No. 53: Go to a Lecture of Someone Interesting

No. 53: Go to a Lecture of Someone Interesting


Ahhh. I had such high hopes for this one.

Last Thursday night Dr. Duane Vandenbusche from Western State Cołorado University spoke at the SteamPlant Event Center in Salida about the history of this area. He was to speak from 7 to 8:30pm. 

Thursday night's speaker:

Duane Vandenbusche

Thursday night was dark and rainy but I persevered. What's a little rain, I thought? At least it isn't snow.  Or ice.

No, but it was rain. With steam coming up off the asphalt. Plus pitch black out and just wet enough to make it impossible to see the dividing line on the road.

Never the less, I made it into town and FINALLY found a parking place at the turn around, a couple of blocks away from the Steamplant.

Five minutes late and the speaker had already started. 

The auditorium was packed. I was damp.

Hmmmm. I must have missed a good introduction. Because all I was hearing at this point was names with no background. 

Names of little towns nearby. Names of people who built the railroads.  Name of people that built the roads.

Here's a quick rundown...

Poncha Springs,which bills itself as the Crossroads of the Rockies, actually was the crossroads, with toll roads and trains coming through.

Yep, I've missed a turn here more than once.

The advent (importation?) of narrow gauge rails was big.

Narrow gauge caboose

hanging in Salida.

Steel. Trains. Mining.

It was all so fast and superficial. 

A few prostitutes thrown in for laughs. 

Then there was a quick slideshow from an old fashioned projector. 

Once the pics were hand focused, they were gone.

At 7:45 he was done.

Dr. Vandenbusche was a good speaker.
His voice was loud and clear. His pacing was good, with pauses thrown in for things to sink in.
But I missed content.
It was such a broad overview.

Then I was back out into the rain for an equally hair raising drive home. I was good as long as no one came towards me. If that happened,  I was blind.

Once home, Bunny is sliding into her shoes and saying, "I'm off to play with friends."

I caution her that the canyon road is bad. 

She, like me, laughs and says "At least it's not ice or snow." 

(We know what's coming soon...)

"TEXT me when you get to town, please. Otherwise, you are grounded." 

Thirty minutes later, the text comes. 

Relief.

I thank her, requesting a text again before she heads home. 

"IDK if I will come home. That was a very scary drive. "

No. 53 was done. I heard someone interesting. Sort of.

But perhaps the most interesting person of the night was Bunny. 

After twirling the Hummer, she has a new respect for the mountain roads and mountain weather. 

Finally. 

Thank goodness. 

This Week

This week...

Didja miss me? 

Sorry, I just couldn't get it together last week. 

Not doing much better this week. 

But... It is fall. 

We had the second annual pumpkin carving at the cabin over the weekend. 

Friend's on the left, Bunny's on the right. 

Love those pumpkin carving kits. 

Bunny and her friend boy each carved pumpkins. Her friend once again did a better job. He is very meticulous. In a coup for the downtrodden,  she had them outside on the deck last night and something came along and knocked his over and cracked it. Hers is still intact. 

The leaves are turning. It's crispy in the morning. The weather is lovely. Yay! 

There was snow on the Twin Sisters and now it is mostly gone. Another yay! I am not ready for snow on the ground.

A dusting of snow on the Twin Sisters last week.

All gone now. 

The bucks are starting to face off. 

Love the game camera!

Looks like these two mean business. 

There is High School football. With fireworks at half time!

We don't normally have fireworks at half time, 

but when we do, they are spectacular!

Thursday evening will be No. 53: Go to a Lecture of Someone Interesting. So you won't get the update until next week. I'm going to hear a lecture on the history of the area. I'm actually pretty excited about this. It surprises me that in Colorado the schools do not require a year of state history. Texas makes the kids take Texas history in 4th AND 7th grade. They KNOW about the Alamo in Texas by the time they get out of High School. Certainly Colorado has history that is as interesting, if not more so, than Texas history. Mining! Gold rushes! Cannibals! 

Alferd Packer. 

He had some friends for dinner.

Literally.

Neighbor across the street came over and showed me a lovely video of a large mountain lion strolling through his yard and peering into his windows. Amazingly he walked over with his video camera not 10 minutes after the lion wandered back into the woods. In answer to my shrieked "You walked over here?",  he showed me his pistol. 
Ok. 
He offered to show me how to shoot but I think I will wait for a professional to complete No. 28: Learn to shoot a gun. 

And in a spontaneous and possibly ill advised move, I banished all my high lights. Now I'm a redhead. A fairly unnaturally red redhead. Bunny says I need to try again. We'll see. 

Sadly this is the second iteration of red.

The first was REALLY brassy. This is only very brassy.

Maybe the third time will be right? 

And if not, at least I have Halloween hair.

(And not sure why I am on soft focus here....but probably a good thing.)

Stay tuned.