Impression Evergreen

April snow showers The wind finally finished whipping through the foothills but now the local climate has become a monsoon. A disruptive rain/snow mix is settled over the Front Range but the much needed moisture has been a godsend. The warmer temps create a heavy slush that pours down out of the gray sky. Day after day, the thirsty landscape is drenched and the dry gullies transformed into a deluge of cold runoff. A blurry curtain of drizzled atmosphere has softened nature’s edges and the big mountains have all but disappeared. Not as monochrome as during a winter storm, the forest still sparkles with a bit of spring color. The birds don’t like the dreary weather so many of them have retreated into comfortable seclusion. I still see robins as they seem to tolerate the cold by fluffing up while hunting for worms. There is one animal up here that thrives under such miserable conditions. Elk are built for the harsh elements so they happily graze, gallop and buck across the so

"Evergreen Lake Spring" Watercolor After a tiresome winter, it's finally spring at Evergreen Lake where everything appears back in perfect order. The trout are jumping, ducks are quacking and dippers are dipping. Rushing out of the rugged Front Range, Bear Creek becomes a lazy river as it enters the wide reservoir. The painting’s foreground features sparkling highlights that flicker across the pond’s icy inlet. On land, the variety of fresh vegetation displays a rich diversity of size, shape and color. Known as Elephant, the big, gray butte concludes the background while wispy, white clouds sweep across a cerulean sky. An arched footbridge transports the ambler to a winding boardwalk through a marsh of soggy cattails. The yellow reeds are a place where red-wings make a ruckus over food, relationships and intrusion. Despite the blackbirds' protestations, most creatures consider the warmer weather a Godsend. Pressed beneath an arctic crush, we welcome sprin

Noble Meadow I’m enjoying our warmer temperatures but if it gets too hot, I feel uncomfortable. I actually don’t mind the wet and cold so I savor being out in stormy weather observing the wonderful lighting effects. I can stand the heat and certainly the chill but there’s one annoying element that drives me crazy and indoors. It’s the ferocious west wind that whips down from the white mountains and batters the foothills. The raging mistral is making its annual appearance as its the driving force ushering in spring. The windy season usually lasts for a couple of weeks but this year it seems to have been blowing for more than a month. Every morning the early light is blemished by a murky haze that veils the normally blue sky. The relentless gale has disrupted the peaceful atmosphere causing the local wildlife to be constantly on edge. The unstoppable breeze is born in the big peaks and funneled down through Noble Meadow like a runaway locomotive. You can find some relief by

Easter snowfall After a few weeks of beautiful weather in Bridgeport, Nebraska, things turned ugly in a hurry. Mother Nature made a fool out of anyone who thought spring was here for good. Saturday night was no joke as the Great Plains was buried under six inches of heavy, wet snow. The flakes came down like rain and covered the hills, trees and corn. The west pasture was completely white except for a swath of blue creek that wound its way through the prairie. The stream flowed freely until reaching a fresh beaver dam that diverted the water, flooding nearby fields. The migrating birds were stunned by such drastic weather changes but the bucket calves seemed perfectly content. So much moisture will give a big boost to the farmer’s first crops being planted this season. By Sunday afternoon, the sky cleared and a warm sun melted most of the accumulation. For a few days there will be a bit of ice and lots of mud but by the end of the week, the landscape will reawaken and this