Some of us think about water a lot. I like swimming in it, skiing on it, sailing over it and consuming it in an incredibly diverse array of products.  I’m mesmerized by water:  the elegant complexity of its simple molecular structure, its hydrogen bonding, its properties as a solvent, the fact that its crystalline lattice structure – similar in some respects to a diamond -- renders it less dense as a solid than as a liquid (which is why ice floats, with massive climatic consequences), its mass (resulting in its surprising weight of about 8 pounds per gallon -- which is why ocean waves are powerful, why rivers erode canyons, and why hydroelectric projects function), its dynamic properties of flow, its economic utility in all three common states of matter and the range of temperatures over which those states of matter occur, its uneven distribution across our planet and the consequences which proceed from all those attributes. 

Most people are familiar with the term "estate planning," but often question whether it applies to them.  Some perceive that estate planning is only for those with significant wealth or property, and therefore avoid preparing a plan.  More often, we simply do not like to think about what an estate plan implies-death or disability!  That is a natural reaction, and I am often reminded of how difficult it can be to discuss end of life issues.  Despite that difficulty or the perception that an estate plan is only for the wealthy, having a plan is among the most important decisions one can make.  A good estate plan takes the burden away from your family and survivors regarding your possessions, and more importantly, gives guidance for decisions about your quality of life.  The components of an estate plan follow.

A recent water law ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, Frees v. Tidd, 349 P.3d 259 (Colo. 2015), has raised eyebrows throughout the water bar about whether the decision condones the practice of a junior appropriator making a first use of the same physical supply of a senior water right.  Such a practice could turn the prior appropriation system on its head by, as argued by some commenters, no longer ascribing water diverted to the water right owner only.  In the worst case scenario, senior water rights could risk losing some aspect of control over their supply because it must first pass through another junior non-consumptive use – like the hydropower plant at issue in the Frees v. Tidd case. 

I don’t know about you, but my mornings are crazy.  I hit the ground running, getting my family ready for the day, getting my kids to school, getting into work on time and going full force for the rest of the day.  GO! GO! GO!  Most days are a total blur, but there is 10 minutes of my day that I have forced myself to slow down.  On the main level of our office building, is a little coffee shop called The Unseen Bean.  I think for the first six months of my job I rushed in and rushed out of the building without even giving it a second glance, but running around at that pace burns you out fast.