Lisa VonBargen Estes Park Real Estate Expert

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it looks warm enough outside to go for a hike without a jacket!

That's my April Fool's joke...it's really cold and snowing, and we're happy about that because we need to catch up on our snow levels just a bit.

But it did make me feel better just to post this photo. Because it WILL be like this soon! Happy April Fool's Day!

Greetings from Estes Park!

In addition to selling real estate, I am fortunate enough to be able to play my trumpet with the Oratorio Society of Estes Park, and also use my graphic art skills to do their advertising and program designs. Our spring concert is coming up in April and will feature classical pieces performed by the Oratorio Chorus, Orchestra and Brass Ensemble. Click on http://www.OratorioSocietyofEstesPark.info for more details!

Just about the time that thoughts turn to daffodils and tulips is about the same time it starts snowing in Estes Park. The best part is that the sun comes out again and it warms up to a picture postcard day. Spring skiing is close by, and all the resorts are having the best conditions of the season, just in time for the kids to have a few days off school to enjoy it! So, even though i describe "Springtime in the Rockies" as Mother Nature with PMS, days like this are one of the many reasons we love living here!

OK, so the winters may get a little long here in the Rockies, but the Estes Park residents can still have a great time at a fun local event called "Savor Estes Park" Every Thursday night in March from 4:30 to 7:00 PM, a group of restaurants host a "tour" of sorts. For $3.00 per person per restaurant, you can have a small sampling of their best dishes with a soft drink, beer or a nice glass of wine. Tonight there are 23 restaurants ranging from the Historic Stanley Hotel to Poppy's, The Wapiti Grill and Smokin Dave's BBQ. Last week nearly 1000 people enjoyed the sampling and socializing! For more info, visit http://www.enjoyestespark.com/savorestesmap.php I'm taking all the boys and a few real estate customers...should be fun!

A few years ago, I ran an ad that had the headline as the ad copy and a photo of my gorgeous dog, Arrow. It went on to say that you should be friendly, loyal, and wipe your feet before you walk on the carpet. Everyone always loved it when the ad was in the local papers.

On Monday, it was time for Arrow to go to doggie heaven, much to everyone's dismay. He was 15 years old and had survived cancer three times. After Sunday, he was no longer able to go on our three mile hikes through our mountain subdivision and was starting to have a lot of pain. Not easy to make that decision, even when it is the obvious and kind thing to do.

Arrow was a crazy mix of black lab, bloodhound, chow, border collie and great dane. He was pretty much the primary resident of our home and we were his loyal servants. He survived encounters with mountain lions, bears, coyotes, bobcats and raccoons while keeping my three sons safe in our backyard wilderness. He really did teach me a lot about real estate, even beyond wiping my feet before walking on the carpet. He taught me that you can keep going, even when things aren't perfect. You can take pride in what you are still able to accomplish. You can find joy in the small things, a sunny day, a smile from a friend and knowing you made a difference in someone's life. Works for a dog and a REALTOR, too.