MAY SNOW IN COLORADO

It's 6:45 AM the day after Mother's Day, and I'm shoveling snow. About eight inches of fluffy stuff have fallen since yesterday and some tree branches are sagging dangerously. I've already done the "Snowy Tree Broom Dance" in my back yard several times to keep branches from breaking and so far it's been successful. Now to clean off some driveways.

I get to work with the "Colorado Supershovel" I made about ten years ago out of two eighteen inch snow shovels bolted side-by-side. It can push a lot of fluffy snow in one sweep. I can't use it on heavy stuff, but it's just right for this morning's snow on our sloping driveway. I should have patented it.

How do they do it, those weather people? They told us this was coming four days ago, and their forecasted temps and snow amounts were spot on. It's hard to believe they are going to be that accurate when the two days leading up to it are sunny and in the seventies.

It's an hour later and I've shoveled off the six driveways in our cul de sac. Tire tracks show some have already left for work. I'm older than the other folks here, but it's a good way to get useful exercise. Makes for good neighbors, too. Wasn't it poet Robert Frost who wrote, "Good fences (deeds?) makes good neighbors?" His is an ironic name for this kind of weather.

Late spring snows come to Colorado every year. Thirteen years ago, May 10, 2001, the day after we moved into this home, a heavy snow broke half of a big cottonwood onto my roof. Two years later another spring snow knocked the other half onto my neighbor's yard, just missing a window.

This isn't climate change, it's just Colorado. I sure hope it won't freeze all the leaves. They're just emerging and some might not make it. That would mean some dead-looking trees till late June when new leaves come back, a lot thinner though.

The snow started yesterday morning after a nice Mother's Day church service and lunch at Mimi's. The boys went together on flowers and a huge Mother's Day card for Carol with pictures and words that brought a lump to her throat. Mine, too. That afternoon I read through the lessons for July 13 when I'll be preaching at our congregation. The Old Testament lesson is from Isaiah 55:

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Great words, but I sure hope it doesn't snow that day.