Last night I went to a meeting where the state highway department (CDOT - for Colorado Department of Transportation) talked about their plans for permanent repairs on the highway along our river.

"We are going to look at and re-design all the private access bridges and rebuild the access to the homes across the river where necessary. Where there is a better way to design a bridge, we will do it. And we'll build a 10-foot ditch on the cliff side of the highway to trap falling rocks and boulders. And we'll restore the river channel with our heavy equipment where the post-flood condition would affect the ability of the highway to withstand future flooding."

Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming.

This doesn't affect me directly because I don't have the damage that a lot of people do, but it's such a relief that the needs of so many will be addressed, and I can stop worrying about them.

It was the first meeting I have been to since the flood last September where I came away satisfied and relieved. For once I wasn't exhausted and depressed trying to think what we'd have to do next, and how the heck are we going to begin to do it.

There is another meeting on that same subject tomorrow night, and I was going to go in case something different was said, but now I'm staying home, because I'm satisfied with what I heard last night. It is a strange feeling, and now that it has happened, there is hope of it happening again.



Colorado Blue Spruce - some look green, some blue. My parents planted these 38 years ago.