Colorado Country Life December 2019 Yampa

MY FIRST COLORADO CHRISTMAS PG 4 / ENERGY FROM WATERPOWER PG 20 / WEATHERING WINTER GARDENING WOES PG 22

YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

DECEMBER 2019

Volume 50

Number 12

December 2019 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, CCC, Production Manager/Designer cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org Kylee Coleman, Editorial/Admin. Assistant kcoleman@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING Kris Wendtland, Ad Representative advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative, American MainStreet Publications 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181 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.

Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. ©Copyright 2019, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights.

EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 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.

SUBSCRIBERS Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. Cost of subscription for members of participating electric cooperatives is $4.44 per year (37 cents per month), paid from equity accruing to the member. For nonmembers, a subscription is $9 per year in-state/$15 out-of-state.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216

On the DECEMBER 2019

Cover Lineman Rod Sherman celebrates the lights coming on with kids in Sillab, Guatemala. Photo

by Studio 1441.

coloradocountrylife.coop

“Skiing with the Ghosts” by Gregg Heid, a consumer-member of La Plata Electric Association.

4 VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

12 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK COCountryLife pinned: Treat yourself to a slice of Fresh Raspberry Hazelnut Cheesecake this holiday season. Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

BRINGING LIGHT, FINDING JOY 20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING

24 OUTDOORS

26 MARKETPLACE

27 CREATIVE CORNER

28 COMMUNITY EVENTS

29 YOUR STORIES

30 DISCOVERIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association shared: A situation a couple of years ago in northwestern Colorado involving a school bus and a power line could have turned deadly but didn’t because the bus driver, Clint Schults, knew what to do to keep the kids safe.

The story was shared with Safe Electricity and distributed nationally, winning the Clarion Award!

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win pairs of socks (sizes youthadult) featured on page 30.

Five pairs total. For official rules and how to enter, visit our contest page at coloradocountrylife.coop.

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month co l o ra d o _ e l e c t r i c _ co o p e ra t i v e s posted: Listen in to this discussion from the CREA Energy Innovations Summit on the CREA website. #energyinnovation #itstartswithpower #coloradoselectriccoops #ruralelectric COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

3

VIEWPOINT

MY FIRST COLORADO CHRISTMAS Celebrating the holiday with family — and a president

BY KENT SINGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

B

ack in the mid-1970s, my sister Sandy moved from Kansas to Avon, Colorado, so she could ski during the winters and work evenings. She managed the Burger King in Vail in what used to be the Crossroads Shopping Center. (That area today is filled with luxury condos; we both wish she had bought a condo or two back then.) Although she barely eked out enough money for rent, she became a heckuva skier.

During Christmas week of 1976, my folks and I made the trip to Colorado to visit Sis and see Colorado in the winter. It was an epic snow year that winter and I’ll never forget my dad driving over Vail Pass through huge snow tunnels created by the snowplows. We got plenty of snow where I grew up in Topeka, Kansas, but nothing like

President Ford on the slopes in Vail.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

winter in the Rockies. I’ll also never forget my mother’s nervous laugh as the back end of our Plymouth Fury III occasionally fishtailed on the snow-packed highway.

We arrived safely and the next day my sister “taught” me how to ski. This consisted of some rudimentary explanations of how to snowplow followed by one run down the bunny slope. Having clearly mastered the sport, she then took me straight to the top of the mountain. The next several hours consisted of me falling, swearing, getting up, falling, swearing some more and getting up again. Amazingly, this instructional method actually worked and after a couple of days of bumps and bruises I eventually fell in love with skiing.

On Christmas Eve, we went to the all-faiths chapel in Vail for midnight church services. If you recall your history, 1976 is the year that Jimmy Carter beat Gerald Ford in the presidential election. So in December, Ford was a lame duck president serving out his term and Carter would be inaugurated the following month.

You may also recall that the Ford family had a home in Vail and that President Ford was an avid skier.

(Despite his occasional trips in public, Ford was probably the most athletic of all U.S. presidents.)

I’m not sure if we were aware of the Ford family connection to Vail at the time, but not long after we were seated in the chapel, President and Mrs. Ford, along with their kids and a couple of what I presume were Secret Service agents entered the chapel.

KENT SINGER

Mind you, we had not passed through any kind of security screening or metal detector. We were bundled in winter clothes that could have easily concealed all manner of weapons; thankfully, that was not a likely threat given the time and place. The Fords sat in the back so as not to bother anyone, but of course everyone in the small chapel was aware of their presence. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I imagine the pastor might not have had the full attention of the congregants for the Christmas message.

After the service, we filed out into the snowy night and went back to my sister’s place for hot cocoa. Needless to say, my folks were pretty starstruck at the thought of being so close to a president. (They had most likely voted for him the month before.)

From then on it was always part of the Singer family lore that we “spent Christmas with the Fords.” This claim was further substantiated the next day as President Ford walked by us with a small security team, put on his skis and got on the chairlift.

I’ll always remember that Christmas of 1976: Mom posing in front of the Vail covered bridge, learning to ski with my sis, Dad’s intrepid driving. Oh, and did I mention we spent Christmas with the Fords?

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Kent Singer is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives.

CREA is the trade association for your electric co-op, the 21 other electric co-ops in Colorado and its power supply co-op.

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR

Christmas lights on a cold, dark night

BY MONA NEELEY

I

EDITOR

trace my love of bright and colorful Christmas lights to well-lit farmsteads and bright twinkling stars hung high on big blue silos shining across the harvested fields of northern Iowa.

It was an annual tradition for my dad to help judge the annual Christmas lighting contest for what was then Cedar Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, the co-op where he worked. The whole family would bundle into the car and head out across the county where co-op members had strung lights, placed manger scenes in their yards and mounted Santa on their roofs.

I think what made the Christmas lights so special was the darkness of those Iowa nights.

We were far from any city and, once out of town a ways, there was no glow in the sky.

And then, off MONA NEELEY in the distance, there would be a pinprick of light and the excitement would take hold. What kind of decorations would there be? Would there be a Santa? Would all of the buildings have lights edging the roof?

I remember each of those farmsteads as a beautiful oasis of light in the night.

That’s what I wish for each of you this holiday season. May you find a light in the darkness; a light and love to take you into the new year.

Merry Christmas.

Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative. Its goal is to provide information from your local electric co-op to you, its consumer-members.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Veggies That Keep on Giving

Vicki Spencer (Gardening, October ’19) offered several good suggestions on what to do with excess garden produce. It’s a dilemma many gardeners face. We donate our garden vegetables to Homeward Bound homeless shelter in Grand Junction. Donating food is gratifying and makes a positive difference in our community.

Francesca McMillen, Grand Junction Grand Valley Power consumer-member

Power in a Picture

I thought the infographic “What’s on a Power Pole?” (October ’19) was informative. It reinforces the stance to stay away from downed power lines.

Renee Chau, Monument Mountain View Electric consumer-member

I have been involved in the electric industry for the last 47 years. Starting as a groundman subcontracting for Mountain View Electric, I worked my way up to working with explosives and equipment operator. I have worked in a four-state area on every aspect of power line work from streetlights to 345-kilowatt steel tower lines, recently retiring from La Plata Electric.

I enjoy reading the magazine and in the October issue there was a diagram of “What’s on a Power Pole?” I think this is the most important piece of information that has ever been published in the magazine as it shows the readers exactly what is up there and what it does. The more people know about electricity, the safer they can be.

David Vaclav, Durango La Plata Electric consumer-member

SEND US YOUR LETTERS Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org.

Letters may be edited for length.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

5

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

DECKING YOUR HALLS WITH SMART LIGHTING With payback taking years, select the features suited to your home

BY PAT KEEGAN AND BR AD THIESSEN

I

t seems like every device is getting smarter these days and lighting is no exception. Powering lights when and where you want them, or even controlling the brightness and hue, all within the palm of your hand is enticing. But, since smart home lighting is so new, a good question to ask is, “Will smart lighting save energy?” That depends on how you light your home and control your lighting now, and on how you would control the smart lighting you install in the future. If you use smart lighting to turn lights off when they aren’t needed, like when rooms are empty or no one’s home, or to reduce the wattage, you will save energy.

Lighting accounts for about 6% of electricity use in the average home, which means your total cost for all the lighting in your home might be $100 per year. If you have some high-wattage bulbs that are on for long periods of time every day, your lighting use could be significantly higher than average.

Investments in smart lighting are not likely to pay back as quickly as some energy efficiency measures that control heating or air-conditioning. Smart bulbs are more expensive than typical LED bulbs, ranging from $15 to $80, and a smart-lighting hub can cost up to $125, so it could take a long time to make your money back. Chances are, you’re better off investing in smart lighting for the features than the energy savings.

One alternative to smart lighting is smart wall outlets or wall switches. For example, you can plug a lamp with a standard bulb into a smart wall outlet, or you can have several lights wired to one smart switch. The downside to smart switches and outlets is that installation could be more challenging, and you may not have as many options and features that come with smart lighting.

Another strategy for smart lighting that has been around for a long time and is reasonably priced is to use occupancy sensors, motion sensors or timers as control devices.

The wide number of options and costs might make it difficult to select the best smart lighting for your situation. Do the research to make sure it’s worth your time and money to make the change.

This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency.

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YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION DECEMBER 2019

MAILING ADDRESS 2211 Elk River Road Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS SERVICE CENTER 2211 Elk River Road Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

ph 970-879-1160 tf 888-873-9832 fax 970-879-7270 web www.yvea.com

CRAIG SERVICE CENTER 3715 East US Highway 40 Craig, CO 81625

ph 970-824-6593

tf 888-873-9832

fax 970-824-7134

facebook.com/ YampaValleyElectricAssociation

@YampaValleyElec

instagram.com/ yampavalleyelectriccoop

Yampa Valley Electric Association is a cooperative that provides value to its consumer-members by delivering safe and reliable electric service in an environmentally and financially responsible manner.

YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNIT Y PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

HOLIDAY REFLECTIONS & PREPARING FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR

BY STEVE JOHNSON GENER AL MANAGER & PRESIDENT

I

love the holiday season in the Rockies with all the sights, sounds, smells and memories it creates. For me personally, I look forward to the time with my family and friends and both the cherished traditions and new ones we create together.

LOOKING BACK It also is a time that allows me to look back over the past year, one that saw lots of change, system improvements and activities that allow us to better serve you, our consumer-members, while providing reliable, low-cost energy to power your Christmas lights, homes and businesses, and to prepare for a better and brighter new year.

It also saw the development of a new opportunity for our consumer-members with Luminate, a new company we created to bring high-speed fiber internet service to our territory. With Craig being “lit up,” we are excited to roll out this high-speed solution to your homes and businesses.

In this season of giving, I am grateful for the positive impact we have made within the communities we serve through our sponsorships of many events, donations to

STEVE JOHNSON

worthy charities and contributions we have made with your partnership and donations through the Operation RoundUp program each year. Working together, we truly helped change lives, making our communities better.

LOOKING AHEAD As we continue to plan for 2020, our focus remains on how we can best serve our consumer-members and the communities in which you live and work — whether providing information about how you can better utilize energy efficiency measures to live comfortably and save money through our Energy Hero program or providing more information about the technologies, programs and solutions we are employing to better serve you.

We are also grateful to those members who participated in our recent member engagement survey. Your valuable perspective will help guide us as we strive to better serve you now and into the future.

As we prepare for 2020, I look forward to the opportunity to serve you and our great communities. Working together, we will continue to make our communities great places to live, learn, work and thrive.

Happy holidays!

LUMINATE LIGHTING UP CRAIG FOR HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND SERVICE The Luminate Fiber broadband infrastructure has been constructed in Craig, and the new high-speed broadband company is lighting its fiber optic network in this area currently.

Luminate is conducting testing and signing up customers for residential and business services to be installed throughout the winter. The first areas within Craig to be lit up are areas north and west of Yampa Street and Interstate-40, mainly the northwest quadrant of Craig. “We are currently focusing on connecting residential customers, but we are signing up businesses on a preferred customer installation list for installations to start in December,” said YVEA General Manager Steve Johnson. If you are interested and want to learn more, visit www.luminatebroadband.com.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Yampa Valley Electric Thanks Betse Grassby Many years of service to the Operation RoundUp Board of Directors

Betse Grassby and ORU Board Left to right: Darcy Owens-Trask, Christina Oxley, Tom Fox, Betse Grassby, Judy Jones, Cindy Svendsen.

“It has been an honor to serve on the YVEA Operation RoundUp Board. I am proud of the work we have done, and the funds that have been distributed to so many worthy nonprofit organizations for projects that affect so many people in the YVEA territory. I do believe that Operation RoundUp, through these grants, is making a very positive impact on our community.” — Betse Grassby

Make Your Co-op Card Work for You YVEA is proud to offer the Touchstone Co-op Connections Card program to members.

Help YVEA make the program work for you. Encourage your favorite businesses to participate in the program. You can also submit business referrals using the free Co-op Connections app for your smartphone or tablet. It’s free advertising for them and provides savings to you.

Learn more at https://www. yvea.com/free-marketinglocal-businesses.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

Small Change, BIG Difference Organizations awarded grants in October 2019

O

peration RoundUp grants provided $15,540 to help nonprofit organizations around the YVEA territory during the October 2019 grant cycle.

The Operation RoundUp Board of Directors allocated funds to the following organizations for the funding period ending October 15, 2019: • Craig Concert Association • Integrated Community • Northwest Colorado Recreation Foundation • Routt County Crisis Support • Steamboat Skating Club Thanks to participating YVEA members rounding up their bills, more than $315,000 has been donated through Operation RoundUp to organizations making a difference throughout the YVEA service territory.

Be a difference maker for your community. Join Operation RoundUp by visiting www.yvea.com/operation-roundup, email OperationRoundUp@yvea.com or call 970-879-1160.

OFFICE CLOSURES Yampa Valley Electric Association’s offices in Craig and Steamboat will be closed on December 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday, and January 1 for New Year’s Day. YVEA wishes you and yours a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

YVEA Crews Cut Six-Hour Outage to Two Hours, Improve Reliability

W

hat was scheduled to be a six-hour power outage on October 22 to upgrade and replace equipment at the Keystone substation was done in only two hours thanks to the dedicated efforts of YVEA’s operations and engineering teams.

For years, the YVEA distribution system has had outages at the Keystone substation for a variety of reasons. The outages often occurred during the most adverse weather conditions (snowstorms, heavy thunderstorms, etc.). YVEA’s efforts to recover the system from Mount Harris, its delivery point and alternative primary transmission source, took significant planning, coordination and labor to complete, often taking hours. The planning and coordination to upgrade the substation took the combined efforts of engineering and operations staff, including Benj Hofner, John Cromer, Steve Penebaker, Don Elgin and Ben Vannoy.

Replacing and upgrading the equipment now allows the Keystone substation to be connected to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, which allows YVEA to monitor, control and analyze the Keystone system in real time from the Steamboat Springs office. This

upgrade allows YVEA to restore itself in 30 seconds instead of the hours once needed to patrol the lines, identify the issue and then repair it. In addition to the automatic recovery, the new equipment will help to mitigate the need for truck rolls, system switching and line patrols in unfavorable conditions. Ultimately, the brief planned outage and upgraded equipment means greater reliability and improved service to members served from that substation.

YVEA 2019 Underground Construction Work YVEA works year-round to keep your power flowing. YVEA’s 2019 underground construction work plan includes replacing direct buried cable with new conduit and cable that is equipped for fiber rollout.

Current work locations include: • Ski Ranches subdivision in Steamboat Springs, scheduled for 2020 As part of the construction work plan, YVEA will also have a number of contractors working within the service territory. The contractors and work locations include: • Global Mapping Solutions (GMS) working on Hamilton and Pit III substations • All Weather Services working on right-of-way needs from the Clark area to Steamboat Springs • Maverick working on fiber installation in Craig and the Pine Grove area • Pole testers working in the Hayden area conducting utility pole inspections • Ward working in the Craig area For the public’s safety and the safety of its crews, YVEA asks that you use caution near worksites and whenever you see a YVEA or contracting crew working near the road. YVEA wants you, its crews and contractors to get home safely.

For more information about our 2020 construction plan and when we will be in your area, please visit https://www.yvea. com/current-construction or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

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YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Youth Camp & Tour

Awesome Summer Adventures Await High Schoolers (ages 16-18)

Y

ampa Valley Electric Association is now accepting applications for the 2020 summer youth programs.

Students have the opportunity to attend the Washington D.C. Youth Tour and the Youth Leadership Camp near Steamboat Springs.

Each program is all-expenses-paid. Current high school students between the ages of 16 and 18, as of June 2020, are encouraged to apply.

The Washington D.C. Youth Tour will take place June 18-25, 2020, in Washington, D.C. The week of activities begins in Denver where students from around the state visit the state Capitol and are introduced to the

Holidays, Events & Sponsorships • Giving Tuesday – December 3 • National Miners Day – December 6 • National Pearl Harbor Remembrance – December 7 • December 6, 1941, was important to YVEA members as we energized our first line on that day, but it was overshadowed by the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7 and the entry of the United States into World War II. • Tour of Lights in partnership with Craig Daily Press – Craig • Parade of Lights – Downtown Business Association • Town of Yampa Lighting Contest • Town of Phippsburg Lighting Contest

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

electric cooperative program. The students then head to Washington, D.C., with more than 1,900 of their peers for a week of learning and exploring.

The Youth Leadership Camp will take place July 11-16, 2020. This weeklong adventure brings together about 100 students from Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Oklahoma to the mountains near Steamboat Springs. Students will learn about the cooperative business model and leadership skills that will serve them well throughout their life. There is also plenty of time set aside for campers to explore and enjoy the mountains, including a raft trip on the Colorado

River, a gondola ride to the top of Mount Werner and a camp that takes advantage of Colorado’s great outdoors.

Yampa Valley Electric Association covers all costs to participate in either program, including travel, lodging and food. The only cost to the students is spending money for souvenirs or extra snacks.

Interested students must complete an application form and short essay. For more details, visit www.yvea.com/was hington-dc-youth-tour for Youth Tour and https://www.yvea.com/youth-leader ship-camp for the Youth Leadership Camp.

Application deadline is December 31, 2019.

Energy Hero Says Time to Plug in Your Heat Tape

Energy Hero Tip of the Month

Many members in our cold climate use heat tape to prevent ice from forming on roofs and gutters and to prevent pipes from freezing. Yet, most members do not realize how these increase their electric bills.

In our cold climate, heat tape is one of the top five energy villains. Heat tape consumes energy based on its wattage and length: 100 feet of heat tape can use up to 30 kilowatt-hours per day, which equals 900 kWh per month and can add up to $84 to your monthly electric bill.

Wait until the first snow to energize heat tape; mark your calendar to turn off your heat tape at the end of the winter season. To reduce the energy usage of heat tape, do not run it continuously. YVEA recommends installing timers on all heat tape circuits. Operate them from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. This may seem counterintuitive, but the best time to run heat tape is during the day.

To learn how to avoid the need for heat tape all together and other tips on how to fight energy waste, visit yvea.com/energyhero.

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Advanced Technology Allows Macular Degeneration Patients To See Again And Allows Many Low Vision Patients To Drive Again While there is currently no cure, promising research is being done on many fronts. everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning,” says Dr. Stamm, “Even if it’s driving.”

A scene as it might be viewed by a person with age-related macular degeneration

For many patients with macular degeneration and other visionrelated conditions, the loss of central visual detail also signals the end to one of the last bastions of independence driving. Colorado optometrist, Dr. Robert Stamm is using miniaturized telescopes which are mounted in glasses to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration and other eye conditions.

“Some of my patients consider me their last chance for people who have vision loss,” said Dr. Stamm, one of only a few doctors in the world who specializes in fitting bioptic

Same scene of rancher as viewed by a person without macular degeneration

telescopes to help those who have lost vision due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases.

Imagine a pair of glasses that can improve your vision enough to change your life.

Bioptic telescopes may be the breakthrough in optical technology that will give you back your independence.

Patients with vision in the 20/200 range can many times be improved to 20/50.

Bioptic telescopes treat both dry and wet forms of macular degeneration as well as other vision limiting conditions.

bioptic telescope is that the lens automatically focuses on whatever you’re looking at,” said Dr. Stamm. “It’s like a self-focusing camera, but much more precise.”

For more information and to schedule an appointment today, call:

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www.LowVisionofColorado.com COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

11

RECIPES

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHEESECAKE

BY AMY HIGGINS

WIN A COPY

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

Make cheesecake the center of attention this holiday season.

Enter our December contest for your chance to win a copy of The Cheesecake Bible. Simply email your name, mailing address and phone number to contests@coloradocountrylife.org. We will choose a winner on December 16.

N

othing beats a classic cheesecake with fresh strawberries. Or, does it? George Geary’s cookbook The Cheesecake Bible (Second Edition): 300 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Cakes and More could entice your taste buds toward a more complex flavor palette. With sweet varieties as well as savory (Taco Night Cheesecake, anyone?), your homemade cheesecake could be the center of attention this holiday season. However, if these recipes don’t elicit your excitement as much as the classic, you can always buy the cookbook and bake Geary’s Blue Ribbon Cheesecake — a dish that not only has his mother’s seal of approval, but has also won Geary several awards. In the meantime, give this recipe a go.

Cranberry Orange Cheese Pie C RUST 1 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs, store-bought 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup orange marmalade FILLING 1 pound cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup finely chopped cranberries (see Tip) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest DECORATION Whipped cream topping For the Crust: In a bowl, combine gingersnap cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and sides of 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and freeze for 30 minutes. Spread orange marmalade over frozen crust.

For the Filling: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and brown sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in cranberries, vanilla, nutmeg and orange zest by hand.

QUICK TIP / FROZEN BERRIES Use frozen cranberries right from the freezer, without thawing, to prevent the color from bleeding.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

Pour over crust, smoothing out to edges of pie plate. Bake in 325-degree oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

For the Decoration: Spread top of pie with whipped cream or pipe rosettes around top of pie, if desired.

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NEWS CLIPS

Former Gov. Bill Ritter, now with the Center for the New Energy Economy, (right) and Tri-State Generation and Transmission CEO Duane Highley talk about new innovations their organizations will pursue in the near future.

CREA Energy Innovations Summit Looks to Future

C

olorado’s energy future was the topic of the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s daylong Energy Innovations Summit October 28 in downtown Denver.

A lively discussion of what is needed for Colorado’s electric industry, particularly the electric co-ops, to transition to more renewables opened the event. Former Gov. Bill Ritter, now with the Center for the New Energy Economy, and Duane Highley, new CEO of Tri-State Generation

and Transmission Association, talked about the innovations on the horizon that both of their organizations will be pursuing.

The daylong conference also included controversial luncheon speaker Michael Shellenberger, a pronuclear energy environmentalist named by Time magazine as a “hero of the environment.”

Other topics discussed during the day included breakout sessions on community choice aggregation, micro grids, new technologies being introduced and beneficial

Teachers Invited to Learn About Electricity Elementary through high school educators interested in the electric industry can learn how electricity is generated and supplied to today’s users during a three-day session June 23-25 in Westminster, courtesy of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the power supplier to 18 of Colorado’s 22 electric co-ops.

Teachers will learn how to integrate energy curriculum materials into classrooms at every grade level and for all learning styles. Participants leave with the training and a hands-on energy kit for the classroom worth $300.

For more information or to apply, contact Wendi Moss at The NEED Project, wmoss@ need.org, or Michelle Pastor at mpastor@tristategt.org.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

electrification. There was also an update on energy storage before the day wrapped up with an update of regional electricity markets for Colorado.

To hear the opening discussion and several other sessions, visit https://crea. coop/crea-podcasts. To review slides presented during panel discussions, visit crea.coop then click on Industry News, then Energy Innovations and then Presentations.

Electric Co-op Podcasts Share Stories on Issues Love podcasts? Listen each month to a co-op podcast focused on important stories f ro m ac ross electric co-op territory. Topics for the Along T h ose L i n e s podcast have included protecting the electric grid, a look at the future of electric co-ops, the push to save co-ops’ tax-exempt status, being part of the rural health care solution and other equally important subjects.

Visit https://www.cooperative. com/news/Pages/Along-ThoseLines-Podcast.aspx to download or stream these podcasts on your computer. Or go through Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts on your mobile device. Inside your podcast service, use the search bar to find “Along Those Lines.” You can then subscribe so that each podcast will download to your library and be ready when you want to listen.

NEWS CLIPS

ENERGY SMART AG WORKSHOPS SET Electric Co-ops Tapped

by DOE for Wind Development Electric cooperatives were selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to research community-based wind energy solutions.

The DOE identified the potential for more than 10 gigawatts of electricity capacity on rural distribution grids and selected the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association for collaborative research with DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The goal is to increase the understanding of the potential benefits of distributed wind and support the adoption of these technologies in rural areas.

NRECA, the trade association for the country’s electric co-ops, supports accelerating cost-effective, responsible deployment of distributed wind systems that can provide benefits to rural electric consumer-members.

A series of energy-related sessions focusing on energy efficiency, cost savings, on-farm renewables and funding assistance are set for December 10 – 12 in eastern Colorado. The Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Agriculture will host the meetings for farmers and ranchers.

Created through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, state government and ag industry leaders, the workshops will feature presenters from CEO, CDA and the Colorado Climate Center.

Sponsored by the Colorado Rural Electric Association and nine other ag organizations, the workshops, which include lunch or dinner, are free. To register, visit tinyurl.com/ COenergysmart.

They are Tuesday, December 10 at 4:30 p.m. at Island Grove Regional Park Bunkhouse, 607 N. 15th Ave., Greeley; Wednesday, December 11 at 10 a.m. at Logan County Colorado State University Extension office, 508 S. 10th Ave. #1, Sterling; Wednesday, December 11 at 4:30 p.m. at Burlington Community Center, 340 S. 14th St., Burlington; and Thursday, December 12 at noon at Lamar Community College (Bowman 147), 2401 S. Main St., Lamar.

For information, contact Darrell Hanavan at 303-981-4430 or dhanavanco@ gmail.com.

GFCIs Keep the Holidays Merry

Co-ops Work to Lower Carbon Energy Use

It’s Christmas. The family is home. Chaos abounds. The kitchen counters are piled high with dishes and you’re washing those fragile, special items in the sink. Kids run through the room and an appliance gets accidentally knocked into the water. But it’s not a disaster.

With a pop, the power goes off instantly.

Your life is saved by a ground fault circuit interrupter, and your holiday continues.

To ensure a happy ending, make sure GFCIs are installed in the kitchen, bathrooms and garage and any other areas near water. A GFCI detects an abnormal flow of electricity and shuts off the power, preventing shock or electrocution.

Colorado electric co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the Colorado Rural Electric Association join the national Beneficial Electrification League, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Natural Resources Defense Council and others to establish the BEL’s first state chapter, which will advance beneficial electrification in Colorado.

Additional participants in launching the Beneficial Electrification League of Colorado include the Colorado Energy Office and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

Beneficial electrification promotes the efficient use of electricity to replace fossil fuels to benefit consumers, help improve the environment and provide a more robust and resilient energy system. BEL and the Colorado chapter are nonprofits focused on the advancement of market acceptance for beneficial electrification concepts, policies, practices, technologies and business models.

BEL was launched nationally in 2018 to facilitate the exchange of ideas, experience, education, awareness, and market and policy analysis to accelerate BE solutions, such as infrastructure for electric vehicles, access to highly efficient electric heating and cooling systems like heat pumps, rebates for electric equipment such as lawn mowers or leaf blowers and a variety of other uses.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

15

COVER STORY

BY MONA NEELEY

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COVER STORY

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his past summer, 20 lineworkers from Colorado and Oklahoma went to Guatemala and changed the world for the people in the village of Sillab. By running power lines and wiring homes, they brought electricity and all of its possibilities to the people in this remote, rural village in Central America.

At the same time, the people of Sillab changed those who came to help them.

“What impacted me the most about the project was seeing how happy the villagers were with as few material things as they have,” said Jerid Bruna of Southeast Colorado Power Association in La Junta.

“I thought I knew what poor was,” said fellow Coloradan K.J. Johnson of San Miguel Power Association in Ridgway, “but I learned what real poor was.”

Some homes were built of nothing more than sticks bound together for walls with a thatched roof overhead and a dirt floor below.

Others were built of rough planking crudely fit together to support rusted metal roofs.

There was always a gap between the walls and the roof to ventilate the smoke from the cooking fire.

The fire would be going inside on a waisthigh platform. Lower platforms or hammocks provided places for the family to sleep in what was usually a one-room home. Corn was piled in a corner to be shelled, ground and made into tortillas each day to feed the family.

Wood and bananas were piled in other spots.

There is no running water or plumbing.

While the villagers’ living conditions were a shock, Johnson also noticed that the people had real, true joy, especially the kids.

“The people were happy, grateful,” said Jason Matze of Mountain View Electric Association headquartered in Limon. They also seemed content, but excited with what electricity would mean for them and their village.

On page 16 - 1) Kelly Snow of United Power, Inc., plays stickball with one of the village kids; 2) Jace Noe of Southeast Colorado Power Association helps hand out water filters to villagers; 3) Chris Stanworth of White River Electric Association (right) says a heartfelt goodbye to one of the men he worked with; 4) Ken Murray of Mountain View Electric Association (left) and Dusty McNatt of CKenergy get some “help” from two village boys.

Volunteers wire one of the homes in Sillab, Guatemala, with sockets for lightbulbs.

“What impacted me the most about the project was seeing how happy the villagers were with as few material things as they have.”

— Jerid Bruna, Southeast Colorado Power Association, La Junta

COVER STORY

Deep ravines and steep mountains made running power lines a challenge.

A PROJECT ON A MOUNTAINSIDE

One of the villagers helps pull line up the hillside.

The electrification project was a joint effort between Colorado’s and Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives with coordination by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic arm, NRECA International. Ten lineworkers from Colorado and 10 from Oklahoma spent two weeks electrifying 37 homes, a school and four churches.

The team built 6.5-miles of line using 40-plus poles set to carry the wire through steep, hilly terrain and across deep valleys before zigzagging through the small community of homes. Each village family invested in the project by digging a hole and installing a power pole outside the home. The lineworkers then ran the wire from the pole to the home and wired the home with two lightswitches, two electric outlet boxes and sockets for lightbulbs.

The power lines now belong to a local utility, ADECORK (Association for Community Development Rax Kiche).

ADECORK will generate and distribute electricity to Sillab from its 75-killowatt capacity hydropower plant. The utility provides electricity to 275 consumers in nearby villages

Rod Sherman of Holy Cross Electric (left) and Chris Stanworth of White River Electric Association work on deenergized lines.

scattered through this mountainous region of Alta Verapaz near the Belize border.

“The mountains were beautiful,” noted Ken Murray of Mountain View Electric, “but really steep.” The crew struggled climbing up and down the deep ravines.

It was a project with challenges, noted Chris Stanworth of White River Electric Association in Meeker. “But the people made it 10 times easier.”

“The villagers were incredibly helpful,” said Austin Maier of Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association in Fort Collins. There was a mixture of kids, younger men and older men.

“We each had our little posse of people,” explained Kelly Snow of United Power, Inc. in Brighton. There were five or six villagers for each American volunteer. Using lots of hand gestures and eye contact, the lineman conveyed which tool he needed handed to him or what he needed moved or carried.

Volunteers (left to right in red shirts): Kyle Weber, Chance Turpin, Dusty McNatt (hidden), Nate Hulse, Trevor Howord, Heath Gossen, Mike Wolfe, Jason Matzke, Jarrod Hooper, Bryan Kimminau, Dale Kishbaugh, Austin Maier, Rod Sherman, Kelly Snow, Ken Murray, Jace Noe, Chris Stanworth, K.J. Johnson, Dakota Gilbert and Jerid Bruna.

COVER STORY The villagers participated in the project from the beginning, working together to set the poles for the line coming into the village in preparation for the project. This work had to be done by hand. Even the shovels they used to dig the holes were often handmade, carved from one of the hardwood trees that grew in the area.

The Americans noticed the teamwork and not just among the local villagers. “Almost every day men would come to Sillab from neighboring villages to help with the work we were doing, knowing that they were going back to an area that wasn’t receiving power,” Bruna noted.

But these villagers had hope. They knew NRECA International was working in the area. The nearby village of Chiis received electricity in another Oklahoma project two years ago. The whole village of Chiis lined the road and cheered for the convoy of co-op linemen as they drove through on their way to the worksite that first weekend. The people in Chiis understood what these Americans were bringing for the people of Sillab.

CELEBRATING LIGHT Everyone celebrated Friday, September 6, when the lights did come on.

The villagers gathered at the local school to show their gratitude to the Colorado and Oklahoma volunteers. The leader of the village, who had prayed over the crew when

Delivering Water and Backpacks to Locals

Villagers were all smiles as the Colorado-Oklahoma Energy Trails Team delivered a water filter to each family in Sillab, Guatemala, after the lights came on Friday, September 6. The team also delivered a backpack filled with school supplies to each child in the village.

The water filters, backpacks and school supplies were made possible through donations from electric co-ops, co-op employees and co-op consumer-members. the team first arrived, now offered a prayer of thanksgiving. He explained, through an interpreter, how appreciative the people of Sillab were for this gift of electricity.

Then his wife stepped forward. In tears, she said, “I don’t know if you understand what this means.” She went on to explain that she has always had to get up in the dark and, in the dark, take her family’s corn down the road to where it could be ground, then walk back in the dark and then make tortillas by candlelight. Now, she will no longer have to make her family’s breakfast in the dark.

“That was my favorite part of the trip: being able to turn on the lights and to see their faces,” said Jace Noe, a lineman from Southeast Colorado Power.

“If I have one God-given skill or natural ability, it is to climb wooden power poles, and

for me to use this skill to change these people’s lives for generations means everything to me,” said Rod Sherman of Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs.

“I smile knowing that we made a difference in Sillab with a service that many people in America take for granted,” Bruna said.

Stanworth agreed: “It was great to drive away and know you did something that really helped them.”

The Colorado and Oklahoma linemen brought electricity and light to the village of Sillab. But the people of Sillab gave back so much more in the joy and friendship that they shared with their new friends from the north.

The people of Guatemala have had a piece of editor Mona Neeley’s heart since last year’s trip with the electric co-op international team to a different village in Guatemala.

INDUSTRY

Energy From Waterpower The little-publicized renewable power resource shows promise and problems

BY PAUL WESSLUND AND AMY HIGGINS

A

ttention to energy and the environment focuses new light on one of the oldest sources of power: falling water.

“Hydropower was the first source of electrical energy used in the United States,” states a U.S. Department of Energy report issued in recent years. In fact, hydropower has always been a part of Colorado’s renewable energy mix. Today, about 30% of the power delivered by electric co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association comes from renewable resources and approximately half of that 30% comes from large hydroelectric resources, which is primarily provided by the Western Area Power Administration, according to Mark Stutz, public relations specialist at Tri-State.

The DOE report concludes, “Increasing hydropower can simultaneously deliver an array of benefits to the nation that address issues of national concern, including climate change, air quality, public health, economic development, energy diversity and water security.”

The 395-page Hydropower Vision — A New Chapter for America’s 1st Renewable Electricity Source reports that, in the next 35 years, the United States could increase hydropower production by half of what it generates today: from 101 gigawatts today to 150 GW by 2050.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

While this seems like a perfect energy solution, it should be noted that this projection wouldn’t make a major change in the nation’s fuel mix. Achieving that entire 150-GW goal would only raise the share of electricity produced by hydropower from about 6% today to about 9% 35 years from now. And that forecast is a best-case scenario.

Here’s what would be needed for that to happen: • Technical innovation to improve the effectiveness of equipment that converts flowing water into electricity • Construction of new hydroelectric dams and the conversion of existing power-producing structures into electricity generators • Streamlining a complex web of regulations that affect construction on rivers and streams A report from the U.S. Department of Energy says that electricity generated by hydropower could increase by 50% in the next 35 years.

But even though hydropower seems to have taken the back burner to solar, wind and battery storage, hydroelectricity is still an important, viable and valuable renewable energy resource.

Long term, cost effective Tom Lovas understands the promise and the problems of hydropower. He worked on several hydroelectric projects as a technical liaison and consultant with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the trade association for the country’s electric co-ops.

“Hydropower is a good, long-term, cost-effective resource for electric cooperatives,” Lovas says. He adds that, with environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, hydropower is “certainly an avenue that should be explored.”

But Lovas sees cost and regulation as limiting the DOE Vision report’s lofty goals.

“There’s been relatively little new hydroelectric development in the country in a number of years in part because of the consideration of environmental aspects associated with the reservoir development,” he says.

“It takes quite a bit of time and effort to get through the licensing phase of extensive feasibility studies and environmental reports, plus there’s the relatively high up-front construction cost.”

INDUSTRY For example, Gunnison County Electric Association in Gunnison conducted a study in 2010 that showed that the nearby Taylor Reservoir Dam could support a 3.4 megawatt hydroelectric project, so GCEA decided to take on the project. Fast forward to today — nearly a decade later — and the co-op is finally nearing an agreement with the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users, according to GCEA CEO Mike McBride. “If we can get a memorandum of understanding signed — hopefully by the end of the year — we would turn our attention to permitting and design,” he says.

McBride says GCEA is also still in the permitting process with the Bureau of Reclamation, which will likely take several months. However, he explains, “Our two biggest challenges at Taylor have been in reaching a shared vision with the water users and the fact that electrical infrastructure at the dam is insufficient for a larger project.

“The 2010 (study) concluded that the water resource could support a 3.4 MW project, but there are 18 miles of singlephase distribution line from the dam to the substation that would need to be upgraded to three-phase, which would be a significant additional cost to the project,” McBride says.

GCEA is considering Taylor Reservoir Dam to be a 200- to 500-kilowatt project, which would produce between 1.6 million and 3.7 million kilowatt-hours of energy.

“The fact that 6 miles of that line is under the road in a narrow section of the canyon is part of the reason that we are looking at a smaller project initially,” McBride says, adding “the project could be expanded in the future.

With hydropower, small seems to be trending. In 2017, White River Electric Association in Meeker began generating electricity with its first micro hydroelectric project using irrigation ditch water to power the project. And a Fort Collins-based Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association consumer-member has a 25-kW micro hydropower generator that powers his farm’s sprinkler during the growing season, using irrigation ditch water as well.

Anatomy of a hydroelectric facility Hydroelectricity works by capturing the energy from falling or flowing water. In most cases this involves building a dam that holds the water in a reservoir. When that water is released, it flows through and spins a turbine, which then activates a generator to create electricity. Hydropower generates about 6% of the nation’s electricity.

The DOE Vision report lists several ways to expand the use of technology that turns water into electricity. Lovas says the two most likely prospects for increasing hydropower are to modernize existing facilities and to add generation to dams and waterways that do not currently provide electricity.

“I would expect that upgrades to existing plants and adding power at existing dams and canals probably have the highest potential benefit,” Lovas says, noting that focusing on improving efficiency and effectiveness could avoid some of the problems of expense and regulatory approvals for an entirely new project.

DOE’s Vision reports that there are about 50,000 dams in the country that don’t have hydroelectric equipment. The report states that the potential of those 50,000 dams, as well as upgrades to existing plants, could provide about a fourth of its ambitious projection of 150 GW by 2050.

Storing energy from other renewable sources Lovas also sees another area of promise for hydropower that would make solar and wind power more useful. It’s called pumped storage.

Forty-two existing pumped storage plants in the United States, including at least two in Colorado, basically allow the utilities that

operate them to time-shift electricity use.

When people aren’t using much electricity, like in the middle of the night, the utility uses relatively low-cost available generation capacity to pump water from a nearby reservoir to one located at a higher elevation. Then, when the utility needs extra capacity, it draws water from the upper reservoir to run a power turbine.

The DOE Vision report projects pumped storage as potentially providing 36 GW toward its 49 GW goal.

Lovas says more use of pumped storage could “help improve the economics of other renewable resources.” For example, pumped storage could provide electricity when a wind farm can’t, like in calm weather, or for a bank of photovoltaic solar energy cells at night.

“You could optimize the availability of photovoltaics by being able to store the energy,” Lovas says. “Then, the pumped storage effectively serves as an alternative to a battery.”

The problems might outweigh the promise of generating more hydropower, but utilities continue exploring viable options for more renewable energy sources.

Paul Wesslund writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Amy Higgins covers Colorado issues.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

21

GARDENING

WEATHERING WINTER GARDENING WOES Don’t let frigid temperatures ruin your spring garden

BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

E

ven though we laid our gardens to rest for the season, in Colorado we need to be attentive to the moisture around trees and bushes during winter. If they are too dry before we experience a hard freeze, they won’t have a buffer to protect them from winter damage.

Evergreens, which retain most of their leaves, go dormant in the winter, so you will not see new growth. Moisture in their leaves help evergreens survive freezing temperatures but can make them more susceptible to snow and ice damage. The added weight may cause branches to bend and break.

It is a good idea to go out after a snowstorm and remove snow from the leaves and branches of trees and bushes. A straw broom works well for low-lying foliage. Brush gently from the underside and try to avoid touching leaves as much as possible. (Suggestion: Wear a hooded parka or hat as it’s inevitable that the snow will fall on you.) Do not try to remove ice from plants as they could be damaged.

Some evergreens begin to look wilted or lose shape during winter.

Don’t fret: This happens when they are frozen, but they will regain their normal shape when they thaw out. It is best to leave the plants alone to avoid breaking brittle branches inadvertently. While you should not prune trees and bushes in the winter, it is a good idea to remove broken limbs and branches before they cause further damage.

Since deciduous trees lose their leaves, their bare branches lose moisture more readily than evergreens. This is why watering trees in the winter is important, especially during long, dry spells without snow.

Newly planted trees need extra special care. In addition to wrapping

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

the tree trunk to prevent sun scalding, deep watering provides a good defense against drought stress. The best time to water trees is in the morning. Your goal should be to allow saturation 12 inches into the soil — this applies to well-established trees as well. A variety of subsurface injection probes are available at garden stores or on the internet, or you can contact a professional arborist to deep water for you.

If the ground is not frozen or covered with snow, winter is a good time to get a soil test. Colorado State University Extension Office can determine your soil pH and relative levels of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, which are important for healthy growth. Testing kits are available at county extension offices, or visit soiltestinglab.colostate.edu for a list of local garden centers where you can purchase kits.

With test results in hand, apply the recommended nutrients along with organic compost. Cover the compost with mulch (peat moss, bark, sawdust or shredded newspapers) to help retain moisture and encourage decomposition. By spring, your soil will be healthier and the results should be noticeable throughout the growing season.

Gardener Vicki Spencer has an eclectic background in conservation, water, natural resources and more.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Gardening under Living in Colorado.

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23

OUTDOORS

Taking the Plunge

Perfecting plans for a dispassionate ice-fishing outing

BY DENNIS SMITH

| OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

I

t’s time once again for my annual “I know-ice-fishing-is-stupidbut-I-do-it-anyway” column. If you’ve read one or two of them here in years’ past, you may recall I used to be a bit embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed this fine old winter sport, but I’ve gotten over that. After all, there are plenty of dumber things you can do to yourself in the name of outdoor recreation. Staring at a hole in the ice for hours on end is relatively sane behavior when you compare it to, say, bungee jumping and that sort of thing. I mean, what kind of idiot deliberately throws himself off a 300-foot tower with nothing but a big rubber band tying him to the tower and pays 35 or 40 bucks for the privilege to boot? You think ice fishermen are nuts?

The boys and I already started laying plans for the first ice-fishing adventure of 2020. Since I’ve written about these escapades in this column before, I’ll spare you the details, but the routine goes something like this: A bunch of us who should know better invite a bunch of others who don’t to join us for a weekend of exciting mountain travel, gourmet food and spirits, and fun-filled outdoor winter recreation. That description is slightly misleading, but if we told our guests we’d probably be hiking through knee-deep snow drifts and leaning into 30-mile-an-hour winds while we drilled holes through 3 feet of steel-hard ice so we could dangle a worm in the water, they probably wouldn’t go.

Our first ice-fishing trips were often spontaneous, poorly organized affairs in which we spent more time fighting the elements and primitive equipment than we did fishing. But, over time, we’ve managed to finesse these outings to the point where we now travel with propane-heated ice huts and gas-powered augers that zip through 36 inches of frozen lake in less time than it takes to tell about it. Once we’re set up, we’ll heat up great steaming pots of homemade chili or grill brats and heat beans on our camp stoves to ward off the cold. On occasion we’ll actually catch fish, but much of our time is spent socializing with other ice fishermen, trading recipes and sampling each other’s beverages. When we’re done for the day, we’ll

load our gear in the trucks and head for the nearest town to enjoy a nice, hot, sit-down meal before retiring to a nearby motel, reservations having been secured in advance.

Last year, at the end of a particularly good day on the ice and a steak dinner at the café in Walden, we were lounging in our motel room watching a sitcom on the boob tube and sipping sundowners when one of the newbies said, “I used to think ice fishermen were a bunch of flaming idiots until I met you guys. Where’re we going tomorrow?”

To which someone quietly replied, “Bungee jumping.”

Dennis Smith is a freelance outdoors writer and photographer whose work appears nationally. He lives in Loveland.

MISS AN ISSUE? Catch up on all of Dennis’ outdoor stories at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Outdoors under Living in Colorado.

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CREATIVE CORNER

READER POETRY Country Dog Country dog, no pampered pet.

Stays outside when it’s cold and wet, chases the coyotes away from the sheep, crawls under the hen house when he wants to sleep.

Or, under the rabbit hutch by the milkroom door, where he knows… I won’t ignore his pleading eyes and wagging tail for part of the bounty in my pail.

Each morning after chores, just around ten, he’s off on his daily jaunt over hill and glen.

Sniffing and walking the same old path, comes home dirty sometimes needin’ a bath.

Seems like he’s “skunked” fifty times a year, for he can’t stand to have them varmints near.

‘Cause, if there’s eggs to be sucked he thinks no one but him has got the right.

A few I don’t mind, though… as he stands guard both day and night.

And he’s right beside me, without fail whether I’m going for the cows or out to the box for mail.

Yes, he’s a farmin’ dog and if he could, I’ll bet he’d say, “Make mine a country life, it’s the only way!!”

JoAnnette Sieve, Buena Vista Sangre de Cristo Electric consumer-member

DO YOU WRITE POETRY? Send us your best work; we’d love to read it.

Wishing you happiness and joy this holiday season.

Submission: Submit your poetry, poetry via name email andto:address via mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org email to: mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org or mail by mail poem, to: name and address to: Colorado Country Life magazine 5400 Washington St. Street Denver, CO 80216 COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

27

COMMUNITY EVENTS December 11-14 Copper

December 16-17 Telluride

December 13 Greeley

December 21 Greeley

December 13-14 Mancos

December 21 Pueblo

U.S. Grand Prix Copper Mountain coppercolorado.com

December 14 Audubon Christmas Bird Count and Tally Rally

At Bear Creek Regional Park, Colorado Springs Bird Count, 8 am-12 pm; Tally Rally, 5-7 pm Bundle up, head to the park and get sleuthing for feathered creatures at this Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Find out if you can find the most elusive species on your hunt and then gather afterward with fellow bird counters to count your findings and share a potluck dinner. Be prepared for inclement weather conditions. A $5 donation for birdseed and feeders is appreciated. For more information, call 719-520-6388 or visit elpasoco.com/naturecenters.

December 2019 Fridays-Sundays Through December 15; Daily December 16-22 Littleton

Santa’s Village Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield botanicgardens.org

December 5-8 Pueblo

Nutcracker Ballet Sangre de Cristo Arts Center 719-295-7200 • sdc-arts.org

December 6-7 Colorado Springs

Christmas Creche Exhibit and Live Nativity • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cscreche@gmail.com

December 6 Fraser

Festival of Trees Grand Park Community Rec Center 4-8 pm • fraservalleylions.org

December 7-8 Denver

Tibetan Singing Bowls Concert Denver Botanic Gardens botanicgardens.org

December 7 Durango

Community Christmas Bazaar St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 8 am-3 pm • 970-247-1129

28

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

December 7, 14 and 21 Golden

Santa at the Station Colorado Railroad Museum 9 am-1 pm coloradorailroadmuseum.org

December 7 La Veta

Holiday Culinary Celebration Various La Veta Galleries 5-7:30 pm • lavetagalleryonmain.com

December 7 Montrose

Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival Ute Indian Museum 9 am-4 pm • 970-249-3098

December 7 Pueblo

Holiday Fashion Preview and Gourmet Luncheon Fundraiser Pueblo Convention Center 719-248-2688 assistanceleaguepueblo.org

December 8 Colorado Springs

Holiday Lunch for Adults 50+ Greeley Active Adult Center 12-1 pm • 970-350-9440

“Dreams of Christmas” Concert Mancos United Methodist Church 7 pm • 970-533-9165

December 14 Bayfield

Frosty’s Craft Fair Bayfield High School 9 am-3 pm • 970-903-4294

December 14 Durango

Holiday Market La Plata County Fairgrounds 9 am-2 pm • 970-749-1653

December 14 Gardner

Gardner Art & Craft Fair Raymond Aguirre Community Center 9 am-3 pm • 719-746-3050

December 14 Greeley

Community Christmas Party Rodarte Community Center 10 am-1 pm • 970-350-9430

December 14 Las Animas

Christmas at the Museum Rawlings Museum 719-456-6066

December 14 Platteville

19th Century Holiday Celebration Fort Vasquez 3-7 pm • 970-785-2832

December 15 Carbondale

Jingle Bell Run Independence Run & Hike 11 am-2 pm • 970-704-0909

Craft Sale and Fireman’s Breakfast Hanover Volunteer Fire Department 7-10 am • 719-683-2995

December 9 Denver

“The Women Who’ve Been Here” presentation RSVP Required History Colorado Center 6-8 pm • 303-866-2394

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE

Holiday Pop-Up Market Sheridan Opera House 11 am-7 pm • 970-728-6363

Skate with Santa Greeley Ice Haus 12-1:30 pm • 970-350-9402

Fuego Sagrado: Winter Solstice Fire Ceremony El Pueblo History Museum 3:30-7 pm • 719-583-0453

December 22 Durango

Holiday Wreath Making Durango Mountain Institute 10 am-3 pm • 970-247-9000

December 26-January 5 Georgetown

Victorian Holiday Celebration and Lighted Forest Trains Georgetown Loop Railroad & Mining Park • Closed January 1 888-456-6777 georgetownlooprr.com

December 31 Grand Lake

New Year’s Eve with Rocky Mountain Rep • Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre 8 pm • 970-627-5087

January 2020 January 5 Fruita

Grand Valley Weather Trends Colorado National Monument 970-858-3617

January 5 Pagosa Springs

Fun Race • Wolf Creek Ski Area wolfcreekski.com

January 5 Steamboat Springs

Ski Free Sunday Howelsen Ski Area 970-879-4300 • steamboatsprings.net

Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org.

Please send name of event, date, time, venue, brief description, phone number, a photo, if you have one, and email and/or website for more information.

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS

FUNNY STORIES Many years ago we lived in Pueblo.

CCL goes to the drag races. Debbie McHenry of Cortez attends the Las Vegas NHRA drag races.

She is a consumer-member of Empire Electric Association.

Mountain Parks Electric members Jenny Krieg, Granby, and Toni Leuthold, Winter Park, with CCL along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Wales, while walking 186 miles from Amroth to St. Dogmaels.

Our daughter, Chris, who was 5 years old at that time, went to Sunday school at a large church.

My husband’s folks lived on a farm and went to a small church. My father-in-law was the treasurer of that church.

During a visit, Grandpa took Chris to church with him. A few days later when we were driving home from the farm, Chris spoke up from the backseat. “It sure doesn’t do any good to take money to Grandpa’s church. He brings it home with him.” When we stopped laughing, I explained why.

Evelyn Herd, Beulah

Our good friends, Mike and Jen,

were enjoying after-dinner desserts as we talked about how their sweet young daughter is already reading at age 4. We thought that was quite amazing and gifted. As we were having this conversation, our high-energy, rambunctious 5-year-old son ran into the room with a box, poured the contents over his head, placed the box on his head and ran out screaming. My husband and I looked at each other and I said, “Our son is gifted in other ways.” Needless to say, the room was filled with laughter!

Tana Lawler, Golden Colorado Country Life magazine travels with Howard and Judy Wickham to the Taj Mahal, Agra, India. They are consumer-members of Morgan County REA.

Maggie and Ray Davis of Rye visit the former Dutch colony of Aruba. They are consumer-members of San Isabel Electric.

On a flight to the Bahamas for

David and Marianne Christensen of Peyton celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary in French Polynesia on the island of Bora Bora, dining at the famous Bloody Mary’s Restaurant. They are consumer-members of Mountain View Electric Association.

WINNER: David and Judy Butler, Sangre de Cristo Electric consumer-members, take CCL to Normandy, France. This is a memorial to those who liberated the fishing port at Port-en-Bessin in 1944.

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, your name and address to info@coloradocountrylife. org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Monday, December 16. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/COCountryLife.

Christmas vacation, I watched my 4-year-old son, Shane, stare intently out the airplane window.

It was an overcast day and, after takeoff, we were passing through big white, fluffy clouds.

Shane looked concerned and I wondered what he might be thinking about. Suddenly a big smile broke across his face. “Mom!” he said, “I know why we’re not getting anywhere — we’re stuck in all this snow!”

Anonymous

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine.

At the end of the year we draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. The 2019 year-end funny story winner is Laurie Klein from Weldona. Send your 2020 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.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

29

DISCOVERIES

COLORADO COMFORT

Quirky Socks Designed to Be Loved Sock it to ’Em Perk up the personality of your feet with some stylish socks. Belong Designs, a Denver company, makes Coloradoinspired clothing, including socks, to keep you cozy in the great outdoors.

Belong Designs’ socks are comfortable, breathable and full of Colorado character. Socks cost $12 and come in eight different designs, including two Colorado flag designs and two Colorado mountain variations. For more information, call 720-262-9763 or visit belongdesigns.com.

Shear Comfort At a rural ranch in southeastern Colorado is the family-owned alpacafiber sock company Phoenix Fiber Mill that started in 2012. The soft fleece of alpacas is not only warming, but it also wicks away moisture, making it a beneficial material for shoe-bound feet. Good looking and comfortable, the socks come in an array of colors and patterns, and are named after some of Colorado’s most popular mountain peaks. Costs range from $16 to $35. For more information, visit phoenixfibermill.com.

Fashionable Footing Broomfield-based Save Our Soles puts the “fun” in “functional.” Athletes and homebodies alike will not only love the high-quality fabrics, but also the lively, colorful patterns will beckon them to stockpile multiple pairs in their sock drawers. Just ask the folks at Montrose-based Sense of Motion Footwear – the footwear company chose SOS to custom-make the popular merino wool socks they sell to their customers as well. To order your own SOS socks, call 866-274-6558 or visit sossocks.com.

A Golden Nugget Coloradans can’t get enough of our iconic “C” symbol and neither can YoColorado. From head to toe, the Goldenbased company’s fashion focus is on the Centennial State.

Using high-quality materials, YoColorado’s socks are cozy, functional, full of Colorado spirit and available in a range of colors for men and women. Costs range from $14 to $18. For more information, call 303-279-9252 or visit yocolorado.com.

Colorado Sock Products We Recommend 4 3

1 Phoenix Fiber Mill

3 Save Our Soles

2 Belong Designs

4 YoColorado

Southeastern Colorado | phoenixfibermill.com

2

Denver | belongdesigns.com

1

30

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE DECEMBER 2019

Broomfield | sossocks.com

Golden | yocolorado.com

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