[contents]
October 2013
[cover] A male silver-haired bat is photographed in flight by @ Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International batcon.org. Illustration by Donna Wallin.
4
18
24
4 Viewpoint
18 Bats in the Belfry
24 Gardening
5 Letters 6 Calendar 7 Co-op News 12 NewsClips 14 The Cooperative Code
22 Recipes Get creative in the kitchen with this
25 Energy Tips
Celebrate National Co-op Month by thanking those who keep the lights on
Colorado’s 18 species of bats need help to stay healthy and productive
year’s Halloween surplus
Gadgets can save money and water while providing a hot shower
Fly-fishing enthusiasts will fish Colorado lakes, regardless of conditions
29 Funny Stories 30 Discoveries
Colorado’s electric cooperatives connect with their communities Co-op members experience flooding and outages along the Front Range
$450,000
Visually appealing gardens don’t always need blossoms
26 Outdoors
16 Floods Hit Co-ops
30
the amount raised at the 2013 Colorado Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Junior Livestock Sale
18
the number of bat species that live in Colorado
600
million
the number of pounds of Halloween candy purchased by Americans every year.
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
The official publication of the Colorado Rural Electric Association || Volume 44, Number 10
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]; John Vader [Gunnison]; Jim Lueck [Highline]; Megan Gilman [Holy Cross]; Dan Mills, Tim Power [K.C.]; Jeff Burman [La Plata]; Stan Cazier [Mountain Parks]; B.D. Paddock [Mountain View]; Debbie Rose [San Isabel]; Eleanor Valdez [San Luis Valley]; Dave Alexander, 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 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.