Tag Archives: photo

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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April 11, 2013 · 6:58 am

On Birthdays, Socks and Underwear

faywray

Not another birthday!

I often hear people moan about birthdays. Don’t you? It is s conundrum. If you want to live a long life, you have to weather milestones and put up with a few gray hairs. I tell people to suck it up! Smile! Be glad that you’re around for another year. Many don’t have that luxury.

And then mine comes around.

When I was a child, my special day was celebrated with family, a few friends, cake and ice cream and bubbles. Adriaen_Hanneman_Two_Boys_Blowing_Bubbles

When I became an adult it meant going out at night and partying at the bars, shots of tequila and morning-after headaches.

When I became a parent, it meant a night on the town with my husband while we paid someone to watch the kids.

Now, the trick is to take responsibility for my own birthday. But what does that mean?

How about splurging?

Hmm. I could schedule a massage, get a facial or go shopping. Sheesh! I have a shirt to return from Christmas! I do need basics. We are talking socks and underwear people.

How about relaxing for a day without the internet?

I shudder to think about avoiding my blog, Facebook or Twitter. I don’t think I could do it. That wouldn’t make me happy and this is all about me, right?

How about taking a day off from work?

With a lot of professions, you leave your work behind when you leave the office. As writers, we take our job everywhere we go. Forget the computer. While in a traffic jam yesterday, I jotted down notes for this post on the back of a scrap of paper! I’m always on the clock. Writing is my passion and an obsession. I…can’t…stop…myself…

How about engaging in a crazy adventure?

Cold weather will prevent me from hot air ballooning, learning how to fly an airplane or jumping out of one. I will wait for a warmer day…

hot air balloon

Now that my kids are in college, my birthday has come full circle.

I look forward to a day spent with family, cake and ice cream and bubbles. I have already heard from a few old friends through Facebook. I’ll share a meal with my family and order dessert. Then I’ll poke around my favorite shops and purchase a few pair of socks and some cute panties. Afterward, I’ll slip into a tub full of bubbles. I’ll look back on this year’s accomplishments and smile.

hot tubbing

 

A Colorado bubble bath

It will be a perfect day after another wild year. You have come to expect no less from this Wild Rider, right?

What would your perfect day include?

Do you look forward to your birthday?

Wikimedia Commons

Soap Bubble – Wikipedia

Fay Wray photo copyright-free

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April 1, 2013 · 6:33 am

Do You Know What Day This Is?

It was a sunny Wisconsin morning the first time it happened. My mother screamed and ran into our bedroom waking my sister Patty and me from a sound slumber. I thought my small heart would explode. I bolted from our shared bed and followed her to the picture window of our apartment.

“There’s a purple polka-dotted elephant walking down the street!” she shouted.

“What? Where?”

When my little sister joined me in squinting through the glaring window, she said, “April Fools,” and then laughed. I didn’t think it was very funny at the time.

Through the years, I have played tricks on friends and family. My children ran to the window searching for purple giraffes, along with other strange colored creatures. I know. I am so mean. It must be genetic. Every year, I have tried to come up with new ways to trick my husband, such as, “By the way, we’re having company for dinner, so if you could stop and pick up some wine and a few things at the grocery store and then come home early to help me clean, that would be great. (Wait for it…) APRIL FOOLS!” The relief on his face is always worth it!

Yesterday, I checked my phone’s April calendar and noticed little lines under the some of the dates.  I didn’t remember saving any appointments, so I checked them out. April 22nd is Earth Day. The 15th is dreaded Tax Day. And the 1st is… April Fools’ Day!

Wait a minute… It occurred to me that if phones list April Fools’ as a holiday, everyone will know and no one will be fooled. That could begin the extinction of the holiday!

Ugh. That would be terrible. I have always looked forward to a day of pranking.

Aprilsnar_2001

April Fools in Denmark. No. A subway car did not crash through the ground…

How did it begin anyway? There are conflicting reports which is no surprise since this is April Fools we are talking about. The following explanation gets my vote. During the Middle Ages, the first of the year was celebrated at the end of March. Then in the 1500′s, Pope Gregory XIII changed the Gregorian Calendar to start on January 1st.  Bells would toll across the land to “fool” other fools into thinking the 1st of the year still began in April.

I never noticed that the Pope named the calendar after himself! He died on April 10th. Irony or coincidence???

During the 1800’s in France, the first of the year changed to January 1st. People who celebrated on April 1st were ridiculed in that country as well.

“Ha. You peasants are such idiots…”

Today, in Italy, France, and Belgium, pranksters will stick a picture of a fish on their unsuspecting target’s back and then shout, “April Fish!”

April Fish

WHAT? That is so lame! How did that one start? Were they fed up with being called fools and substituted fish? And did they originally use real fish back in the day? Did they use minnows or mackerels? Apparently, that variation has something to do with the astrological sign Pisces.

April Fools’ Day will be celebrated in many countries today. Thanks Wikipedia for that specific information. How will we play any practical jokes if everyone knows and is already suspicious? My advice is to strike early before your friends and family have their first cup of coffee.

“Roxy! Look at that pink coyote trotting down the street!”

Purple spotted Roxy1

Consider this heads up, my gift to you. Now get out there and prank someone!

Do you plan to fool anyone?

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March 28, 2013 · 6:39 am

Use Me and Abuse Me Day – March Wild Hare with Much Madness Edition

Alice_par_John_Tenniel_02.svg

Has this month been especially wild or what? With Saint Patrick’s Day, the spring equinox, a week-long break for many, March Madness Basketball, and Easter could we pack in another event?

Of course we can! It’s another Use Me and Abuse Me Day here at the Wild Ride. Welcome to all the new partiers!

Do you feel like the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland, as crazy as they come or the White Rabbit? ”I’m Late! I’m Late for a very important date!” Hold on there. Put your watch back in your pocket. You’re right on time. Here’s your chance to sit back, relax and party down!

March-hare

Apparently, the Victorians believed running around with straw in your hair meant you were a lunatic, deranged or as Mad as Hatter. Wait that’s from the same story!

MadlHatterByTenniel.svg

Mad Hatter Susie Lindau

Yep. I’m as Mad as a Hatter. Just ask the bear! Continue reading →

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March 16, 2013 · 11:30 am

A Jig From Your Irish Lass!

st pattys profile

You know how I love to dance. Join Danny and I in a little Irish Jig!

Here are a few of my own Irish blessings

May you straighten out life’s learning curve, leaving in a few twists for luck.

May your name always be followed with a smile and not a curse.

May you laugh at yourself with others or if not at yourself than at others and hope they can laugh at themselves with you.

May your door always be open to your friends and closed to your enemies with a window nearby just in case.

May someone always catch you when you fall, pick you up when you are down and kick you in the behind if you wallow in the mud.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

How are you celebrating this year?

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March 8, 2013 · 7:00 am

The Secret to Living a Long and Happy Life

mom and dad1This is a photograph of my parents at their breakfast table. After being married for 56 years and weathering all kinds of storms, they sit quietly and enjoy each other’s company.

My father celebrated his 87th birthday two weeks ago and my mother will be 83 on Saturday. I took this photograph while back in Wisconsin.

Every day they dress and set the table for breakfast. It always includes my mom’s homemade bread made seven loaves at a time. She expresses her love for her family through the meals she serves.

When my dad went on a salt and vitamin K-free diet, at first it was a challenge for my gourmet mom. She had to think outside the box and can, literally. While I was there, she whipped out her splattered, but loved cookbooks and concocted dinners worthy of a fine restaurant: Salmon doused in a fresh tomato ragout and pork chops with apples and cinnamon. Stir-fried fresh vegetables and meatloaf with peppers and onions. More vegetables filled that loaf than meat!

My dad is an artist and still paints. While visiting, I had him sign all of his work. Some dated back to the early 1950’s. His artwork chronicles the passage of a long life from the depictions of his farm while growing up during the depression in Holy Hill outside of Milwaukee, to many of my family while living in Madison and the latest of his beloved Collie. Continue reading →

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March 3, 2013 · 9:08 am

Do You Curse Brightly?

While finishing my paranormal thriller, I have made some major cuts and additions. I think my sex scene is sexier after eliminating the mechanics and expanding the sensual description. I fixed the parts where the chicken went into the oven and came out as roasted rabbit. I deleted overused words like “perfect” even though at one time I thought they were perfect.

Reading best-selling thrillers while writing my first have inspired me, until yesterday. In the middle of an intense scene where agents were kidnapped, the protagonist, “cursed brightly.” (insert sound of needle scratching record here) WHAT??? It pulled me right out of the story. I stopped reading and set the book down.

shouts expletive

The hammer actually smacked my poor thumb, hence the realistic grimace. Continue reading →

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February 26, 2013 · 7:41 am

You Know You’re in Trouble…

When the stylist cutting my hair said, “Don’t worry, it’ll grow out by June,” I panicked. It’s February for God’s sake! “It looks great from the front. It was just a little misunderstanding.” Ya think?

I’ll try not to turn my head around for a few months.

Remember the mullet? Business up front, party in the back. Well this haircut is all party in the front, business in the back.

party up front

I’m partying now!

business in the back

All business back here…

Statistically, most people process less than 50% of what was is said. Is that scary or what? Continue reading →

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