buckle-up

With 23 posts already published to this blog in 2020, this being the 24 th , and another   39 posts already published to our business blog, Real Time View (with the likelihood that we will close out 2020 with   40 posts), it’s time to simply sit back and yes, be truly thankful for what happiness we were able to realize this year. It’s been a very difficult time for all of us whether directly impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic or simply been on the outside, looking in. As you can see from the picture above, Margo and I continue to practice social distancing. We were fortunate in that when we built our home in Windsor, Colorado, we made sure there were offices for each of us. Not surprising to read that at times, I can be a bit disruptive when on calls especially now as nearly all of our calls are on ZOOM. But enough about the practicality of our situation the really good news is that we continue to test negative for that dreaded coronavirus. Like nearly everyone we t...

  Walking out onto our upstairs patio there are signs everywhere that the mild fall Indian Summer that we have been fortunate enough to enjoy for the past month – yes, convertibles have been sighted numerous times as have motorcyclists – has become little more than a memory. Catching sight of thermometers that have dropped deep into the blue zone telling us that it’s now well below freezing - just one more indication that Mother Nature has began its annual hiatus. Changes abound and yet, there are reminders everywhere you turn that perhaps, tucked away in pockets, there are indications that life simply continues unabated albeit on a lesser scale. To simply highlight how much the world has changed isn’t a good enough introduction to another post to a blog. To shine a spotlight on the magnitude of the tragedy in which many of us are caught up doesn’t tell the full story. Even as hope is mounting that there is an effective vaccine about to be distributed there is still that gnawing ...

This weekend took away some of the punchlines of a post I have already written for the February blog. You may recall that at that time of year, when business is a little slow and the opportunities to drive somewhere are limited, I write about the makeup of our garage with an often times whimsical look at what we might upgrade to at some point in the year. What made this upcoming post rather unique was how I spent time praising our virtuous decision not to buy a car during all of 2020. How, with travel bans being enforced for most of the year, 2020 turned out to be a time to pause, to look around and to take stock of what might transpire as we move deeper into year 2021. Well, we almost made it! But who knew that living next door to the owner of the biggest Chevrolet dealership in Ft Collins would make the perfect pitch for us to end our new car buying hold-out. With less than a month to go, we handed over the credit card and there it was! Confirmation of a transaction that would even...

  While it might be traditional in some countries to track events from May through to September, put it down to a later start or to simply thinking about it during June. No matter what turned out to be the catalyst, on the tenth of each month as summer approached on through to late fall, I was able to take these photos of how the seasons affected us. Without any preplanning involved I took each photo on the tenth of each month and the overall impact of seeing the transition one photograph to the other not only reinforced the passage of time but unfortunately marked our steady trek, one more time, around the sun.   Maybe it’s being out on the deck grilling something tasty, but it struck me that I really hadn’t ever tried to capture the light and shade that came with each ever so subtle change in the weather. I hadn’t even really thought about this being something worth writing about. And yet, after six months and with the onset of the traditional holiday season, it is a way t...

I was reading a magazine where the columnist remarked on how his car had stayed on the driveway for several months. Part of being socially responsible, he admitted. In these times, irrespective of your political leanings, it still does come down to how we view social responsibility and it does take many forms. All of which is to say, practices now embraced will be with us for many more years and we all have to be more than a little aware of both our surroundings and those with whom we socialize. A few times now, the west end of our street has been holding driveway gatherings. Throughout late summer there were occasions when we carried folding beach chairs to each other’s driveways, practiced social distancing, did a few elbow bumps, and conversed. Those impromptu gatherings often ran into the evening and even as I now forget the topics of the day, the conversations were lively as I recall. As a socially responsible outlet for our small community, it certainly went a long way toward r...

This is a post I didn’t plan on writing. However, with the number of inquiries concerning our safety we have received, it’s probably the easiest way I can convey what I know – and it will surely be read by family and friends. Before going any further I want to reassure everyone that Margo and I are safe and well away from the flames as is our daughter Anna and her family. We may live in the Boulder and Laramie counties and reside close to Boulder and Ft Collins, but these forest fires raging in the foothills would have to cover a lot of territory before having any direct impact on any of us. Having written the above it’s also worth stressing that there are many families facing difficult times with little to no knowledge of their situation, other than what they see in the news or read on social media. Having viewed this material and pulled some images from their coverage it is still shocking to Margo and me that, in modern times, Mother Nature can turn so quickly and bring such devast...