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[contents] 4

VIEWPOINT

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY EVENTS

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

NEWS CLIPS

INDUSTRY

COVER STORY

RECIPES

GARDENING

OUTDOORS

ENERGY TIPS

FUNNY STORIES

DISCOVERIES

JANUARY 2017 Volume 48, Number 01

“A Winter Climb” by Jim Deeds of Monument.

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US

coloradocountrylife.coop

FACEBOOK CHATTER Posted on COCountryLife: Readers with their Barbies.

[cover] Dulces Granados and Rollie Johnson (right) walk over a ridge with Davey and Dandy. Photo by Dave Neligh.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor; mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, Designer; cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland, Ad Rep; advertising@coloradocountrylife.org Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Individual subscription rate: $9 per year for Colorado residents or $15 per year for out-of-state residents, taxes and postage included. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. © Copyright 2016, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights. Subscribers: Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 Advertising Standards: Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual. EDITORIAL: Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Phone: 303-455-4111 | mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife | Twitter. com/COCountryLife | Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/ COCountryLife1 Advertising: advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative: National Country Market | 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504 | Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181

MONTHLY CONTEST Win one of three Headsweats’ hats. Find out how to enter at coloradocountrylife.coop under Contests. Deadline to enter is January 16 at noon.

[viewpoint]

SAFETY IS JOB 1

Taking care of co-op employees is a priority for CREA and member co-ops BY KENT SINGER

CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG

“Mayday! Mayday! Lineman down!” This is a radio call we never want to hear in the electric utility world. That’s because in many cases, this call for help means that a lineworker made contact with an energized line and needs immediate medical assistance. Sometimes lives are changed forever, sometimes lives are lost. Unfortunately, every year this call Kent Singer goes out too often across the country. Despite the extensive safety training that is undertaken by electric lineworkers and the attention to safety given by their employers, electric contacts are still happening in the utility business. It’s a persistent problem that all of us in this business are concerned about and trying to address. The safety of electric co-op lineworkers is up to many people: the lineworkers themselves, their fellow crew members, their supervisors, the general manager of the co-op and also the co-op board of directors. Everyone in the chain of command has a role in creating a culture of safety at the co-op and placing a premium on safety. As our lineworkers go about the often-dangerous job of keeping our lights on, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to keep them safe.

The Colorado Rural Electric Association also has a role in keeping lineworkers out of harm’s way. Of CREA’s 12 full-time staff, four are dedicated to helping train our members with respect to workplace safety and regulatory compliance. CREA staff regularly travels throughout the entire state to provide instruction on topics ranging from electric theory to line construction. The number one priority of our program is to support member co-ops’ efforts to see that every employee goes home to his or her family each night.

JANUARY 2017

To that end, our safety professionals either completed or are in the process of completing a training program our national trade association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, created some 20 years ago. This program consists of a series of workshops, lectures, directed study and independent projects that take place over a two-year period. Individuals who complete the program and develop a final course module that others can use attain the status of Certified Loss Control Professional. While the day-to-day management of this national program is handled by a dedicated team of NRECA employees, that staff reports to a group of co-op volunteers from around the country who help oversee the program. I was asked about a year ago to participate on this task force as the representative of the statewide co-op organizations. In this role, I gained a whole new level of respect for all of the people who complete the program and take the expertise they gained back to their states. In 2017, CREA’s safety professionals are adjusting their schedules slightly to provide adequate time to keep up with their training. With the new calendar of visits to member co-ops, the job safety and training instructors will be able to provide the needed courses and updates for co-op employees while maintaining their own course work and training and helping keep everyone safer. We are also in the process of selecting a new director of safety and loss control for CREA. This is a key position for this organization, and I’m confident we will find an energetic and innovative leader who will continue CREA’s strong commitment to safety for all the employees of our member co-ops. Our co-ops depend on CREA to support their safety efforts, and we are committed to providing best-in-class services. Our safety staff is also rolling out a new program in 2017 called Speak Up, Listen Up. The objective of this program is to make sure that all co-op employees, regardless of seniority or tenure, are comfortable talking to their supervisors about any concerns they have regarding workplace safety. The ability of co-workers, particularly those who work on energized facilities, to communicate freely and openly is critical to the safe completion of their duties. In the last couple years, there were several electrical contacts involving Colorado co-op linemen, with one resulting in a fatality. This is a heartbreaking event in the life of not only the family of the worker, but also for his friends and colleagues. We want to make sure we are doing everything possible to eliminate these incidents and take care of those folks who literally energize our lives.

Kent Singer, Executive Director

coloradocountrylife.coop

Political Memories

I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the November Viewpoint, particularly the part about John (B.) Anderson. I’m from Illinois and Anderson was my congressman. I remember meeting him once at an area county fair and I got his autograph. I was working for my hometown newspaper in 1976 and I voted for Anderson. My hometown newspaper was owned by an extremely right wing family. And my hometown is Dixon, Illinois, which is where Ronald Reagan grew up and graduated from high school, so I was a bit of a rebel. Sue Keefer, Las Animas I read with delight the Viewpoint article by Kent Singer (November ’16). This column could have been written by me as his views were identical to the ones I have had since the mid-1970s. I too have struggled with this political process. I didn’t vote for Reagan or Carter in 1980; however, the name of who I did vote for escapes me. I thought he was refreshing in his commonsense, no-nonsense analogy of our past, present and possibly future political adventures. I believe the truly smart and gifted people in this county would not want the job, ever. Joe Floriano, Cotopaxi Clinton is more qualified than any three or four candidates in history combined. She was “extremely careless” in her email usage. It pretty much ends there. She’s been an incredible public servant for 35 plus years. She’s also been attacked and vilified for the same number. On the other hand, there’s Trump. “Space limitations” won’t enable you to go over the weaknesses of both? You could fill all 31 pages of the November issue and not cover all of the weaknesses of Trump. Volumes have been written on his weaknesses. I’m surprised that someone with a political science degree could even come to any conclusion other than complete shock at almost everything that regurgitates from his mouth. Ken Collins, via email

[letters]

DANGEROUS

CHOICES heat or food?

Dangerous choices. That’s what families and seniors are faced with when they can’t afford to pay their home energy bill.

electricity or medical care?

Nearly one in four Colorado households can’t afford home energy. Give them a safer choice.

hot water or diapers?

donate today at energyoutreach.org/choices 95¢ out of every dollar we raise goes directly to needy Coloradans, earning top ratings and recognition from:

Morton_CoCountryLife_1.17_Layout 1 12/5/16 1:48 PM Page 1

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January 1st–February 28th Got something to say? We welcome letters to the editor. Not all may be printed and all will be edited for length. Send your letter to Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org. coloradocountrylife.coop

2017 Sale Dates:

January 1st–February 28th

800-447-7436 • mortonbuildings.com

[community events] [January] January 7 Colorado Springs Family Exploration Day: Geology Western Museum of Mining & Industry 10 am-3 pm • 719-488-0880 January 7-22 Denver National Western Stock Show National Western Coliseum 866-464-2626 nationalwestern.com January 7 Dolores Winter Farmers Market Four Seasons Greenhouse & Nursery 10 am-1 pm fourseasonsgreenhouse.com January 9 Aspen “The Great Alone” Documentary Showing Wheeler Opera House 6:30 pm • 970-920-5770 January 11-14 Breckenridge Ullr Fest Various Breckenridge Locations gobreck.com January 14 Lafayette Quaker Oatmeal Festival and 5k Walk/Run Various Lafayette Locations 7:30 am-12 pm lafayettecolorado.com January 14 Walden Full Moon Hike State Forest Moose Visitors Center 5-10 pm • 970-723-8366 January 15 Pueblo “ONCE” Theater Performance Pueblo Memorial Hall • 3 pm broadwaytheatreleaguepueblo.com January 15-16 Steamboat Springs Cowboy Downhill Steamboat Ski and Resort steamboat.com January 19-22 Ouray Ouray Ice Festival Ouray Ice Park ourayicepark.com 6

JANUARY 2017

January 20 Fort Collins LaserDome: Muse Fort Collins Museum of Discovery 7:30-10 pm • 970-221-6738 January 20-23 Steamboat Springs STARS & Stripes Heroes Camp Steamboat Ski Area in Gondola Square steamboatchamber.com January 21 Loveland Piano for the Soul: Gary Schmidt Concert Rialto Theater Center 7 pm • 970-962-2120 January 21 Monument Ice Fishing Tournament Monument Lake 9 am-1 pm woundedwarriorusa.com January 21 Salida Creative Playtime Brodeur Studio Gallery 4-6 pm • 719-221-1272 January 21 Tabernash Stagecoach Classic 15k and 30k Devil’s Thumb Ranch playwinterpark.com January 22 Fraser Nordic Relay Festival Behind Grand Park Community Recreation Center 970-531-0845 playwinterpark.com January 24-February 5 Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships Riverwalk Center gobreck.com January 24 Greeley “Annie” Theater Performance Union Colony Civic Center 7 pm • 970-356-5000 January 25 Pagosa Springs Local Appreciation Day Wolf Creek Ski Area 970-264-5639 • wolfcreekski.com

Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering

January 19-22 at American Mountaineering Center, Golden Feel the true spirit and lifestyle of the cowboy heritage and get your toes tapping with this year’s all-star cast of award-winning cowboy poets and musicians from the American West, Canada and Australia. For more information, call 888-718-4253 or visit coloradocowboygathering.com. January 26-29 Aspen X Games Buttermilk Mountain aspensnowmass.com January 27 Boulder “Antarctic Edge: 70° South” Documentary Showing Chautauqua Community House 7 pm • 303-442-3282 January 27-29 Granby Thee Lakes Ice Fishing Tournament Lake Granby granbychamber.com January 28 Manitou Springs Great Fruitcake Toss Memorial Park 1-3 pm • 719-685-5089

[February] February 1-5 Durango Snowdown Downtown Durango snowdown.org February 2 Lakewood LUNAFEST Film Festival Lakewood Cultural Center 6 pm • lakewood.showare.com February 4 Brighton Bald Eagle Festival Barr Lake State Park 10 am-2 pm • 303-659-6005

February 4 Gould Snowmobile Poker Run State Forest New Snow Snakes Building 970-723-4774 February 4 Lake George Colorado Classic Pro-Am Ice Fishing Tournament Eleven Mile State Park North Boat Ramp 7 am-2:30 pm • 719-748-0317 February 6 & 13 Steamboat Springs “Marketing Your Book Successfully” Seminar Colorado Mountain College Registration required 6-8 pm • 970-870-4444 February 9 Durango “Sweethearts of the Arts” Fundraising Soiree Durango Arts Center 6-9 pm • durangoarts.org

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS

TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO: Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303455-2807; or email calendar@ coloradocountrylife.org. Please send name of event, date, time, venue, brief description and phone number, email and/or website for more information. coloradocountrylife.coop

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[news clips]

Workshops Focus on Energy Saving for Ag Producers The Colorado Rural Electric Association recently joined the Colorado Energy Office, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and other ag organizations in sponsoring a series of workshops across the state that will promote energy-saving opportunities for Colorado farmers and ranchers. Colorado farmers and ranchers spend more than $400 million annually on energy. So the goal of these workshops was to help producers find ways to utilize new energy technology to make their operations more energy efficient and to save money. “Looking at energy use on farms holds potential to reduce cost of production and improve margins for farmers and ranchers,” said Michael Turner, manager of energy efficiency programs at CEO. The series of six workshops were conducted in November and December in Lamar, Burlington, Sterling, Greeley, Montrose and Monte Vista. They featured presenters from Colorado State University, the state ag department and the CEO.

Electric Co-ops Celebrate New Guatemalan Co-ops Guatemala now has its first two electric co-ops. The organizations operated for several years as village energy associations, providing electric service to their communities on an informal basis with assistance from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International programs. November 30 both programs became legally registered electric cooperatives. NRECA President Mil Coleman led a delegation that participated with Guatemalan Vice President Jafeth Cabrera in the official ceremony conferring the new legal status on both the Hoja Blanquense and COOPEFFA co-ops. The co-ops have grown, extending their service to outlying communities. NRECA International provided technical assistance and facilitated several of these projects with financial assistance and crews from U.S. co-ops. 12

JANUARY 2017

In addition, Colorado state Climatologist Nolan Doeskin gave updates on climate and weather considerations, and former agriculture commissioners John Stulp and Dom Ament led workshop events. Workshop attendees learned about

agricultural energy use, ways to save on energy costs, the costs and opportunities that come with utilizing renewable energy, and funding options for investing in efficiency and renewable energy.

Gov’s Ag Forum Looks to Future Working together for a better future will be the focus of the February 22 Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture. With the Colorado Rural Electric Association as one of its sponsors, the forum at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver will bring in knowledgeable speakers to discuss a future built by collaboration. Highlighting the day will be former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden, who will share her perspective on the need for alliances with food, nutrition and conservation groups, as well as other nontraditional partners. She currently serves as vice president of public policy and chief sustainability officer for DuPont. The forum will also feature addresses from Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Colorado State University President Tony Frank, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown and others. Another keynote presentation will be delivered by Dr. Gregory Graff, an associate professor at Colorado State University, whose presentation will focus on “The Value of

Colorado Agriculture.” The day will bring together producers, consumers, experts and other ag stakeholders to peel back the polarizing rhetoric often found in today’s society. There will also be breakout sessions covering CSU consumer surveys, pollinator health, conservation, National Western Stock Show development, cooperatives, comparisons between global food production and local food, food safety, food labeling, food waste and succession planning. The forum is designed to challenge and equip attendees to seek novel alliances and ideas to benefit their own operations, and beyond. coloradocountrylife.coop

[ news clips]

ELECTRIC CO-OPS AND THE LAME-DUCK CONGRESS RUS, other co-op programs funded through April as 114th Congress adjourns by Steven Johnson

The year-end spending package approved by Congress contains good news, at least in the short term, for electric cooperatives. But lawmakers kicked the can down the road on several high-profile issues important to co-ops. “We had some successes come out of the lame-duck session of Congress, and we also took the opportunity to lay the groundwork for next year as we work on some very large issues,” said Kirk Johnson, NRECA senior vice president of government relations. The House and Senate averted a government shutdown by agreeing to a fiscal 2017 continuing resolution that keeps operations running until April 28. It maintains level funding for programs critical to electric co-ops. The Rural Utilities Service Electric Loan Program is funded at $5.5 billion, with an additional $750 million for the Guaranteed Underwriter Loan Program, which helps cooperative lenders borrow from the Federal Financing Bank. Additionally, the spending bill sets a $33.07 million level for the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant effort known as REDL&G, which helps co-ops support job creation and retention in rural areas. Another $8 million is set aside for the Rural Energy Savings

Program, an energy efficiency program in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Johnson noted legislators were unable to pass regular appropriations bills for the fiscal year that started October 1. “We’ll keep working to ensure these and other co-op programs are adequately funded when the next Congress works to pass a final package,” he said. Sweeping energy legislation will be left to the 115th Congress and the Trump administration, said House Speaker Paul Ryan (RWis.) House and Senate conference committee members worked to resolve differences between the chambers on competing bills. Johnson said NRECA will push for provisions that address proper vegetation management on utility rights-of-way across federal lands, clarify the role of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and repeal a 2007 requirement that phases out fossil fuel use in new and renovated federal buildings. Also in a holding pattern is tax reform legislation to extend the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, a co-op priority. Steven Johnson is a staff writer at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Co-op-Sponsored Matchwits Competition Starts Matchwits is a weekly, statewide, high school academic quiz program hosted by Craig Eliot and sponsored by Colorado’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. All Colorado high schools are invited to participate in a single elimination tournament made up of four rounds of competition, including the championship game. Sixteen teams are selected through the preliminary competition with those school competing in the final tournament. The tournament is made up of three rounds, including toss-up questions allowing individual players to answer for their school, and speed round questions where each school works as a team to answer as many questions as possible in a short coloradocountrylife.coop

period of time. Every Sunday evening at 5 p.m., from January 15 through April 23, a competition between two schools will broadcast on the local PBS television station. The broadcast will repeat the following Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The tournament opens with Grand Junction and Lake City competing January 15, followed by Poudre and Colorado Springs the following week. Pueblo East and STEM will close out the month’s competition on January 29. More information is posted at rmpbs.org/matchwits.

SOLAR ROADS?

A promising experiment is set to begin in the United Kingdom next year: a road covered in a layer of thick solar panels that will help power nearby homes and businesses. A French company involved plans to test the solar road concept at three trial sites around the country. So far tests show that in areas with 1,000 hours of sunshine a year, the lights and appliances in one home can be powered with just 12 feet of road surface. If the technology works as expected, solar roads may be more acceptable for the general public than large solar farms that take up land and change vistas. JANUARY 2017

[industry]

Leadership in a

PURPLE STATE Working together becomes imperative to pass legislation this coming session By Kent Singer, CREA executive director

If you are in a certain age group and attempted to learn the guitar as a teenager, I bet you mastered as least one riff: the opening notes to the 1972 Deep Purple hit “Smoke on the Water.” (You know it: bump, bump, bum…bump, bump, da-dum…bump, bump, bum…bump-bum.) And while the English bandmates who formed Deep Purple probably didn’t have Colorado in mind (despite the name of their biggest hit), the band’s name aptly describes the current balance of political power in Colorado. At both the state and federal level, we have an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats in control of our legislative and executive branches. In fact, voter registration in Colorado is split fairly evenly among Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. So where some states are reliably blue (Democrat) or red (Republican), when it comes to political majorities, Colorado is reliably purple.

Purple state

Colorado has one Republican U.S. senator and one Democrat U.S. senator. In the 2016 election, Democrat incumbent Michael Bennet defeated Republican Darryl Glenn in a race that turned out much closer than the polls predicted. Even though Bennet raised and spent much more money than Glenn, his margin of victory was only 3 percentage points. Republican incumbent Cory Gardner was elected in 2014 when he defeated the favored Democrat incumbent Mark Udall. The results of that race seemed to put on hold on what appeared to be a trend toward a Democrat-leaning electorate in Colorado. The same purple theme applies to our congressional delegation. Of Colorado’s seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives, four are Republicans and three are Democrats. The three Democrats (Reps. Diana DeGette, Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter) represent primarily Denver and the suburbs near Denver, while the four Republicans (Reps. Ken Buck, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton) represent the rural areas of the state, as well as urban counties farther from Denver. At the state legislative level, the purple theme continues. The 14

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state senate has a narrow (18-17) Republican majority, while the Democrat majority in the House of Representatives expanded to 37-28 after the 2016 general election. This balance of power means that only legislation that has bipartisan support will pass during the next two sessions of the Colorado General Assembly. Since the political activities of the Colorado Rural Electric Association are focused at the state level, the composition of the General Assembly and CREA’s relationship with its members is critical to the success of CREA initiatives. CREA’s legislative team is devoted to informing and educating state legislators about the cooperative difference and how legislation can impact the consumer at the end of the line. The CREA team also works hard to share with legislators and other stakeholders the extraordinary work being done by Colorado electric co-ops to respond to the changing demands of electric consumers.

Balanced leadership

With Colorado’s term limits, the leadership in both houses of the General Assembly changes frequently. Since the individuals in leadership positions set the agenda for their respective houses, we coloradocountrylife.coop

spend a lot of time getting to know the speaker of the House and president of the Senate. For the two years of the 71st General Assembly (the 2017 and 2018 sessions), the speaker of the House will be Rep. Crisanta Duran. Rep. Duran will serve her fourth term in the legislature representing House District 5 in central Denver. Rep. Duran served as the chairwoman of the Joint Budget Committee in 2014, and she served as the majority leader in the 2015 and 2016 sessions. She sponsored a variety of legislative initiatives, including efforts to spur economic development, extend unemployment benefits for Coloradans learning new workforce skills and increase the renewable energy requirements applicable to Colorado’s electric co-ops. Speaker-designate Duran has a particular interest in rural economic development: “One of my priorities has been to make sure that small businesses thrive and folks have good jobs in rural Colorado. That’s why I passed a bill to provide tax benefits to new businesses through creating ‘jump-start zones’ in rural areas of the state. I’m going to continue to make sure we don’t take anyone in Colorado for granted and leave no one behind.” Although Rep. Duran does not have any electric co-op service territory in her legislative district, she is familiar with Colorado’s electric co-ops. She joined in support of recent legislation revising the co-op requirements under Colorado’s renewable portfolio law, as well as adjustments to the co-op election law. During the 2013 legislative session, Rep. Duran was the prime house sponsor of S.B. 13-252, the bill that increased the renewable energy requirements for the co-ops. Since the passage of that bill, the work done by Colorado’s electric Rep. Crisanta Duran (D-Dist. 5) co-ops to integrate additional renewable energy into their power supply portfolios has not gone unnoticed by Rep. Duran: “I applaud efforts by local co-ops to generate more electricity from renewable sources. It’s really inspiring to see folks in Colorado taking the lead to make sure we can tap our wind, water and sun to create the energy we need and keep it in our communities.” The Senate president for the 71st General Assembly will be Sen. Kevin Grantham, a two-term state senator from Cañon City. Sen. Grantham represents Senate District 2, a district that includes Fremont, Teller, Park, Clear Creek and parts of El Paso counties. Sen. Grantham was raised in a farming community in Crowley County and currently works as a real estate appraiser at Grantham Appraisal Service in Cañon City. He is also a member of the Joint Budget Committee, a position he will relinquish when he assumes his role as Senate president on January 11. Sen. Grantham has long been a supporter of Colorado’s electric co-ops, and he was the prime Senate sponsor of several bills recently initiated by CREA. During the 2015 legislative sescoloradocountrylife.coop

[ industry]

sion, Sen. Grantham sponsored a bill that allowed co-ops to use purchases from community solar gardens to comply with the requirements of Colorado’s renewable energy law. S.B. 15-046 also authorized electric co-ops to subtract their sales of electricity to industrial loads for purposes of calculating their “retail” distributed generation obligation. These changes made compliance with the renewable portfolio law more economic for co-op consumers. In the 2016 session, Sen. Grantham sponsored CREA’s bill to make sure that all ballots are counted in co-op board elections and to reduce the costs of those elections. He also co-sponsored a bill that clarifies that sales of electricity for residential purposes are not subject to the state sales tax. Sen. Grantham believes strongly in the idea that electric co-ops are successful because they are owned and governed by their members, and maintaining this independence is important: “Colorado’s electric co-ops have done a great job providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity to rural Colorado for over 75 years. The co-op business model and local control works, and we’ll oppose any proposed interference with that local control.” Sen. Grantham’s take on renewable energy is somewhat different than Speaker-designate Duran’s view. “Our caucus tends to believe that market forces should determine which energy sources are used by Colorado’s citizens,” he says. “Although we support all forms of energy, including renewable energy, we don’t support mandates that increase costs to rural consumers.”

Working together

So, will a Senate president-designate from rural Colorado and a House speaker-designate from Denver be able to work together to solve Colorado’s problems and move the state forward? The Sen. Kevin Grantham (R-Dist. 2) answer from both is a resounding “yes.” Says Rep. Duran: “I look forward to working with Sen. Grantham, and across the aisle, to move Colorado forward in areas where I know we have common ground, including education, transportation and infrastructure. We have more in common than divides us, and I know we can work together to have a productive legislative session.” Sen. Grantham concurs: “We won’t always agree with bills passed by the House and they won’t always agree with bills passed by the Senate. But I think we can still work together to balance the budget and find ways to spur economic development in rural Colorado.” The band Deep Purple continues to tour, with different members, decades after its founding. And it looks like Colorado’s purple politics will also share the stage for the foreseeable future… bump, bump, bum…bump, bump, da-dum…bump, bump, bum…bump-bum.

JANUARY 2017

YOKED HISTORY with

Colorado couple helps preserve bovine heritage

JANUARY 2017

coloradocountrylife.coop

BY GAYLE GRESHAM

These aren’t the usual Angus or Hereford cattle most often found on Colorado ranches. The pair of sturdy, dark red animals with beautiful, curved horns don’t look like any of the often seen Colorado ranch cattle. They are not Texas longhorns. There is something different about them — something more historic, something that makes them seem like they just stepped off the pages of a history book. And that’s not too far from the truth. They are American Milking Devons. Rollie and Paula Johnson spent the past 10 years raising, preserving and promoting this critically endangered breed on their Three Eagles Ranch, tucked among the ponderosa pines along the Palmer Divide southeast of Larkspur. The Milking Devon has the distinction of being the first breed of cattle imported from England to the American colonies in 1623, when King James shipped three heifers and a bull from north Devonshire. The seed stock not only supplied milk and beef for the Pilgrims, who went two years without any cattle, but also provided oxen to be used as draft animals. According to tradition, the first plow to turn over a furrow in what is now Massachusetts was pulled by a Devon ox. During the westward expansion in the 1800s, the Milking Devon proved to be a popular breed of oxen as Milking Devons pulled covered wagons over the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, as well as over other trails leading West. However, once westward expansion slowed and the railroads took over, the numbers of Milking Devon declined in the United States. Breeds such as Holsteins and Jerseys could produce more milk, other breeds of cattle produced more beef and oxen became obsolete with the invention of tractors and trucks. “When we started raising American Milking Devons 10 years ago, there were about 600 in the United States. And none in England,” Rollie says. He explains that the Devons were crossed with other breeds in England until no more full-blooded Milking Devons were left there. Raising American Milking Devons Today there are approximately 1,600 of the breed in the United States, primarily in New England. The Johnsons did their part to increase the numbers in their 10 years of raising the unique cattle. It all started when they were raising registered Angus cattle. “Paula was naming all the calves, and it felt like we were eating our own

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Rollie and Paula Johnson of Larkspur stand with one pair of oxen, Dandy (named for Martha Dandridge Custis Washington) and Davey (named for Dwight David Eisenhower).

At 7 1/2 years old, this pair of oxen is just now full grown. 18

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pets when we butchered one,” he says. “We found something about American Milking Devons in a magazine called Hobby Farms and learned the boys were able to grow up and become useful as draft animals. So, we went to a conference and decided it was a breed we would like to get in to.” The Johnsons bought their first cow from a farm in Missouri and their bull, nicknamed Jesse James, came from George Washington’s Birthplace Farm near Williamsburg, Virginia. “We raised 100 calves, about 50 percent of them were heifers that became registered mothers, and we trained about 50 steers as oxen,” Rollie recalls. “Of those, we had one that was goofy and wild (not suited for drafting) that we butchered. In all, we created about 25 pairs of oxen and raised a few bulls.” An ox is a steer (a castrated bull calf) that is 4 years old or older and trained to be a draft animal. Rollie and hired hand Dulces Granados, who has worked for the Johnsons for the past 11 years, begin working with the calves or imprinting right after birth so they get used to being handled and around humans in a nonthreatening way. The calves are also always worked as a pair so they get used to working together. At 6 weeks old, training begins in a 4-inch yoke with bows made of PVC pipe. As the steer grows, it progresses to a 5-inch yoke at 8-10 weeks of age, and is in a 6-inch yoke by the end of its first year. An ox is considered mature at the age of 7 and can weigh 2,000 pounds or more. Seven is also the age when the hump over the neck begins to develop, which holds the yoke in place and allows oxen to coloradocountrylife.coop

pull heavier loads. Davey and Dandy (Dandridge), the 7-year-old oxen, are in a 10-inch yoke and might grow into an 11-inch yoke. The yokes that lay over the top of the necks of the oxen are hand made by the Johnsons just as they would have been made by the pioneers. Cottonwood or chestnut is used, and the yoke is taken from the outer part of the trunk. The bows are 2 inches of hickory that are bent by using stones in a steam box that will hold the shape. They are then dried. Metal pins hold the bows in place and are adjustable to size. A large yoke can weigh almost 100 pounds. Each calf is named after a U.S. president or first lady starting with the first calves, whose names began with the letter “A.” Clark and Coolidge were the first oxen team trained by Rollie. “Clark and Coolidge are now at Bent’s Old Fort near La Junta,” Rollie says. “They used American Milking Devons in the 1830s to take loads of furs from Bent’s Fort to Kansas City and bring beads and ammunition back.” Three Eagles Ranch sold teams of oxen to other historical sites in Colorado and across the country, including Fitz and Ford who reside at the Littleton Museum and Calvin and Chester at the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora. Last year, the Johnsons sold a pair to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. It is a Centennial farm where more than 80,000 children, most of whom never saw a cow before, visit each year and have the opportunity to hear the story of oxen settling the West. The role of oxen in settling the West The value of the American Milking Devon as oxen lays in their intelligence, calm demeanor, the amount of strength compared to their size, and the ability to listen well. The breed also does well on the native grasses of the West and can walk up to 6 miles per hour. All of these characteristics made it desirable for pulling the wagons across the plains and Rocky Mountains. Rollie explains that there are two reasons oxen were used extensively in settling the West. The first was cost. “They were cheaper than a pair of horses or mules, basically by a tenth — $50 for a pair of oxen versus $500 for a pair of horses. “The real reason,” he says, “was because oxen could walk and eat at the same time, whereas a horse can’t. You’d have to take a wagon-load of grain for a horse in order for the horse to haul all of the furniture. And the trails, we think of a trail as a road, but the first group would start out by the river and the oxen would eat the grass along the trail. The second group would start further over and eat that grass. By the end of the season, the trail could be 20 miles farther away from the river.” The pioneers didn’t ride in the wagon as you might expect. They loaded their wagon with their belongings and walked alongside of it. “It meant a barrel of wheat could be carried instead of two people riding in the wagon,” Rollie says. The oxen were driven by walking along beside them, using a goad (a stick) or a small whip snapped in front of them to get their attention. The commands, “gee” for right and “haw” for left, were spoken. Oxen also offered a food source if it became necessary. If one died on the trail, it would be butchered. Or they could supply the winter’s meat after arriving at a destination. More often, however, oxen were used on the homesteads to plow fields and

in logging. In other words, oxen not only helped settle the West, but also helped to build it, too. Living history The Three Eagles Ranch oxen are becoming celebrities with credits that include a Netflix series and a documentary. Last November, the Johnsons took two teams of oxen (7-year-olds Davey and Dandy and 4 year olds Grant and Garfield) to the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, to be filmed in the Netflix series “Godless.” The show is about fictional 1880s outlaws and will premiere this year. The Johnsons were there for filming two and a half days, along with Dulces and another friend who also helped with the oxen. In one scene, the oxen were tied to trees for about eight hours at a campsite where guest star Jeff Daniels had a shoot-out. Scenes on another day included the two teams pulling covered wagons for two families, with children following behind the wagons. In August of 2015, Rollie, Paula and Dulces took the two pairs of oxen to Martin’s Cove, Wyoming, and Chimney Rock, Nebraska, to appear in a documentary on the Oregon Trail filmed by the Museum of Westward Expansion at the St. Louis Gateway Arch. The Johnsons and Dulces plan to attend the grand reopening of the museum this summer where the documentary will premiere. Dressed in period clothing, Rollie and Dulces walked 15 miles for take after take for just one day of filming. It gave them a feel for how tired the pioneers were who walked 15 miles a day for 1,900 miles on the Oregon Trail. Paula also dressed as an extra for the documentary. Paula mentions the posts at Martin’s Cove with the names of the trails on each side — Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, California Trail, Pony Express — where trails crossed. “It gave me goosebumps to stop and look at the names on the posts and to realize there we were with our oxen where so many went before us,” she says. “It was eye-opening.” The past year was a time of change for the Johnsons and their love affair with the American Milking Devon. Their bull, Jesse James, developed Brisket disease (pulmonary hypertension caused by high altitude) and had to be moved to a lower elevation. They decided to sell their cows, too, and the herd moved to a ranch in South Dakota. The Johnsons plan to maintain a smaller herd of working oxen including the teams of Davey and Dandy and Grant and Garfield. They will continue to take the oxen to schools, county fairs and historical exhibits in Colorado and the West. So, while they no longer raise cattle, Rollie and Paula remain tightly yoked to the living history of the American Milking Devon.

It gave me goosebumps to stop and look at the names on the posts and to realize there we were with our oxen where so many went before us.

Gayle Gresham is a writer living in Elbert. Her great-great-grandparents came to Colorado in 1861 in a covered wagon pulled by oxen.

To read about learning to drive a team of American Milking Devons, visit our website at coloradocountrylife.coop. coloradocountrylife.coop

JANUARY 2017

[recipes]

Simple, Savory Beef Dishes

Celebrate Colorado CattleWomen anniversary with industry recipes BY AMY HIGGINS RECIPES@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG Fit for the Freezer According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, uncooked roasts, steaks and chops will stay good in the freezer for up to one year and uncooked ground beef three to four months.

TIP Internal Affairs Don’t rely on the color to determine ground beef’s doneness. Check to ensure the internal temperature is at least 160 degrees by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the beef dish.

In the kitchen, sometimes it’s the classics that please the crowd most. So we were thrilled when Heather Stinnett, executive board vice president of the Colorado CattleWomen, shared beef recipes that the organization promotes alongside the Colorado Beef Council. Formed in 1941, Colorado CattleWomen is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “promote, protect and educate about the beef industry.” It is one of the oldest CattleWomen groups in the nation, and this year it is celebrating its 75th birthday. “Today, many of CCW’s ladies not only make their living in the beef industry, but they also believe strongly in beef as an essential part of a healthy diet and they donate their time and energy in helping promote the cattle industry’s continued success here in Colorado,” Stinnett says. This month, celebrate CCW’s anniversary with one of these classic beef recipes.

Classic Beef Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (93% or leaner) 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs 3/4 cup ketchup, divided 1/2 cup minced onion 1 egg 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 3/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape beef into 8- by 4-inch loaf on rack in aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Place on upper oven rack in preheated oven. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until center reaches 160 degrees; brush with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during last 10 minutes, if desired. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Classic Beef Sloppy Joes

1 cup minced sweet onion 1 pound ground beef (93% or leaner) 1 cup minced green bell pepper 1 can (14.5 ounces) unsalted tomato sauce 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon dry mustard salt, to taste 4 whole wheat hamburger buns or 8 slider buns

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion, cook 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Add ground beef and bell pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef into 1/2-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and mustard; increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; cook 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, as desired. Divide beef mixture evenly among buns. Serve with your favorite toppings. Recipes courtesy of the Beef Checkoff

For more beef recipes, visit coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Recipes. 20

JANUARY 2017

coloradocountrylife.coop

Drug Companies Nervous as Doctors and Patients Demand the AloeCure

Big Pharma execs stand to lose billions as doctors and their patients abandon drugs like Nexium® and Prilosec®. Drug free remedy could put Big Pharma out of the digestion business. By David Waxman Seattle Washington: Drug company execs are nervous. That’s because the greatest health advance in decades has hit the streets. And analysts expect it to put a huge crimp in “Big Pharma” profits. So what’s all the fuss about? It’s about a new ingredient that’s changing the lives of people who use it. Some call it “the greatest discovery since penicillin”! And others call it “a miracle!” The name of the product is the AloeCure. It’s not a drug. It’s something completely different. And the product is available to anyone who wants it, at a reasonable price. But demands may force future prices to rise.

Top Doc Warns: Digestion Drugs Can Cripple You!

Company spokesperson, Dr. Liza Leal, a leading integrative health specialist out of Texas recommends Aloecure before she decides to prescribe any digestion drug. Especially after the FDA’s stem warning about long-term use of drugs classified as proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec®, Nexium®, and Prevacid®. In a nutshell, the FDA statement warned people should avoid taking these digestion drugs for longer than three 14-day treatment periods because there is an increased risk of bone fractures. Many people take them daily and for decades. Dr. Leal should know. Many patients come to her with bone and joint complaints and she does everything she can to help them. One way for digestion sufferers to help avoid possible risk of tragic joint and bone problems caused by overuse of digestion drugs is to take the AloeCure. The secret to AloeCure’s “health adjusting” formula is scientifically tested Acemannan, a polysaccharide extracted from Aloe Vera. But not the same aloe vera that mom used to apply to your cuts, scrapes and burns. This is a perfect strain of aloe that is organically grown in special Asian soil under very strict conditions. AloeCure is so powerful it begins to benefit your health the instant you take it. It soothes intestinal discomfort and you can

Drug companies are understandably upset since the AloeCure® delivers quicker and better health beneﬁts.

avoid the possibility of bone and health damage caused by overuse of digestion drugs. We all know how well aloe works externally on cuts, scrapes and burns. But did you know Acemannan has many of other health benefits? ...

Helps Calm Down Painful Inflammation

According to a leading aloe research scientist, the amazing Aloe plant has a powerful antiinflammatory effect. Aloe Vera calms the fire in your belly like it does the sunburn on your skin and in many ways helps heal damaged cells. Inflammation is your body’s first reaction to damage. So whether it’s damage that is physical, bacterial, chemical or autoimmune, the natural plant helps soothe inflammation - rapidly reducing redness, heat and swelling.

Rapid Acid and Heartburn Fix

Aloe has proved to have an astonishing effect on users who suffer with digestion problems like bouts of acid reflux, heartburn, cramping, gas and constipation because it acts as a natural acid buffer and soothes the digestive system. But new studies prove it does a whole lot more.

Side-Step Heart Concerns

So you’ve been taking proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) for years and you feel just fine. In June of 2015, a major study shows that chronic PPI use increases the risk of heart attack in general population. Debilitating brain disorders are on the rise. New studies show PPI’s are linked to an increased risk of dementia. Cutting edge research shows that the health of your brain is closely linked by the state of healthy bacteria that comes from your gut. The things happening in your belly today might be deciding your risk for any number of brain conditions. Studies have been ongoing since the 1990’s. New studies suggest that taking PPI’s at both low and high dosage also disrupts a healthy human gut!

Sleep Like A Baby

A night without sleep really damages

your body and continued lost sleep can lead to all sorts of health problems. But what you may not realize is the reason why you’re not sleeping. I sometimes call it “Ghost Reflux”. A low intensity form of acid discomfort that quietly keeps you awake in the background. AloeCure helps digestion so you may find yourself sleeping through the night.

Celebrity Hair, Skin & Nails

One of the Best-Kept Secrets in Hollywood. Certain antacids may greatly reduce your body’s ability to break down and absorb calcium. Aloe delivers calcium as it aids in balancing your stomach acidity. The result? Thicker, healthier looking hair ... more youthful looking skin ... And nails so strong they may never break again.

Save Your Kidney

National and local news outlets are reporting Kidney Failure linked to PPI’s. Your Kidney extracts waste from blood, balances body fluids, forms urine, and aids in other important functions of the body. Without it your body would be overrun by deadly toxins. Aloe helps your kidney function properly. Studies suggest if you started taking aloe today you’d see a big difference in the way you feel.

Special Opportunity For Readers of this Magazine

With this introductory offer the makers of the AloeCure are excited to offer you a risk-free supply. Readers of this magazine are pre-qualified for up to 3 FREE months of product with their order. Take advantage of this special opportunity to try AloeCure in your own home and find out how to test AloeCure for a full 90 days. But that’s not all. ... If you don’t see remarkable changes in your digestion, your body, and your overall health ... Simply return it for a full refund less shipping and handling (when applicable). Just call 1-800-748-3280 to take advantage of this risk free offer before it’s too late. This offer is limited, call now.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY ALOECURE IS NOT A DRUG. IFYOU ARE CURRENLTY TAKING A PRESCRIPTION DRUG YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE USE. FOR THE FULL FDA PUBLISHED WARN LNG ON PROTON PUMP LNHLBITORS PLEASE VISIT HT TP://WWW.FDA.GOV/D0WNL0ADS/F0RCONSUMERS/CONSUMERUPDATES/UCM213307

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JANUARY 2017

[gardening]

REPOTTING HOUSE PLANTS

When and how to relocate your house plants to a new container BY VICKI SPENCER MASTER GARDENER GARDENING@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG People often ask me how I know when to repot my house plants. There are several signs that it is time. Some are obvious, others are more subtle. Some examples include: • Roots sticking out the bottom of the pot or the plant popping right out of the pot with roots encircling the root ball. These signs indicate the pot is too small for the root system. • When you water the plant, the water runs right through the pot and spills all over the counter. This means that there is not enough soil to absorb the water. • The plant doesn’t seem to be growing as quickly as it used to grow. This is an indication that more soil is needed to provide nutrients. • The plant looks too big in relation to the size of the pot or has become top heavy and tips over easily. Any one of these signs means that it is time to repot your plant. When bringing a new plant home from the store or nursery, many people think it should be repotted right away, but it may not be necessary. In fact, it is usually better to wait a few weeks to let the plant get acclimated to the new light, temperature and humidity of your home. That said, there are different opinions about timing. Some gardeners are strict believers that plants should only be repotted at the beginning of their growth period (usually in the spring). I prefer to repot my plants in late winter, before I can get outdoors to garden, and I always succeed. Regardless of the time of the year, I believe you should repot your plants when they show the signs above. If you don’t, they may die earlier than necessary. Before repotting, make sure you have some good quality potting soil and a pot that is 1 to 2 inches bigger than the current pot. I always recommend a pot with good drainage holes to prevent root rot. If you are recycling an old pot, scrub it with warm soapy water or Clorox bleach (one part bleach to nine parts water) and rinse it thoroughly. A clean pot will help prevent the spread of diseases, microorganisms and insect larvae. If you are using a new terra-cotta pot, let it soak for a few hours, because terra-cotta is so dry it can absorb water quickly. If you are repotting indoors, spread several layers of newspaper over the counter next to your sink, then turn the pot on its side and gently 22

JANUARY 2017

pull the stem to get the plant out of the pot. If the plant is stuck, run a butter knife around the sides of the pot or loosen the soil with a small garden spade. If the roots are tightly bound together, carefully pry them loose and straighten them out with your fingers. Breaking up the root system will help the roots branch out in the new pot. Then prune the roots to stimulate new growth. Once the plant is ready, fill the new pot about half way with potting soil, depending on the size of the root ball. Place the plant in the center of the pot and fill it with additional soil. While holding the plant stem straight, tamp down the soil with your fingers, paying special attention to the sides. If a stick or small trellis is needed, this is the time to place it in the pot and position it against the plant. Next, add more soil so that it is about 1 inch below the top of the pot. This keeps water from spilling over. Finally, set the pot in the sink and water thoroughly to moisten the soil and settle the potting mix. Repotting can be stressful to the plant, which is why some people are afraid to do it. We hear stories of plants dying instead of thriving after being repotted. However, if you follow these tips, you should not have a problem: •

Don’t expose the plant to direct sunlight right away.

•

Keep the soil evenly moist, not soggy. If the leaves turn limp, it means you need to add water; if the leaves turn yellow, it means you added too much water.

•

Use a humidifier if you have one since Colorado’s climate is so dry.

•

Never fertilize a newly potted plant or the roots may suffer from fertilizer burn. You should wait about a month before fertilizing a newly potted plant.

Good luck with repotting, and enjoy your house plants while waiting for spring to arrive.

More Online

Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening. coloradocountrylife.coop

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[outdoors]

When Winter Weather Wafts Ideas for when the outdoors are unappealing BY DENNIS SMITH OUTDOORS@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

Order by mail, internet or phone - MasterCard/Visa

GIVE YOUR MARKET A

BOOST Together let’s grow your business to new heights.

Kris Wendtland 303-902-7276 advertising@coloradocountrylife.org

JANUARY 2017

Apart from pushing the snow blower around, I don’t spend too much time outdoors in January. I still have a late season elk tag to fill, so there’s that. I might sneak in a waterfowl hunt with the boys or do some ice fishing with the grandkids. But for the most part, I see January as a good month for reading by the fire, tying flies, reflecting on the past season’s adventures or trying out some new venison recipes. For my birthday last fall, my son Derek bought me a copy of Hank Shaw’s highly regarded venison cookbook Buck, Buck, Moose, and I fully intend to put it to good use. We dined on braised lamb shanks in a hotel restaurant in Killarney, Ireland, a few years back, and I vowed then to see if I could replicate the recipe with venison when I got back home. Shaw’s book has five recipes for braised venison shanks, and I have some deer and antelope shanks in the freezer. That’s something I can do this month. The fly shop here in town puts on fly-tying demonstrations every Saturday morning through the winter, and a bunch of local anglers gather there to drink coffee, eat donuts and watch a celebrity flytier do his thing. As you might expect, fish stories abound. Now, it’s not often I get to tell a big fish story because, well, I just don’t catch that many big fish. When I do it’s more often a product of dumb luck than angling skill. Besides, where fish are concerned, big is a relative term, dictated by habitat and food supply: A big fish in the ocean might be several feet long and

weigh a hundred pounds or more whereas a 20-inch trout in a Colorado headwater creek could be legitimately considered a genuine monster. As it turns out, I caught one late last summer. My buddy and I were happily catching little brook trout on bamboo rods and dry flies in a small mountain creek when I spotted a gargantuan brown trout finning slowly near the bottom of a deep hole. He looked to be almost 2 feet long. He was stationed against a steep, grassy bank beneath a clump of alders that hung directly over the stream, making it darn near impossible to get a fly to him without spooking him. We took turns casting to him for the better part of an hour, changing flies and changing positions to no avail. We finally gave up and fished on downstream. On our way back to the truck, I made a desperate Hail Mary-type cast to the spot where we last saw him and, just like that, he rose to the surface, nonchalantly took my fly and swam back to the bottom of the pool with it. Minutes later, he measured 23 inches in the net. A memory like that can warm your heart while you’re pushing the snow blower around on a cold winter morning.

Miss an issue? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors. coloradocountrylife.coop

[ energy tips] TIPS FOR AN EFFICIENT KITCHEN REMODEL BY PAT KEEGAN AND AMY WHEELESS

Undertaking a kitchen remodeling project gives you the chance to make the room work better for your needs, including reducing your energy use. Before you start, consider having a home energy audit completed by a certified professional. This energy assessment can help you identify major efficiency issues in your kitchen that you can address as you make changes. Consider the following during your remodel: Kitchen layout and design — Enlarging the footprint of your kitchen will likely mean higher heating and cooling bills. Consider whether a more efficient layout in your kitchen could prevent a need for expansion. Appliances — Look for Energy Star-certified refrigerators, dishwashers and freezers to help save energy. Lighting — When thinking about your windows and lighting, consider your home’s climate and orientation and how to use natural light strategically. Also, install Energy Star light fixtures and bulbs.

Credit: Alex Ansley

Kitchen ventilation — Be sure to pick a high-efficiency hood sized for your needs and install it so that it vents directly to the outside.

Overall comfort — The kitchen is often a family’s gathering Choose a kitchen place, so installing that is efzonal heat in this space hood ficient and vents to could make sense; the outside you could turn up the thermostat for the kitchen without warming the entire home.

Wishing you a happy New Year! We hope it's your best year ever.

Building envelope — Increase wall and attic insulation, address duct and air sealing needs, invest in efficient windows and install window coverings that help block hot summer sun and blustery winter wind. This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Amy Wheeless of Collaborative Efficiency.

Visit coloradocountrylife.coop to learn more kitchen remodeling tips. Look under the Energy tab. coloradocountrylife.coop

JANUARY 2017

IT’S HERE & IT’S JUST 99¢ ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR IPAD

2017 COLORADO

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY APP Colorado’s General Assembly Convenes January 11

2017 COLORADO

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY

Presented by

ELECTR IC COOPE RATIVE S REPRES ENTING COLOR ADO’S 2017 CREA LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY

Printed copies of the directory are available for only $1. To get your copy today email crea@coloradocountrylife.org or call 303-455-4111.

Presented by

COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION • 5400 WASHINGTON ST. • DENVER, CO 80216 • CREA.COOP

[ marketplace]

25 Year Warranty • Easy Bolt-Together Design Engineered Stamp Blueprints

Farm • Industrial • Commercial

RHINOBLDG.COM

888-875-8233

info@rhinobldg.com

Who? Who will know your business? Everyone! Advertise in MarketPlace and everyone will know your BUSINESS. Call Kris for information at 303-902-7276

Breaking Trail In winter woods a snowshoe hare hides beside an aspen trunk white fur and brown blend into snow and blue-shadowed light filters through twigs and limbs in dappled disarray. A chickadee twitters from tree to tree no other sound except the breathing breath of evening wind that wanders in whorls about my face and talks of other trails I’ve made through snowfalls such as this softened by sun into sugar-spun drifts, wind packed in waves as hard as sea salt, crusty as weathered brine. This unmarred earth is mine for now, but in the dark part of twilight others will follow my new trail, the evening elk and demure deer, coyotes and cottentails, even field mice, their precise tracks stitching rabbit brush to sage brush as they seek out autumn’s sown seeds. Laurie Wagner Buyer

coloradocountrylife.coop

JANUARY 2017

[classifieds] TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

Please type or print your ad on a separate paper. Indicate how many months you would like your ad to run and which month to start. There is a minimum of 12 words at $1.63 per word/month. Be sure to include your full name and address for our records. Check MUST accompany this order or call to pay by credit card. Send your ad to: mail: Colorado Country Life 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 phone: 303-902-7276 fax: 303-455-2807 email: classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org

ANTIQUE RESTORATION CHAIR CANING - Hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-547-0723. chaanita@q.com (858-10-17)

ANTLERS

ANTLER CHANDELIERS made only from REAL antlers. We are the manufacturer and we sell all of our products at wholesale prices; save as much as 60% from store prices. Many other antler products and mounts, including 56” elk mount, giant moose paddles, and elk antlers. Showroom now open year ’round in Granby, CO. 18 years at this location, over 900 satisfied customers! Designers: We can provide you a single item or a whole houseful. Call ! (970) 627-3053. (085-09-17)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

(These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.) HEALTH FOOD STORE & DELI: 2 turnkey businesses in one. Strong income/customer base. Colorado mountains (970-641-5175), leave name & number. (252-04-17)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

WEIGHT LOSS COFFEE. Awesome Income Opportunity. Great tasting Italian Arabica Roast with a weight loss component! Proven and guaranteed! Taste a Healthy Life! www.valentusmovie.com/ weeks 970-690-3503 (321-02-17) WHOLESALE BUSINESS, sales grow each year, established 2007, great annual income, work 6 months/year. Repeat sales. Includes equipment, customer list, contacts, training. Can be based anywhere in Colorado or Wyoming. 303-588-5021 (329-02-17)

CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION

www.clockrepairandrestoration. com DURANGO AREA. CLOCKS of all kinds repaired. Antique and modern. Clocks bought and sold. bob.scott@usa.net Call Robert 970-247-7729. (109-02-17)

ENERGY

SOLAR WATER SYSTEMS – livestock or any remote location. 3-10 gpm. Variable speed. Call Peterson High Reach for free quote. 719-688-0081 (316-01-17)

Find hidden treasure in the CLASSIFIEDS Read through the ads and FIND the CCL classified explaining how to WIN a $25 gift card. It’s easy. You could WIN. The classified ads December contest winner is Alan Goldich of Steamboat Springs. 28

JANUARY 2017

FOR SALE

BUILDING LEAKS WIPEOUT INSTANTLY – new renovation products – buy factory direct 573-489-9346 azteccollc@socket.net (330-04-17) OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS - $380 with warranty. Also sell portable concentrators and oxygen supplies. Repair and service of equipment. Aspen Concentrator Repair Service 719-471-9895 (040-04-17)

FREE

SOON CHURCH AND STATE WILL UNITE to suppress “Liberty of Conscience,” by enforcing a National Sunday law! Be informed. Free! Box 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771. thebiblesaystruth@yahoo. com 888-211-1715. (814-04-17)

GRASS

STOP FEEDING PRAIRIE DOGS. We’ll rent hunting rights from you. Looking for antelope, goose, duck, coyote, & prairie dog habitat. Encourage young sportsmen by providing safe, private access. You make the rules. 303-460-0273 (069-04-17)

HELP WANTED

LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME opportunity. No sales, investment, risk. Training/website provided. Monthly income plus bonuses, benefits. Call Carrie 303-579-4207, www.livetotal wellness.com/livehealthy (932-02-17)

PETS

I PAINT PETS, capturing the essence of your treasured pals & creating family keepsakes. Julie 719-539-4260 www.julie-maas. fineartamerica.com (300-01-17)

REAL ESTATE

FSBO: BRIGHT, PRIVATE, 1600sf, 3/2, .5 acre, fenced, landscaped, gardens. Central HVAC, underground power, septic, storage/deck, Gisela, AZ (near Payson) 928-474-9374 (331-04-17)

REAL ESTATE

FSBO: OAK CREEK / STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – 3 lots with house. Scrape off & build. Centrally located above town park. Great views. $75k 719-890-4488 (323-02-17) READY TO RETIRE? +-13 acres near Mancos, CO. Trout-stocked canyon lake, commercial greenhouse, gardens, lots of water, passive solar timber frame home. $525,000. Jim, 970-769-1391, for pictures. (282-02-17) WE BUY LAND and/or mineral rights. CO TX NM KS. 1-800-316-5337 (099-03-17)

TICKETS

NFR & PBR RODEO TICKETS – Las Vegas. Call 1-888-NFR-Rodeo (1-888637-7633). www.NFR-rodeo.com A+ rated BBB Member. (912-04-17)

VACATION RENTAL

BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO, condominium – Beautiful. Prime location! See at VRBO. com enter 891478 (317-02-17) KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-8220191; mokihana@hawaiian.net; kauaiweddings.com. (756-05-17)

WANTED TO BUY

OLD COLORADO LIVESTOCK brand books prior to 1975. Call Wes 303-757-8553. (889-02-17) OLD GAS AND OIL items: Gas pumps, advertising signs, globes, etc. Pieces, parts, etc. considered. Also 1932-34 Ford cars and trucks, parts and pieces, too. Any condition. Brandon, 719-250-5721. (519-11-17) OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719-859-4209. (870-06-18) WANT MONEY? WIN $25 by mailing the number of classified ads to classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org with WIN $25 as the subject. Include name/address. Deadline January 16. WANT TO PURCHASE mineral and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. (402-03-17) WANTED: JEEP CJ OR WRANGLER. Reasonably priced. No rust buckets. 888-735-5337 (099-04-17) WE PAY CASH for minerals and oil/ gas interests, producing and nonproducing. 800-733-8122 (099-02-17)

WANTED TO BUY

CAST-IRON COOKWARE (Wagner & Griswold). Pyrex. Old toys in good condition. Vintage signs. Anything cowboy and Indian – hats, boots, spurs, rugs, etc. After family gets what they want, we’ll buy the rest. Antiques, collectibles, furniture, glassware, etc. We come to you! 970-759-3455 or 970-565-1256. (871-02-17) NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@ hotmail.com (817-06-17)

Poudre Valley REA member Karen McLaughlin and Jackie Logan visit the Duomo in Florence, Italy.

DECEMBER HOLIDAY BARBIE CONTEST WINNER

Lily Sandner of Cortez is the winner of the December contest. She won the 2016 Holiday Barbie. Lily submitted a photo on our Facebook page with her Barbies. Lily, daughter of Corinne Sandner, plays with her mom’s Barbies from the late 1980’s, 1990’s and from her childhood. coloradocountrylife.coop

[ funny stories]

READERS PHOTOS Crystal Pier holds her copy of CCL on Pacific Beach in San Diego, California.

When our son, Jon, was 5 and our daughter, Jessica, was 7, we went to one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants for dinner. We sat there a long time waiting for a waitress, and my husband said, “We must have our invisible shirts on.” After a while longer, a young waitress came to our table and asked, “How is everyone doing tonight?” Not missing a beat, my son said, “We’re great! We have our invisible shirts on!” During that long pause, my husband and I could not find a hole big enough to hide in. Donny Thulson, Durango One night at dinner we were discussing the meaning of different words when the word “subdued” came up. Our son, who was 8, said, “It means that Dad is the main dude and I am the sub dude. You know, the smaller dude.” Gina Biolchini, Colorado Springs

Doug Race and his buddy, Trapper, of Red Feather Lakes, take the magazine to the NASCAR Talladega race.

Ken and Nancy Smith at Arches National Monument, Utah.

Father worked most of the morning repairing his tractor because it was not operating properly. A 4-year-old neighbor boy sat on a nearby stump, watching every move, as my dad labored. When Mother called for lunch, Dad rose from his work and kicked a tractor tire. The little spectator came forward and said, “You know what I think, mister?” He paused and continued, “I think there’s something wrong with it.” Anne Steinbeck, Gunnison My friend was having her third child at home (not at the hospital) and her two boys, 5 and 6 years old, were anxious to find out if it was a brother or sister. Mom previously told the boys that when her door was open they would know that the baby arrived and they could come in and look. The excited boys saw the door open and the older one told the younger to look. The young boy crept quietly into the room, peeked, ran back out and said, “The baby is here!” The older boy asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” The younger one said, “I couldn’t tell. Its eyes were closed.” Zita Dean, Thornton

WINNER: Joe and Susan Capps-Quintana celebrate their anniversary in Hawaii, with their copies of Colorado Country Life.

TAKE YOUR PHOTO WITH YOUR MAGAZINE AND WIN! It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine and email the photo and your name and address to info@coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win a $25 gift card each month. The next deadline is Monday, January 16. This month’s winners are La Plata members Joe and Susan Capps-Quintana. They visited Hawaii for their anniversary. coloradocountrylife.coop

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. At the end of the year we will draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. Send your 2017 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check.

$15 JANUARY 2017

[discoveries]

Purchase for Purpose

KICK OUT THE CLUTTER The clutter that surrounds you can cause anxiety and impede productivity, so resolve to get organized this year. Professional organizer Evan Zislis of Aspen wrote ClutterFree Revolution: Simplify Your Stuff, Organize Your Life & Save the World to help. One suggestion is to showcase the items you desire and get rid of everything else. For those things you can’t part with, find a storage facility. “Whether you’re expanding your family, downsizing your home, need an off-site location to store your business items or just don’t have the storage space you need, a storage unit can be of valuable assistance,” says Marcus Mollman, founder and CEO of Denver-based Closetbox, a full-service storage company. Closetbox will pick up the items you want stored and bring them to a secure storage unit. When you want any or all of your items returned, call and Closetbox

will bring them back. The company currently has 63 locations including Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins, and it’s growing. Visit closetbox.com or call 877-433-9636 to get started. Find more suggestions for clutter free living in Zislis’ book or visit clutterfree revolution.com to participate in his new “webinar,” the ClutterFree Revolution Academy. Win a copy of ClutterFree Revolution by emailing your name, address and phone number to contests@coloradocountrylife.org. Be sure to enter “ClutterFree Revolution” in the subject line. Deadline is Wednesday, January 18.

If you aspire to be more charitable in 2017, try shopping Colorado companies that give back. Get cute kids clothes that you can personalize while contributing to a noble cause by shopping Hi Little One, based in Denver. Nell Lindquist and sister Maggie Allen own and operate the company with personalization and generosity in mind. With their family having been affected by childhood cancers, the women decided that 10 percent of Hi Little One’s profits will go toward organizations that fight pediatric cancers. For more and to buy, call 303-653-9856 or visit hilittleone.com. Another Denver-based business helping others is Mile High Workshop, which provides employment opportunities for those trying to get back on their feet after suffering addiction, homelessness and incarceration. These employees use their manufacturing skills to create products and offer services to the public. When you retain the services of Mile High Workshop, you can feel good knowing you’re helping someone in our community get a second chance. Call 720-446-8612 or visit milehighworkshop.org to request manufacturing services or to purchase one of its pre-made products.

GET IN SHAPE WITH COLORADO GEAR Is your resolution to get in better shape? While you’re getting your sweat on, show your support for Colorado companies. FlipBelt, based in Broomfield, manufactures comfy running belts that not only fit your phone but, with multiple

Headsweats

FlipBelt 30

JANUARY 2017

pocket openings, can carry keys, cash, cards or anything else needed while you are out burning calories. Available in 10 colors for $28.99 each. It also comes in a zipper variety ($34.99) and a reflective version ($32.99). For information, call 303-482-3131 or visit flipbelt.com. Boulder-based Headsweats’ Performance Trucker Hats are lightweight, breathable, quick-drying and absorb perspiration when you’re active, keeping it out of your eyes. Choose from a wide variety of colors and designs, including hats emblazoned with Colorado’s beloved “C.” Prices start at $25. Also, the company recently introduced a Colorado knit performance beanie for $25. See the Headsweats collection at headsweats. com; call 877-437-9328 for information.

coloradocountrylife.coop