Summer 2013 Colorado Weather, Rain, Monsoon, Thunderstorms, Hail, El Nino, La Nina, etc (Denver: utilities, low cost)

[Josseppie]

It's only in the 70's now in Pueblo and with the breeze feels cool lol

[Westcliffe]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I disagree. I have never been a fan of zero scape. The good thing for me is I live in a town that has more then enough water, even during this drought, that allows me to have the kind of lawn and yard I want. I am not apologetic nor do I feel guilty. In fact I think that is one of the many reasons Pueblo is a great city to live in and I feel lucky to live here.

There are tons of "adaptive" plants that are not desert plants. There is tons of demand on the Arkansas up and down from your little Palos Verdes of Pueblo. I live in a Western Slope headwater valley that has ZERO pressure and we can water until we are blue in the face. All it does is create its own humidity and put all the watersheds at risk. What is the need to have water loving plants when there are so many beautiful ones that can do so well on less?

Please tell me you do not have extensive bluegrass lawn for the sole reason being that you can............I am not trying to be a pain; just think there needs to be a balance in arid places.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Westcliffe

There are tons of "adaptive" plants that are not desert plants. There is tons of demand on the Arkansas up and down from your little Palos Verdes of Pueblo. I live in a Western Slope headwater valley that has ZERO pressure and we can water until we are blue in the face. All it does is create its own humidity and put all the watersheds at risk. What is the need to have water loving plants when there are so many beautiful ones that can do so well on less?

Please tell me you do not have extensive bluegrass lawn for the sole reason being that you can............I am not trying to be a pain; just think there needs to be a balance in arid places.

Honestly its for a few reasons. One of the biggest is history. I live in the same house my grandparents had built in 1959 and I grew up there. My grandfather liked a big yard and a big patio why he had it built. And some more history. The money they used to buy the land came from my grandmothers mother who had died in the flood of 1921 and left the money to my grandma. Since I went this far let me give the rest of the history around the flood. My grandma was born in 1917 and had two sisters. Her dad died in the Spanish Flu of 1918 and they lived with their mom and grandfather. When the flood was coming in 1921 he did not want to leave because Pueblo never had a big flood and they just got new levee's so he just said if the water gets high he will go on the fridge. My grandma's aunt came and got the kids but the mom wanted to stay with her dad. After the flood they found their bodies 7 miles down stream and they were raised by their aunt.

That is why I stay in the house when I am more of a urbanist so if I did not have the house I would be living in downtown Pueblo with no yard. Then I keep the yard because my grandfather designed it down to the trees he had planted. I think he even planted the grass and put in the sprinkler system himself.

[Westcliffe]

That is an amazing story man! Again, wasn't trying to a pain, just wondering where the balance is for all of us in the West in terms of what we water and what we do not. For us it was about not changing the natural landscape around our house as it would have been a process just to do that, so we felt the right and practical thing to do was leave it native.

I will admit that having a yard to walk around on is nice. Luckily we have an 800 sq ft deck across the front of the house so there is space to lounge. I am interested in searching more about this flood. I knew it happened, however I sure do not have details. Just so we are on topic here, was that flood during monsoon? Actually I already know it wasn't. Sounded like torrential June rains west of town.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Westcliffe

That is an amazing story man! Again, wasn't trying to a pain, just wondering where the balance is for all of us in the West in terms of what we water and what we do not. For us it was about not changing the natural landscape around our house as it would have been a process just to do that, so we felt the right and practical thing to do was leave it native.

I will admit that having a yard to walk around on is nice. Luckily we have an 800 sq ft deck across the front of the house so there is space to lounge. I am interested in searching more about this flood. I knew it happened, however I sure do not have details. Just so we are on topic here, was that flood during monsoon? Actually I already know it wasn't. Sounded like torrential June rains west of town.

I think the better thread for this discussion will be the Pueblo weather thread since this is historical only about Pueblo. Give me about a hour or so and I will post something there on the flood of 1921.

[jim9251]

Almost a quarter inch of rain in Ridgway yesterday. Cloudy cool and light rain this morning. More storms forecast for this afternoon, with some river and debris flooding.

[CosmicWizard]

There was enough of a downpour during the wee hours last nite in Grand Junction, to bring a quarter inch of water into the low lying spot in my basement.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

There was enough of a downpour during the wee hours last nite in Grand Junction, to bring a quarter inch of water into the low lying spot in my basement.

Lake Cosmic

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Honestly its for a few reasons. One of the biggest is history. I live in the same house my grandparents had built in 1959 and I grew up there. My grandfather liked a big yard and a big patio why he had it built. And some more history. The money they used to buy the land came from my grandmothers mother who had died in the flood of 1921 and left the money to my grandma. Since I went this far let me give the rest of the history around the flood. My grandma was born in 1917 and had two sisters. Her dad died in the Spanish Flu of 1918 and they lived with their mom and grandfather. When the flood was coming in 1921 he did not want to leave because Pueblo never had a big flood and they just got new levee's so he just said if the water gets high he will go on the fridge. My grandma's aunt came and got the kids but the mom wanted to stay with her dad. After the flood they found their bodies 7 miles down stream and they were raised by their aunt.

That is why I stay in the house when I am more of a urbanist so if I did not have the house I would be living in downtown Pueblo with no yard. Then I keep the yard because my grandfather designed it down to the trees he had planted. I think he even planted the grass and put in the sprinkler system himself.

Thanks for posting that, Josseppi! Interesting story. I thought you were watering your lawn just to be contrary. (- but I'm still going to tease you about the Amazon Rainforest )

We had some nice rain showers here yesterday, but so far today it's been only clouds with no rain. Wunderground (what I call "weather underground") shows a current temperature of 88.3 for Cortez while AccuWeather claims the temp is only 83. We are supposed to hit a high of 102 next week according to Wunderground! But AccuWeather claims it will only be 87. (so many choices, so little time...)

Highway 145 is closed 5 miles northwest of Telluride due to a mudslide. The San Miguel River is in flood stage. When I drove alongside it on 145 a couple of weeks ago, the San Miguel was a mere trickle due to the drought. It's either feast or famine around here these days.

[CosmicWizard]

Last nites downpour in Grand Junction brought .41 inches of rain. That is a veritable deluge in these parts. I went for a hike in the desert around noon today, and I encountered numerous muddy spots. The desert had a noticeable green tint to it.