News Update

March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, right?! Well... I think someone needs to give a 'ol March a talking to. It was so warm and mild here for the first few weeks of the month, and now it's snowed and blowed like a mighty Ice Lion for the last week or so. We had the "Blizzard" last week, snow again Monday, Pooh's blustery day today, snow tomorrow, and I hear another big storm headed to Denver just in time for the weekend. Yikes.

I'm just glad our tulips and daffodils were shy this spring and are barely poking their green shoulders above ground, so I think they'll weather the freeze ok. Unfortunately, I heard that the West Slope of Colorado (where they have fertile valleys to grow all the yummy cherries, apricots, peaches, melons, apples, pears... oh so good!) was hit hard by the freeze, and they lost the majority of the apricot and peach crops already. The trees are just flowering, but won't set fruit now. I'm bummed about that because that means the fruit will be more expensive at the farmer's markets this summer, and I won't be able to can as much jam and jellies.

Last Saturday night I spent some time with Chuck's cousins Mandy and Melissa. Mandy had some free tickets to a musical show downtown that her boyfriend Robin was playing in the band for (bass guitar) so we all met up and went to see it. It was a cozy theater, with a really fun one-woman show starring "Patsy DeCline"! It was kind of a musical spoof on the old-time country stars, and we all loved it. Melissa saw some tiaras for sale at the coat check station and decided we needed to be "princesses" for the evening, and so we were. It was a blast, and afterwards we hung around until we got a picture with Miss Patsy DeCline herself.

Here's a pic of Princess Mandy and Robin after the show.


Chuck's Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Orson were in town last night and stayed with Pat. They are on their way to Kansas to visit our cousins Paul and Diana, so we were thrilled to get a chance to see them for the evening on their journey. And somehow they managed to plan the trip just right to catch the lull between the storms from Utah all the way to Kansas. We all went to Chili's for dinner and then sat around swapping stories and memories for the rest of the evening. Orson really liked playing with our puppy Keena, even though she shed all over him each time she got near him!

This week Chuck has a drafting project to work on with the guy up in Evergreen he's been working with, so he'll be keeping busy most of the week. It's month-end billing at work for me, so I'll be swamped until next Tuesday or so. It's good to be busy at work though, I'd much prefer that than sitting around bored at my desk all day. And having the 2 days off last week was an unexpected bonus!

Later in April I am planning a long weekend down in Albuquerque to see my friend Jen. (she moved down there to work for the Forest Service last fall) I got a flight on Frontier for a great deal, and it was too good a price to pass up. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with her, I've been missing her a lot since she moved down there.

That's pretty much all that's news right now. I hope you all are having a great week... and I've got some pictures to share tomorrow or the next day- so check back soon! :)

Blizzard '09... the day after

Good Morning my friends! Snowy Colorado is living up to it's name... We woke up this morning to a marshmallow-fluff world. It's a brisk 16 degrees out (brr) and the snow is still lightly falling.

The best news is that my agency is closed again today, so I have another day off without having to use vacation time. Yippee!

It's nice to have a break from work. I am helping my friend Samantha with her friend Megan's baby shower on Saturday, so I actually have several things to do and bake to get that ready, and now I won't have to stay up late tonight to get it all done. We are having an afternoon tea party, so I am making scones, tea sandwiches and cookies. We've got pretty teacups and teapots, fancy hats for the ladies to wear, and it's going to be a fun party.

So this morning I think we're going to make a nice big breakfast at home- eggs, bacon and maybe pancakes! Chukani will drink hot cocoa and watch a movie, and then when (IF?!) it warms up a bit and stops snowing, we'll bundle up and take Keena for a long walk in the snow.

Here are some more pictures of the snowy scenery from this morning... I know we've certainly had deeper snowfalls, but this is a doozy here nonetheless.



I think we've gotten about a foot of snow... it was so windy yesterday the high drifts are misleading.

Looks like Narnia to me!

Chuck promises we're not stuck here... we can get out just fine in the truck. (He doesn't know I was standing in snow above my knees to take this picture!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Spring Blizzard '09!

It's snowing in Denver today-- In fact we are in the midst of a Spring Blizzard! The weatherman says it is supposed to continue snowing throughout the day and overnight. I took these pictures at about 10:30 am, and there's already about 6 inches on the ground. Yeah! We sure do need the moisture here, and it's nice to have an unexpected day (or two) off from work.

I went in to work this morning (Chuck drove me actually) and then I called him and asked him to go get us a dozen doughnuts (since all the drivers were just hanging around the office as we were shutting down.) His efforts were VERY appreciated!! :) Then at a little after 9am, my boss sent us all home, so I called Chuck yet again and asked him to come get me. (thanks honey!)

We are home and playing in the snow with the dog now... fun times!

Hope you all have a great day wherever you are- snow or sunshine. :)

Snow Dog

Our siberian husky Keena sure loves the snow. She really enjoys playing in the deep snow up at the cabin, but even here in town... if there's only a couple inches on the ground, that's enough for her.

A few weeks ago we had some snowfall overnight, and the next morning chukani and keena went for a quick walk through the neighborhood. It was a beautiful morning, not as cold as you might think, and the sky was so bright and blue, just wonderful to see. I think the late winter snows in Colorado are great, because the storms usually blow through quickly and you are left with gorgeous scenery, cobalt blue skies, and temps nicely above zero. (a real plus!)

The backyard was just dusted with enough white to look pretty for a while, until the sunshine kissed it goodbye.

Keena was thrilled with the white stuff all over- she gets so hyper running around and playing fetch in the back yard. You can see that her footprints cover nearly every square foot of the yard!

Here she is by her water dish (a big ice cube really) and looking at me- probably wondering why I am standing there with the camera instead of going to get her fresh water. lol!

I can hardly believe she's nearly a year old already. Keena is an April Fool's puppy- born April 1, 2008. She's become such a part of our family since we got her last year over Memorial Day weekend. I think she is about full size now, less than 60lbs- which is great. She still likes to sit on our laps on the couch- she doesn't realize just how big she is... but luckily at her size it's still somewhat manageable. And I don't feel too squished when she jumps into my arms.

We still use the puppy gates to keep her in the back room. Funny thing is we just lean them up against the doorways... she could easily knock them over, or better yet leap over them- I've seen her make a standing jump higher than the little 2 foot high gates. But in her mind they are as imposing as a closed door. Keena certainly has a healthy respect for the little gates. And I intend for it to stay that way!

Lately, we've been moving one of the gates into the kitchen on our side. We still block her off from the rest of the house, (and away from the cats) but give her the run of the back room and kitchen. Keena seems to really like to be in there with us, like when I'm cooking dinner, or if we're doing dishes. I think we'll let her in the kitchen while we eat dinner in the dining room now- and see if that curbs her whining to be near us.
Hope you are all having a good week!

There is nothing wrong with your computer

Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next few minutes, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your computer. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to the outer limits.

So... just what the heck is going on here?! Is that what you are asking yourself as you read the little intro? Well nothing really... and that's the problem. Nicole keeps saying I need to add something to the blog since I have extra time on my hands lately. But hey I don't know what to blog about I tell her! I'm not all that quick with the pithy comments or cool ideas to be able to blog about at a moments notice. But hey I do seem to have a head full of really useless random, trivial things and the intro to the old Outer Limits Sci-Fi show came to mind and viola! Here is my first random thing to add to the Chukani blog. Scary isn't it?! So if by chance I eventually do come up with something witty to add to the blog fret not I will do so but for now I will return you to your regularly scheduled blogging from my wife.

Lawn Ornaments

Who needs to spend money decorating their front lawn? Not us!

Each Autumn the Canada Geese come down to Colorado for a visit. Our house is a couple blocks from a nice park with a pond... which is a big draw for the geese and there are several hundred hanging out there every day over the course of the long winter.

In the evenings, we watch them fly overhead as they leave the pond and search out lodging for the night. If we're out walking with Keena, she loves to watch them fly by, for sure their honking gets her attention.

Every once in a while the geese go on a "field trip", and wander down the street. This particular afternoon a few weekends ago- they happened to come across our songbird feeder, and invited all their friends to hang out for the afternoon. I think I counted about 20 geese on the front lawn at one point.


They didn't seem to mind the cars going by, and I even walked outside to snap a photo at one point, and I don't think any of the geese even got up from their lounging spots across the lawn.

Every once in a while some would wander off and more would show up. It's the only time this winter I've seen more than a couple at a time on our street... must've been a big convention or something!


Of course- the cats love to sit by the big front window in the living room and look out on the squirrels running around, and watch the sparrows and finches visiting the feeders. This particular afternoon they were both entranced by the geese parading around. Maybelle especially thought this was an amazing sight- and Belly sat on her perch watching them for hours! I joined her in her vigil, it was a Sunday afternoon and I had a good book to read, so I sat in the easy chair, and she up on her kitty scratch post, and we both enjoyed bird watching a bit.

As the afternoon sun began to wane, the geese started thinking about their evening plans. One goose stood and started honking while taking a few steps. Then several others joined in, and all of a sudden they flapped their wings a few times and just took off into the evening sky. Immediately the arrow flight formation was apparent. How do they determine who flies and in what order? It was truly amazing to see it up close... and their beating wings make a lot of noise!

The dozen or so geese left then decided it was time to leave as well, but they seemed to prefer to just mosey on down the street, no fanfare and beating of wings for this group. I was a little sad to see them go actually. I think the Canada Geese are really beautiful, and I love living in a part of the country they call home for several months each year. Now that Spring is upon us, they will be heading back to the great north here pretty soon (well... most of them at least.) And I for one will be a little sad to see them go.

Cute as a Bug!

Chukani spend nearly every Monday Night together with Bill and Donna (and their son David) at either our house or theirs. He's a cute little guy, and we've really enjoyed seeing him change and grow over the last 10 months. Monday Nights are a fun tradition full of good food, sports and "wrasslin" on tv, and lots of laughs and conversation.

One of the highlights of our weekly get-togethers is the chance to play with baby David. Seeing his face light up with recognition just fills my heart with joy each time I see his smile!

Here's a pic of Chuck hanging out with his little buddy on a Monday Night in January:

David goes to bed pretty early these days, so we have to make sure and get our cuddle time in with him right when we arrive over at Bill and Donna's. Chuck didn't want to let go of him this night... so I grabbed my camera and captured their smiles.

Oh my gosh- he sure is as Cute as a Bug!

Here the boys are all in Bronco's colors... rooting for their team!

Looking forward to many more Monday Nights!

Hope you all have a good week- and stay tuned because I've got a bunch more posts coming up! I know- you can hardly believe it, right?!

What's new

Hi All,

Since it's been sooooo long since I last posted, I thought I'd just update you all in a random stream-of-consciousness fashion.

So, Chuck is at the cabin right now. He and Bill drove to Kremmling this afternoon, picked up the two snowmobiles that were being repaired and took them up to the cabin. They are gonna hang out for a while, and head back sometime tomorrow. I'm sorta bummed that I have to work, and couldn't go up with them, but I'm glad that Chuck and Bill get to hang out.

He called tonight to say it was in the high 40's there today, and there's definitely less snow up there than the last time we were up. But plenty still- the snow is still about level to the deck, which means at least 4 ft on the ground.

In other news... I really like my "new" job. I still work for SRC, but moved to the transportation department last fall. It was a really good move for me, I love working in this department. And we've been blessed with some new federal/state/county grants and are able to hire more drivers, purchase a few more new buses, and even upgrade our scheduling software and get new computers this year. All this even though the economy is in such turmoil! I think it's because the need for senior services is so great that our local and national legislatures are doing the best they can to fund services even when budgets are tight. I'm so pleased to be a part of an organization that does such good work for seniors in our community.

The gal that I trained to replace me in my former department came upstairs to chat with me for a few minutes today. Just in that short time of discussing some of the ongoing issues in my old department made me realize once again just how happy I am to have taken this new opportunity. God gave me the courage to take the risk and take this position, and it is good. :)

Speaking of work- I know I mentioned in December 08 that Chuck had been laid off. Well... things are getting better for us. He's been doing some consulting work drafting for a small surveying firm in Evergreen. Luckily he can work from home a lot, and only needs to drive up there once a week or so. It hasn't been very steady work as of late... but any work is better than unemployment, so Chuck is grateful for the opportunity.

Having him home all the time has added a new dynamic to our lives. He is around to help out with stuff around the house so much more, and I know the dog (and cats) like not being alone all day. So there are definitely some perks to working for yourself. The "honey-do" list gets checked off practically as fast as I can think of more items to add to it! Hopefully as the year progresses he will have a few more contracts and the workflow will be steady and busy. We've certainly gotten used to making do with what we have though!

It's nearly Spring again, my favorite season of the year. I love seeing the budding leaves and flowers again. Pat and I planted several dozen tulip and daffodil bulbs in the front planters last fall, and they are just beginning to poke their heads up to get some sunshine. I'm excited to see how it all turns out, and I'll be sure and take pictures so you can see as well.

Chukani are already planning our vegetable garden for this year also. We are going to expand again, and plant crops of onions and potatoes along with everything from last year. We are also planning to plant more roses and flowers in another bed in the back yard, to reclaim some of the lost spaces back by the fence. Of course, there is a big concern about how to keep Keena from damaging the garden. She has been re-enacting the movie "Holes" in the back yard for the last several months... so there may be some fence-building in our future garden plans as well.

I've been considering joining our church's choir. They have a wonderful music program at Bear Valley where we've been attending for the last couple years or so. The big choir only sings a couple Sunday's a month, and does some really great music for all the major holidays. But I'm currently in a women's bible study that meets at the church the same night as choir rehearsal, so choir will have to wait awhile. Right now I am enjoying just singing my heart out from the pew each Sunday, so that will have to do for now. :)

Ok- I think I've rambled on long enough. Sorry the blog doesn't get updated too often. I blame facebook... but then my other friends who keep their blogs current AND are on fb lots...well, they pretty much put me to shame. So there it is- I've posted again... (finally!) and I'll try to keep you all up to date more often. Thanks for not giving up on me!

Take Care!
Nicole