Snowy Highlights

My neighborhood was as pretty as a Christmas card during the "arctic blast" cold spell we had last weekend. We did not get too much snow with the cold front, but it lasted longer on the ground than usual. Usually, snow melts pretty quickly here, as the high elevation we live it makes the sunshine very warm. Even when the temperature was in the single digits it was quite tolerable to be outside if you were in the sunshine. (Click on all photos to enlarge them)

This handsome buck was certainly enjoying the sunshine!

We had a guest staying at our house this past weekend. A friend was going skiing this week and came to Colorado a few days early to visit us and acclimate to the altitude.  We took him up to the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater for a sightseeing visit, as he's never been there in summer to see a concert.

The park was really beautiful to see with all the snow highlighting it.

The seats and stage were frozen with snow...

...and ice! Brrrrr!

Next, we drove into the nearby town of Golden.

We had hoped to visit Coors Brewery, but an evacuation was going on. We were not sure exactly why, but it may have been due to an ice dam break on the creek near the brewery that could cause flooding. So, instead, we went up Lookout Mountain.  The views from Lookout Mountain are always beautiful, and a visit to Buffalo Bill's grave at the top is a way to give tribute to the old West.

Speaking of the "old West," aren't you glad times have changed?

We went back to our community as the sun was beginning to set.  Can you see my house over the ridge?

We took a quick walk on one of the trails.  Since the sun was now low we could really feel the cold and decided it was time to finally go indoors. I'm sure our friend is having a great time on the ski slopes this week!

Thankfully, the temperature today is in the low 50's, so we are back to normal temperatures for this time of the year on the Front Range of Colorado!  Going through this cold snap made me realize how fortunate we are that the climate here is usually much milder in late fall and winter. I love the four seasons, but I don't think I'd like to live somewhere where it was sub-zero cold all winter. I know the cold spell we experienced also went to many other areas. How is the weather where you live?

I'm still decorating my house and Christmas tree--we bought the tree frozen solid and it took a few days of staying in our garage to thaw out.  Happily, it wasn't lopsided or scraggly when unfrozen! I hope to show you my Christmas decoration in my next post. Are you finished decorating?

Today is a very special day as it is our grandson's fifth birthday! Happy birthday dear "L"! You are the best five-year-old scientist in the world and you bring us so much love and joy each day!



 

A Little Free Library

Last month I was taking my baby granddaughter for a walk in her stroller in my neighborhood and went down a street I hadn't walked on before. Was I glad I did! I made a discovery that made my heart leap with joy! Do you see the little elevated window box that is next to the mailboxes in the photo above?

It was a "Little Free Library" box! 

I have seen this type of free library on other blogs and in online articles, but I never expected to see one here in my community!  It's an honor system of "take a book (or two!) and leave a book (or two!)." Usually, someone in a community who have heard about this program, (read the history of it on this link), and will either build a box or buy one, and then register it with the Little Free Library Organization and be its steward. Sometimes stewards do this in memory of someone who was an avid reader/book lover, or they themselves are book lovers, and they will pay for start up on their own, or they find sponsors to help support their cause.  Sometimes a local organization which wants to promote literacy will have one built and their members take turns at stewardship. Whatever the reason, it is a wonderful asset to have in a community!

The Little Free Library in my community is a mix of children's literature and adult literature, both paperbacks and hardcover books. So far I've read and returned three books. I hope to contribute more books to the collection as soon as I can. For someone like myself, who walked almost weekly to my local library to pick out new books to read, this has been such a joy!  My local public library is now about five miles away, so having this little library just a few minutes from my house has been much easier for me to check frequently.  I never know what kind of books I will find inside--it is so much fun!

Is there a Little Free Library near you? To find out check this Google map, and or look at the state by state, and country by country, locations on the left sidebar of the link. The Little Free Library movement has also spread to locations around the world, so if you look at the Google map above, just scroll the page to the left to see where they are in the eastern hemisphere.

To see how easy it is to have your own Little Free Library look at this short video:

 
Little Free Library Story from Beargrass Media on Vimeo.

I'm so glad to see this trend in sharing books and the love of reading!  Do you have a Little Free Library in your neighborhood? Have you read a book lately that you would recommend giving as a gift for Christmas?