A “Spring” Drive

Zoe (our dog) got me up before 7:00 a.m. both days this weekend, and it wasn’t even light out when I took her for a walk! Today we went to our favorite Sunday brunch place and met neighbors there so stayed a while. Then, Jim wanted to go for a drive.

The route he carefully planned and checked out looked good, except we got there and the road was still closed through the winter. Glad we don’t live up there! So we drove through Emigration Canyon, where the Mormons first landed in Salt Lake City and it was snow-free.

The bushes next to our deck send out red shoots before they bud. The birds are coming in, geese and ducks. The snowmelt freezes overnight so the water birds don’t come in until 5-6 at night. Soon they’ll be here ’round the clock, and our favorite Greater Sandhill Cranes will return any day now. The red-winged blackbirds have been back for a couple of weeks and yell at Zoe and me as we walk by.

The snow is melting in a very strange fashion, from underneath in places so there are ledges the dog can walk upon and not sink in. It is a very strange hollow sound of dog footprints on a fragile precipice. We just heard from neighbors that they saw their first Sandhill Crane at the Preserve today. We’ve yet to see one but Jim believes he heard one just a few moments ago.

Tonight I slow-cooked baby back ribs in the oven in a basic rub. Jim will put them on the grill with a bottled sauce from Austin TX and I’ll serve with frozen sweet potato fries with chipotle from Alexa, and a green salad. Not much work on my part except being here for 1.5 hours while the meat cooked.

A semi-success, our spring drive was foreshortened and led us into the valley. Many bikers and convertible owners took advantage of the same route and gorgeous weather on a lazy Sunday. Both of my passengers (husband and dog) fell asleep as I took the Interstate back up the mountain to our home. Hope you enjoyed the weekend! Dee