[August 2012]
Putting on a
GOOD FRONT
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COLORADO TOUCHSTONE ENERGY CO-OPS TEAM WILL PEDAL THE PLAINS SEPT. 21-23
A team of representatives from local electric co-ops will be riding in this inaugural Pedal the Plains bicycle tour from Yuma to Wray to Burlington and back. As they ride, they will be raising money for Energy Outreach Colorado, which helps struggling Colorado families pay their heat bills in the winter. Sponsors
SPONSOR OUR TEAM AND HELP TO RAISE MONEY FOR To send your tax-deductible donation, fill out this form and send it and a check to: CEEI, c/o CREA, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216. Name: Address:
City: ZIP:
I would like to contribute:
❏ $20
❏ $50
❏ $75
❏ OTHER $
Donations will benefit Energy Outreach Colorado.
[contents]
August 2012 [departments]
[features]
4 Viewpoint
14 Getting the Lights On
5 Letters 6 Calendar 7 Co-op News 12 NewsClips 29 Funny Stories 30 Discoveries
16 Putting On a Good Front
How much electricity does it take to light Times Square?
Electric co-op linemen brave heat, tough terrian to restore power
These Victorian storefronts arrived in Colorado via mail order
14
30
[columns]
29
16
Funny Stories
20 Recipes
Wray hospice group offers savory garden recipes
22 Gardening
Create a wildfire defensible space
24 Outdoors
Local author releases great guide for fly-fishing
25 Energy Tips
Cool your summer kitchen by using efficient appliances
20
22
24
[cover]
A deep blue Colorado sky frames the Mesker front of the Wright building in Ouray. Photo Lynn Pavelka, www.PavelkaArt.com. COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor@303-455-4111; mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Donna Wallin, Associate Editor; dwallin@coloradocountrylife.org • Amy Higgins, Administrative Assistant/Writer; ahiggins@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland@303-902-7276; NCM@800-626-1181
The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association || Volume 43, Number 08
OFFICERS: Bob Bledsoe [ Tri-State] President; Bill Midcap [Fort Morgan] Vice President; Don Kaufman [Sangre de Cristo] Secretary; Jack Schneider [Poudre Valley] Treasurer; Kent Singer [CREA] Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Bill Patterson [Delta-Montrose]; John Porter [Empire]; Don McClaskey [Grand Valley]; Jim Lueck [Highline]; Megan Gilman [Holy Cross]; Dan Mills [K.C.]; Tom Compton [La Plata]; Stan Cazier [Mountain Parks]; B.D. Paddock [Mountain View]; Joseph Costa, Reg Rudolph [San Isabel]; Mike Rierson, [San Luis Valley]; Marcus Wilson, Kevin Ritter [San Miguel]; Randy Phillips [Southeast]; Jim Jaeger, Ron Asche [United Power]; Bill Jordan [ White River]; Stuart Travis [ Y-W ]; Scott McGill [Yampa Valley]; Basin Electric, CoBank, Moon Lake Electric, Wheatland Electric [Associate Members]
EDITORIAL: Denver Corporate Office, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Phone: 303-455-4111 • Email: MNeeley@coloradocountrylife.org • Website: coloradocountrylife.coop • Facebook: Colorado Country Life • Twitter: @COCountryLife Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly for $9/$15 per year by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 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.
[viewpoint]
Times Square Musings
Pondering the electricity needed for all those bright, flashing lights BY KENT SINGER || CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR || KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG
F
For all of you who have been to Times Square in New York City and those of you who have watched the big neon ball drop on television each New Year’s Eve, have you ever asked yourself: What is the peak electricity demand for all those lights in Kent Singer Times Square? OK, so maybe that question only occurs to electricity nerds such as me. But I did think exactly that recently as I walked through Times Square. I was there attending the CFC Forum, an event sponsored by one of the lenders for the electric co-ops. CFC is short for National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, which is a finance cooperative founded in 1972 for the purpose of providing an alternative lending source for electric co-ops. While the federal government has been providing loans for the electric co-ops since the creation of the Rural Electrification Administration or REA in the 1930s, CFC was created by the co-ops themselves to provide another source of funding that is not dependent on the whims of Congress and the appropriations process. CFC sponsors an annual forum for electric co-op directors and managers featuring industry experts, journalists, politicians and other thought leaders speaking at a three-day conference. This year the CFC Forum was in New York City and that’s how I ended up surrounded by all of those lightbulbs in Times Square, musing about their power requirements. The days were filled with a wide range of topics as the CFC Forum speakers covered the economy, energy policy, cybersecurity and the national political scene. Those in
attendance this year heard from former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, CNN financial analyst Ali Velshi, former Reagan speechwriter and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, and consumer advocate John Stossel, among others. But I have to admit that I just kept thinking about Times Square and all those lights. Are they a good thing or a bad thing? Do they represent the best of American ingenuity and capitalism, or are they a symbol of excessive energy consumption and a waste of natural resources?
The peak electricity demand for the lights in Times Square is about 160 megawatts.
The simple fact is that there is a direct correlation between energy consumption and economic productivity. You may have seen the chart that shows the relationship between energy consumption and gross
domestic product or GDP. The countries that consume the most energy have the highest average per capita income. You may have also seen the satellite photo of the Korean peninsula at night. The bright lights of the industrial and prosperous South Korea stand in strong contrast to the near-blackout conditions that demonstrate the failure of the North Korean regime. The bottom line is that our way of life and standard of living depend on the availability of abundant, affordable electricity. Does that mean that we should not be concerned about using energy wisely and efficiently? Of course not. As an example, those lights in Times Square now employ LED, or light-emitting diode, technology. They use only a fraction of the electricity used by their incandescent predecessors. Here at home, Colorado’s electric coops also encourage efficiency in a variety of ways. They have adopted countless programs to enable their member-owners to save money on their power bills. And they have instituted all kinds of efficiencies within their distribution systems as well. Efficiency won’t eliminate the correlation between GDP and electric consumption. We have an energy-based economy. Efficiency, however, will lessen the consumption. By the way, the peak electricity demand for the lights in Times Square is about 160 megawatts, or enough power to run a medium-sized town. But what would Times Square be without all those lights?
Executive Director
FOLLOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KENT SINGER’S BLOG AT COLORADOREABLOG.WORDPRESS.COM ColoradoCountryLife.coop 4 August 2012
[letters]
Italian parsley
Parsley vs. Oregano EDITOR’S NOTE: We incorrectly identified Italian parsley in the photo on the July Gardening page. The photo above is the flat Italian parsley that will flourish among annual flowers on the east side of a building. We also want to note that we used a photo of catmint as an example of a plant bolting. Catmint is not used for culinary purposes. Our apologies to our gardeners. Winner-Take-All Attitude Kent Singer, an attorney and executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, wrote that “Politics is a zero sum game. That means that for every winner there is a loser” (May ’12). That is exactly the attitude that threatens to destroy our nation. The “zero sum game” is an ideologically driven, winner-take-all approach that creates legislative impasse, crisis and dysfunctional government.
John Walker, Coaldale
Rates to Control Use Raising electricity prices so people will use less is the most ridiculous (idea) I have heard from you. People already are careful about the amount of electricity they use. To increase the price to make them use less would make no difference. It would only make the cost of electricity more difficult for people who are already struggling.
Jo Ann and Pem Dunn, Tabernash
Send your letter to the editor by mail to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver CO 80216 or email mneeley@coloradocountrylife. org. You must include your name and address to be published. Letters may be edited.
Follow CCL On Facebook We will give away a $20 Walmart gift card August 20 to one of you who joins us on Facebook in August. Like us now at facebook.com/COCountryLife and we’ll add your name to the drawing. ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 5
[calendar]
[August] Through August 18 Pueblo Fairy Tale Days of Summer Sangre de Cristo Arts Center sangredecristoarts.org August 5-12 Lamar Sand & Sage Round-Up 2206 Saddle Club Drive sandandsage.org August 8-12 Durango La Plata County Fair La Plata County Fairgrounds co.laplata.co.us August 10-12 Denver Denver County Fair National Western Complex denvercountyfair.org August 10-11 Fort Collins The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre 7 pm • encoreencore.org August 10-12 Weston Snap Pea Jamboree Music Festival Earth Mountain Farm earthmountainfarm.org August 11 Bayfield Farmers Market Roadside Park Hwy 160 8:30 am-noon stingerranch@hotmail.com
August 11 Winter Park Beer Festival Hideaway Park 11 am-6 pm • 970-726-4118
August 26 Loveland Mozart on a Summer Day McCreery House 4 pm • 970-663-7928
August 16-19 Palisade Palisade Peach Festival Riverbend Park palisadepeachfest.com
August 26 Salida Monarch Crest Crank Bike Event Monarch Crest Trail 7 am • monarchcrestcrank. com
August 17-19 Idalia Anniversary Celebration St. John UCC cjboden@plainstel.com August 18 Buena Vista Summer Celebration Fundraiser Buena Vista Community Center 6-9 pm • bgcchaffee.org August 18 Palisade Car Show Peach Bowl Ball Field 8 am-4 pm • 970-243-8852 August 18 Pueblo Bowls Large and Small Workshop Cup & Bowl Studio cupandbowl.org August 18-19 Westcliffe Wet Mountain Western Jubilee Westcliffe Event Center 719-371-3838
August 19 Pagosa Springs Night-Sky Archaeoastronomy Program Chimney Rock August 11-16 Archaeological Area Denver Colorado Photography Festival chimneyrockco.org Various locations August 24-26 coloradophotography Brush festival.com Prairie Biker Rally Morgan County Fairgrounds August 11 prairiebikerrally.com Drake Fire Days Celebration August 24-25 Fire Station 8 Dolores bigthompsoncanyonvfd.org Quilt Show Dolores Community Center August 11 doloresmountainquilters.org Walden Never Summer Quilt Show Jackson County Library 10 am-4 pm • 970-723-8473 ColoradoCountryLife.coop 6 August 2012
August 29-September 3 Ignacio Four Corners Motorcycle Rally Various Ignacio locations ignaciobikeweek.com August 30-September 2 Westcliffe Quilt Show Old Westcliff Schoolhouse 10 am-5 pm • 719-783-2199 August 31-September 3 Denver A Taste of Colorado Civic Center Park atasteofcolorado.com August 31-September 2 Pagosa Springs Four Corners Folk Festival Reservoir Hill Park folkwest.com August 31-September 3 Steamboat Springs Wild West Air Fest Various Steamboat Springs locations steamboat-springs.com
[September] September 1-3 Colorado Springs Colorado Balloon Classic Memorial Park balloonclassic.com September 1 Littleton Buddy Guy Summer Concert Chatfield Green at Denver Botanic Gardens 4:30 pm • botanicgardens.org
September 1 Winter Park Whiskey & Wings Festival The Village at Winter Park 11 am-6 pm winterparkresort.com September 5-9 Meeker Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials Various Meeker locations meekersheepdog.com September 7-8 Meeker Quilt Show Meeker Elementary School kleec21@hotmail.com September 8 Durango Animas City Day Animas Museum animasmuseum.org September 8 La Junta Marker dedication Reenactment Bent’s Old Fort 2:30 pm • coloradodar.org/ chapters/lajunta September 8-9 Golden Day Out With Thomas Colorado Railroad Museum 8 am-5:30 pm coloradorailroadmuseum.org September 8-9 Salida Fiber Festival Riverside Park salidafiberfestival.org September 9 Platteville Horseshoe Market Fort Vasquez Museum 10 am-5 pm • horseshoe market.com/hittheroad
{
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[newsclips] ELECTRICITY GENERATION BY FUEL
HOW IS YOUR ELECTRICITY GENERATED?
I
In the United States, 42 percent of our electricity is generated by coal. (See chart.) For most Colorado electric co-ops, that percentage is higher, at about 65 percent. That percentage is dropping as natural gas plants, photovoltaic plants and wind farms are integrated into the system overseen by Tri-State Generation and Transmission, which provides power to 18 of Colorado’s 22 electric co-ops. However, since your electricity is so heavily dependent on coal, moving too quickly to other resources and abandoning the industry’s investment in coal plants will unnecessarily push up costs and increase electric rates for all co-op members.
More Consumers Cut Energy Use
A
As the economic downturn lingers, more U.S. consumers are taking steps to reduce electric bills, according to a recent study by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. It noted that 83 percent of consumers polled took steps to cut electric bills during the past year. That is up from 68 percent in 2011. Although 77 percent said they have already done everything possible to keep bills down, 56 percent also said they had received “good tips on how to save energy” from their electric providers. A growing number of respondents aged 22–35 were interested in emerging energy technologies with 35 percent likely to buy a smart energy application for their mobile device.
— Solutions News Bulletin
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 12 August 2012
“… there’s one obstacle to (international) development that has too often been forgotten, a blind spot that does more than almost anything to keep the poor poor: they don’t have electric power.” Bryan Walsh in Time magazine
[newsclips]
Where Should Co-ops Spend Money? BY MONA NEELEY || EDITOR || MNEELEY@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG
I
In July we asked readers: What would you like to see your local electric co-op invest your money in? More renewables? Community programs? Youth programs? Assistance for those who can’t pay their bills? Or return the money as capital credits? Thank you to all 28 readers who emailed their responses and their questions. Of those 28, 15 readers said they would like to see their electric co-op invest more in renewable energy. Eight readers said they would like the money returned to them as capital credits. Some readers did have questions about why the co-op had money to do anything beyond its core business. It isn’t that the co-op tries to collect more money than it needs. Most electric co-ops in Colorado operate on about a 2 percent to 3 percent margin, which is not much for a multimillion dollar company. But all of the co-ops do work hard to make sure they do collect more money than they spend so they can operate in the ‘black.’ Co-ops don’t have profits and they have no stockholders to pay dividends to. What they do have are margins. Those margins are used to finance infrastructure for the co-op so the co-op doesn’t
have to pay interest on borrowed money. Then, when the co-op’s financial situation allows it, margins are paid back to members as capital credits.
A QUESTION FOR READERS What part does electricity play in America’s economic growth?
Email your answer and why you selected it to info@coloradocountrylife.org.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 13
Last Chance Fire damaged Morgan County Rural Electric’s South Woodrow Substation.
Getting the Lights on After the Fire Electric co-op linemen brave heat, tough terrain to restore power to members BY AMY HIGGINS || WRITER || AHIGGINS@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG
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This home was spared by the High Park Fire.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 14 August 2012
While firefighters work diligently to contain Colorado’s many wildfires this summer, electric cooperative linemen have been up against the damage the fires left behind. They might not be in turnout gear and wielding hoses, but, much like firefighters, linemen need to be fully armed and alert to work with one of our most dangerous resources: electricity. Electric co-ops must generate power for their members, but with the extensive fire damage to the electric equipment, time constraints and high costs of repairs, getting power up and running again has been a monumental task following the various fires.
High Park Challenges According to several news sources, the High Park Fire is the second largest wildfire in Colorado history. The lightning-provoked fire was declared contained on June 30, but in the fire’s wake were approximately 260 homes and 88,000 This home was destroyed by acres destroyed. the High Park Fire. Within the burned areas were more than 450 electric poles and 150 transformers that were damaged or destroyed. The sheer number of electric resources lost in the fire make Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association’s rebuilding efforts more demanding. But the rocky landscape west of Fort Collins is sometimes difficult to access, therefore it’s an even bigger challenge to repair and rebuild these structures. “Our regular trucks and digger trucks don’t work well in such conditions, so we’re using small backhoes and skid steer loaders to drag equipment and materials in,” Myles Jensen, PVREA’s manager of member services and external affairs, told reporters. “In some places we’re using dynamite to blast holes for poles, and when that doesn’t work we’re doing it by hand.” The obstacles PVREA linemen are up against means a longer turnaround time to complete the necessary repairs. PVREA officials told Electric Co-op Today, a National Rural Electric Cooperative Association news site, it could take more than a month.
Last Chance Efforts Local news outlets reported that the Last Chance fire in northeastern Colorado, ignited by sparks from a motorist’s tire blowout June 25, burned approximately 45,000 acres as the fourth largest fire in state history. It also burned 11 structures and a fire truck in southern Washington County before it was contained. What many did not report is the devastating damage it did to power equipment in the Morgan County Rural Electric Association’s service territory. According to Geoff Baumgartner, MCREA’s communications specialist, the fire seriously damaged or destroyed 202 electric poles, damaged the co-op’s South Woodrow Substation and left more than 210 services without power. At one point, MCREA crews reported standing at the substation and watching electric structures burn in all four directions.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission, which supplies power to the co-ops in the area, lost 18 line structures for its 115-kilovolt transmission line. Once line crews were permitted to access the area, workers Crews work swiftly and repaired most of the safely to get the substation and all but power back on after the Last 44 services that first Chance Fire. day, June 26. By the third day, the evening of June 28, the line crews had replaced all the lines and poles and had power fully restored. Y-W Electric, Highline Electric and the city of Fort Morgan were an enormous help to line crews in restoring the electric structures with such an amazing turnaround.
All Over the Map The High Park and Waldo Canyon fires consumed most of the media coverage in June, but several other areas of the Centennial State have been affected by wildfires as well. According to 9NEWS, the following fires were blazing in late June: ■ Chimney Rock Fire – near Pagosa Springs ■ Little Sand Fire – near Pagosa Springs ■ CR 102 Fire – Elbert County ■ Pine Ridge Fire – Grand Junction ■ Flagstaff Fire – Boulder County ■ Stateline Fire – along U.S. Highway 550, near the Colorado-New Mexico line ■ Treasure Fire – near Leadville ■ Weber Fire – near Mancos The Weber Fire damaged a line in Empire Electric Association’s system but spared Tri-State’s nearby Menefee communications site. The backup generator at that site, however, provided power that assisted Empire in repairing its system. This year’s wildfires have been cataclysmic for many Colorado residents. Lives have been lost, crops have burned, property has turned to ash and, for some, sources of revenue perished with the fires. Residents and business owners throughout the state are faced with the challenge of rebuilding their lives out of the wildfire ash. The long hours of hard work co-op linemen withstood in the blistering heat illustrate how dedicated your electric cooperative is to its members. ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 15
This Mesker storefront at 131-133 E. First St., Salida built in 1885, is one of two Mesker fronts in town.
In A
Putting on a
GOOD FRONT ColoradoCountryLife.coop 16 August 2012
In Telluride, the Mahr Building at 129-131 W. Colorado Ave. is the only Mesker facade in town.
At 512 Main St., Ouray, paint reveals how the detail stamped into the Mesker panels can be highlighted.
Victorian Architecture Sweeps the Nation
Colorado orders storefronts from Mesker’s facade catalog BY JIM WINNERMAN — PHOTOS BY DARIUS BRYJKA
f you were a business owner in a small Colorado town between 1880 and 1910, the Mesker family had the solution for quickly improving the appearance of your storefront to attract more customers. In keeping with the Victorian architectural craze sweeping the nation, the Meskers were producing elaborate pressed metal panels and other architectural pieces back East. These components could then be shipped anywhere and immediately transform a typical wooden building into the most admired business in town. Many of these Mesker buildings have disappeared due to redevelopment, fire or neglect. Often, however, if the facades have been painted and maintained as those in Ouray, Silverton, Telluride and other Colorado towns have been, they remain as architecturally interesting and significant buildings. “Colorado has one of the finest maintained collections of Mesker storefronts in the United States,” says Darius Bryjka, the national expert on the facades. “The West was rapidly expanding in the late 1800s, and eastern and southern states were still rebuilding after the Civil War. Merchants everywhere wanted their businesses to have an impressive and fashionable front.” Budgets were tight, particularly in smaller towns, where architectural services were also limited. But Mesker panels were lightweight and could be easily and inexpensively sent throughout the United States. [continued on page 18] ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 17
This drawing of the A.M. Collins & Co. building in Amethyst, Colorado appeared in the 1906 George Mesker catalog.
[continued on page 18]
[continued from page 17]
They could also be custom ordered to fit any structure size, Bernard Mesker settled in Cincinnati and trained as a “tinner” and they were easily installed with local labor in just a few days working with tinplate. By 1850 he was producing stoves, copperat only one-fifth the cost of a brick or cast-iron facade. Perhaps ware and tinware in Evansville, Indiana. Soon after he was most importantly, the Industrial Age had allowed mass producteaching his sons the trade. tion of the pressed metal pieces to be reasonably priced. Eventually Mesker’s sons began their own iron works, concen“The ability of the Mesker brothers to produce their facades trating on the production of storefronts. George continued the in manageable sized pieces and in a way they could be joined family business in Evansville, Indiana, while Bernard and Frank together so no one could tell it was not solid wood or stone was Mesker opened the competing Mesker Brothers Iron Works in important for the most impressive facade,” Bryjka says. “Mesker St. Louis. pieces were actually nailed to an intricate wood frame, and then Since 2004, Bryjka has been on a personal quest to docueach piece was overlapped so the seam is almost invisible from a ment every remaining Mesker, as well as documenting through distance.” photographs those that no longer exist. Of the more than 2,400 Other architectural items Meskers he has so far located nationwere also sold. A 1902 flyer on wide, 78 are in Colorado situated in Mesker letterhead lists pressed 26 towns, which places the Cententin ceilings, fire escapes, balcony nial State sixth nationwide. railing and columns, and window In 2008, the Ouray Historical sills and lintels for brick buildings Society invited Bryjka to town to among the other products. There deliver a seminar on the history of was something for every buildthe town’s 14 Mesker fronts. He also ing, and it is estimated that there conducted a walking tour of the may have been as many as 45,000 buildings, which included the 1888 buildings with some type of Wright Opera House, one of the best Mesker component at one time. examples of a Mesker anywhere. Other firms produced pressed A pressed metal cornice, window metal facade storefronts, but the hoods, Greek columns and other Mesker family was by far the ornamental pieces cover the front of largest supplier manufacturing the building from the roofline to the a wide variety of motifs on an sidewalk. unprecedented scale. In Telluride, To ensure both the inside and for example, a few fronts were outside elegance of the Wright, the produced locally by the Telluride building is undergoing a renovation. Mine Works, according to Bob Doug MacFarlane is the architect in Mather, who is the Telluride charge of the High Victorian Gothic historic preservation architect. style building. “However, they were primarily “The Mesker system was a very supplying what the mine needed,” good, attractive product that can last he says. a very long time, and all the owners The origin of the Mesker busiof the Wright have always been good This selection of pressed metal cornices and pediness can be traced to about 1844 caretakers,” McFarlane says. “It was ments appeared in the 1904 George Mesker catalog. when German immigrant John an innovative idea from ‘way back ColoradoCountryLife.coop 18 August 2012
when’ that was ahead of its time in terms of some prefabricated buildings we see today.” There has been an outpouring of local support at every level among Ouray’s citizens, MacFarlane says. “There is an amazing grassroots-based interest in keeping the Wright the community treasure it is, and to continue to use it as a cultural center as was originally intended when it was built over 110 years ago,” he says. “It is fun to work on a project with such support and with a history like the Wright enjoys.” As is true with all Mesker fronts, to the viewer the intricate design of the Wright’s facade appears to be either wood, stone or terra cotta instead of the individual panels of pressed metal. “People love to look at it and the facade makes it fun to attend events there; but other than those intimately involved with its history I do not believe most people realize how the front is made,” MacFarlane says. But not only is a Mesker facade unusual, so was the way the building fronts were ordered. There were no traveling Mesker salesmen. Instead all orders were mail order. At the height of the storefronts’ popularity, more than 500,000 catalogs were being mailed yearly just by the Mesker Brothers in St. Louis. Criticism of the facades came from architectural purists who were not enamored with the imitation materials. By about 1910, the Mesker storefronts began to lose popularity as building design shifted away from the use of pressed metal facades. But many of the elaborate-looking building facades have lasted through the years. And, luckily, in Colorado the emphasis has been on saving and celebrating these old buildings. Each Mesker building remaining is a local treasure, and an example of a very unusual period in American architecture. Jim Winnerman is a freelance travel writer, who has written more than 500 articles published in 30 magazines and newspapers.
See photos of Ouray’s Wright building and learn more about other Colorado Mesker storefronts at coloradocountrylife.coop.
Where are the Meskers Hiding? Colorado has 78 Mesker buildings with their mail-order pressed metal fronts. However, the most Mesker building facades are found in Illinois where there are an astounding 859. The high number is likely due to the state being located between the two competing Mesker factories in Missouri and Indiana. The next highest in numbers of remaining Meskers are the states of Indiana, 386; Missouri, 153; Texas, 126; and Kentucky, 83. Ouray has the highest concentration of Meskers in one Colorado town with 14 separate fronts remaining, which ranks it ninth in the nation. Montrose and Silverton each have seven, while Central City and Durango each have six. The top towns for Meskers nationwide are North Vernon, Indiana, with 27; Henderson, Kentucky, with 26; and Evansville, Indiana, with 24.
A plaque in Ouray at 608 Main St. indicates the facade was manufactured at the Mesker Brother’s plant in St. Louis.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 19
[recipes]
Oh, My Garden Goodness
Recipes for savory sustenance using garden-grown produce BY AMY HIGGINS || AHIGGINS@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG PICKS OF THE MONTH Carrots and cantaloupe are at their peak in the month of August. Not only are they scrumptious, they are also loaded with vitamin A, which helps keep your skin and eyes healthy.
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After catering to your garden and examining its progress day after day, it’s rewarding when at long last you can enjoy the fruits of your labors. In Recipes & Remembrances, you’ll find hundreds of recipes that embrace the deliciousness of fresh fruits and vegetables. This 300-page recipe book was created by Hospice of the Plains, a stand-alone, not-for-profit hospice provider in Wray that relies on fundraising and philanthropy to meet the needs of those it serves. So when you purchase this cookbook, you’ll know you’re helping a great cause. Local cooks contributed their personal recipes to this cookbook. Below are some recipes we loved, with a few tweaks and clarifications.
Turkey Stuffed Peppers
READING PRIVILEGES Get your copy of Recipes & Remembrances by calling 970-3324116, contacting donna.roberts@ hospiceofthe plains.org or by visiting hospice oftheplains.org. Mention you saw it in Colorado Country Life and get a reduced price of $12.50 plus shipping. Or buy volumes one and two for $20 plus shipping.
2 large green peppers, tops and seeds removed 1/2 pound ground turkey 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons margarine 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup tomato, chopped 4 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
Peach Cobbler
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large saucepan, cook peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside. In skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain and set aside. In same skillet, melt margarine. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Return turkey mixture to skillet. Stir in tomato and 2 tablespoons cheese. Stuff turkey mixture into peppers and place in a greased 1-quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in 1 cup sugar; let stand. In a 9- by 13-inch cake pan, melt butter. Set aside. To make batter, in a separate bowl mix together milk, flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Pour batter over melted butter. Spoon peaches over the batter and bake for 45 minutes. Top with powdered sugar frosting. * Find frosting recipe suggestions on our website under Recipes.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 20 August 2012
2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Powdered sugar frosting (optional)
Find more fresh-from-the-garden recipes at coloradocountrylife.coop.
[recipes]
Zucchini Casserole 4 cups zucchini, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon horseradish 1 egg 1 cup cracker crumbs browned in 3 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine zucchini, onion and water in a saucepan. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Mash zucchini; add butter, seasonings and horseradish; cool. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour into greased baking dish. Top with browned crumbs. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 21
[gardening]
Home Fire Security
Create a wildfire defensible space in your landscape BY EVA ROSE MONTANE || ABUNDANTEARTHGARDENS.COM || GARDENING@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG
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In this year of little rain and too many fires, being fire wise is as important as ever. Many rural home owners living in Colorado’s arid environment are particularly vulnerable. Wildfire is a natural phenomenon, but the risk of it invading your home can be reduced by creating a wildfire defensible space.
FIRE MITIGATION GUIDELINES
Devise a plan A greenbelt of fire-resistant vegetation should surround your home. Ideally, this area is irrigated and planted with lawn, ground covers, or short native grasses; flower beds; and fire-resistant shrubs. This is a great place to use stonework and ornamental rocks and boulders as accents since they are noncombustible. Avoid using wood mulch. Trees should be more than 30 feet from the house and further away on slopes on the downhill side of the house. The trees beyond that should be planted so that their crowns, once mature, are at least 10 feet away from each other. Do not plant shrubs directly below trees to avoid creating “ladder” fuels, the domino effect where if one object catches fire it is likely to ignite the other and spread the fire. Make the right choices Plants with more resin — in some cases, evidenced by dark-colored sap — are more flammable and should not be planted in fire-prone areas or in close proximity to the home. Also, plants such as junipers that shed a lot and tend to hold dead branches and leaves should also be avoided. Many of our native plant species are highly flammable in the summer. You may want to consider replacing these plants with low-growing, fire-resistant plants, many of which are also drought tolerant, or xeric, meaning they work well in a Xeriscape. Choose your plants wisely. Some are considered fire resistant, but fireproof plants really don’t exist. Nature just doesn’t work that way. Plants that hold more moisture, such as aspen and cactus are less flammable. A good list of flowers, shrubs and trees can be found at csfs.colostate. edu. Search for firewise plants and then click on Firewise Plant Materials. However, it is said that how and where you plant are more important than what you plant. ColoradoCountryLife.coop 22 August 2012
Take action Many Coloradans don’t realize they live with the threat of fire, but the reality is you are at risk if you live in the grasslands, foothills or mountains. That pretty well covers all of us. There are helpful websites that offer abundant information on what you should know to be prepared in case of fire and how you can make your property safer. To get started, visit csfs.colostate.edu and search for Protect Your Property From Wildfire.
Eva Rose Montane is a garden coach, consultant and designer. Read more gardening advice at colorado countrylife.coop. Click on Living in Colorado and then Gardening.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 23
[outdoors]
Fishing the Freestones
Local author releases great guide for fly-fishing the Big Thompson and beyond BY DENNIS SMITH
W
While tens of thousands of books and articles have been written about it over hundreds of years, it never ceases to amaze me that the demand for fly-fishing knowledge never seems to wane. Novels, essays, histories and instructional manuals on casting, presentation, technique, aquatic insects, flies, fly tying, rods and rod building and destination-type guidebooks continue to pour out of commercial and private publishing houses at a constant if not astonishing rate. And fly-fishing aficionados continue to gobble them up like sharks on a school of wounded tuna. I know because I’m one of them, and I’m far from alone. I suppose if that suggests anything at all, it’s that fly-fishing becomes a source of infinite mystery and endless wonder to almost everyone who takes up the game, and the more you learn about it, the less it seems you actually know. So you keep on searching. Oddly enough, the longer one does it, the clearer it becomes that fly-fishing is about much more than simply catching fish with a long, wimpy stick and a pinch of feathered fluff lashed to a hook — a point Dale Darling of Drake, Colorado, makes in his newly released book, Fly Fishing Colorado’s Big Thompson River and Other Freestone Streams. Masquerading at first as a formula,
“A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it.” — Arnold Gingrich ColoradoCountryLife.coop 24 August 2012
river-specific fly-fishing guidebook complete with encyclopedic hatch charts, recommended gear, fly patterns and similar technical but necessary data, Darling’s book actually reads more like an old river guide’s friendly streamside advice to an angler visiting the Big T for the first time. It’s warm, humorous and lightly romantic. Uniquely conversational and Win this book. Go to shot through with the but when I asked him what he coloradocountrylife.coop wit, wisdom, obserhoped his book might accomclick on Contest, and follow plish, he simply said, “I hope vations and innate the directions provided. curiosity of a passionit will encourage, educate and ate fly fisherman who entertain everyone who reads spent half a lifetime trying to unravel the it and has an opportunity to fly fish our subtle mysteries of the river that runs by river.” I think he hit the mark on all three. his cabin’s front door, Fly Fishing ColoraThe book is currently available online at do’s Big Thompson River will endear itself www.riverforkpress.com and Elkhorn Fly to tourists and local anglers alike. Interest- Rod & Reel on West Eisenhower Avenue ingly, and as the title implies, much of in Loveland and will be showing up at the information in the book is directly regional fly shops and bookstores in the applicable to other Rocky Mountain freeimmediate future. stone rivers where fly-fishing tactics are If you fish the Big T, you owe it to yourdictated by unpredictable seasonal flows, self to get a copy. sporadic insect hatches and wild, streamMiss an issue? Catch up at colorado born trout. countrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors. I had only a few minutes to visit with Darling before he had to head out of town,
[energy tips]
APPLIANCE COMFORT
Cool your summer kitchen BY JAMES DULLEY
H
How do you keep a kitchen comfortable and efficient in the hot summer?
Colorado Country Life has been around for 60 years. Tell us a story about you and how the magazine has made an impact on your life. Send your story to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email to info@coloradocountrylife.org.
A CCL SUBSCRIPTION MAKE A GREAT GIFT Did you know that you could get a
You know my sister lives in Arizona
Colorado Country Life subscription
and would really like to read about
for $9 in-state and $15 out-of-
home. I will get her a subscription for
state? Just call the nice people at CCL
her birthday. Thanks for the great
at 303-455-4111.
gift idea.
A kitchen equipped with the right appliances will be cooler and more energy efficient. The refrigerator and range and oven are most important because they are the two greatest energy consumers in most kitchens. In general, a top-freezer style refrigerator is the most efficient configuration, and the fewer features that penetrate the door, the more energy efficient it is. But a chilled waterto-ice dispenser in the door may actually save electricity overall by reducing how often the door is opened. Select the smallest refrigerator that satisfies your needs. A larger model has more surface area so it absorbs more heat from the room, and the compressor has to run longer to keep it cold inside. Ensure you purchase the most efficient appliances by comparing the information on the yellow EnergyGuide label, and look for Energy Star models. An Energy Star range with a convection oven will cook more efficiently than a standard oven. The upfront cost is higher, but you’ll see savings on your energy bills. All Energy Star range hood models use compact fluorescent bulbs, which are up to 75 percent more efficient than standard bulbs. A range hood should be installed no more than 30 inches above the cooking surface. If the range hood is too high or too small, it will have to run much longer to vent the hot humid air, if it can at all.
For more information on selecting energyefficient appliances, visit colorado countrylife.coop. Click on Energy Tips .
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 25
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 26 August 2012
Advertise in MarketPlace and be a Super Hero!
[marketplace]
Colorado Country Life goes more than 190,000 readers. Call Kris at 303-902-7276 to place your ad.
facebook.com/COCountryLife ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 27
[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 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 phone: 303-902-7276 fax: 303-455-2807 email: classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org
ANTIQUES
BOOKS
ANTIQUE RESTORATION STUDIO – Antique conservation. Quality craftsmanship since 1974. Bayfield, CO, www.antiqueresdurango.com 970-884-1937. (988-08-12)
RODEO ROOTS to Modern-Day Cowboys is a fine, fun book about rodeo. Great gift! $20. Bulk order discounts. Call 303-455-4111 to order one today. (106-12-12)
ANTIQUES ON ACADEMY, Colorado Springs, September 1-2, Event Center at 3960 Palmer Park Blvd. Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4. Admission $3.50. No charge 14 and under. Plan now to attend this large antique sale and show. You won’t want to miss. Glass grinder on duty. Certified jewelry appraiser available on Saturday. Info: Jo Peterson 719-596-1022 or jopete48@aol.com (510-08-12)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
BUY, SELL, TRADE, RESTORE antique woodstoves, cookstoves, early gas heaters, always looking for stoves, parts. Bob 303-902-7709 (049-09-12) CHAIR CANING, hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-547-0723. chaanita@q.com (858-04-13)
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 5’ moose mount, 56” elk mount and giant moose paddles. Showroom open May 15 through October 15 in Granby, CO. 15 years at this location, over 900 satisfied customers! 970-627-3053. (105-11-12)
BOOKS IZZY AULD’s incredible e-Books. Download mysteries, intrigue, suspense, from Amazon or B&N, www.izzyauld.com (014-12-12) ColoradoCountryLife.coop 28 August 2012
(These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.) 14 SPACIOUS MOTEL ROOMS, beauty shop (rented), studio apartment, lovely owners’s quarters. Good Business. Many repeat guests. Completely remodeled. Call Betty 719-263-4773 or cell 719-251-1554 (025-08-12) EARN YOUR WAY TO $500/day mailing our postcards. National Homeworkers Association – Dept 7507 – Visit our website – www. easymoneyathome.com/500aday (911-10-12) FOR SALE – INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE and gun store. Cortez. Owner has health issues. 970-5652474 (052-09-12) LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME opportunity. No sales, investment, risk. Training/website provided. Weekly/monthly income plus bonuses, benefits. Call Carrie 303579-4207, www.workathomeunited. com/ourabundance (932-10-12) NW MISSOURI BUSY, PROFITABLE convenience store/gas station. Price includes all inventory! Variety of food services. Seating for 25 in this extremely clean, well-maintained business! Could be owner financed. Servicing Graham, Maitland, & Skidmore areas, and the only one around! Call Rick 660-939-2296 www.rockyspitstop. net (059-10-12)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
EVENTS
HELP WANTED
PIANO TUNING PAYS. Learn with American School home-study course. Tools included. Call for info. 800-497-9793. (158-01-13)
QUID NOVI 3RD ANNUAL INNOVATION CONFERENCE - October 20, 2012, 970-267-0959, QuidNovi Festival.com “Where creativity meets” (994-09-12)
$400 WEEKLY ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS FROM HOME. For free information, send SASE: Home Assembly — CC, Box 450, New Britain, CT 06050-0450.
SALIDA FIBER FESTIVAL, September 8-9, Riverside Park. Vendors selling fiber, yarn, textiles, embellishments, fiber-related supplies, finished products, more! Visit ww.salidafiberfestival.org for vendor list. (062-08-12)
HOBBIES & CRAFTS
PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTORS, business owners, senior craftsman — Restore all roofs. Drives your profits up. Call for specific formula and free details 573-489-9346 (85608-12) START YOUR OWN BUSINESS — home/internet. Simply the highest quality candles/beauty/fundraising. Enter free drawing. www.natures best.scent-team.com (831-11-12)
CARS/TRUCKS/BOATS 50 SUBARUS! (1995-2011) Outbacks, Foresters, Imprezas, Tribecas & more! Great prices! Extended warranties! Dealer: www.Monument Motors.com 719-481-9900 (57408-12) 2005 40’ ALFA GOLD MOTOR HOME, 2 slides, loaded, nonsmokers, low mileage; 1985 Cadillac Barritz Eldorado conv., mint: 1932 Model A, 4 door, restored. 970-5224600 (047-09-12)
CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION DURANGO AREA. CLOCKS of all kinds repaired. Antique and modern. Clocks bought and sold. Call Robert 970-247-7729, bob.scott@ usa.net (109-09-12)
COACHING THE CONFLICT OF DIVORCE can lead you to your highest potential. Let us help. www.divorcefund mentals.com (063-08-12)
EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS/ PARENTS: Looking for a different approach? Want something exceptional? Biblical perspective, wilderness adventure, college prep, close Christian community, housing provided. www.emhweb. org (035-08-12)
EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES COMMERCIAL WEED AND FIRE spray equipment. 307-660-8563 or visit us at www.oldwyomingbrand company.com (024-08-12)
FOOD
AWARD WINNING LONG-ARM QUILTING — reasonable rates, quick turnaround. Karen Niemi, 303-470-9309, http://creative. stitching.home.comcast.net, creative.stitching@comcast.net (846-08-12)
FILL YOUR PANTRY with delicious THRIVE freeze-dried food. Cook with it everyday! Lasts 25+ years unopened. Prepare2Thrive@yahoo. com 719-371-3160 Preparation. ShelfReliance.com (044-08-12)
BOOKS, PATTERNS, CLASSES, knitting, felting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, natural dye extracts, Jacquard and Gaywool dyes. www. tablerockllamas.com Colorado Springs, 866-495-7747 (791-09-12)
FOR SALE
HOUSEHOLD HELPS
GRASSFED BISON MEAT for sale. Delicious and nutritious. Delivery available. Fourth, half, or whole. 720-256-3364 (029-11-12)
LOOKING TO REPLACE AMWAY PRODUCTS? Lose your distributor? I can ship to your home, no hassle, no salesman. Monika Cary 970-7242912. (982-11-12)
HEATMOR OUTDOOR FURNACES. Heat your home with wood, coal, used oil, or pellets with a stove that is backed with Limited Lifetime Warranty. Financing available. www.heatmor.com 307-710-6264 woodmountainstoves@gmail.com (058-12-12) HEAVY DUTY CATTLEPENS. Portable or permanent; 32x45 working pen w/16’ crowding tub, $3,325. Call Kenneth 580-876-3699, www. cccattleequipment.com (882-08-12) OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS - $380 with warranty. Also sell portable concentrators and oxygen supplies. Repair and service of equipment. Aspen Concentrators Repair Service 719-471-9895 (040-08-12)
FREE FREE BOOKS/DVDS. Soon the “Mark of the Beast” will be enforced as Church and State unite! Let the Bible reveal. The Bible Says, POB 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771. thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com 888-211-1715. (814-08-12) JESUS’ BIBLE CURES GUILT, PTSD, and suicide. Dr. Edwin Vrell, pastor, Sacramentarian Christian Assembly. Call for appointment or cure by phone, 303-772-8825 (995-09-12)
INSURANCE TURNING 65? Learn your Medicare options. Call for information or in-person appointment. Terri Schierbeek 719-447-5104. Licensed Independent Agent. (054-10-12)
MACHINERY & PARTS SAWMILL EXCHANGE: North America’s largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations. Over 800 listings. THE place to sell equipment. 800-459-2148 www.sawmill exchange.com . (267-09-12)
MISCELLANEOUS PUT YOUR OLD HOME MOVIES, slides, or photos on DVD. 888609-9778 or www.transferguy.com (465-12-12)
QUILTS 2012 DOLORES QUILT SHOW, Dolores, Colorado, August 24-25, 2012, Dolores Community Center, www.doloresmountainquilters.org (064-08-12)
“Nothing you can’t spell will ever work.”
— Will Rogers
[funny stories] REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
WANTED TO BUY
GRAND JUNCTION HORSE FARM, 3130 A 1/2 Rd, 3550+ sq. ft. home on 14 acres. Newly remodeled, new central air, new boiler, new water heater, new roof, half brick ranch w/new vinyl siding. 5 bdrm, 3 1/2 bath, living room, dining room, large kitchen, large family room. New carpet/tile/wood floors. Full horse barn w/indoor stalls & outside runs. All steel fencing, arenas, loafing sheds on large pastures. Additional fencing around home & inground heated pool. RV building (50x28’), two large ponds, etc. $625,000. Ginny 970-260-9629, Terry 970-261-3001, Gtraudt@ edbozarth.com 3% to 6% to any REALTOR w/buyer (946-12-12)
MONUMENT. SECLUDED 5-acre homesite. Views. Utilities available. Terms. Easy access to I-25. $189K. 719-661-2027. (060-10-12)
OLD COLORADO LIVESTOCK brand books prior to 1975. Call Wes 303-757-8553. (889-08-12)
HOWARD, COLORADO. Tree covered residential home site. Year round access. Owner finance. 719-276-7294 (050-10-12) LAND WANTED — cash buyer looking to purchase 500-20,000 acres in Colorado. Will consider bailouts, foreclosures, joint ventures, condo/ commercial projects. Will close quickly. Call Joe at Red Creek Land 719-543-6663. (648-08-12) LEADVILLE/MOUNT MASSIVE LAKES. For sale, 4bd/2b winterized home (turn-key) and membership at America’s premier trout club; near major skiing, golf, hiking. 623687-5910 (057-09-12)
ROCKY FORD 20 ACRE FARM, call 303-995-2005 or email dan@afinc. net for details. (027-09-12)
RELIGION BECOME AN ORDAINED Minister by correspondence study. Founded in 1988. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, PMB 767, 6630 W Cactus, B107, Glendale, AZ 85304. http:// www.ordination.org (441-12-12)
TICKETS NFR & PBR RODEO TICKETS – Las Vegas. All seating levels available. Call 1-888-NFR-rodeo (1-888-6377633) or www.NFR-Rodeo.com. *BBB Member; Since 1990. (912-11-12)
VACATION RENTAL KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-245-6500; makana crest.com; kauaiweddings.com. (756-05-13)
WANTED TO BUY NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@ hotmail.com (817-10-12)
OLD COWBOY STUFF–hats, boots, spurs, chaps, Indian rugs, baskets, etc. ANYTHING OLD! Mining & railroad memorabilia, ore carts! We buy whole estates. We’ll come to you! Call 970-759-3455 or 970-565-1256. (871-11-12) 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. (519-11-12) OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719-859-4209 watchdoctor@hotmail.com. (870-12-13) VINTAGE FISHING TACKLE. I buy rods, reels, lures, creels, etc. Call Gary at 970-222-2181 (960-12-12) WANT TO PURCHASE minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. (402-02-13)
Last month’s winners of the watermelon set and serving dishes were: Lori Krance, a member at San Isabel Electric, won the serving set. Angela Anderson, a member at Sangre de Cristo Electric won the picnic set.
ENTER THE AUGUST CONTEST In August, visit coloradocountrylife.coop, click on Contests and find out how to win a round of minigolf for four or one of two copies of Fly fishing Colorado’s Big Thompson River and Other Freestone Streams.
My 6-year-old granddaughter is very proud of her reading ability and loves showing off by reading road signs and marquees out loud. One day as we were passing through town she exclaimed, ”Look grandma! That hotel has a pool, continental breakfast and free wifes!” It took me a second before I realized she meant “wi-fi.” D. Lynn, Durango
Two men were looking over a herd of cows. One man said, “See all those cows lying down? That’s a sign we’re gonna have one heck of a storm.” “How about all those standing up?” the other man asked. “They’re wrong,” the first man replied emphatically. Anne Steinbeck, Gunnison
After a fun day together, my son was tucked into bed and my husband settled on the couch to watch football on television. A while later my son called down for a drink of water, which was something he did regularly. “You don’t need a drink of water. Go to sleep,” my husband called back. A few more minutes passed and, again, my son called down for a drink of water. “You don’t need a drink. Go to sleep,” my husband repeated, then added, “If you call down again I’ll come up there and give you a spanking.” All was quiet and then my son called down, “When you come up here to give me a spanking, will you bring me a glass of water please?” Jean Knibbs, Durango
Taking a break from cleaning up around the house, I looked out the window and saw my son playing church with our cat. He was standing in front of him, preaching. I giggled and went back to work. A while later I heard loud meowing and hissing. I ran to the backyard and saw my son “baptizing” the cat in a tub of water. “What are you doing? Stop that! He’s afraid of water!” I yelled. My son looked up and said, “Well, he should have thought of that before he joined my church.” P.S. The cat is fine. Cheryl Wright, Colorado Springs
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 jokes and that person will receive $150. Send your 2012 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 N. Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@ coloradocountrylife.org.
ColoradoCountryLife.coop August 2012 29
[discoveries]
TOP 3 FAVORITE MINI-GREENS Kids, grandparents, adults, teens — anyone can have fun on just about any miniature golf course. However, it’s always more fun if it’s a good course, well-maintained with that extra something that everyone can talk about over the ice cream cones or other treats that follow. We asked Zach Clifford, a 16-year-old minigolf lover, to review a few courses in Colorado and give them a rating. Here he reviews the courses he played and rates them 1 to 5 (with 5 being his favorite).
Bogey’s Mini Golf
Tiny Town Golf Course
L
Loved this kitschy, old-time golf course in Estes Park. It was worth every penny of the $3 it cost to play. It was started 57 years ago by owner Bob Mitchell’s parents and it’s a little worn in places. But it had the requisite windmill, some ramped holes and lots of triangulated corners to use to bank the ball. Mr. Mitchell is usually there and he’s a character who makes playing this course that much more fun. I also liked that I won a free round when I made a hole in one on the 19th hole. 840 Moraine Ave., Estes Park • 970-586-6333
PLENTY OF PUTT-PUTT PLACES Cascade Creek, Estes Park
A
A beautiful course right off Highway 160 west of downtown Pagosa Springs, this course with all of its water was harder than it looked. I loved the fifth hole where you actually want to hit into the water. Your ball will then be pushed with the water until it is kicked out and rolls into the hole, if you’re lucky. The course was in good condition complete with flags in each hole and carpeted sand traps and roughs. I also liked the good barbecue served right from a little building in the parking lot. 83 Pike Dr., Pagosa Springs • 970-264-5858
Rocky Mountain Mini Golf
2250 Big Thompson Ave. 970-586-6495
Durango Park, Durango 650 S. Camino Del Rio 970-382-9009
Fun City Amusement Center, Estes Park 455 Prospect Village Dr. 970-586-2828
Gateway Park Fun Center, Boulder 4800 N 28th St. 303-442-4386
Mountainside Mini Golf, Winter Park Winter Park Resort 970-726-5514
Fort Fun, Fort Collins
E
Each hole was challenging on this compact course just off Highway 50 as you head toward downtown Salida. My mom loved the flowers throughout the course and my dad liked talking to the owner. The whole course and area are well-maintained. This course features a fun water hole where you want your ball to ride the current of the stream to the hollow log where the grate will carry the ball to the hole. 413 1/2 W. Rainbow Blvd., Salida • 719-539-3140
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 30 August 2012
1513 E. Mulberry St. 970-472-8000
Win a round of minigolf for four at your favorite course. Visit Contests at www. coloradocountrylife.org to find out how.
Win a round of minigolf for 4!