boulder winds

delectable mangos...

we haven't seen these for a while. 

this lucious, succulent fruit was a year 'round staple for us in sydney.  so whenever i eat one, i am

transported back to southern hemisphere summer sydney days licking the golden juiciness from my fingers and handing the sweet, juicy pit to my little, teething gabrielle to suck on for hours.

blowy boulder winds

i don't know if you know this about boulder.

(i had never heard this before we moved here)

but we get horrible, horrible winds in the winter time.

we've had gusts up to 95 mph.

when we renovated our house we had to follow code and attach hurricane clips to the roof.

the chinook winds blow down the canyon, across the fields and hit our house side on.

the winds usually start at night and wreak havoc across boulder.

our little city wakes up in a daze from a miserably interrupted sleep as we survey the damages.

i've seen many a strange thing the morning after...........

trampolines lifted and transported into neighboring yards

dumpsters strewn across the highway

hot tub covers in trees and the strangest.......

a pool table in a cow pasture

everyone in the valley takes precautions when these winds show up.....

we had horrible winds this week......

poor gabi is terrified of these winds so she ends up

dragging her duvet into our bedroom and 

making a bed on the floor of our closet and shutting the door.

with no windows and located in the center of the house, it is the quietest sleeping space she can find.

poor, little thing.

willy wonka cast party.......

 the willy wonka cast party was after school on friday.  the cast members met in the auditorium to....

dance, play games, eat pizza and purple willy wonka cake.

they were each given a copy of the playbill, a photo collage and a WW chocolate bar.......

check for a golden ticket!

it is track season!!!

today was the first meet.

i am so excited to watch ben this year.

he is pumped too!

ben is an amazing sprinter.  

he finished his sophomore year last year with these rankings.......

200 meter:   5th in state 5A

                                100 meter:   7th in state 5A

i get so excited, it is impossible for me to focus on taking a good photo.

by pure luck, i caught ben (left part of the screen in black) heading to the blocks for the 100m.

great run, ben!!

he also ran anchor for the 4 X 200.  intense!!

signs of spring.......

a brave little crocus - what a lovely surprise!

wake up, sprinklers!!!  paul and george, our landscaper worked on the sprinklers today.

and i was able to wash my car!  it was so warm outside, i couldn't resist.