Snow and Transportation

     Its been so warm and Springlike for a few weeks that everyone thought Spring was here.  Last Friday a snowstorm caught some people, including the bus system, by surprise.  Snow started Thursday night and accumulated quickly.  I watched many cars,trucks, and SUV's on the main roads. Where are the buses ?
     It melted from the streets during the afternoon and froze overnight.  Saturday morning slippery roads and icy highways caused many accidents.
      Tuesday night another storm was forecast.  This morning my neighborhood had 6 inches.  Silver truck stays home during snowstorms and I take the bus.  The office building is 13 stories;  my work section is on the 9th floor. I had a great view of a serious white-out blizzard when I arrived.  Strong wind was blowing snow sideways down Lincoln Ave.
      At 11:30 am we received the email announcement,  the building would be closing soon and all employees are asked to go home.  Wow !  Last Fall we were told the building had been closed for weather events only twice in the past 12 years.  Snow was much deeper now.
     Denver does not snow plow the streets.  You would think that the largest city in a state that is famous for winter snow would run snow plows on the streets.  Wrong !   This is the worst snow plowing of any place I have ever lived.  Apparently the city does have a few plow trucks, but they are used on the big interstate highways mostly.
     I stood at one bus stop for awhile with other people and gave up on that bus.  I walked down to Santa Fe Dr and stood for nearly 45 mins waiting for the First Ave bus.  Again, many cars, trucks, and SUV's  driving on the snowy roads,  but no buses.  A man who was also waiting thought we would be better off using the LightRail train.  OK, we walked 5 blocks to the LightRail station and I boarded a train.  Now, it does not take much to put me in a part of Denver I have never seen.  Then I learned the train to the southwest has stopped running because a tree fell onto the tracks.  A bus along Colfax St. was still running, and the bus going south on Wadsworth St. would go as far as Alameda.  I walked from there.  The entire transportation mis-adventure took  2.5 hours.

I cannot have a posting without a bird, so the Pine Siskin at the start is a nice bird to post.  While I was shoveling the driveway late afternoon, I saw flocks of House Finches flying over and landing in trees.  Robins, Flickers, and Starlings as well.  During the winter I made Peanut butter Suet for any birds who came to the backyard.  I ran out a week ago, and did not make more because of the Spring-like weather.  Now my birds need some more food.
     The other photo is Squirrel foot-prints.  A silly Squirrel was running around the train station in the midst of the storm.