What a difference a year makes!

Last winter we had what us long-time locals would describe as a "20-year weather event."  It snowed... and it snowed and snowed!  Enough to collapse roofs of houses and businesses in nearby communities.  Enough to cause meaningful flooding as the snows began to melt.

Some photos from last winter and early spring:

This winter has given us a significant turnaround.  Below-average precipitation, and at least for the past week or so, unseasonably warm temperatures.  In fact, we're not even halfway through the month and I've already bicycled more miles than all of last January.

Here's what I'm talkin' about:

(The last photo in each group above was taken in almost the exact same place.)

Winter isn't over yet.  Some folks - the ones who haven't been around long enough to know better - will be disappointed when we get more nasty weather.  And, since we live in the desert, we appreciate how meaningful that snowpack in the mountains is - it's our staff of life!  But just the same, it's always a blessing to bicycle on non-slippery pavement!

Several stretches of the Greenbelt are still closed, as damage from last year's flooding is repaired.  Below are photos of the Greenbelt near Veteran's Parkway, in April '17 and today.  It looks like they want it to stay put this time... that concrete must be 2 feet thick!  (As compared with a thin asphalt slab, previously.)