at the end of this week, but I have lost my faith in weather forecasters.

In the meantime, I will take advantage of the nice weather!

~~~~~

April 2013? Not so much.

2013-04-23_09-51-10_450

We’ve had over 40 inches of snow this April and it ain’t over yet! Last week’s snow melted over the weekend. Another 8 inches fell overnight and it is still snowing…

Scientists are scrambling to make sense of the strange weather. A press release from CU-Boulder yesterday, announced findings that climate zones will shift faster as climate warms. This was the result of a joint research project conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and CU.

All I know is every inch of moisture is welcome respite after a long dry winter. We won’t have any forest fires as long as snow is on the ground.

Breckenridge and Vail Ski Resorts reopened for three days last weekend due to the enormous snow totals. Maybe ski areas should start opening in December and close in June!

Do you think we’ll ever be able to work in our gardens here in Boulder?

Will Harry ever regain the respect of his flock? 

All photos by Susie Lindau

Related articles:

Climate change

NOAA

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March 12, 2013 · 7:24 am

When Form Meets Function and Mustaches Win

There was a time when I couldn’t handle any extra attention. I know. It’s hard to believe. I hid behind my friends in high school, self-conscious about my looks. I used makeup and a curling iron in order to fit in and to prevent standing out.

Something has happened to me. I am not sure when the turning point occurred. Did it happen when investigating a story for a blog post? Have I finally reached the age when I don’t get embarrassed and have no shame? Could I be getting more comfortable in my own skin?

Whatever the reason, after winning Go Jules Go ‘stache glasses giveaway, I had no problem popping them on in the Breckenridge parking lot last weekend. The carload next to us roared with laughter. Young children stared. Middle schoolers rolled their eyes. Okay, I couldn’t see their eyes since it was snowing and everyone wore goggles, but hey, I am sure they were rolling.

stache1

Some checked me out while pursing their lips and then gave me a, “Yeah. I’ve seen those glasses around,” look. Most smiled and a few guffawed.

I had only planned to wear them for one or two photos since the snow came down in buckets. Sunglasses were impractical. Not one person wore them.

After I reached the summit of Peak 8, I gazed down our first double black diamond run of the day. Only a blank white canvas lay beneath me. I had no depth perception. My skis would soon slide over a head wall. I put the shades in my pocket and slipped on my trusty goggles. The amber lens really flattened the light.

imperial bowl

Taking out the glasses again, the dark lenses were just what I needed to define the moguls and choppy heavy snow.

I rocked the shades all day.

When asked about my mustachioed appearance I said, “It’s mustache March! I tried growing my own, but gave up.” Many men sported full facial hair, but very few had gotten the memo about shaving their beards. Others said they were too committed to their facial forest.

stache8

Now I know why guys love growing beards. That plastic placebo kept my face warm. Really!

stache 9

When I first tried them on, my husband Danny said I reminded him of Sony Bono. After skiing a while, he glanced over at me and decided I resembled a young Charles Bronson.

mustache collage

You may think it was easier for me to be outgoing while hiding behind my shades, but I welcomed the knowing smiles.

So a big thank you goes out to Jules and all my blogging friends. Without you, I may still be hiding behind the crowd instead of causing a stir. I am definitely wearing the ‘stache glasses to my tennis match tomorrow. Maybe my opponent will be intimidated by my Charles Bronson sneer.mustache march

mustachemarch

Are you coming out of your shell as you get older?

Click here for a video of my mustached friends CocoRosie

Related Articles:

Go Jules Go

Movember: Top 40 Celebrity Mustaches

Mustache March

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February 4, 2013 · 6:38 am

Frozen Words – A Photo Essay

snow sculpture 1

As writers, we cast our words into the world.

snow sculpture 2

Like the snowflakes in these sculptures, each letter of the alphabet gives our imagination the structure in which to escape, gain new knowledge and connect with the vast universe. Continue reading →

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January 29, 2013 · 7:06 am

An Unnamed Threat No More!

Snowstorms usually squat on a few states before evaporating in the glint of winter sunshine. As if on snowy steroids, these frosty freaks have grown exponentially in recent years. While plodding along and dumping tons of snow, they have buried the country, transforming highways into hockey rinks and cars into pucks. White-out blizzards and sub-zero temperatures have frightened the red liquid in thermometers into hiding in their spherical basements. They have often left a death toll in their vicious icy wake.

Joe in the snow

Joe is protecting his sound equipment from Draco while on location. Continue reading →

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January 24, 2013 · 10:24 am

Roxy, the Bravest Bichon in the West?

Fierce Bichon1My Bichon Roxy has many talents. She has mastered all kinds of tricks (anything for a treat), pulls us along while hiking snowy mountains and rocks her Ghetto Mittens. But last week she impressed me as the fiercest Bichon in the land when she came in contact with a coyote.

Of course I reacted like anyone with a computer and added an update on Facebook. In my defense, it did ask me, “What’s going on Susie?”

Roxy and the Coyote

Coyotes have been very aggressive here in Boulder County. Several people have been attacked and nipped on trails during the day. It is not unusual to lose a small pet to a coyote’s insatiable appetite, but they no longer have any fear of humans. Continue reading →

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January 18, 2013 · 6:56 am

January Thaw – Friday Photos

January thaw 1

It warmed up this week and temperatures rose from 9 degrees into the high 40′s. The ice on the pond has thinned. Continue reading →

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January 13, 2013 · 3:47 pm

In the Land of Happy People and Cheese – A Photo Essay

A wild rumpus

Let the Wild Rumpus begin!

Courtney and Kelly are channeling Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are

while playing with the mural my dad painted.

Last week, my family flew back to Madison, Wisconsin. You gotta love their (our) sense of humor. As I was leaving the terminal at the airport, the security guard said, “Welcome to Des Moines!”

They had a monster snowstorm a few weeks ago and the snow was melting. Yes melting. It was a balmy 35 degrees when we arrived.

Everyone took turns walking Charlie Brown Spot.

walking the dogThere was a beautiful park nearby. Continue reading →

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