Denver’s biggest October snowstorm since 1997

      5 Comments on Denver’s biggest October snowstorm since 1997

IMG_6674.JPG

We’ve got a foot of snow, give or take a few inches, at our house in north Denver — it’s hard to measure exactly because of all the drifts, due to a stiff north wind — and some places in the Denver area are reporting upwards of two feet. And it’s not over yet.

Here are the Loy house, our Halloween decorations have taken on a distinctly wintery, almost Christmas-like feel, as you can see above. And our pumpkins are now completely snow-covered:

IMG_6678.JPG

Dr. Jeff Masters says it’s “the biggest October snowstorm in the Denver region since 1997.” Here are some more photos:

IMG_6663.JPG

IMG_6644.JPG

IMG_6635.JPG

The last photo is of our poor, beleaguered apple tree, which we planted when we first moved into our house. (I have since shaken the snow off as best I could.)

My mom is supposed to fly into Denver tonight for a weekend visit with us and the grandkids. Hopefully her flight makes it. Some flights into DIA are being cancelled this morning, others are delayed, while still others are right on schedule.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

      Comments Off on Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

Via @denverpost a few minutes ago: “According to the roof of The Denver Post building, 11.25 inches of snow fell here so far today.” And there’s more coming tomorrow. Quite a bit more. Welcome to October in Colorado:

IMG_1381.JPG

IMG_1395.JPG

Note the Halloween decorations on the front porch of the house at right. Heh. The fake spider webs blend right in with the snow!

Here’s what our pumpkins (or as Loyette would say, “PUMPEES!!!”), and one of our Halloween decorations, looked like this afternoon:

IMG_1380.JPG

If you’re curious what the pumpkins looked like before they were covered in snow, well, here you go:

IMG_6599.JPG

IMG_6597.JPG

All credit to Becky on the carving job. Can’t wait to see ’em lit up Saturday night! (And can’t wait to hear how Loyette translates “jack-o-lantern” into toddler-speak. Heh.)

I’m singing Mozart’s Requiem on Sunday

      Comments Off on I’m singing Mozart’s Requiem on Sunday

Well, not just me. 🙂 The Augustana Chamber Choir, directed by Dick Larson, along with the Augustana Chancel Choir and the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra, will perform the Mozart Requiem this Sunday, All Saints Day. I recently joined the choir (I sing tenor), largely for the opportunity to sing this very piece of music. If you’re in the area, please join us in the sanctuary of Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave, Denver, at 3:00 PM.

Singing the Requiem got me thinking about a couple of pertinent movie scenes, both of which I was able to find YouTube clips of. The first is the fictionalized account, in the movie Amadeus, of Mozart composing “Confutatis” — probably my favorite movement in the Requiem — with the help of Antonio Salieri. Didn’t actually happen, but it’s brilliant cinema, and it captures Mozart’s musical genius well:

The second clip is probably more familiar to non-music buffs. It’s the opening scene from X2: X-Men United, set to “Dies Irae,” another great movement from the Requiem. The music makes the scene, IMHO: