Warmer days are here!

It has been a while since I last updated as Nick and I have been busy trying to finish a remodel on our small condo and also trying to enjoy some of the warmer weather that has finally arrived in Crested Butte...but yes, it's here and it is just glorious in the valley.

The aspens have just lost their newly budded vibrant green, the rivers are running fast and full and are a sparkling deep sapphire, the sky is a perfect summer blue and the mountains still have their covering of snow frosting. The combination of colours can be dazzling and I can think of nowhere I'd rather be than here at times like this (well eating a leisurely seafood lunch on the harbour front in Chania, Crete does come to mind...)

Work this summer is going to be fun - for me at least. I have the good fortune of being able to pick and chose what I want to do while Nick earns the "solid" income! So I have decided to work a few shifts at The Brick oven in down town CB. The restaurant serves pizza and burgers and has an extensive beer list - they even serve Stella sometimes which is always a plus in my book!
The big advantage they have is a huge outdoor patio right on the main drag in CB which gets sun all day long...when it's sunny - it actually snowed while I was there last Thursday morning...yep, snow on June 12th - can't beat that...or maybe I shouldn't say that and tempt fate! So I will now be spending a couple of days a week hanging out on their patio and serving pizza and beer...way more fun than sitting at a desk inside all day if you ask me...plus the commute is easy: just ten minutes on my bike into town.

My other job is the really fun one. I am working on the outdoor maintenance crew for the Alpengardener. The company builds and maintains gardens for customers as well having a full garden centre. It has been hard work but I am loving it so far. We have just finished spring cleaning all the gardens we care for which is no easy task. it includes taking care of any snow damage, cleaning out the beds and getting them ready for the (very short) growing season, weeding, fertilizing, mulching, even snow removal! I can only hope I am getting stronger as I haul around those huge bags of fertilizer and mulch and shovel all that snow out of the way!!! Now we are moving into planting and maintenance season which I am looking forward to as well - after not having a garden for 18 months I am loving being back out there pulling weeds again! I did have a great day this last Wednesday: the garden centre needed someone to work on the pots that they send out, so I was able to spend the day planting large containers - great fun. I was amazed at how many plants they manage to stuff into those things - no wonder they look so incredible all summer long. It even inspired me enough to finally get my own window box planted. I will get some photos and share them next time. Planting season also means that the hanging baskets are starting to appear again around town - I can't wait to see them fill out and spill over adding their summer colours to the town..guess I am very much a summer person after all!

Hope to be doing some fun things over the next few weeks that I can keep you updated on. Nick wants to climb Gothic mountain this weekend, but I am a little reluctant! I'll keep you posted.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!