Monday, March 29, 2010

Open season

You guys, it was so GLORIOUS to come home on Friday night. It almost (ALMOST) made the length of the trip and the five days away from Torsten worth it. It was so NICE to have him waiting for me at the airport, and to come home to find out that he had bought me a delicious birthday cake, and also a gift of a bunch of bulbs and seeds so we can plant some flowers in our back yard this year (including beautiful purple iris bulbs, one of my favorites). And to greet an wriggling, nuzzling mass of excited dog at the door. And then to go to sleep in MY bed, cuddling with my husband.

And then! The weather this weekend! ESPECIALLY yesterday. It was so warm! And sunny! And breezy! And luckily Torsten and I had the foresight to go to Costco on Saturday and buy some food for grilling, because we had seen the weather forecast, so yesterday morning Torsten flung open the back door and announced, "Let Grilling and Squirrel Chasing Season 2010 begin."

And that was so apt! We went outside, and cleaned off our patio furniture, and uncovered and scrubbed the grill, and swept the patio, and put our new doormat (purchased last fall, but kept in waiting until now) in front of the back door. And then Torsten grilled bison burgers and corn on the cob for lunch, and we sat on the patio and enjoyed the food, while the dog lay peacefully in the sun at our feet, taking the occasional break to run after a squirrel and bury, dig up, and re-bury a couple of treats.

We lounged on the patio for awhile after lunch, drinking in the beautiful weather, reading, talking about where to plant the flowers once the last of the snow has melted (the left side of our yard melts much sooner than the right, so half the yard--luckily the half with the patio--is looking green and warm, while the other half is still covered in snow).

Afterward, we took the dog to the off-leash state park nearby, and we strolled while she sprinted and wrestled and swam and romped. The weather was just unbelievably perfect and we were clearly not the only ones who thought so--the park was full of people and dogs, and everyone was just in the most wonderful spring mood. It must have been all that vitamin D we were all soaking in. It makes everything blissful!

I still have spray-on sunscreen in my hair. It's supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny today, and 79 (SEVENTY-NINE) and sunny tomorrow. And suddenly I remember with perfect clarity how lovely it was last summer, when it stayed light until after nine, and we grilled out nearly every night, and went hiking almost every weekend. And I love that we get to have another summer like that this year. And then many many more summers like that in all the years to come.

We know this isn't it for the snow, that Denver gets a fair amount of snow in March and April, that we'll likely get at least one more good storm, if not more. But from here on out it should be the kind of snow that melts almost as quickly as it came. And that's the best kind of snow to have.

I love every season in Denver, truly. I'm ready for spring but I liked winter, genuinely liked it, enjoyed the coziness of it and the beauty of the snow. But this season, the one that's starting now? Grilling and Squirrel Chasing Season? This is definitely, without a doubt, the best one of all.

16 comments:

  1. It is surprisingly beautiful in NC too. We had a delicious thunderstorm last night (oh how well I sleep in thunderous, rainy weather) and it's supposed to be in the 80's for Easter! It's amazing. I cannot remember the last Easter where I didn't freeze my tush off! I'm super excited for Easter especially since we'll be able to have our Easter Egg hunt outside instead of inside which is so boring! :)

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  2. This made me grin like an idiot - it's supposed to reach the seventies at the end of the week here in Michigan, and I am SO EXCITED. Grilling/playing outside season is my FAVORITE.

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  3. Living in Cleveland I actaully like the winter, too. I love the seasons and the anticipation each change brings. But there is something about spring...

    A couple of weeks ago we had a string of 4 days of unbelievably incredible days – 70 degrees, blue sky and more sunshine then we’d seen in weeks. EVERYONE was so happy and I just felt alive. The thought crossed my mind more then once that if you live in SoCal there is no way you can enjoy days like that with every cell of your being the way we do.

    Today - it's foggy, rainy and chilly but the forcast calls for 70s and sunny by mid week!

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  4. Glad you're so happy, you sound totally excited to be home, such a lovely post to read. Oh and I misread the bit about squirrels first time through as "Let Grilling Squirrel Season 2010 begin" - so glad that wasn't what you meant!

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  5. My favorite season is "early summer" and right now is the start of the slow build to early summer. It's so delicious- this build- that it's almost PAINFULLY delicious at times.

    We are having wonderful weather this week too- not quite as warm as you, but a few days of 70's are forecasted. I can't wait! (And we'll probably get more snow too, but like you said, it will melt quickly.)

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  6. Yes! We have had an unseasonably warm spring and people are absolutely giddy about it. That lack of vitamin D makes people go nuts, I swear, so when the sun comes out, it's a complete transformation in humanity.

    Our first outdoor baseball game is this weekend, and it's supposed to be in the 60s!

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  7. The city of Denver should hire you to work writing their tourism brochures! Every time I read one of your Denver-related posts it makes me want to move there.

    Sounds like the weather is absolutely divine.... I love it when it gets like that!

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  8. I know exactly how you feel! It's supposed to be almost 80 this week in Chicago and I CAN'T WAIT!

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  9. Welcome back! And here's to spring weather. :) You're not missing anything in DC right now. Raining and gross.

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  10. There is just something magical about the early rays of spring. Especially when one lives in a snowy place.

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  11. That sounds great! This weekend is supposed to be in the 70s around here. I cannot wait!!!

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  12. Sounds great! Philly is grey and blah, but we're supposed to get good weather next weekend so I'm taking it all in stride. PLUS! I bought a whole ton of seeds to get started inside and then plant in containers in our front (the sunny side of the house.) Spring always feels better after a rough winter.

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  13. I LOVE to grill out! So fun and so yummy!

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  14. Summer! Oh, how I love that glorious glorious season.

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