Colorado Dry Spell may be Over

[Dan Morris]

Hope today ends the long Colo dry spell and it's effects on wildlife.
The long dry took it's toll during last elk season. Started snowing about midnite.....went to work this morning with about 4" of snow.
Took off early and had to shovel my way into my drive.....about 30". From what I gather, the hills are getting it too!
Dan

 

[Steve Smith]

It is great, isn't it? We really need this!

 

[stevesmith7]

We need it alright, but the drifts are starting to top five feet around the house. I gave up plowing today, it drifted back too fast. Supposed to
last another 36 hours, that should pretty much end this drought.

the other

Steve Smith

 

[Coltdriver]

I have an honest to goodness four feet in my driveway. It took my wife, my two kids and me until nearly four in the afternoon to shovel a path that I could drive my truck up so that it is at the top of the driveway.

This picture was on my deck at eight this am. It was cleared off and has equaled this amount again.

They are forecasting 6 to 8 feet where I am.

I believe that not only may the drought be over (we were at 90% of required base before this snow began) but we may actually make up the shortfall and get to 110% or more. 117% and we wipe out the shortfall from last year and have a full year too.

Ain't global warming wonderful??

 

[Dan Morris]

Colt, that's about what I have now! Gonna spend today diggin out, work tomorrow. Today, it ain't gonna be! First time I have taken a sno day off in 22 years!
Dan

 

[Coltdriver]

I am now up to a solid five feet in front of my door! The driveway we dug out yesterday for the truck now has another three feet in it.

We barbequed breakfast this am and had campfire coffee.

We are re discovering board games and I am using up the first of two batteries on my laptop.

 

[Steve Smith]

Here in southern Colorado Springs the accumulation is low because of the high winds w're having (25 mph now). It is drifting pretty bad out east toward Peyton now. I used to live out there...glad I don't anymore!

Ya'll button up and stay warm. Throw another log on the fire for me.

 

[vitiaz]

Yippeee!!!

1) "Drought-killer" blizzard(~36" here and its still coming down)

2) SB24 & SB25 signed by the Guv.

3) "Snow Day" at work...

4) Making snowmen w/ the kids

5) We're gonna' kick Saddam's a**

6) New contract at work(I get to stay in Colorado)

7) It's my birthday(yeah, I'm an old(er) fart)

 

[Coltdriver]

Recipe for Snow Ice Cream:

Use two or three cups of milk or half and half.

Add enough sugar to make it sweet.

Put in one tablespoon of vanilla per cup of milk.

Add in enough fresh snow to make it into ice cream.

Great way to celebrate your birthday!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Cool! This is great. We haven't had much snow here, but had over 1" of rain and a bunch of slush.

You guys up high hold on to that moisture for us low-landers (4800') and we promise to grow some peppers and sweet corn for ya.

 

[Steve Smith]

Snowcream

Anyone worth his salt knows that snowcream is made with condensed milk (the sweetened kind)!

Larry, I'll be taking you up on both later this year!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

That's Eagle Brand milk.

Steve, you bet! I'll load you up on tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers, too.

 

[Steve Smith]

Yup, Eagle brand.

I'm not far away from you. The Springs. We gots snow.

 

[stevesmith7]

Well, I got the snowblower to the street today. There was a good
twenty feet of driveway with snow at shoulder level. We've got a
drift in front of the house that within three feet of covering a 12 foot
tall tree. I hope it stops soon or I'm going to run out of gas for the
blower and will be forced to siphon.

Steve

 

[Art Eatman]

No moisture down here, but we've had winds running 25 to 40. I wuz making progress on road-rebuilding until all this started, Monday afternoon. Working backhoe in this stuff puts serious grit in your teeth. So, clean guns, get paperwork done, go through "stuff" and all those little chores.

Ain't gonna bother to vacuum or dust for a while, though.

, Art

 

[Dan Morris]

Could be worse, we have warmth, we are dry and have power.Freezer is full in worse case, still got propane and heaters/stoves left over from hunting season. Moisture is gonna be great for horn growin time!Talked to business compadre...I think we will shut down tomorrow too. Major streets are ok....neither one of us can get out of our neighborhoods to get to em. Also, couldn't do a dam thing if we were there. Good time to get caught up on loading!That is if I'm not too sore, shoveled for about a total of 5 hours.LOL
Dan

 

[vitiaz]

Coltdriveer,
"Recipe for Snow Ice Cream"

That's a great recipe...but it s LOT better if you add some Bailey's to it!



Sorry guys, I grew up in Florida...I'm 'blizzard virgin'. Reminds of when we had a 'hurricane day' in Florida.

 

[Edward429451]

Hwy 24 is going to be closed again tomorrow. I've got three days worth of work to do in Peyton. Was supposed to start it tuesday of course! Aw well. Snows fun and the moisture's better. Guess I'm working the weekend again

 

[Steve Smith]

Hmm...I just lease-optioned my house in Peyton to a nice couple. I guess they just got their official "Welcome to the Colorado High Plains" welcome.


BTW, thanks Art, for letting this stay up.

 

[labgrade]

Yes. Thanks for leaving it open.

The usual deer/elk around these parts have been conspicuously absent of late. Duck 'n cover, although they started coming out again later today - herds.

A measured 21" over the deck BBQ, Steve (if you recall), much worse over by the "drift side," & we did the "angel-wing-thing" by opening our car doors - "only" 2-3 feet here. Local weather-guy figures 1" water/6" of snow = very good deal.

Stuck the truck as soon as backing out & had to chain up to get out the driveway. Did, & drove through ours & the neighbor's to pack it down so we could all get out. Local road crew had the grader out & the local road was hard-packed dirt, never lost power, had wood, a connect, food .... a fun holiday - The Wife stayed home.

The Guv/Staties said The Roads Are Impassable/Stay Home/DO NOT GO ANYWHERE! There was no reason whatsoever for anyone here on anything "not hugely localized" not to travel -all roads were open thanks to the efforts of our localo road-clearers. Good job, guys 'n gals! We passed the test.

!10 AM, I got out of my driveway & drove on merely wet roads into Loveland, grabbed some beers & a couple other "staples" (gyrating on making the perfect sushi) .... We did.

I shoveled about 3 tons of snow today off the decks. First off in shorts, with a sweat shirt & moon boots - 1/2 through, lost the latter two - switched to shorts & sandals = too warm while working - gotta love Colorado weather.

11:30P, 3/20 now & we're again gettin' snow (easily 2"/hr snow with 1/2 dollar-sized flakes falling ... it won't last .... )

 

[Steve Smith]

Snowing here this morning again, but no biggie as here in Colorado Springs we we had little accumulation due to high wind. A coworker who lives in Highand ranch came in today, he got over 3 feet.

 

[Art Eatman]

While this is more about weather than hunting, moisture always affects the quality of hunting. Folks' ranches got cattle and such; the Good Lord ranches a bunch of wildlife, I reckon.

Perspective: My old red neck always lights up and glows when the TV newsies go to whining about some form of weather messing up a picnic. All I can see is rain or snow that makes for good soil moisture--which helps critters, and makes for fat cows or Bambis.

Aw, well, where else but TV-Land do you see high salaries paid to unskilled labor?

, Art

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Absolutely, Art. I've seen many effects of this year's drought (Colorado's worst ever).

Prairie dog numbers are way down (no grass), I've only seen turkeys 2 or 3 at a time, in years past we could see up to 70 turkeys at one time from our house.

My cousin close to Limon said the number of little pronghorns was way down last summer and fall, almost non-existent.

The only animals that are doing well are the coyotes, I guess because the other animals are weak or dying, increasing the food supply for the coyotes.

Well, it's raining here again. Nobody here is complaining.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I still won't be burning open fires this year.. my volunteer work on the Hayman Fire gotme thinking seriously about that.

But on the plus side, we are due another blizzard next friday. Let's hope we get a bunch.

I shoveled snow from Downtown Denver, Aurora and Littleton and I have to say it wasd the worst in Aurora. Lost a picnic table in a 5 foot drift. Snow was so deep the beagle couln't find a place to piddle. Funny to watch a 18 inch dog make tunnels in 4 foot deep snow.