2/29/20 Saturday Leap

It is a Saturday Leap Day. 

The last time February 29th fell on a Saturday, it was 1992. 

The next time this will happen, it will be 2048.

I was reflecting on all of the life that happened in my life between 1992 and 2020 on the walk this morning as I was gifted a beautiful sunrise again.

And all of the life that will happen between 2020 and 2048, whether it be mine or no.

“Nothing in the world is permanent, 

and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, 

but surely we’re still more foolish 

not to take delight in it while we have it.”

~W. Somerset Maugham

Finishing Frosty February

So it's been a week. And then some.

Managed to get locked out of the house on one of the coldest mornings we had. 

Battery in the garage door opener went out, which was the only way into the house. Bob had to turn around from work while we hung out in the backyard playing fetch for another hour 

The boys think we should do that more often!

Aidan's prints to the left, Jake's on the right. Jake has more of a drag

post dog park slogging through, we're all dragging

while we were locked out, Bru decided to come check on us from inside the warm and very locked house.

all thawed out

This pair of hawks has synched up with our walk times these past few days. It's odd to see them together. This morning they flew one behind the other right over our heads along the street as if to say good morning.

tiny bits of blue sky to spot

another morning it started to snow about half way through

more thawing

most of the sky, most of the week

But another synch up with our walks has been the chorus of little black birds that flitter overhead and settle in this one big tree, always as we are coming back from the park and the sun has just started to peek over the horizon. 

They enter in small groups. I imagine them as the morning orchestra, first the winds come in and take their seats, then the strings mosey along. 

They almost sound like a running stream from some angles.

Weekend Update

 

only non-morning photo taken over the weekend, driving home from the store

Same thought I have every morning, though, "I am never taking this view for granted!"

Sam, Jason & Charlie's Big Move

So this past week was a whirlwind, with the kids driving all the way back from Florida in their new vehicle expecting to get their UHaul loaded, turn around, and drive back within 2 days. 

Nothing went as planned. The hitch install that was supposed to happen in Florida didn't because of a job interview timing thing, but Jason got the job with CCG! 

Jason, in his interview bowtie, matching his newly delivered and still clean car.

It was not this shiny after driving back to Colorado!

And so they set up an appointment with a well-reviewed body shop here to get the tow hitch done on one of their two precious days back while they packed up the last boxes in anticipation of getting the Uhaul loaded and ready. 

Only to discover when they went, on the day before departure, to get the trailer, that the body shop had NOT installed the wiring required by law to tow a trailer and NOT told the kids anything about the requirement that they go to the DEALERSHIP to get that done! (Which is going to cost them another $600 in labor!)

Now it's late on that last day afternoon, no appointment available until the afternoon of the following day, some 12 hours late from their planned departure. They've had their friend Drew, in the air as they get this news, flying in in order to ride back and share the long driving duties. He has to be back on Sunday for work. Leaving another day later is impossible. 

In the end, they cancel the trailer, lose the money on the useless hitch, and set up a POD delivery, and take just what they can squash into the car with three people and Charlie to survive in an empty apartment for a few weeks until it's delivered. 

One last goodbye Friday morning as they dropped off all the late night packing tape guns and drills, etc, on their first of just TWO DAYS to drive cross country 3000+ miles back to Florida. 

the first day, Denver to Austin, was from 7:30 that morning to midnight. 

A couple of Charlie updates from the road:

The second day was even more brutal, from 7:00 in the morning until 2:00 a.m. the next day to reach Florida!

Only for the young!

But they got there safely and still (generally) sane. And they will forever have these crazy early memories of the long trip and the first weeks in their new home living out of boxes without furniture. 

2/12 back to the walks

From this morning's return to walks with the boys, now that the non-walker Charlie has returned to Sam and Jason was refreshing