On the one hand, water that is saved in a rain barrel and then used on the garden is keeping more water from local rivers and streams than just letting it run off while it is raining. Rain and gutter run-off does not penetrate grass lawn very well, and especially when it is raining, any extra will flow off the yard and into the storm drain, ditch, or local stream. If you hold it until you need it for watering (i.e. when the ground is dry), it will be taken up into the plants, which will then breathe it out into the air. On the other hand, I think that the Colorado gardener has more right to the rain that falls on their own roof than the Arizona residents who want pools or the California yard-owners with green lawn mandates in the desert. Possession is nine tenth of the law. Finders keepers.

The critters that wind up in the middle of the road can be funny or infuriating and other times down right terrifying. We have had several strings on this forum about frog and toad crossings and many of us have had to brake a little too fast when the headlights reveal a startled deer or two. (Have you heard about the deer in Colorado that have figured out the traffic signals? I've seen them.) On the same road where I acquired Birdy I had to get out of the car and herd a gaggle of geese marching mostly down the yellow line. Hey Horton, if you were missing a squadron, at least they were on Airport Road headed for the north-south runway. Another time I wound up chasing cows wandering along the same stretch. I've often wondered if I got them in the correct barnyard. You know it's really hard rounding up cows while wearing high heels, especially when there is a bull on the other side of the barb wire. Your turn. Sandy

Dlynn, I just heard about the Loveland area fire from Max a little bit ago. I've been unpacking and starting to catch up on house things and haven't had the TV on. I'll be watching the 9:00 news though. We went to the dog park tonight and there was a line up of small buses and small fire trucks, all with the same name and logo, that were from New Mexico at a gas station near our house. As they filled up and were leaving the station, they all turned north and when I commented how strange that was since NM is south, Max said he had heard about a fire that started near Loveland and that they were probably going there to help. I can't believe how hard our part of the state is being hit this year. Thankfully there are a lot firefighters and tanker planes that are already in the area that can help and that the reservoirs and Carter Lake can provide water. I just heard that 2 homes have burned. I know that you are far enough away to probably not be in danger but my heart goes out to everyone in the area. We came home from our son's home, about an hour south and east of Boulder, yesterday afternoon. Max and Ollie came home before I did and called me to let me know that there was only a faint smell of smoke in our house and the air was clear outside. When I got home, my eyes burned a little but I didn't have any breathing problems so we just turned up the AC to filter the air a little more. It's OK today. I certainly never dreamed our San Francisco vacation would be extended by nearly a week in Parker and I'm glad to be home. Tomorrow I start back to cardiac fitness and know that will be a struggle since I've been away so long at sea level. Lee

Ok...but look at the link I posted. It says that modern stations use "heating strips". By modern I mean the expensive ones used by airports and universities, not what is sold on Amazon. I too have looked at the raw data sheets, I know data can be missing - especially in smaller towns - but I really doubt it has been a major factor or otherwise the NWS would discuss it more. (You sometimes see M marked for the middle of summer. The reading just wasn't taken that day. Nothing involving snow.) In other words, for example, the Oakland data I posted would have some kind of disclaimer saying winter figures were low quality data. COCORAHS/amateur stations are an entirely different matter...which is why they aren't used for official precipitation figures... I think for any major city it's safe to assume the precip. figure has always included snow. If you consider the origins of the NWS, one of the main goals involved improving agronomic efficiency. It was part of the Department of Agriculture for 50 years. It would have been pretty pseudoscientific to skip counting snow as precipitation.