This was supposed to have been published in May of LAST year, but I just found it as a draft...
Last week I was driving down Hwy 7 in Estes Park and almost hit a hawk. It flew from the side and turned to fly directly in front of me about 3 feet above the ground right in front of my bumper. It refused to drop the rabbit that was weighing it down, and finally veered off. I was so glad I did not kill a federally protected raptor. It would have been even worse, because I was driving a mail truck.
Yeah, I've been delivering mail over the winter to help pay the utility bills at the lodge. Last Monday was my last day doing it, and now I'm back to working the lodge full time.
It had been a long, and pretty lonely winter up here due to the Covid pandemic. Maintaining "Social distancing" and wearing a mask in my home was getting kind of old. So Juanita and I, having been fully vaccinated, made a corporate decision to not require guests to wear masks here in the lodge if they can provide proof of vaccination.
Last weekend we had our first full lodge mask free retreat in over 14 months. EVERYONE was vaccinated. It was wonderful being able to smile when telling a dumb joke and be sure people knew I was joking, and not just being an idiot.
Eating breakfast at the same table with our guests had been sorely missed. Passing around bowls of food rather than individual plates of food causes less waste, and is a lot more flexible. I like "family style".
It was like coming home. We loved it.
