February 2015
Tough Men in Hard Places
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[contents]
February 2015
[cover]
Cutting through solid rock near the Tacoma Plant, Durango, c. 1920. Photo by P.C. Schools. Used by permission of Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies.
4 4 Viewpoint
20 Recipes
More change is coming in how we generate, distribute electricity
6 Calendar
Co-op News
Fishing in February is a formible feat
25 Energy Tips
14 Smart About Energy Efficiency Podcasts offer tips for energy savings
29 Funny Stories 30 Discoveries
16 Tough Men in Hard Places
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Explore online
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The fearless gardener’s guide to décor
24 Outdoors
12 NewsClips
Say “I love you” with dishes that blossom
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22 Gardening
5 Letters 7
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This month’s online extras 4FIND more fun, activities under
4WATCH the Touchstone Energy 6-horse
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make your home more efficient electricity in Colorado
4ADD do-it-yourself garden art ideas to
1893
draft hitch on YouTube
4DOWNLOAD podcasts to help you 4SEE more photos from the early days of
Men with vision and braun bring electricity to mines to lessen load
Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition introduced AC power to the masses
Community Events
1 billion +
podcast subscriptions in iTunes Store as of July 2013, according to Apple
your garden journal
15,307
florists’ establishments nationwide in 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association || Volume 46, Number 02 COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor@303-455-4111; mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Donna Wallin, Associate Editor; dwallin@coloradocountrylife.org Amy Higgins, Editorial Assistant/Writer; ahiggins@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING: Kris Wendtland@303-902-7276, advertising@coloradocountrylife.org; NCM@800-626-1181 SUBSCRIPTIONS: info@coloradocountrylife.coop
EDITORIAL: Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216; Phone: 303-455-4111 • Email: mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org • Website: coloradocountrylife.coop • Facebook: facebook.com/COCountryLifw • 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]
Soon It Won’t Be Your Father’s Electric Grid
More change is coming in how we generate and distribute electricity to co-op members BY KENT SINGER || CREA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR || KSINGER@COLORADOREA.ORG
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It is said that Alexander Graham Bell would scratch his head if he tried to operate today’s smartphones. On the other hand, if Thomas Edison inspected our current electric grid, he would see power plants and distribution lines that are fairly similar to the grid he helped establish in the early 1900s (although it uses mostly alternating current instead of the direct current he advocated; but that’s another story). My bet is that in the not-too-distant future, Edison will be just as confused as Bell. We are going through a transition in how we generate and consume electricity in this country. From the integration of more renewable energy sources to advancements in energy efficiency to the development of smart devices (the so-called “Internet of things”), the electricity infrastructure that we know today is likely to change in the coming decades. As technology evolves and “distributed” generation sources, such as solar panels and small wind turbines, become more affordable, we are likely to see a shift in the way power is generated. Whereas today electricity generally comes from large central stations and is transmitted across a network of transmission and distribution lines, in the future those sources of power may be less concentrated and more distributed across a wide variety of providers, including utility customers. Even the terminology of the electricity business is changing with new terms being coined to describe this new energy paradigm. Have you heard of a “prosumer?” That’s a word resulting from the conflation of the terms “proactive” and “consumer” to describe a new kind of utility customer. A “prosumer” is a customer who takes an active role in the management of his energy usage through interaction with his energy provider, including power generated on-site. Another word sometimes used in this discussion is “new-tility,” which, of course, describes a new kind of entity that is part provider of kilowatt-hours and part provider of a broader range of energy-related services. One of the key areas of disagreement in this discussion is the pace at which the grid will be transformed. At a recent panel discussion that I attended on the future of electricity generation, one of the speakers boldly proclaimed that electric utilities in Colorado and across the country will soon (within five years or so) be selling a lot less power as more and more people install solar panels on their rooftops. The speaker argued that a transition in power supply choices from traditional central station fossil fuel-fired generating plants to a more dispersed system charged
by renewable energy will happen sooner rather than later. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with today’s electric grid. Although some folks talk about the need to “modernize” the grid, it is already a marvel of technology and a testament to the thousands of utility employees who built it and kept Kent Singer it running for decades. The National Academy of Engineering concluded that among all of the amazing feats of engineering of the 20th century, including the Internet, the automobile and the airplane, the electric grid had the greatest impact on our quality of life. Today, the grid provides an amazing level of reliability and comfort to hundreds of millions of Americans, and electric co-ops are central to that success. While there is no doubt changes are coming, I tend to believe it will be a gradual glide path that will take more than a few years. Of course, a breakthrough in storage technology could be a game-changer, but today that black swan technology appears to be on the distant horizon. We bring in the most knowledgeable folks we can find in the energy storage field each year to the CREA Energy Innovations Summit, and repeatedly they tell us that, while great progress is being made, there is a still a lot of work to do before an affordable storage solution can be widely used. The challenge for electric co-ops in this evolving energy paradigm is to keep our eyes and minds open to new and evolving technologies while at the same time doing what we have always done: make sure that you have the electricity you need, when you need it and at a price that you can afford. For now, that means the continued use of proven resources that run reliably and affordably, including fossil fuel-fired generating plants.
Kent Singer, Executive Director
FOLLOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KENT SINGER’S BLOG AT COLORADOREABLOG.WORDPRESS.COM. 4
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[ letters] Wanting a Sustainable Future It is the height of irresponsibility to continue with business as usual and thwart the EPA’s attempt to lessen carbon pollution. Changes in atmospheric chemistry affect all of us in different ways. We have the tools at our disposal to make the changes necessary so future generations can live in a world that functions much as ours does now. We can’t stop some of those changes that are happening, but we can stop dragging our feet and strive for a more sustainable future.
Larry Kimball, Cotopaxi
Technology Helps Efficiency In October 2013, I installed a wi-fienabled electronic thermostat [in our vacation home west of Loveland]. The thermostat connects to the Internet and can then be accessed remotely from the homeowner’s smartphone, tablet or computer. This allows us to keep the heat set at about 48 degrees when we’re not there and then turn on the furnace to a comfortable temperature for our arrival. Prior to this flexibility, we had to guess when we’d return and set the seven-day programmable thermostat according to those assumptions. If a child got sick, or something else arose, we were left heating an unoccupied house. I’ve reduced our electricity and propane costs by 30 percent compared to the 2012 heating season.
Walt Plese, Poudre Valley REA member
Here’s to Cowboy Ethics It was with great interest that I read your historical article on the development of rural electric cooperatives (November ’14). I was excited to see your analogy with the cowboys utilizing the Cowboy Ethics book. Several Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado utilize this curriculum where our young members learn about the importance of these ethical values. At the end, they come up with their own ethic by which to live. Karen Dils, Buena Vista
GOT A COMMENT? Send your letter to the editor by mail to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org.
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[calendar]
February
February 7 Grand Junction GJ CHAMPS Veterans Association Silent Auction Mesa Mall 10 am-2:30 pm • dchapman@ acsol.net February 9 Denver Habitat for Humanity’s Books for Bricks Fundraiser First Universalist Church 10 am-6 pm • 303-455-9132 February 12 Durango Tough Men in Hard Places Exhibit Opening Center of Southwest Studies 5-7 pm • swcenter.fortlewis.edu February 12-16 Telluride Comedy Festival Sheridan Opera House sheridanoperahouse.com
February 14 Silverthorne Valentine’s Comedy Show Silverthorne Pavilion 7 pm • 970-262-7370 February 14-15 Silverton Skijoring Blair Street 12 pm • silvertonskijoring.com
February 17 Breckenridge Mardi Gras Main Street 2-5 pm • gobreck.com
February 26 Denver Winter Soups and Chowders Cooking Class Denver Botanic Gardens 6-8 pm • botanicgardens.org
February 13 Littleton “Dances of Love” Concert Mission Hills Church 7:30 pm • 303-781-1892
February 20-22 Denver Bluegrass Festival Northglenn Ramada Plaza midwinterbluegrass.com
February 13-15 Pagosa Springs Winterfest Various Pagosa Springs Locations visitpagosasprings.com
February 20 Pueblo “Forbidden Hollywood” Show Center Stage 7:30 pm • sdc-arts.org
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February 20-22, at various locations in the Lamar area. In February, tens of thousands of geese and hundreds other bird species migrate through southern Colorado creating a stunning sight. See this impressive event at the High Plains Snow Goose & Heritage History Festival and enjoy three days of programs, field trips and seminars that celebrate birding, wildlife and history. Activities cost between $0 and $50. For more information, visit highplainssnowgoose.com.
February 22-23 Buena Vista Banana Belt Days: Walk It Off Various Buena Vista Locations buenavistacolorado.org
February 13 Leadville Backcountry Film Festival Colorado Mountain College 7:30-10 pm • cmc.org
February 14-15 Estes Park Model Railroad Show Estes Park Conference Center estesvalleymodelrailroaders. org
High Plains Snow Goose & Heritage History Festival
February 15 Copper Mountain Copper Uncorked Copper Mountain coppercolorado.com
February 18 Denver Rufus Wainwright with Colorado Symphony Boettcher Concert Hall 7:30 pm • coloradosymphony. org
February 14-16 Crested Butte IFSA Collegiate Freeskiing Open Crested Butte Mountain Resort freeskiers.org
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February 14 Loveland Mountaintop Matrimony Loveland Ski Area 12 pm • skiloveland.com
February 21 Grand Lake Snowmobile Poker Run Community Building milehisnowmobileclub.com/ events February 21 Kremmling Wolford Ice Fishing Contest Wolford Reservoir 7 am-3 pm • 970-724-3472 February 21 Loveland 4-H Fiber Fun Fest Larimer County Fairgrounds 9 am-3 pm • 970-498-6000
February 26-28 Gunnison “Waiting for Godot” Production Western State Colorado University 7:30-9:30 pm • 970-943-2025 February 28 Cañon City Cajun Crawl Quality Inn 6 pm • 719-371-1249 February 28 Fort Collins High Plains Landscape Workshop Lincoln Center 8:30 am-3:30 pm • 970-2216735 February 28 Gould Full Moon Open House State Forest State Park 970-723-8366 • cpw.state. co.us February 28 Pueblo Pueblo’s Got Talent Colorado State University Hoag Hall 7 pm • 719-549-2151
March
March 6-8 Fort Collins “Unnecessary Farce” Theater Performance Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre 970-221-6730 • fcgov.com March 4 Pagosa Springs Local Appreciation Day Wolf Creek Ski Area wolfcreekski.com March 7 Denver Symphony at the Movies: “West Side Story” Boettcher Concert Hall 7:30 pm • coloradosymphony. org March 7 Grand Junction DreamCatcher Half Marathon Colorado Riverfront Trail 7 am • 970-234-8772
SEND CALENDAR ITEMS TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO:
CALENDAR Colorado Country Life 5400 N. Washington St. Denver, CO 80216 Fax to 303.455.2807 or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org. Items will be printed on a space available basis. For more information on these and other events, visit coloradocountrylife.coop.
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NOVEMBER 2014
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[newsclips]
Electric Heritage Honored in Durango
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While electric co-ops didn’t come to Colorado and bring power to rural farms and ranches until 1936, a few parts of the state away from Denver and the bigger cities did get electricity and lights before then. That included the town of Durango. In fact, one of the world’s first coal-fired alternating current electric plants was built in Durango in 1893. Electricity had already come to a few mine operations in the southwest as mine owners looked for ways to get work done in the mountains with fewer men and less cost. And, in 1893, the rest of the country was introduced to AC electricity at the famous Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. It had already arrived in Durango. Durango Light and Power built a brick power plant near downtown in 1892 and provided AC power for Durango’s streetlights, businesses and residences. The plant operated until the 1970s when it was shut down. Today, the power plant is open again along the Animas River near downtown Durango as the Powerhouse Science Center. It is refurbished and restored, and visitors can learn about the science of AC electricity while standing inside an actual AC power plant. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. through the winter. Check powsci.org for summer hours, directions and other information on programs and events.
Stay in Touch With CO Legislators Get your 2015 Colorado Legislative Directory today either as a paper copy or as an app on your mobile device. The General Assembly opened January 7, and now senators and representatives are working on all kinds of legislation at the Capitol in Denver. If that legislation will affect you, your family or your livelihood, you will want to let your legislator know that. Contact information is available in the CREA Legislative Directory. Check with your local electric co-op for a paper copy or contact the Colorado Rural Electric Association at 303-455-2700, ext. 713. You can also download the directory as an app on your mobile device. Search for CREA 2015 Colorado Legislature in Google Play or the App Store.
Riding for the Brand The electric co-op Touchstone Energy brand was in front of the crowds at the National Western Stock Show rodeos in Denver January 10-25. Colorado’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives sponsored the popular six-horse hitch that demonstrated driving ability and showed off six beautiful horses during breaks in the rodeo action in the Denver Coliseum throughout the stock show. Scan this page to watch the horses at the Stock Show or visit youtu.be/PBLbmEb66rc.
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[newsclips]
Ag Forum Set for February in Denver
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Water will be the focus of the 2015 Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture set for Thursday, February 26 at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec St. Participants in this 24th annual event will hear from leading water experts about the challenges facing Colorado in meeting the water demands of a diverse state with competing needs. There will be panel discussions, a presentation on local control, information on several of the state’s watersheds and a look at the proposed “public trust doctrine.”
Register at governorsagforum.com.
Watch Competition On Co-op-Sponsored PBS Quiz Show
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High school teams from across Colorado are competing for the statewide Matchwits trophy each Sunday night on the local PBS station. Matchwits is a long-running, high school academic quiz program now in its 29th season. Two years ago, Rocky Mountain PBS in Pueblo took the program statewide, and Colorado’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives provided sponsorship for the event. In this second year of competition, 16 teams began the four rounds of single-elimination Matchwits competition. These teams came from Colorado Springs, Delta, Denver, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Lamar, Manitou Springs, Palisade and Windsor. Each Sunday night at 6:30 p.m., one round of competition will be shown on Rocky Mountain PBS television station. The championship round will be shown Sunday, April 12. Want to catch up on the competition? View past games at video.rmpbs.org/program/ matchwits.
coloradocountrylife.coop
Co-op Volunteers Make a Difference
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For the seventh year, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives will partner with a local organization for a community service project just prior to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association February 23-25 annual meeting. Saturday, February 21, volunteers from electric co-ops across the country will work with the nonprofit group Rebuilding Together Orlando to repair and upgrade homes in that Florida community. They will do everything from replacing flooring and exterior siding to caulking and painting. Rebuilding Together focuses on helping people with low incomes and disabilities and on aging populations. That means, some of the volunteers may be installing grab bars and eliminating tripping hazards in homes, as well as adding things like solar-powered lights, motion-detecting lights or caulk around windows or doors. This is the third time Touchstone Energy and Rebuilding Together have worked together. In 2009 and 2013, the two groups worked together in New Orleans.
Fuels Used to Generate Electricity in Colorado
Natural Gas 22.5%
Renewables 17.8%
Coal 59.7%
Source: Energy Information Administration June 2014
FEBRUARY 2015
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[industry]
Get Smart About Energy Efficiency Podcasts offer tips for energy savings
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BY BRET CURRY
When compared to years past, building science hasn’t changed all that much. Fifty years ago, a properly constructed and insulated home could provide comfort and affordable electric bills. This is still true today. Although building science remains the same, energy efficiency technology has changed with the improvement in construction framing methods, insulation, windows, doors and air sealants. The introduction of infrared thermal imaging cameras now allows us to see the behavior of heat transfer, insulation performance (or lack thereof), moisture and air infiltration within a dwelling. The cost and value of a kilowatthour is just as important today as it was in 1964. Nationwide, electric cooperatives stayed the course for decades by providing their members with helpful energy efficiency resources for new home and retrofit construction. You can rest assured we’ll be doing so for decades to come. One free educational resource for your energy efficiency toolkit is the Smart Energy Tips podcast. Many of you already know about podcasts. For those who don’t, a podcast is an audio format available on the Internet. A podcast can be listened to on your computer or a portable media device, such as an iPod or smartphone. Once you subscribe to this podcast feed, new episodes are automatically downloaded to your device as soon as they are available, and you can listen to them at your convenience. The Smart Energy Tips podcast provides fact-based, scientific building science information for a national audience in a fun format that’s easy for the listener to understand. The
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How to set up your
PODCAS T For audio device or smartphone listeners who are currently subscribed to iTunes: • Simply access your account. • Click on the “Podcast” tab. • Enter “Smart Energy Tips” in the search window. • Then click on the Smart Energy Tips window to subscribe. For those without an iTunes account • Visit the Apple Store at: store.apple.com/ us to subscribe to a free account. • Click on the “Download iTunes” button and follow the instructions. • Once your account is activated, just follow the steps in the previous paragraph.
content helps you select what is appropriate for your climate and take charge of your utility bills without sacrificing comfort and conveniences. Episodes address how construction practices, appliances, heating and cooling equipment, moisture, weather, politics, regulations, consumer habits and much more impact your electric bill. You will learn how to identify your energy and comfort problems.
But better energy efficiency is something we can all pursue, whether it involves testing the windows for leaks, learning about weather stripping or figuring out where to use a space heater. Use these podcasts to help you get smart about saving money and saving energy. Bret Curry is the residential energy manager for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation.
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FEBRUARY 2015
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Centerof Southwest Studies
Tough men, Ouray, CO, c. 1910 Photographer Chase & Lute.
Creosoting stubs, Rockwood, CO c. 1909. Photographer P.C. Schools
THE STORY OF
TOUGH MEN in HARD PLACES BY AMRON GRAVETT
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE CENTER OF SOUTHWEST STUDIES, FORT LEWIS COLLEGE
Smoke break, Tacoma flume, Durango, CO Photographer P.C. Schools 16
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Center of Southwest Studies
Center of Southwest Studies
Center of Southwest Studies
Electricity came to southwestern Colorado back at the turn of the 20th century, not to power homes, ranches and small towns, but to run mining operations and bring the gold and other ores out of the mountains. That meant generating and distributing electricity in some of the most remote and geographically challenging terrain in the country. That also meant that the men of early electrification in the San Juan Triangle were some of the toughest men in the region’s history.
Lineman, Ophir Pass, Silverton, CO, c. 1919 Photographer P.C. Schools
coloradocountrylife.coop
Center of Southwest Studies
Raising poles near Tacoma Power Plant, Durango, CO, August 1930 Photographer P.C. Schools
Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. Since 2007, she has worked as a volunteer alongside archivists, curators, librarians and other volunteers, processing, documenting and organizing a collection of over 8,000 photographs from Schools and the Western Colorado Power Company. These photos provide access to the electrical innovations of the time and the story surrounding their introduction. P.C. Schools never left the house without his camera, according to his daugh-
Center of Southwest Studies
“These were rugged men who worked despite the handicaps of weather and rough terrain of the Colorado mountains,” writes Durango author Esther Greenfield. “Blizzards, swift and sudden snow slides, deadly lightning and mud slides were everyday occurrences for them.” The crews suffered many injuries and accidents, such as strained backs, objects in their eyes, electrocutions, drownings, even suffocation from avalanches. This work was not for the fainthearted.
“These were rugged men who worked despite the handicaps of weather and rough terrain of the Colorado mountains.” Greenfield, who connected with the tough men and hard work of this bygone era through an image collection at Fort Lewis College, believed the story of these men was worth telling. And last October, her book Tough Men in Hard Places: A Photographic Collection was released.
Beginnings of book
Back in November 2012, Greenfield first penned an article for The Durango Herald reviewing the amazing image collection of Philip Chester “P.C.” Schools, longtime superintendent of the Western Colorado Power Company. Her article, “A Powerful Look at Power” was the result of her archival work at the Center of
coloradocountrylife.coop
ter, Phyllis Schools Case. “He always had it because he felt the need for taking pictures of lines as they were constructed,” she said. “He always marked where they were and the dates. So he had an exceedingly good record of the power company activities. The pictures of the plants are excellent.” In 1999, Todd Ellison interviewed Case for the oral history collection at the Center of Southwest Studies. In that interview, she recalled how her dad would build lines out with the crews in the summer and come home on the weekends. She and her sister would sometimes visit the sites with their dad. “We walked the flumes when they were just in construc-
Generator, Tacoma, Durango, CO, c. 1910. Photographer Unknown
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Building Cascade flume, Durango, CO, c. 1927 Photographer P.C. Schools
Saved by AC
Joe Lounge, exhibit director of the Powerhouse Science Center in Durango, explains that the early mining operations switched from wood and coal power to alternating current, or AC, power to solve the problem of remoteness. “They needed some way to get energy over quite a distance from where it was being generated to where it was needed in the mine,” he said. “AC can go long distances. Direct current cannot go long distances. So AC is going to be more successful.” The Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition introduced AC 18
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Center of Southwest Studies
Center of Southwest Studies
tion where there were just 2-by-12s across the top. We’d walk across that with swift running water. My mother would stand off to the side tearing her hair out.” Tough Men in Hard Places is also the story of the experiences of the linemen, engineers, bull gangs, ranchers, farmers and housewives of that era. For the last 120 years, multigenerational families of the region spent their careers recording, repairing and running the power plants that brought electricity to the area. “Families of electrical plant workers throughout the region knew one another and formed a small but cohesive social network,” said Bruce Spining. “In addition, workers in the plant had to coordinate carefully with one another and work Riveting pipe, Cascade flume, as a team in order Durango, CO, c. 1924 Photographer P.C. Schools to literally keep the lights on for their neighbors, something they shared as a great responsibility.” The Schools are an example of this type of family. P.C. Schools was sent to work in the mines of Idaho at age 9. In his youth, electricity was rarely talked about, but he had an inkling that it was “the coming thing” so he chose to make it his career. He went to Washington State College to get a degree in electrical engineering in 1905 and then came to Colorado to work in Telluride’s Tomboy Mine in 1909. Fifteen years later, he sent for his father, Nicholas Schools, to come out and work for the Western Colorado Power Company as well. Eventually P.C. Schools went on to become the chief engineer and later superintendent of WCPC, dedicating 45 years to the company.
power to the masses in 1893. Although AC power was outlawed in some states of the eastern United States because it was deemed too dangerous, remote southwestern Colorado was already using it in generating stations by that time. Bringing AC power to the mining operations of southwestern Colorado is credited to Lucien L. Nunn. “Nunn was beyond a doubt the real pioneer of long-distance transmission of power,” said J.A. Bullock, former supervisor at WCPC. The Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant was located near Ophir in San Miguel County at 8,720 feet. Since 1887 it had powered the Gold King Mine located 2.6 miles away and over 2,000 feet above. Olaf Nelson, then owner of Ames, was going bankrupt and needed a way to save his investment. He agreed to let Nunn experiment with the use of AC power beginning in 1891. Nunn rigged up his operations, including a Westinghouse generator, and the AC current ran to the Gold King Mine uninterrupted for 30 minutes. It was the first commercial high-voltage alternating current power system that both generated and transmitted electricity for commercial use. (Although several upgrades were made at the Ames power plant, one can still witness the massive 3,600-kilowatt AC generator turning loudly, but relatively slowly, at 225 revolutions per minute.) AC power provided a powerful solution to the mines of the region that were in rapid decline due to pending bankruptcies. They grew dependent on wood and coal sources to power their machinery. The former was rapidly disappearing and the latter was proving too expensive and inconsistent as a resource because when snow blockaded the railroad, coal supplies would run low, forcing the mines to close. Regional power companies invested in the infrastructure needed to migrate to AC power, and the revival of the mining industry took place.
Western Colorado Power Company
During the boom of new power companies, Greenfield writes, “There were about 30 separate power companies operating in Colorado to bring electricity, power and conveniences to rural homesteads. One by one, however, they went out of business or merged.” But saturation and consolidation were on the horizon. The Western Colorado Power Company was organized in 1913 coloradocountrylife.coop
Center of Southwest Studies
Center of Southwest Studies
Lime Creek Camp, Durango, CO, c. June 1930 Photographer P.C. Schools
Inside Lake Hope tunnel, Telluride, CO, c. 1910 Photographer Unknown
Power for rural areas
The mines and the town, now served by WCPC, had electricity. But, in the 1930s, only about 10 percent of rural farms and ranches had electricity. That would change with the creation of the Rural Electrification Administration in 1935. This allowed friends and neighbors to come together and borrow money from the REA to form their own electric utility. By 1938, San Miguel Power Association opened in Nucla and Delta-Montrose Electric Association got its start near Delta. While WCPC refused to build the lines to serve farms and ranches, the company did eventually agree to supply the needed power once the co-ops built the lines. By 1939, the REA movement spread to the Cortez area where Empire Electric Association began building lines to serve its first 50 members and to the coloradocountrylife.coop
Durango-Ignatio area where today’s La Plata Electric Association got its start. The demand for power, both through the electric co-ops and through WCPC, continued to grow. This brought economic viability to the area, kept the mines open and operating, provided power to homes and ranches and added jobs throughout southwestern Colorado. Those tough men who chiseled and drilled holes for electric poles into hard rock and strung wire along steep mountainsides brought reliable electricity to this corner of Colorado. Greenfield’s book is an intriguing reminder of how hard these pioneers of history worked to get us to where we are today. Amron Gravett was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, the namesake of Durango’s Tacoma power plant. She is an indexer and librarian. Her book Chimney Rock National Monument was published in 2014. Learn more about the author at AmronGravett. com.
See the Exhibit In conjunction with the publication of Tough Men in Hard Places, Fort Lewis College’s Center for Southwest Studies will open a photographic and artifact exhibit on February 12 at 100 Rim Road, Durango. For more information, go to swcenter.fortlewis.edu/. The book can be found at local and regional bookstores such as Maria’s Bookshop in Durango, as well as online.
Center of Southwest Studies
and by 1914 consolidated eight major power companies of the region: Delta Electric Light Company; Durango Gas and Electric Company; Montrose Electric, Light and Power Company; Nunn’s Telluride Power Company; Ouray Power and Light Company; Ridgway Electric Company; San Juan Water and Power Company; and Telluride Electric Light Company. Some of the earliest generating plants operated by these companies are still in use today. Some were adapted and given a new life outside of power generation. The Powerhouse Science Center, formerly Durango Discovery Museum, is one of the American West’s first AC power plants. Built in 1892 by the Durango Gas and Electric Company for coal-fired AC power, it later became part of the WCPC grid. Today, the building and some of the original machinery have been preserved and made available for educational use, where exhibits and events share the story of the building’s history as well as the history of electrification. The story of the Silverton Substation and the Tacoma Plant is equally fascinating. In 1906, the Silverton Substation was built to distribute power from the Tacoma plant located 25 miles south. “The new power plant at Tacoma was a hydroelectric facility generating 6,000 horse power and feeding a 44,000 volt line up the Animas Canyon to the Silverton Substation building. Here, four large transformers dropped the voltage to 17,500 volts and sent it on to the mines,” writes Greenfield.
Scan this page and get a preview of this amazing photographic exhibit or visit youtu.be/T6escMYCeb8 FEBRUARY 2015
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[recipes]
Say “I Love You” With Dishes That Blossom Cake decorating with flowers offers a new approach to favorite fare BY AMY HIGGINS || AHIGGINS@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG
Organic Only If you plan on cooking with flowers, only opt for organic. Commercial flowers are treated with chemicals that you should not consume.
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In honor of Valentine’s Day, we want to bring to your attention a beautiful cookbook that’s chock full of divine recipes, but each with an unorthodox ingredient: flowers. Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher features desserts, breads, main courses and more that look good enough to eat. And you should! While these recipes each call for a specific flower, Bacher offers suggestions for substitutions throughout.
Pink Rosé Wine Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons Dianthus petals, coarsely chopped 2/3 cup rosé wine 1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted Visit coloradocountrylife. *candied Dianthus flowers
coop and click on Contests for information on how Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch cake pan to enter to win with parchment paper and coat it with nonstick spray. Cooking with Flowers.
Get Guidance Because not all flowers are edible, get a guide to help you along. Bacher suggests Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants or read Cornell University’s online plant database: gardening.cornell. edu/homegardening.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until mixture is soft, light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is fully incorporated. Toss vanilla into butter mixture and beat on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fluff dianthus petals into flour mixture. Beat flour mixture and wine into butter mixture in 3 alternating additions, starting and ending with flour mixture. When it’s all in, turn mixer off and gently stir in cherries. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Decorate with candied flowers.
*Candied Flowers 2 cups granulated sugar 1 egg white, whisked until foamy Approximately 50 small flowers To make candied flowers, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse sugar in a food processor until superfine and powdery. With a small, clean paintbrush, brush the petals of each flower gently but thoroughly with egg white. Sprinkle with sugar to coat, shaking off excess. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let dry for at least 10 hours, up to overnight. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 year.
Go to coloradocountrylife.coop for more edible flower recipes or visit CCL’s Pinterest page at Pinterest.com/COCountryLife. 20
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[gardening]
The Fearless Gardener’s Guide to Décor It’s not too early to plan your garden’s style BY KRISTEN HANNUM || GARDENING@COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG
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This time every year, Mother Nature teases us with bouts of springtime weather then quickly reminds us that we still have a long way to go. It will be a couple months before the tulips emerge and we begin our outdoor gardening, but it’s never too soon to start planning. This year, get a jump start on your garden’s appearance by planning the décor. Fearlessly add a few eccentric or classic touches to your garden with these tips.
Trust your taste
If a fountain, sculpture, mural or quirky little wooden hedgehog in the pansies makes your heart smile, it’s right. It may even be art. Think of garden décor as an opportunity to build your confidence in your own personal style. Just because a critical friend doesn’t like your Buddha statue or your giraffe theme doesn’t mean it’s not exactly right for your garden. It’s just not right for hers. That said, if you have qualms, trust them, too. Put the piece (or pieces) in question in the backyard instead of out front. And if it turns out that the planter you repurposed from a wrought iron bed makes you feel annoyed or selfconscious rather than joyful, make it the star of your next yard sale.
Don’ t let your garden décor overwhelm your garden
Garden décor, whether humorous or classic, gives our gardens distinction, just as the décor inside our homes does. Don’t let it become clutter. Just about every town has an example of garden décor gone overboard. Use that as a touchstone for what’s too much. Garden décor should please the eye with its beauty or be a whimsical surprise. It shouldn’t overpower its surroundings.
Find inspiration everywhere Don’t just flip past the magazine page with that brightly painted wooden chair that makes your heart flutter. Tear it out and add it to your gardening scrapbook or begin a Pinterest board with ideas and inspirations. Your scrapbook, whether on Pinterest or on paper, will probably reveal a pattern of what you love. That’s your style. Whether it’s mostly whimsical, formal, Southwestern or English cottage, you can use it to give your garden a theme that will hold it together.
Read
previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Search for Gardening. Kristen Hannum is a native Colorado gardener. Email or write her with wisdom or comments at gardening@coloradocountrylife.org. 22
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Work your magic
Do your best to see your garden with an artist’s or photographer’s eye. Infuse yourself with some of those ideas from your inspiration scrapbook, slow down and, when it’s time, take a look at your garden as if for the first time. This spring, you will create a unique sense of place, a garden that will be like an outdoor room with your own personal style. And no one else can do it better.
Scan for DIY garden décor or visit Gardening at coloradocountrylife.coop.
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JANUARY 2015
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[outdoors]
Not-So-Easy Pickin’s in Nice Weather Fishing in February is a formidable feat
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BY DENNIS SMITH
WiseSaver Feeling a cold draft from your windows? Try removing the old caulk and applying a new layer on a warmer winter day. Caulk doesn’t adhere properly when temperatures are lower than 40 degrees.
I’m not a winter fly-fishing fan, but a few years ago during one of those pleasantly weird, weeklong February thaws we sometimes get around here, I found myself on the Big Thompson with a fly rod in my hand. Daytime temperatures had peaked in the 60s for so long that tulips were beginning to sprout in our garden, cottonwoods were budding all over town and every lick of shelf ice on the river between Estes Park and Loveland had completely vanished. It wasn’t yet Valentine’s Day, but it felt like spring. The weather was so inviting I couldn’t help myself, so I grabbed my waders, rod and vest and headed for the river to see if I could catch a trout or two. I parked at a turnout just west of town to string up my rod and pull on my waders. Flows here are generally too low to hold fish during the winter months, particularly if the irrigation companies are pulling water off at one of the diversion structures farther upstream. Still, it’s a good place to pull over, suit up and work the wrinkles out of your line before heading upstream to more productive waters. Occasionally, though, a good head of water comes downriver and, if it holds for more than a few days, trout will mysteriously begin to appear in the long, flat pool there. Where they come from is anybody’s guess. I couldn’t tell you why, but they were in there that day as thick as fleas on a junkyard dog. Not only that, clouds of midges were boiling out of the riffle at the head of the pool and the trout were on them like sharks on a wounded tuna. Naturally, I figured catching them would be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. It wasn’t. I tied on a Griffith’s gnat (a tiny dry fly known to fool trout during midge hatches exactly like this one) and crept down the bank. I began casting and immediately proceeded to not catch fish. Thirty minutes and several fly changes later I hadn’t hooked so much as a single trout.
Midge flies — the two flies with the long tails (at 10 and 11 o’clock in the photo) — mimic stuck-in-theshuck cripples; the rest imitate yet hatched pupae. The cripples are easier for trout to catch.
I’ll spare you the ugly details, but it wasn’t until after I spent three hours not catching anything that I finally figured out those fish weren’t feeding on the winged adult midges after all. They were singling out and eating only those insects that had partially hatched and lay trapped in the surface film, struggling to free themselves from their pupal cases. Experienced anglers call these imprisoned insects “cripples” or “stillborns” and know how to mimic them with their flies. Trout apparently find the stillborns easier to catch than winged adults and will often feed on them to the exclusion of all others. They’re easy pickin’s, so to speak. I mention this because I suspect we’re due for one of those pleasantly weird February thaws anytime now. But if you’re headed out to fish the midge hatches, don’t think that just because the weather’s nice and the trout are jumping all over the place, catching them is going to be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
Miss an issue? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop. Search for Outdoors.
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[energy tips]
Light angles from the infinite void downward over the rock face. Petroglyphs stained by the weathered tears of time are illumined in the day’s dying sun. Soon, star points from galaxies afar will circle overhead as rivers meander into dreamscape. The universe begins its symphony over stone effacements bordered by the silent sentinels of starlight meridians. The muses of mystery begin their dance in the growing dark. They move in and out of us without permission, without interruption, in deeper measure. — Burt Baldwin
CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL MONUMENT PHOTO COURTESY CHIMNEY ROCK INTERPERATIVE ASSOCIATION
coloradocountrylife.coop
ZONE HEATING AND COOLING
Methods to keep your home comfortable BY JAMES DULLEY
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It’s likely there’s not a single home in the entire country that has even temperatures throughout all the rooms. There are many factors, such as the length of ductwork, bends, orientation to the sun and the number of windows and exterior walls that impact the room air temperature. Installing an automatic zone control system is the best and most energy-efficient method to control individual room temperatures. A zone control system adjusts special duct dampers based on the actual room temperatures and the desired temperatures. Many homes have access to only main ducts, which later branch out to individual rooms. In this case, the zone control system controls the temperatures in each room grouping, such as the bedrooms, kitchen and dining areas and the living room. Although it is optimal to This programmable zone control thermostat has a control each large digital readout with room indepeninformation about the temperature/comfort condidently, having tions in the zone. three or four zones is adequate for comfort and energy savings. A programmable thermostat is mounted in each room or zone grouping to control the motorized duct damper leading to it. If the room is too warm during winter, the damper in the duct leading to that room partially closes. The majority of energy savings with an automatic zoning system is realized because each room temperature can be varied throughout the day. The programmable thermostats are designed to bring room temperatures back up without having the backup resistance elements come on. With the many new thermostats and use-control electronics, adding a zoning system requires professional installation. Photo courtesy of Zonex
Beyond
Learn more about zone control thermostats at coloradocountrylife.coop. Look under the Energy tab for Energy Tips.
FEBRUARY 2015
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[marketplace]
STAY IN TOUCH WITH LEGISLATORS Colorado’s General Assembly is in Session Order copies of the printed directory for only $1 each at 303-455-4111 or at crea@coloradocountrylife.org or get the APP!
DOWNLOAD CREA’S 2015 LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY APP FROM GOOGLE PLAY OR THE APP STORE FOR ONLY 99¢ COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 5400 WASHINGTON ST. DENVER, CO 80216 • CREA.COOP
Staying Safe Till Power is Restored Do You Want More Colorado Country Life? Follow us on:
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[marketplace]
WiseSaver Electronics suck energy even when not in use, so remember to unplug them. In addition, purchase Energy Star products to reduce this phantom load.
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[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 before the 10th of the month to: mail: Colorado Country Life 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 phone: 303.902.7276 fax: 303.455.2807 email: classifieds@coloradocountrylife.org
ANTIQUES
BOOKS/CDs/DVDs
LOVE ANTIQUE TRUCKS? Come see. Meet hobbyists. 4th Saturdays, 10:45am, Nevada & Fillmore, Colorado Springs, 719-660-6796. (221-06-15)
CHANT OF A CHAMPION: Auctioneering DVD from World and International Champion Auctioneer John Korrey. Let John show you how to improve all aspects of your auctioneering chant. Order online at www.chantofachampion.com (210-03-15)
ANTIQUE RESTORATION ANTIQUE RESTORATION STUDIO – Antique conservation. Quality craftsmanship since 1974. Bayfield, CO, www.antiqueresdurango.com 970-884-1937. (988-04-15) CHAIR CANING hand caning, machine caning, fiber rush caning. Pueblo West, 719-547-0723. chaanita@q.com (858-10-15)
ANTLERS ANTLER CHANDELIERS made only from REAL antlers. We are the manufacturer and we sell all of our products at wholesale prices; save as much as 60% from store prices. Many other antler products and mounts, including 56” elk mount, giant moose paddles, and elk antlers. Showroom now open year ’round in Granby, CO. 17 years at this location, over 900 satisfied customers! Designers: We can provide you a single item or a whole houseful. Call ! (970) 6273053. (085-09-15)
THE MINER’S CAP, vivid retelling of the 1914 Ludlow Massacre. Appropriate for both young readers and adults. Availability: bookstores, museum shops, libraries, and online. (199-04-15)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES (These opportunities have not been investigated by Colorado Country Life.) LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME opportunity. No sales, investment, risk. Training/website provided. Monthly income plus bonuses, benefits. Call Carrie 303-579-4207, www.workathomeunited.com/ ourabundance (932-02-15) WORK LESS & LIVE MORE! MiaBellaNation.com Department #745 (831-02-15)
FIND HIDDEN TREASURES IN THE CLASSIFIEDS? Read through the ads and FIND the CCL classified explaining how to win a $25 gift card.
It’s easy. You could WIN. 28
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CEMETERIES & ASSOCIATED
FREE
REAL ESTATE
COFFINS: Individually handcrafted of solid wood. Designed to return to earth naturally. Call 505-2869410 for brochure or visit www. theoldpinebox.com, (220-07-15)
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. (814-04-15)
40 ACRES, 15 miles west of Walsenburg, CO on CR520. Fenced. Prime grazing. Small 2bd recently upgraded trailer on property with tenant. 8-10 gal./min. domestic well. $89,500. Serious offers considered. 719-251-1131, 719-9890850, 719-738-3500. (207-02-15)
CLOCK REPAIR & RESTORATION www.clockrepairandrestoration. com DURANGO AREA. CLOCKS of all kinds repaired. Antique and modern. Clocks bought and sold. bob.scott@usa.net Call Robert 970-247-7729, (109-04-15)
FOR SALE ABOUT 100 HANDYMAN hand tools for sale. Ft Collins, 970-484-1477 (216-02-15) ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATERS, 12, 4’-10’, wall-mounted thermostats, 208/240 volt, $500. Details 719-2507223 (222-02-15) FIREWOOD – Limbed to 51” length — $50.00 per 8’ pickup. Blocked to 17” by request - $65.00. You pick up. West Loveland. 720-352-3580 (939-02-15) GRASSFED YAK AND BISON meat for sale. Delicious and nutritious. Delivery available. Quarter, half, or whole. 720-256-3364. (029-04-15) MOSS ROCK, Colorado — 150 pallets of Veneer Moss Rock. Reddish brown, lots of moss. All sizes. Near Weston Co. Call Paul for details, 720-379-8289 (215-04-15) OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS - $380 with warranty. Also sell portable concentrators and oxygen supplies. Repair and service of equipment. Aspen Concentrator Repair Service 719-471-9895 (040-04-15) YOU FOUND THE TREASURE. Send an email with the number of classified ads on pages 28-29 to classifieds@coloradocountrylife. org. Subject line MUST say “Classified Contest.” Include name, mailing address and phone number in email. We’ll draw one name on February 15 from those who enter. Winner gets a $25 gift card.
HELP WANTED AGRICULTURAL APPRAISER — Our top part-time livestock and equipment appraisers earn $60,000/year. Agricultural background required. Call 800-4887570 www.amagappraisers.com. (223-02-15)
INSURANCE DurangoColoradoInsurance.com *FREE EXPERT Insurance Advice for Self-Employed* Servicing Beautiful Colorado 970-385-4763. (128-02-15)
MACHINERY & PARTS www.sawmillexchange.com 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. (26709-15)
80 IRRIGATED ACRES ranchland for rent. Mancos, Colorado. jjtranch@ gmail.com 817-760-1883 leave a message. (206-02-15) MANCOS — 3 acre meadow lot with mountain views and ponderosa pines close to national forest. $93,500. Linda Crowther, Keller Williams Realty 970-7492088 www.DurangoColorado.com (107-02-15) OWN PROPERTY? NEED INCOME? We’ll rent exclusive hunting rights from you. Looking for antelope, goose, duck, coyote, & prairie dog habitat. Encourage young sportsmen by providing safe, private access. You make the rules. 303-460-0273 (069-04-15)
RELIGION
FREE BANKRUPTCY ADVICE (877) 933-1139 or Non-profit Debt Relief (888) 779-4272 or Tax Relief (888) 523-0209. (213-02-15)
BECOME AN ORDAINED Minister by correspondence study. Founded in 1988. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7558 West Thunderbird Rd, Ste 1 - #114, Peoria, AZ 85381. http://www.ordination.org (44106-15)
POULTRY & GAMEBIRDS
TICKETS
FREE COLOR CATALOG. 193 varieties, Cornish Cross, standard breeds, fancy chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, bantams, guineas, pheasants, quail, supplies, video. 417-532-4581. PO Box 529, Lebanon, MO 65536. www.CackleHatchery. com. (876-08-15)
NFR & PBR RODEO TICKETS – Las Vegas. Call 1-888-NFR-Rodeo (1888-637-7633). www.NFR-rodeo. com A+ rated BBB Member. (91201-16)
MISCELLANEOUS
REAL ESTATE 2 ACRES, BEAUTIFUL VIEW, lots in southeast Arizona. Water, gas, electricity available. 928-359-2251 (203-05-15) 35 ACRES, Huerfano County. Great views of Spanish Peaks. Will sell or trade for land in Weld County. OWC. 303-883-4835 (209-02-15)
VACATION RENTAL KAUAI VACATION RENTAL, 2bdr, full kitchen. Minutes from beaches. $600/wk. 808-245-6500; makanacrest.com; kauaiweddings. com. (756-05-15) KONA, HAWAII, Paradise Villa condo located on the 18th fairway of Kona Country Club with sweeping ocean views; 3bdr, 2ba specials. (503) 369-2638; www. konacondo.info (116-03-15)
The classified ads January winner was Lawrence Bredehoft of Fort Collins. There were 40 ads.
coloradocountrylife.coop
[funny stories] WANTED TO BUY
WANTED TO BUY
WANTED TO BUY
MOSS ROCK, Colorado or Wyoming Moss Rock — I will buy your moss rock or sell it for you. All types, colors, and sizes considered; the more moss the better, the more unusual, the better. Call Tim for details, 303-588-5021 (208-02-15)
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. (519-11-15)
WE PAY CASH for minerals and oil/gas interests, producing and nonproducing. 800-733-8122. (099-02-15)
NAVAJO RUGS, old and recent, native baskets, pottery. Tribal Rugs, Salida. 719-539-5363, b_inaz@ hotmail.com (817-06-15)
OLD POCKET WATCHES – working or non-working and old repair material. Bob 719-859-4209 watchdoctor@hotmail.com. (87006-15)
OLD COLORADO LIVESTOCK brand books prior to 1975. Call Wes 303-757-8553. (889-02-15) 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 970-5651256. (871-03-15)
WOOD RUSTIC COLORADO WOODS — Sawmill, logs, woodcrafts. Black Forest – Westcliffe. www. greenleafforestry.com. 719-2357876, 719-429-4404 (219-07-15)
Leonard Hoffschneider, Pagosa Springs
WANT TO PURCHASE minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. (402-03-15) WANTED: JEEP CJ OR WRANGLER. Reasonably priced. No rust buckets. 888-735-5337 (099-04-15)
Call Kris to advertise in Colorado Country Life 303-902-7276
Send us photos of you with Colorado Country Life
We’re Looking for photos of readers and their copy of Colorado Country Life. Got a great picture of you or your family member with the magazine at some fun place? Send it and your name and address to info@colorado countrylife.org. We’ll post it on our Facebook page and on February 15 we’ll draw a winner from the submissions and send that winner a $25 gift card.
coloradocountrylife.coop
I went with my brother to Grand Junction to pick up his young grandson, as they were going to spend a week together in Pagosa Springs. On the way back over Red Mountain Pass my great-nephew asked his grandpa, “Why don’t the top of the mountains have any trees?” My brother replied, “There’s not enough oxygen that high, so things can’t grow on the top.” He looked up at the top of his grandpa’s balding head and said, “That explains a lot.”
My 5-year-old son and I were walking through Big R when we came across the poultry chicks. Naturally interested in animals, he began reading about each variety. When he came across the “straight run” chicks, he asked, “So do these chickens have to slow down and walk to turn?” Jason Niebuhr, Black Forest
A little girl was sitting on her grandfather’s lap. She gazed at him carefully and asked, “Grandpa, did God make you?” “Yes, God made me,” her grandfather replied. “Did he make me, too?” she asked. “Yes, he did,” he said. The little girl thought for a minute, then said, “He’s getting better, isn’t he?” Anne Steinbeck, Gunnison
We planned a visit to Mesa Verde National Park with our daughter, son-in-law and their two children. In preparation for the trip, our daughter said to our 3-year-old granddaughter, “We’re going to Mesa Verde to see where the ancient Americans lived.” Our granddaughter thought for a moment, then said, “Oh! Grammy and Grandpa’s house!”
JANUARY WINNER Gail Eames from
Tabernash with her copy of Colorado Country Life at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Too bad your team didn’t win, Gail, but we hope the $25 gift card eases the pain a wee bit.
Nancy Carr, Durango
We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. Send your 2015 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check.
$15 FEBRUARY 2015
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[discoveries]
Marvelously Mean Beans Rogue’s Bolder Beans’ Spicy Pickled Green Beans perk up palates with their sublime crunch and special recipe of allnatural ingredients. Roque and Christy Edwards, owners of the Westminster-based company, initially created these crispy, fiery finger foods as a delicious Bloody Mary garnish – try them with Bolder Beans’ Mary’s Mornin’ FiXXer Bloody Mary mix – but soon realized their titillating taste was sure to please right out of the jar. Bolder Beans is the winner of five 2015 Scovie Awards, a huge competition for fiery foods and barbecue products. The company’s pickled green beans come in mild, medium and hot varieties and sell for $7.99 per jar. For more information, call 303-578-2326 or visit bolderbeans.com.
It’s Definitely Worth the Extra Mile Two Mile Creek Specialty Foods’ grilling and dipping sauces are simply sensational when spread on your favorite foods. Add some sweet heat to barbecue chicken with the Habanero Jelly or liven up your scrambled eggs with a dollop of the Wa-To-Chi Sauce. Based in Sterling, Two Mile Creek Specialty Foods is a Colorado Proud company. To find out more about Two Mile Creek Specialty Foods, call 970-261-0258 or visit twomilecreekspecialty foods.com.
When Life Gives You Raspberries, Make Jelly Ant D’s Fine Foods sprouted in 2011 with Diego Hernandez’s last unemployment check. With an overabundance of raspberries growing in his Denver garden and 30 years of experience as a chef under his belt, he used that money to mix up jams and jellies. Today, Hernandez’s products are making their way through the farmers market circuit and O’Toole’s Garden Centers, growing fans along the way. We loved Hernandez’s Lemon Curd, which adds flavor to cake and pie recipes. It also tastes amazing on waffles. Call 720-404-3646 or visit antdsfinefoods.com for more information.
The Brothers’ Druthers
A Scaff Brothers “family affair” at the 2014 State Fair in Pueblo.
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Scaff Brothers F & J sauces are a welcome addition in kitchens, helping to create distinctive and delicious dishes. Made with fresh ingredients and spices, La Junta-based Scaff Brothers produces a bounty of sauces to mix, dip and scoop with your favorite foods. Add zip to meals with the Piqueoso Sauce hot pepper sauce or marinate meats with the Worcestershire Sauce. And be sure to try the Cantaloupe Salsa and Cantaloupe Preserves, made with fresh Rocky Ford cantaloupes. For more information, visit scaffbros.com. To order, call 719-384-8598 or email scaffbrothers@gmail.com.
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[discoveries]
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[discoveries]
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