Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

A winter picture of our building from
the Blizzard of 2006

As I write this all warm and comfortable in front of my computer here at work most of Denver is struggling through the first real snow-impacted commute of the season. Pinnacol anticipated a rough commute and we encouraged our employees to be smart about their commutes and to take their time coming in as their safety comes first. I live on the southwest side of town and for me the smart thing is to get an early start, a really early start. My commute is normally 45 minutes to an hour and I've found through the years that on wintry days if I'm on the road by 5:30 a.m. the traffic is not yet too bad. Coming in to the building there always seems to be the same group of early arrivals but given road conditions we'll be seeing our peers trickle in over the next couple of hours. Our snow removal team was here even earlier than I and had already shoveled the walkways and there was no line in the showers in the fitness center so I counted my blessings for a relatively smooth commute this morning.

With all the talk of global warming its hard to predict what our upcoming winter season will really be like but as much as I don't like to drive in Denver in the snow I have to admit it was actually kind of pretty with the city covered in a mantle of white. Last night I went on a bike ride after work around Cherry Creek Reservoir and actually saw my first Christmas tree and lights in the window of one of the apartments along the bike path. So, ready or not, 'tis the season. Have a safe drive and if you happen to glance away from the brake lights ahead of you for a moment try to see the beauty in a Colorado snowy morning!