The light filters through the vibrant greens of trees in the park across the street through the large windows. I sit in Jives Coffee Lounge in Old Colorado City admiring its black ceiling, wooden floors, amazing coffee (dark chocolate mocha with cinnamon, ginger, and paprika…died and went to coffee heaven), guitars in the corner, comfy lush chairs, sprites painted across the walls. Youth reverberates through this neighborhood infusing it with spirit, hope, unlimited potential and dreams. The rain lets up. An older artist in painted smock walks down the sidewalk. I suddenly long for canvas. The library beckons from the corner and shops line the main corridor. Festive twinkly lights outline yards and the urban homesteading scene is alive and thriving in this little pocket of Colorado Springs. Goats are allowed, as are chickens, and clotheslines, and bicycles with baskets. Bees, backyards, and life fill the West Side. If I were to move to the city, this is where I’ll go. But alas, they probably haven’t allowed sheep yet.
We finish our coffees, close our books, and get back in the truck to go get chicken feed. A stop here and a stop there and we still don’t want to go home. We head out to Bar Louie for a happy hour drink and a snack.
For a moment we are city people, sitting on bar stools, holding hands, watching the rain on the outdoor patios, imagining sun and summer. Never have we been so late to plant. I swirl the red wine in my glass as he tells me about a rule change in the NFL. The waiter comes over and inquires whether we’ve come out for dinner.
“No,” I say, “We are farmers and this is supposed to be our busiest month. But we can’t plant in all this rain so we sold a goat and now we’re out drinking.”
Silent pause.
“That sounds like a good story line.” he says.
(Elsa was picked up by five extremely thrilled homeschooled children and their mom to start her life in New Mexico yesterday. Elsa never really liked it here once we moved. She was used to being literally in the back yard and she just wasn’t getting all of the attention she had grown accustomed to. She jumped in their mini-van and was off!)
Here’s to the sun coming out today!
Farmgirl School 
Are we looking at a colder and wetter than usual summer too? I cant plant in Falcon either! When will it end?!
I am your neighbor now! We moved to Calhan. Another wet, cold day. Oy.
It’s the same in the UK, panicking now as we are away for three weeks soon and I usually have everything well established by now and easy to be looked after by daughter/friends/neighbour. We are supposed to get a change in the weather tomorrow but who knows. Fingers crossed, and toes etc. etc.
Our change might not be here until the end of the month. So strange. Well, in the meantime, Cheers Darling!
It certainly sounds like Elsa will be getting plenty of attention now.
And I’m ready for several days of bright blue sky and warm temperatures.
Now . . . . .
Rain, rain go away
Gardeners are waiting and we want to play
In the dirt with our hands, seeds waiting to plant
So please rain depart and I’ll stop my rant
Amen Sister. It is foggy and rainy again. What state do I live in? We never get this much rain! I’ll be lucky to get Doug up this morning to do chores!
We are in Central Illinois, so this much rain is not at all unheard of. However, we’re not getting the amounts of rain those in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states are getting right now. It’s enough rain and often enough that we need a couple days of sunshine and no rain for the ground to dry out enough to plant. Today the sun is shining. A few days ago it was just dry enough that I planted my tomatoes and peppers. I still need to weed the raised beds and have zucchini and melons to plant. If the sun continues to shine today and tomorrow, I may just be able to get everything done before the next round of rain and storms that are predicted for our neck of the woods.
Ah, the life of a farmer wanna be 🙂