I talked to a friend today who spent the last two months over in England. She joked that she felt as if she had never left England returning back to Colorado, because it was cold, rainy and green. All jokes aside, we have had a wet, couple of weeks here along the Front Range, but I must say I enjoy this time of year because it brings a rare beauty to the area.
Unlike England, here in Nederland, we routinely enjoy day after day of sunshine, 300 days on average, more than Florida or southern California. It’s what makes this such a great state to recreate in, whether it’s skiing, climbing, hiking or biking. (And also makes solar power a viable energy alternative!) But all that sunshine can dry out the flora and fauna around us rather quickly, which means it can start to look awfully brown along the foothills of Boulder county that lead up to the mountains. But during spring, when we are still getting winter-like moisture that brings rain along the foothills, it does indeed start to look like merry old England, with the hills turning a beautiful emerald green. It also brings out a lot of spring wildflowers — even the Prickly Pear Cactus bloom, as well as Spring Beauty and Chickweed.
All that green grass attracts a lot of grass-munching wildlife as well, so it’s common to see lots of deer, elk and even Bighorn Sheep dotting the hillsides during this time of year. And May is the most common month for these hoofed animals to give birth to their young. What could be cuter than seeing a baby lamb, fawn or elk calf stumbling alongside its mother?
My drive to work is around 45 minutes give or take, and can sometimes seem long and tedious. But during these spring days, even in the rain, it brings the glorious sights of spring returning in earnest to the foothills along the Rocky Mountains.
