Feeling A Little Adrift in life.

So I know that I haven't posted much in the past few months...it feels like forever to me. In the meantime, unaware what was coming exactly last time I posted, I have lost someone very near and dear to me. I lost my father the day before Thanksgiving. During that same time I was planning a long distance move to start a new job in Fairhope, AL. Even since I started the draft for this post back in April, I have been unable to face completely the loss of my dad. I took the new job in Fairhope, AL and worked there from Jan 2 to end of April. I undertook another long distance move to start another new job in North Carolina. It has been a good move for me. I feel less adrift, but only barely. I never realized how your immediate family can act as a set anchor for your life, hope, and happiness. Losing my dad has taught me a lot, brought a lot to light within my own life. ALWAYS tell people that you love them, never go to bed upset with someone when it is much easier to forgive (I still struggle with this from time to time. I am more prone to forgive than to forget, but forgetting is how you can make your own happiness.), never take for granted that someone will be there for you. I have learned which of my friends/family are there for one another and which ones are just there for convenience and to get something out of you.Some photos of all of my travels over the past several months.

Catching up over the months

So, I haven't been doing a very good job over the last 9 months of keeping up this blog. That being said, once the snow melted finally in mid-May I was ready to go out and not be stuck in the house. During the time I have been away, I have moved a few blocks away and set up house in a 2 story 2 bed/2 bath town home. It feels more like home than my previous place. I also had the pleasure of hosting my parents for about 2 weeks.
I took them over to Steamboat Springs and we explored a lil bit there.

The Actual Steamboat Spring

On another day my mom and dad took off north of Craig to find a little yarn shop. That place is seriously cool. The name of it is Yampa Valley Fiber Works. Great place to learn more about the art of spinning yarn and doing knitting/crocheting crafts. I still am working on a nice soft scarf...although my plans for it might need to change. We had a good time, they got to see the small town life that I am currently living. We also spent some time doing a bit of volunteer work with a co-op set up for farmers goods called Bountiful Baskets. Bountiful Baskets is a great thing. I could pay for the regular box and have fruits and veggies galore in my fridge. After that it has kind of spiraled...my dad was hospitalized twice after going home to Alabama, I was set to dog-sit one weekend for my friend Alicia and one of her dogs ran away and was eventually killed. That same weekend a friend Carrie and her daughter Randa and I did a color run with the pup...kinda cute seeing a lil pup covered in color. She got a much needed bath before going home.




 In mid-August I went to Destin for a much loved visit home/vacation. (I wish I was still there, it has to be warmer than it is here currently...I mean it is only 26 outside right now.) In September there wasn't a whole lot going on, other than I went to a friend's daughter's soccer games with the local college here. October brought much of the same. Now that we are almost mid-way through November, we don't have snow YET...but we all know that it is on the horizon. They have forcasted out that on Thursday we have a 75% chance of snow last I heard. For those of you that know me, y'all know that I have not checked the weather this morning nor do I listen to the news. If I were to listen to the news it would be out of Denver and those folks seriously whine about getting any snow at all. I have seen it myself.

Copyright Haiden Hill Photography @canonmomma

Copyright Haiden Hill Photography @canonmomma

Finally embracing the snow

Now that it's been nearly two months...I decided that it might be a good thing to make another post.

Over the last couple of months I haven't gotten out as much as I would like, but the roads this weekend were great to travel on (not what felt like 3 inches of ice and snow on the roads) and the temperatures were amazing. We've had a virtual heat wave these last two weeks out here hitting highs in the mid to upper 40's but still getting down to single digits during the nights. We've also not had much snow. Not to say it hasn't snowed, heck we just had a blizzard about two weeks ago. Most of the snow recently has not stuck or at least not as much of it has stuck. According to the Craig Daily Press...we've had over 64 inches of snow between November and January . I have no idea of how much we've gotten since then. But the good news is a lot of it is beginning to melt. So now we are in the beginning stages of mud season out here.

Back at the tail end of January I finally got my car fixed from my wreck...and I am happy to say my car looks more like the new car that it is.

While my car was in the shop I got the fun of driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Biggest thing I miss about it was the heated steering wheel. And the seats could be air conditioned colder not just heated.

The beginning of February was filled with work. Which for most everyone should not be a surprise about me. I worked over Valentines/President's Day weekend. Last weekend I was dealing with allergies. I thought that I would be leaving all the allergy problems I have down south, but due to all the dust from them sanding the roads to help clear the ice and snow...my allergies came back in full force. I joked with some of the people that I work with that I must be allergic to the snow, since its the only thing that seems to be in bloom and multiplying.

But this weekend with the roads being good, me feeling much better (still have residual sinus drainage but...oh well) and not being on call I found something to do. I found a "Debunk the Winter Funk" event being held at one of the local state parks called Stagecoach State Park. They were doing ice fishing demos, sled dog demos, snowshoeing demos, archery,  and hot dogs, s'mores, a raffle ticket giveaway, and just in general having a good time in the snow.

I finally got out and had some fun in the snow and met some amazing people along the way.

My first attempt at snowshoeing.  Photo credit: Rebecca Musso

A mom and toddler on a snowbike.   Photo credit: Rebecca Musso

One of the photos I am off in the distance I am assuming I have stopped to take some of my own photos while snowshoeing out over the frozen lake. After taking lots of photos while snowshoeing, I went snow tubing...Sorry no photo of that. I prefer regular tubing on water not snow/ice. On the water at least there is less chance of breaking a tailbone. At least that's what I am telling myself.

I followed that up with driving around in circles as it turns out, but got to follow an old Chevrolet around. I did supper that night with a friend at one of the local Mexican restaurants. We decided to go see a movie at the local movie theater here in town. We went to see "How To be Single" it is a good movie. Although it has every right to be rated R, it was funny which is what I needed.

I leave you with photos from my snowshoeing...and being at the festival. For additional festival photos check out Facebook: Debunk the Winter Funk and all photo credit there goes to Rebecca Musso.

Folks doing some ice fishing

Kid on a fat tire bike.

Ice fishing House? They dismantled this shortly after the photo.

Happy New Year!!!

It has been several weeks since I have posted. I have been busy with work and trying to make a life for myself out here in the Colorado Rockies. I think today we are shooting to be the coldest place in the nation for the second time this season. (The first time was on Dec 25,2015 at -12ºF) At last look we are up to -19ºF but when I woke up just after 8:00 MST it was -24ºF.  So I am writing this drinking on Smores flavored Hot Cocoa with marshmallows. MMMMM...So good this frigid morning.

So to do some catching up, on Dec 11 on my way home from work I got involved in a wreck where the other person slid through a stop sign into an intersection and hit me. I walked away with possibly some whiplash and a busted front end of my ride but nothing anymore serious than that. 

The next day we had a Radiology Christmas party out at Mark's house. I went out to Mark and Regina's after doing some errands in town to help set everything up. We had an ugly sweater dress up and did white elephant gifts...It was so much fun. Although driving out there less than 24 hours after being in an accident was no fun, toss in the fact they live off of dirt roads that don't get plowed but during the week...BLECH!

Some of the folks from radiology and significant others.

Mark with some of the radiology girls.

Then after that things sort of slowed down for me. I have been working and running around trying to get the things needed to get my car fixed after the accident. I went and spent Christmas Eve night with a dear friend and co-workers family. That night was so fun even though I was late to arrive there. I got from her kiddos (who are as cute as can be and very very thoughtful) a blinky Christmas bulb necklace, and from her and the whole family I got a doTerra Glamour set which is awesome and a Christmas card with some photos of her children. Those photos are now up on my fridge.

Christmas day I spent the morning cooking to head back out to Mark and Regina's to do Christmas with them and Mark's youngest son Nick. There I got some fuzzy warm socks, Carhartt socks and a Moon Pie. They get that I am southern and wouldn't have it any other way. Poor Nick doesn't have a clue what it means to be southern or what southern food really tastes like. Poor guy. From the rest of my family and friends meant I got some knitting tools that will be put to use soon. (I have to find something to do with my time on the weekends when I am not on call and it's colder than a snowman's butt outside.) Some wonderful flavored hot cocoa with marshmallows. (Thank you Ayla!!) A really cute winter hat that has a lining in it to help keep my head warm, some toe separator socks, 2 new pair of gloves- my old ones have apparently been put through the ringer by me- and a clava to keep my nose and face warm.

So to finish it up...although I don't have many friends out here I do have my co-workers who are amazing. Now if I could just find somewhere that needs a whole new radiology department and was somewhere much warmer with less snow...I would convince everyone to move and I think that it would be perfect. But I doubt that will happen. One can dream right?!

So here's more random pictures of snow over the last month that we have gotten including some of the berms that are left behind here from the snow plows.