A Winter Storm

… and the calendar reads October, it must mean Halloween is ’round the corner.

In Colorado, history suggests Halloween and an early winter storm are synonymous. They aren’t. If the weather records are consulted, they would say the timing has been coincidental. There have been some very warm Halloweens also. And, a number in between, a classic mid-autumn day and night.

A pair of memorable winter storms leading into Halloween:

• October 31, 1972 – A heavy snow begins at mid-morning. The accumulation by noon is six inches on the ground, with another 6-8 inches still forecasted. The forecasted low is -20° F/ -28° C, which was easily reached.

• October 24, 1997 – A blizzard descends on the region before the Friday evening rush. The snow and ice quickly accumulates, bringing traffic on major arterials to a virtual standstill. I-25 is impassable. The blizzard conditions make motorists think twice about abandoning their vehicles. Most opt to stay in their car.

Call it nature’s trick or treat.

Making A Difference

Running late, Deborah waited on Elizabeth and Tara to join her for lunch. Their schedule on most Wednesdays run very tight. Getting together for lunch is a rarity.

long hallway at University of Colorado Hospital (Anschutz Medical Campus, UCHSC)

At Anschutz, it is easy to get lost in the maze of hallways. With the med school and the hospital connected, it is easy to become more lost and wander down an empty hallway. A visitor knew she was lost when she came across Deborah. She asked if Deborah could get her pointed back in the right direction. Deborah said she could have someone walk her back to the hospital side, back to where she needed to be. If she could just be pointed in the right direction, the visitor said, she would be fine. Deborah told her to walk straight in that direction, no turns, no elevators. It would take her directly to an information desk, where she could ask for further directions.

The visitor had taken a few steps, then collapsed. With no one else around, it was all on Deborah. She made a quick call to her mom, Andrea, saying she needed help. “A middle-aged woman has collapsed, and is unresponsive. Pulse is slow, breathing is shallow.” Within a couple minutes, or so, Andrea and a trauma team arrived. Deborah’s information to Andrea was concise and precise. Since she had a pulse oximeter in her pocket, Deborah put it on the collapsed visitor’s finger. The visitor was having a hypoglycemic episode. If the girls weren’t running late, the outcome could have been very different.

Before leaving Anschutz, late Wednesday afternoon, Deborah checked in with Mrs. McM, the visitor. She profusely thanked Deborah for helping her, “You’re my hero.” Deborah replied with a smile. “I’m glad to have been in the right place, at the right time.”

Our girl, we’re proud of her.

Colorado In Fall: Watercolor Season

The crisp morning and evening air. Reaching for your favorite jacket. Cold weather favorites for your dinner table. A crackling fire in the hearth. Quilts on the bed.

Fall has arrived.

And, with its arrival in Colorado, using nature’s watercolor palette. Mostly of the golden yellow variety coloring cottonwoods and elms. The reds and oranges found with scrub brush and non-native trees.

The scenes, the feelings, best preserved on film.

Photo: Taken with a Canon FTb 35 mm SLR using Kodak Gold film (ASA 200).

A New Kit In Town

“You look in her eyes; the music begins to play.
Hopeless romantics, here we go again.
But after a while you’re looking the other way.
It’s those restless hearts that never mend.
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town.
Will she still love you when you’re not around?”

She’s the new kit in town. Very sweet, very sociable. Very affectionate too. The task at hand, discovering her secret name and integrating her into the household. She is living in Laurie’s and Andrea’s office for the moment.

And, yes, The Eagles song, New Kid In Town, does come to mind.

Caturday: A Rainbow Bridge Day

We awoke early.

Hours earlier, I had talked with our vet, Dr. Wasinger. A decision was made. The time had come to be kind.

Fifteen years ago, Pebbles, our original Siamese girl, crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

She was loyal and very loving. Pebbles was most protective of Deborah, Elizabeth and Kyle. They were, after all, her kittens. She had her place in bed, between Andrea and I, resting her head on her own pillow.

Many stories can be told. Pebbles had expensive tastes, ranging from custom-made leather handbags to fine gold jewelry. She also developed a taste for fresh canola oil, having a small saucer every morning. If it was infused with pork, chicken or beef flavors, so much the better. And, she loved her daily tuna. Pebbles especially enjoyed the dark pieces from fresh tuna.

Spoiled? Not a chance.

We have missed our Pebbles. For sixteen years, we were privileged to be her forever family.

Love you forever

xoxo
mom, dad and the girls