I'm not a big fan of winter. In fact, I was ready for spring on Dec. 21.

Yesterday's warm weather had me itching to get out of the office and into Douglas County to see how residents (who weren't tied up at work or school) were spending the afternoon outdoors. Especially since forecasts predict snow for the weekend.

My first stop was Highlands Ranch. I drove into town via Quebec, so I decided to visit the nearest park I knew of: Highland Heritage Park, located behind the post office at 9561 S. Quebec St.

Here I saw several mothers (and a lone father talking on his cell phone) carefully watching their young children take up residence at the playground. I heard one young boy proudly proclaim, "I climbed the ladder all by myself!" It certainly was great park weather.

I spoke to one mother, Lynette Kramer, who was pushing her 2-year-old daughter, Camryn, on a swing. She told me she drove all the way to Monument so Camryn would fall asleep. But when Camryn awoke, Mom said, she quickly discovered her plan: "I thought we were going to the park!"

Camryn is mature for her age. Mom said she is 2 years old, but if you ask Camryn, she'll say she's 4.

"How old are you?" Mom asked.

"Eight," Camryn replied.

Lynette said she knows all about YourHub.com -- her sons Conner and Krischan were photographed in their Star Wars garb for a feature YourHub.com Managing Editor Fairlight Baer wrote about local commotion during the premiere of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. As it turns out, this story was printed in the very first issue of the Highlands Ranch print edition (May 26, 2005). It's a small world.

My next destination was the Parker Police station to pick up police blotter, but along the way I wanted to see if anybody in Parker was taking advantage of the Feb. 21 spring-like weather (a thermometer on a bank sign I drove by read 52 degrees). I decided to park at the Parker Recreation Center and I spotted several teens skateboarding near the roller hockey court.

I spoke with Christian Urban, 15, who was practicing some tricks off a small staircase while his friends watched on.

Christian was wearing a Nirvana shirt, and I think that's pretty cool that a great band I listened to in middle school is still popular with the next generation. I don't know if Cobain knew his music would be so popular ... maybe that was one thing was afraid of. While some music fades out as fast as you heard it the first time, some music is timeless and will never be forgotten.

Well, that pretty much concludes my warm-weather field trip to Douglas County for this week; however, I like to get out into the community at least once a week and see what's really happening. If you have any news tips or want to let me know of an upcoming event, shoot me an e-mail or call me at 303-954-2617.

What do you most look forward to do when spring arrives? Post stories and photos on YourHub.com of you and your family and friends enjoying life outdoors.