Driving Colorado – July 2005

In a few of the previous posts I mention going on drives whenever we had guests.  In July 2005, a month after we had moved into our house, we had guests.  The following pictures are from the drive we took out to Florissant Fossil Beds National Park, and the drive back to Colorado Springs on Gold Camp Road.

First up we have the Adeline Hornbek Homestead, one of the attractions of the park.  The homestead sits a bit a part from the park but it is part of it.  Hers is an interesting story, and since there is lots of information on Adeline available on the Internet, I’ll leave it to the reader to ferret it out.

Over the years I would take many more photographs of this little compound, but these were the first.

 

I played with the colors to better show the rain clouds just behind the barn. You can see the rain falling.

As usual, the SmugMug album has a few more pictures, higher resolution pictures, and if you want to zoom in to see the details, they are presented in their native resolution.  

I should give a short primer on how I set this up.  Let’s say you are reading along, wondering how someone so bright can mangle the English language so, and you chance on a photo you like.  You put your nose closer to the screen in an attempt to get more of the beauty into yourself, but it’s not working.  In frustration you click on the photo.  

Like if it were magic, a new tab opens and now you are on SmugMug.  You take your time, examine the photo, you view it in different sizes, you look at the details . . . you gasp, and realize you had forgotten to breathe, so rapt were you with examining the composition, color, and subject captured so brilliantly by one so otherwise unlikable.  

Eventually you tire of it, close the tab, and WHAM! you are right back where you were in the blog post, rapt in word usage that is not quite right, but nonetheless holds a certain fascination, much like what drives you to glance over and try to see what’s happening as you drive by an accident scene.  

. . . at least that’s how I envision it . . . in reality, most of the people will miss these very words, having already skipped forward to the next photo.

We spent some time walking around Florissant Fossil Beds NP (there’s really not that much there, but it has some nice walks and a decent interpretive center), and we saw  . . .

. . . tiny flowers . . .

. . . blonde Prairie Dogs . . .

. . . petrified trees . . .

. . . close-up details of petrified trees . . .

This would be one of the pictures you, the astute reader, would want to look at in SmugMug in the original size . . . lots of details.  There are four photos showing details of these strange rocks made from trees.

We saw interesting wildflowers . . .

. . . including our first Indian Paintbrush.

It’s called Indian Paintbrush, but it’s part of a group of plants called Castilleja.  

This next photo shows a small tract of Gold Camp Road.  It used to be a railroad track between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek (of gold mines fame).

The road looks smoother than it is . . . they always do.

This next picture is taken from the corner you see in the above picture.

Did I mention I like Colorado?

Further down the road there was a pull-off, and the opportunity to climb rocks . . . 

Who could resist this climbing invitation? Not I.

That’s our B^3 down there, waiting patiently for me to explore and snap a bunch of pictures.

An awesome driving machine, getting us to awesome places, and back home, safely.

Before I go on to show some of the rocks, I forgot a flower I shot a few miles back.

One of these wildflowers somehow got transplanted into my yard. Go figure!

I will end with rocks, dead trees, and lichen . . . all stuff impossible for me to ignore.

This is where they filmed “300″ . . . I kid, of course.

I’ll keep repeating it, even as most ignore it . . . better in SmugMug

I am always amazed when plants grow seemingly right out of solid rock

The rock on the left looks like a fade (or a fish) looking up.  A few of the shots, like this last one, were shot using the on-camera flash.  Usually I don’t like augmenting natural light, but clouds had blocked off most of the light, and I wanted to capture the details in poorly lit nooks and crannies.

That’s it. Last one here, and last one in SmugMug. But it’s a nice one.

So, here’s the thing . . . these were from a series of shots I took in 2005, and never did anything with.  And yet, I am sure some people will appreciate them, and maybe even think some “fantastincredible”.  Or maybe not.  

Either way, the point I want to make is there are easily thousands of pictures between then and when I started the blog.  Some I used, some are not that interesting, but many are like these; waiting for their beauty to be rediscovered.

. . . I don’t think I’ll be running out of photographs to post any time soon . . . 

Once again, thank you for visiting and reading my stuff.

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. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

D’Alise Daily News – Volume MMV, Issue I

This was the last of the general posts updating our move.  The time was August 5, 2005, and by then most of the people in my e-mailing list had already stopped responding , and I was obviously fading from the memory of people who suffered my presence for 26 years.

Still, I like to finish what I start, and I thought I owed a final update to the one or two people who cared about Melisa, and consequently acknowledged , even if in passing, my existence.

The PDF version of the original is HERE, but I reproduced the words below.  Again, this is the text as written with the exception of reformatting for legibility, and I left out the pictures. 

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D’Alise Daily News

Volume MMV, Issue I  –  (August 5, 2005)

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Where are they?!?!

A place called Monument 

Just as  memories of the D’Alises begin to fade and drift into forgotten history, BAM!!, here comes another reminder.  An update.  Well, la-di-da.  Where have they been until now?  Why the long silence, the lack of news, the blissful peace and quiet?  Well dear readers, during the time your mild concern gave way to worry, resentment, and finally indifference, the D’Alises were dealing with relocation issues.   

For those who had not heard, they settled in a place called Monument (about 20 min north of Colorado Springs).  Way back in May they arranged for the last of their belongings to be moved from Michigan, and they completed their relocation to Colorado.  Michiganders no more; they are now . . . Coloradians? . . . Coloradonites? . . . Coloradans? . . . Coloradons? . . . . ah yes . . . from Colorado.  Beautiful Colorado.  Mountains, all the smiling people, kids, dogs, and sunshine.  I tell you; some days you just want to stay in and watch TV.  But most of the time people try to enjoy the place, as evident by the horrendous traffic patterns.  Something that Mr. D’Alise finds quite irritating.  We’ll learn more later from a first person interview with the self-appointed “Guardian of the Proper Way to Drive”.   

But, as we learn from various conversations with the new . . . people from Colorado, there is more to the place than a fixation with traffic patterns.  And, as chance would have it, the D’Alises were able to explore a fair amount of the surrounding area because of the brave people who found the strength to come and visit them during most of July.  True, some had weak stomachs and only stayed for a day or so, but others were able to endure as long as two weeks.  Regardless of the length of these visits, the D’Alises took every opportunity that came their way to hop in a car and go exploring.  

Well, one half of the D’Alises more so than the other half.  Suffice it to say thousands of pictures were snapped, and almost as many miles driven.  And snacks!  The D’Alises never drive anywhere without a good supply of snacks and drinks.  After all, in some places there are only two or three Dairy Queens every hundred miles or so.  Food, extra clothes, camera, binoculars, tripod, walking sticks, and lots of drinks . . . and people wonder why they drive a Suburban when they don’t have kids.  Who’s got room for kids?!?  

It’s time.  Sit back and relax as we get into the minds of these two crazies . . . how scary does that sound?

        T. Hemo Uthpiece – Freelance Reporter

Driving: a guide for people from Colorado

“The pedal on the right is the gas!  You step on it and the car goes!!”  I glance nervously at Mr. D’Alise as he props his knee under the steering wheel so he can use both hands to gesticulate wildly. 

“Sheesh! These people would not survive long in Michigan, I tell you.” 

To my relief he sits back and grabs the steering wheel again.  He seems a little calmer after the outburst, but there is still a wild, caged-animal look in his eyes.  In all fairness, we are doing 60mph in a 75mph zone.  I guess the thing that irritates him is the fact that you can see long stretches of open road ahead.  There seems to be no reason for traffic moving as slow as it is.  I try to resume my interview: 

“So, Mr. D’Alise . . .”  

 “Call me Emilio, please.”  

“. . . OK, so Emilio, to what do you attribute the congested traffic in and around Colorado Springs?” 

“Well, Mr. Etohit . . . ” 

“Please, call me Swer.”  

“OK.  Well Swer, at first I thought it was the altitude, you know, thinner air, less oxygen, the dulling of the senses and all that.  However, after being here for a while, I concluded people just don’t know the workings of the automobile.  You see, I’m from Detroit, and I take for granted that people know how a car works.  You know, a pedal to make the car go, another to make it stop, and a couple of other gizmo to let other so-called drivers know what you are doing.”  

I watch the rapidly approaching back of a transport truck, and grip the seat edge as Mr. D’Alise manages to change lanes after passing a slow car cruising the left lane.  To be fair, he did not cut anyone off, and no one had to hit the brakes, but it still made me nervous.  

“Drivers here” Emilio continued “seem to take pride in being able to stall large sections of traffic by driving without regard for others.” 

“What do you mean?” I ask.  

“Well, take that sign we just passed.  It said ‘Slower Traffic Keep Right’.  There was even a law passed that states you have to keep to the right except to pass.  Have you noticed I’ve already passed a dozen cars on the right lane?   Moreover, I’m not even doing the speed limit.  Drives me nuts having to pass on the right, but the lane sits empty, and is, in fact, the fast lane.” 

“Why is that?” I ask intrigued. 

“The charitable guess is that these drivers are illiterate.  However, I fear it’s much worse.  I think they like being the center of attention, even if that involves being the target of many expletives putting their ancestry in doubt.  They must feel it’s their God-given right to drive anyway they want, and by golly, their want to ride the left lane doing 15 mph under the limit!”  

“Isn’t that a little harsh?  I meaaaAAHHH!”  I grab the dash as a car, doing about 55mph, for no apparent reason slides over into the left lane directly in front of us (doing 78mph).  Mr. D’Alise brakes as he sips from his coffee cup.  

“Yeah, I may be overly harsh.  Maybe it’s not all of the drivers.  Maybe it’s just some.  But, you know what?  There are enough of them to make it real difficult for everyone.  Take this idiot in front of me, for instance.  He could have waited 5 seconds to let me pass before moving over, but now I’m stuck behind him doing 60mph unless I go around him on the right.  I can’t think of any reason why he would move over other than to be a jerk.  There must be some kind of satisfaction for these people in being able to disrupt other people’s lives.” 

“Well, I read there is going to be some relief.  They are widening roads, and there are proposed new roads.  All that must be giving you some measure of comfort?” 

“Not really, Swer.  We are wasting taxpayer money to fix nothing.  The problem is not with the roads; the problem is with the quality of the drivers.  This dim bulb on the on-ramp, for instance.  He is about to merge onto 75mph traffic doing something like 45mph.  I mean, I could understand it if the ramps were short, but he’s got nearly a quarter mile to get up to speed.  Noooo!  He’s going to merge at 45mph, make everybody brake, and then take the next few miles to slowly work his way up to about 60mph.  Oh, look!!  He decided the left lane is where he wants to be . . . of course, that is the slow lane, but still . . .” 

I look over at Mr. D’Alise, who is now sporting the resigned look of a condemned man.  

A wistful look flashes briefly across his face as we pass another sign proclaiming in large, bold lettering 75mph Speed Limit.  He hits the brakes again, as a large motor home struggling up-hill moves over onto the left lane.  

Perhaps the driver is hoping gravity will somehow be reduced once he changes lanes, and he will finally be able to hit 50mph going uphill with a 60 foot motor home.  Then again, he may just be a d**k.   

 Swer V. Etohit – Traffic Reporter

Living in Monument

So, what is life in Monument really like?  I personally spoke to two new Monumentionites who recently moved to the area and got their first impression of the place.  Meet the D’Alises, Melisa and Emilio, who made this area their home after searching for months – months, I tell you!! – for a place to live.  I could transcribe their exact words, but who wants to read all of Emilio’s stupid puns and sarcastic comments?  So I will summarize my conversations with the couple. 

It seems they settled in Monument because they liked the quiet neighborhood, good size lot, and convenience of being located half way between Colorado Springs (also known as ‘The Springs’) and Denver.  Actually, they never go to Denver, what with the traffic, smog, and the increasingly Liberal leanings of the place.  But they do hit the southern suburbs.  I’ll just say one word . . . Costco.  Enough said.  They also liked being able to walk around a neighborhood without worrying too much about cougars, bears, and rattlesnakes (unlike some of the western areas of the Front Range). 

Anyway, back to Monument and their new house.  It’s a cute house, just under four year old, and in move-in condition.  Well, almost.  They are adding a radon abatement system (the area around here is chock full of the stuff, with rumors of some of the mountain neighborhoods sporting readings in the 30s – for reference, EPA recommends reducing readings to 4 or under), probably a security system (although that’s still up in the air), and potentially a backup generator.  Yup, anal retentiveness in all it’s glory.  Ah well, whatchagonnado?  

Continuing, the only complaint (yep, Emilio again) is the excessive amount of grass around the house.  Seems like one of the previous owners forgot they were living in a desert area subject to ongoing drought conditions.  They brought in a whole lot of sod, and condemned it to a slow death under the bright, high altitude, unrelenting sun.  Oh, sure; they put in a sprinkler system, but who wants to pay $200-$300 per month to keep grass alive?  Plus, if you do that, then you have to mow the stuff.  I tell you, the whole thing makes no sense to the D’Alises.  Slowly, they will be changing over to Xeriscape (http://www.xeriscape.org/).  Meantime, they are teaching the existing grass to survive on little or no water . . . sadly much of the grass is just not learning; maybe it’s like many of the drivers here: without a clue.

So what else?  Oh yeah.  It’s generally cooler here than in The Springs, most of the time there is a nice breeze, and it’s frustrating and fun to watch storms go to the South and North of here.  Frustrating because they don’t get the rain, but fun because they can sit and watch amazing lightning displays.                      

At night they can go out on their deck, look up, and see gazabazillion stars.  They have to look up, because on the South and North horizons the glow from the lights of The Springs, and lights of The Denver are masking many of the stars.  Still, it is great to lie down on the deck and let the eyes adjust to seeing more and more stars.  You can easily see satellites crossing the Milky Way, and the Big Dipper seems to hang just within arm’s reach off the deck’s railing. 

The readers would be correct in drawing the conclusion that, at least as far as the D’Alises are concerned, Monument is a nice place to live.   So what about Bozeman?  Well, dear readers, here is a direct quote from the D’Alises: “Bozeman? What’s a ‘Bozeman’?”

Dullan D. Boring – Field Reporter

Sights and Sounds 

West!  Breathtaking beauty at every turn.  That’s because of the high altitude: you tend to run out of oxygen (apparently, that also hampers your driving abilities, but that’s another story).  During recent visits by people who had forgotten what Emilio was like, the D’Alises took the opportunity to drive all over the place, and see all sorts of things.  Well, not all sorts of things.  Mainly mountains and valleys.  Oh, and some plains as well.   And it was more Mr. D’Alise who enjoyed having a captive audience while he meandered down every dirt road he happened to cross.  Still, most of them were no where near as bad as Rampart Road.  Luckily, the D’Alises took that trip on their own a few weeks before their visitors showed up.  

Dubbed as a ‘scenic’ road by some sadistic bastard, Rampart Road consists of about 60 miles of foot-deep chuckholes scattered amongst very rough pavement resembling a giant washboard.  It was easily traversed in just under five hours . . . would have been shorter, but for the occasional stops to retighten loose bolts.  Mr. D’Alise relayed to me privately that this had not been one of Mrs. D’Alises favorite drives.  

The whole thing would have been a complete waste if it were not for the two – yes, two – places that actually offered views of nondescript hillsides.  

But the drives with the visitors were not that bad.  Yes, Mr. D’Alise did exploit the guests’ sightseeing desires to venture down unpaved roads, but in general they were pretty good experiences.  Of note, the Gold Camp Road drive from Cripple Creek to The Springs was nice.  And the three trips to the top of Pike’s Peak were all very nice.  Winding along the road to the Peak’s summit, gradually noticing the changing landscape as one crosses the tree line (around 12,000ft), where trees give way to flowering meadows strewn with rocks casually piled  to frame far off valleys and drifting clouds.  The drive offers many opportunities to stop and hike among pristine landscape only occasionally marred by evidence of other people.  One hopes that those who chose to leave their garbage among the flowers and rocks will meet an untimely demise on their way down.  Then again, the mountain is more forgiving than the D’Alises would be.  Mr. D’Alise took a few photographs on the way to the top (rumor has it there is no place left un-photographed anywhere along Pike’s Peak Road to the summit).  

Then there is Rocky Mountain National Park.  True, lots of inconsiderate people picked the same day as the D’Alises and their guests to go and visit the park, and true  there was an ozone alert because of all the pollution from that festering place known as Denver, but none of that detracted from the beauty and majesty of the park.  Lakes, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, melting mini-glaciers, it all bended into a visual treasure to be cherished (and photographed).  Once above the tree line, the alpine environment is host to Elk herds that meander on the meadows and remnants of winter snow. 

Closer to home – well . . . at home, to be precise – the D’Alises shared with their guests the daily serenade from their neighborhood dogs.  In particular everyone enjoyed the sound of very small canines yapping as loud as they could at passing clouds. 

When in luck, these concerts would last for hours.  Just as luckily, they end in the evenings, giving way to very quiet nights . . . apparently everyone here goes to bed early, as there is nary a light to be seen on in any surrounding house after ten o’clock.  Of course, that just helps make the stargazing more enjoyable. 

Oh, there is one little basta . . . er  . . . dog that wakes up around 2:30am and yaps like crazy for a few minutes, but it’s down the street a way, so it makes for a very difficult shot.  Anyway, it generally quits barking before the gun safe is even opened.

A more welcomed sound is that of the many hummingbirds buzzing around the D’Alises’ house.  Sometimes there are as many as eight or nine jockeying for position at the feeders, and it looks like miniature dog fighting out there, what will all the aerial maneuvers, dive-bombing, and hovering.  The D’Alises were pleasantly surprised by the area’s quantity and quality of viewing opportunities of these little dynamos. 

Nothing beats watching a hummingbird feed or hover just a few inches away, or sometimes having them land on your finger when you hold it close to the feeder . . . well, maybe winning the lotto, but it would be a close call.

And there you have it, dear readers: the sight and sounds of Colorado.  Not all, mind you.  These are just a few of the many attractions available to residents here.   You can also go to Pueblo, where Dairy Queen cones are especially tasty due to the oppressive heat.  Or drive through Canon City on your way to see nice scenery.  The D’Alise family has promised to keep us all updated as they discover other reasons validating their move to the area.

   Getou T. Nsee – Investigative Reporter

A Brief Interview . . . 

The following is a brief interview with the D’Alises, new to Colorado, about their experience in moving here, their everyday life in this new (for them) place, and their expectations as they resume normal lives after uprooting from their Michigan home.  We caution the readers that the following is the unedited version of our interview, and the reader bears sole responsibility by continuing past this warning. 

DDNews:          Mrs. and Mr. D’Alise, can you share your experiences over the past few months as you completed your relocation from Michigan to Colorado.  Was it difficult? . . . Frustrating?   Can you even begin to describe what it was like to so drastically change your life?

D’Alises:         It was fine.

DDNews:        ‘Fine’?

D’Alises:         Yes, fine.

DDNews:        Oookay . . . perhaps you can describe to the readers your first impressions of Colorado life, comment on the neighbors, cultural differences, and peculiarities of living in Colorado.  Maybe you can put into words your feelings at having moved here after so many years of living in Michigan. 

D’Alises:         We like it.

DDNews:        . . . you like it . . .

D’Alises:         Yes, it’s nice.

DDNews:        Nice.  I see.  . . . Well, can I get you to comment on your plans for the future, what you’ll be doing here, what are your plans for the next few years?  Maybe you can share with our readers what plan you are putting in motion to resume your life after nearly a year of turmoil and uncertainty.  Perhaps back to school, or maybe jobs?  New careers in things that interest you both?  Maybe a new business venture?

D’Alises:         Well, we’ll see.

DDNews:        . . . ?!?!?!

D’Alises:         . . . ?????

DDNews:        Well there you have it!! Straight from the horse’s mouth . . .

D’Alises:         They do have a lot of horses around here .

DDNews:        Yes, thank you for your time.

   Enoughf Ornow – Human Interest

©COPYRIGHT 2005   D’Alise Press

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By now two things should be obvious . . . one is the reason for the lack of friends.  The other is that I seldom do stuff in moderation.  Worse yet, what I do is for my own amusement.  And third, I always underestimate both the length of the effort, and eventual result.

That’s a lot of reading there, so I was not surprised when few answered.  Most people probably put off reading this for when they retired.  Others correctly figured they would never see me again, and were too busy celebrating.

And truthfully, my own interest in this kind of update waned.   That means I’ve run out of updates, and tomorrow I’ll either post a story, or photographs.  Probably the later.

As usual, thanks for visiting, and for reading my stuff.

. . . and my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

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Bonus Post – The Actual Move

I don’t know why (probably my anal retentiveness kicking in), but I figure I would add some interim information of stuff that happened between my major updates.  We ended up leaving Michigan on the 24th, with a snow storm fast approaching.

 The first destination was the middle of Illinois to spend x-mas with Melisa’s dad.  Following that, the plan was to head out and be in Colorado Springs, and our rented apartment, by the 28th . . . but, I’ll let you read the e-mail update I sent out that evening.  

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December 24,  2004

You got to love technology!!

Looking at the projected storm tracks and local radars, we were able to map a route avoiding all of the snow (well, almost all).  We scrambled to leave on Wednesday morning, knowing bad weather was on the way. This was a day earlier than planned, but we were able to get everything moved (thanks Troy) on Tuesday, loaded both cars on Tuesday night, slept on an inflatable bed overnight, got up early Wednesday to make one last run to the storage facility, and then waited for the apartment complex people to sign us out. We left at 9:45am.

We actually headed North to Flint, east on 69 to Lansing, then down (still on 69) to I-80 in Indiana. We slipped between the storm and some lake-effect snow off of Lake Michigan. We saw a few flurries, very minor accumulation, but nothing that slowed us up. By the time we hit I-94 (in Indiana), the snow had stopped, and the traveling was clear and dry.

We arrived in Mattoon, Illinois at around 6:30pm. Mattoon was just on the edge of the snow storm, and only got about .25 inches of snow.  But it was very cold. The room we had booked at the Ramada had no heat. The heater in the room they moved us to broke down before we moved our stuff in. They searched a few more rooms before they found one with the heater that worked.

Unfortunately, the door lock did not work. While they were replacing the lock, we realized just how noisy the heating unit was. We called another hotel. The Super 8 is the only other hotel that takes pets (we are traveling with our cat), and they had a room available. A nice room, with everything working.

Unfortunately, if you have a pet they put you in a smoking room (all the hotels do this). So, while the room was nice, it smelled from all the smokers that had previously coughed up their lungs in there.

But, it is warm and comfortable. And after a few hours your brain gives up, and ignores the smell . . . until you go out and come back in, that is.  Oh well, the joys of pet ownership.

We are watching the weather channel, and it looks like Sunday is going to be our travel day. Hopefully, we’ll be in Colorado by the 28th.

We will let everyone know when we reach our destination.

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The best laid plans . . . living on a steady diet of Subway food (to this day Subway is waaaay down the list of places we want to eat), weathering some sort of malaise, cold weather, and marauders, we did make it down to Colorado Springs.  We would have arrived on the evening of the 27th, but we took an extra evening to rest just a few hours from Colorado Springs.  

We got in there the next morning, and the apartment was an immediate disappointment.  The web pictures must have been of a unit they kept just for suckering in customers.  We stayed there two nights, and meanwhile fund a furnished apartment in University Park.  Night and day.  University Park would be our home for the next four months while we looked for a house.

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December 30, 2004

OK, so we have been here a few days. The original place we had picked for our stay turned out to be less than we hoped. The unit we rented looked . . . well rented. Nothing nasty, but everything well used . . . maybe even overused. The surrounding area left a little to be desired.  Again, nothing nasty, but we would not have been comfortable walking around after dark . . . or early morning . . . or on cloudy days.

I don’t know. I don’t think we are snobs, but maybe at some level we are. I mean, there were other people living there, and the people running the place were nice. In the end we decided to move. We looked at apartments, both furnished and unfurnished, and we are close to settling on a furnished unit.  In the meantime, we are staying at a Comfort Suites.  Something we should have done right from he get-go.

The plan is to be in an apartment by January 6th . . . takes that long to get everything arranged. We also came to the realization that our original plan to move to a different area every month made for a stressful situation, for us as well as the cat. We are currently leaning toward getting a three-month lease (the shortest you can get here), and use this area as a basis of operation. First and foremost we need to settle in for a bit and catch our breath.

One thing that is evident to both of us is that the sun is really bright! OK, so that is probably not news to anyone. Thing is, it seems unusually bright to both of us. Sunglasses are not enough when we are driving, and for the first time I can remember, I am using the sun-visor on a regular basis, swinging it to the side and to the front as I wind through the streets. And I’m not even talking about the sun being low in the horizon; this is at 2:00pm. It may be due to the altitude, or the fact here are no clouds in the sky. Or, being from Michigan, we are not used to three consecutive days of sunshine.

Whatever the reason, we are both considering stronger sunglasses.

Since we are still both fighting to get healthy, this is probably lacking some of the twisted, often incomprehensible, and sometime sick humor that usually weaves it’s way through the text of my e-mails . . . enjoy it while you can, because I’m getting better.

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There were no other major updates other than the announcement in April that we had bought a house.  The next update is dated August, and it will be tomorrow’s post.

 . . . this is likely boring for all but a very select few.  The thing is, once I get started on something I am compelled to see it through.  However, after tomorrow’s D’Alise Daily News we’ll be done with out transition from Michiganites to Coloradians (yes, I make the names up as I go).

Thanks for visiting, and if you made it to this, for fighting off sleep.

. . . and my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

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Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.  

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D’Alise Daily News – Volume MMIV, Issue XII

Following the massive success of my last post, I continue by posting my second effort to update friends and family of what was scheduled to transpire in late December 2004.  The interview format was “been there, done that”, and I figured a news update should look like a news update.  

The PDF version of the original is HERE, but I reproduced the words below.  Again, this is the text as written with the exception of one extra carriage return, and I left out the pictures. 

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D’Alise Daily News

Volume MMIV, Issue XII  –  (December 6, 2004)

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Flash!! – Colorado Faces Unknown Fate

So . . . It’s Going to Happen

Long-time Michigan residents Melisa and Emilio D’Alise have announced they are leaving the state before the end of the year.  Neither wanted to be quoted for this article, but this reporter was able to gleam some details of the upcoming ordeal.  Actually, all I had to do was ask; that Emilio character sure loves to talk! 

Rumor has it the couple discovered time marches on at a pretty good clip.  To their dismay, they learned it passes even faster when busily relaxing.  They woke up last week and realized it was almost December. Although we don’t have the exact quote, M&E looked at each other and said something like “Holy s**t!! It’s almost December!!”  One can only imagine their horror . . . 

Well, after a leisurely breakfast, some exercise, a bit of shopping, a quick lunch, some Internet surfing, a good evening meal, some TV, and a movie, they looked at each other – again – and said “It’s late.  Let’s go to sleep”.  But the next day they decided to begin the year 2005 in another state. 

This, of course, was nothing new.  I believe there are some people in remote areas of the Upper Peninsula who had not heard of their intent to move, but – after nearly a year of jaw flapping – most everyone else was aware of it, and considered it just a peculiarity of the couple.  

But I digress.  This time they were serious.  The very next day they gave notice of their intention to vacate the apartment by December 31^st.  People at the complex were shocked and saddened.  Some cried.  Others just consoled themselves with some of the free cookies and coffee.  Most just looked and asked “Who the &@%$ are you?”, “You live here?”, and “Would you please let me through? . . . I need to use the bathroom.” 

Friends and family that first learned of the decision tried to muster some sort of interest, asking questions like “Where will you go?”, “Where will you stay?”, “What will you do?”, and the occasional “Can I hang up now? . . . got to use the bathroom.”.

These were tough questions with no easy answers.  Well, maybe that last one was an easy one.  But the D’Alises were in a pondering mood; mostly they pondered why so many people needed to use the bathroom . . . alas, pondering is tiring; the answers had to wait another day. 

M&E arose bright and early the next morning, and after a leisurely breakfast, some exercise, a bit of shopping, a quick lunch, some Internet surfing, a good evening meal, some TV, and a movie, they looked at each other and reportedly said, almost in unison, “I’m sleepy.  How about Colorado Springs?”  A few yawns, a quick check for new e-mail, a look at the weather and TV schedule for the next day, a late snack of cookies, some reading, another snack, and they were blissfully asleep.  And yet another moment passed into history.

       B. Ulshi Tspewer – Freelance Reporter

Consequences

As reported above, a monumental decision was reached just last week.  One that would have tremendous repercussions in the life of cat named Kitty.  Her owners – Melisa and Emilio D’Alise – decided to up and move 1350 miles to a place called Colorado Springs.  Kitty could not be reached for comments; she was sleeping.  Attempts to wake her resulted in severe lacerations of this reporter’s left hand and forearm. 

Prudence being the better part of valor, this reporter decided to speak with the owners.  I wanted to find out how they had come to such action.  What dark influence conspired to throw the life of this cat into upheaval and uncertainty?  What drove these otherwise boring and uninteresting people into making such a bold and daring change?  

Well folks, did I mention these were boring and uninteresting people? I’m paraphrasing here, but the answer was along the lines of “Well, we got to live somewhere.”   . . . what the . . .!?!?!  What kind of an answer is that?  Are they nuts?   Taking care to not make any sudden moves – in case they were nuts – I pressed them for additional information.  

It seems they used to own a business in the area.  This was ideal for Kitty, as it left her lots of time alone in a nice house.  But then, global economic pressures did their thing, and voila!, no more work.  No more work; no more business.  The D’Alises saw this as a sign.  However, not being superstitious, and having little or no inclination toward mystical congruences, they basically ignored it.  They did, however, take the opportunity to do nothing for a while. 

Turns out, when you don’t do anything for a while, you read a lot.  And you surf the net – a lot.  All this reading and surfing exposed M&E to the idea of living in a milder climate, away from the auto industry.  Maybe not even a milder climate.  Maybe just away from the auto industry.

And that folks, is the little known tragedy of outsourcing.  It seems like economic good sense.  It may provide cheaper goods.  It may even allow the Big Three’s auto executives to get wealthy before the Japanese take all their market share away.  But at what cost? 

I will tell you.  A little cat – with very sharp nails – sits forlorn.  She is contemplating having to be in close proximity with her owners for extended periods of time; to endure human contact without being the one initiating it.  To be placed into a comfortable container while traveling cross-country in a nice SUV . . . I . . . I can’t go on. 

     Nin El Ives – Animal Planet Reporter 

Colorado Springs – A Closer Look

So, why Colorado Springs? Well, this reporter did some digging and found out some surprising answers.  Turns out that Colorado Springs is where the U. S. Racquetball Association is headquartered.  This little known fact played absolutely no part in the Melisa & Emilio decision-making process.  But, for those who wanted to know where the USRA is located, here you go; it’s in Colorado Springs. 

But other factors did figure into the decision-making process.  To varying degrees they were cost of living (taxes, housing, insurance, etc.), climate (somewhat milder), geographical location (close to mountains, closer to National Parks), crime statistics, economic growth potential, educational opportunities, and the lack of an automotive-based economy.  That last one was not a major factor. Rather, it was more like an observation. 

But then, it got more complicated.  Colorado Springs is a fast-growing community.  In fact, there are more people living in Colorado Springs than all of Wyoming.  This alone made Wyoming very attractive to Emilio, the older and less wise half of the D’Alise team.  “How about Cheyenne?” he chimed.  His propensity for spur-of-the-moment, poorly-thought-out-ideas notwithstanding, this was not without merit.  Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming (some say it’s actually “W”, but they are missing the point), and it’s only one and a half hours from downtown Denver.  Basically, the convenience of modern facilities nearby, coupled with slower paced, and lower cost, living.  

The D’Alises had driven through the outskirts of Cheyenne while on their way to Bozeman . . . hey! . . . what happened to Bozeman?  Rumor had it that was going to be the next D’Alise residence.  What did happened?  What caused the once beloved idea of Montana-living to be cast down in the dust of history’s forgotten trails?  Who cares, we’re talking about Cheyenne now.  

Anyway, they had driven by Cheyenne, but had not stopped to look at anything.  The D’Alise team was stumped.  How can you make a decision about a place if you don’t know what it looks like.  As they pondered this unexpected wild card being thrown into the fray, their eyes wandered over the Colorado map.  Ft. Collins looked nice as well.  It’s closer to Denver, and right next to the Rocky Mountains National Park.  Loveland was just west of there.  Both those cities had been written up in various magazines as nice places to live. 

Well dear readers, if you are feeling lost, unfocused, and unable to get a grasp of the situation, don’t feel alone.  The fact was that any of those areas had the potential for being a destination for the restless M&E.  What were they to do?  

Then it happened!  It hit them like a thunderbolt.  The answer was so simple!  It had been in front of them the whole time.  The very obviousness had made them blind to it.  The sheer logical simplicity had been too crystal clear for their overworked minds to grasp.  The answer was as clear as if it had been carved out of the pure ice of some Alaskan glacier.  

Ah, Alaska.  That is a nice place.  Scenery is just lying about all over the place; dramatic valleys, mountains, and coastlines.  One could get lost up there.  Lost in the beauty of the place, lost in the pureness of the air, lost in the comforting silence, awed by the sheer ruggedness of the a land carved by forgotten glaciers. 

What? Oh, yeah; the simple answer.  It had been in front of . . . wait, I already said that. Let me see . . . obviousness . . .hmmm . . . logical . . . ice . . . here it is.  It was clear they were going to rent while looking for a place to live.  Well, duh!! . . .  they may as well do it over there.  Sounds simple once you say it out loud.  “Rent where you are looking, not 1300 miles away”.  Hmmm . . . yes, yes, it could work.  It will work!  

So Colorado Springs it was.  Not as a permanent residence yet, but as a base of operation for exploring the area.  Who knows, maybe a month in Colorado Springs, a month in Loveland, and so on.  Take some day trips around the area, look at facilities, look at real estate, and get a feel for the various places.   It’s a little bit like buying a motor home, and tooling around looking for a place to settle.  Only you substitute furnished apartments for the motor home – less maintenance that way. 

So what did happen to Bozeman?  Well that, dear readers, is a story for another day.

T. Ells Tory – Field Reporter

Sneaky Bastages . . . 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source within the D’Alise family revealed some late-breaking news about their plans to move out West.  It appears there is a push for an early exodus from the area.  While sources had earlier quoted the end of December, it has been revealed the timetable has been accelerated.  

With little thought to leisure, food, and sleep, the D’Alises are getting ready to evacuate the area a early as 10 days before the end of the month.  Well, ok . . . there is some food, and they do sleep 8-9 hours a night.  But a tentative daily schedule was leaked by our source, and it shows drastic reductions in leisure over the next three weeks or so. 

The new schedule includes the following:  No more than 1-2 hours of exercise a day.  No more than 4-5 hours of combined TV/Rental-Movies watching per day, with an additional 2 hours during weekends.  No more than 4 hours of Internet surfing during the day, and 2 hours during the late evening.  

Oh, the humanity of it all!!  This is prime TV and movie season!  What drives these people to push themselves so?  What demons haunt the recesses of their tortured minds?  We may never know.  Luckily, no one cares all that much.

   T. H. Ebigs Coop – Investigative Reporter

Bozeman – Second is a Lonely Place

Once the first choice for the D’Alise family, Bozeman now rests forgotten and unmentioned as a mere alternative.  What precipitated such drastic change?  How did the once darling of the D’Alise Relocation Movement fall to the depths of second place? 

For a long while, a couple of days to be exact, it was feared that the story of this picturesque city’s fall from grace would be lost to the annals of history.  Then this reporter stumbled onto some notes left behind by the very people who discarded the idea of moving to Bozeman.  Join me now, as we explore the workings of a decision-making process that turned the tides of fortune for this small Montana community.  

The story goes back to late October, when the D’Alises – accompanied by their trusty sidekick, Pops – headed out for the land of big skies, pure snow, and fresh mountain air.  Montana was like they remembered: really nice.  But after a few days, a glaring flaw stood out, overwhelming the beauty, peacefulness, and charm of the place.  Not enough shopping!  

Oh sure, you could buy stuff, but no comparison to what the D’Alises were used to.  Fearing the adjustment would be too great for them, they opted to move to an intermediate area.  Montana would have to wait a few years . . . hello Colorado Springs!

   Enoughf Ornow – Human Interest

©COPYRIGHT 2004   D’Alise Press

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Yes, I am weird . . . that went out to friends and family, and was happily ignored by both.  The important thing was we we leaving friends and familiar surroundings.  We were leaving a place we had lived in for half our lives.  

Detroit breathed a collective sigh of relief which, coincidentally complimented the collective gasp heard from Colorado Springs.

Again, the amateurish play with names can be excused by . . . no; it’s stupid, silly, and silly stupid, but I still like them.  Besides, I have always hated coming up with names for characters.  This was a respite for me.

As usual, thanks for visiting, and for reading my stuff.

. . . and my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

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Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.  

About awards: Blogger Awards         About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

A Character Flaw, For Sure

I am a peculiar sort . . . “%$#&@ weird” is more how I am often described.  I live by my own unwritten (and weird) rules; rules which govern nearly all I do.  

Today a person whose blog I follow (Sarah Takes Pictures) was Freshly Pressed.  It is a considerable honor for us unknown bloggers.  WordPress features the chosen blog in their home page.  Huge exposure for Sarah, and rightly deserved, for she does great work.

And it got me worried . . . 

It had not occurred to me being Freshly Pressed is independent of the wishes of the author, but it is.  Someone, or a group of someones, at WordPress comes across a post they like, and BAAMM! . . . you are Freshly Pressed.  

Not to give myself airs, but there is a chance, a small chance, someone will like something I do, and all of the sudden I too might be Freshly Pressed.  As I said, great honor, great exposure, maybe even deserved . . . it would help tremendously the circulation of my blog.

. . . except for this character flaw of mine.  

I don’t particularly like to be helped.  Anyone who knows me might already know the truth of this, but I never ask for help.  I don’t ask for breaks, deals, free stuff, etc. etc.  Mind you, I will accept stuff that is available to everyone, but if someone is going to give a break specifically to me, and not others, then I have a problem with that.  

It used to drive salesmen nuts when I would ask them the price of something, they would tell me, I would politely say “no thanks”, and they would counter with an offer . . . only to be told I don’t like that.  No deal for me, thank you, because I know for me to get a deal someone will have to pay more.  Were that not the case, the price would be fixed, and I would not have to “negotiate”.  No one would have to negotiate. 

The character flaw, you see, is that I do not like “special treatment” . . . not when I see it applied to others, and not for myself.  

“Yeah, but . . . ” you say “this is not special treatment.  It’s a recognition of the quality of your work.  It’s what you are working to.  It’s what you want, for FSM sake!!“

Well, yes . . . but there is a side effect to this character flaw, and it applies here.  I like succeeding on my own; I like making it without help, even as I recognize the risk of perpetual obscurity.

I take pride on this contrarian approach to life, all the while admitting the stupidity of it.  I am nearly at 10,000 views for this blog . . . sure, half of them are probably spammers, and another quarter are automated bots scanning the web for keywords and tags, but all those came to my site strictly through my efforts.  

That remaining quarter?  They came, they saw, and some are returning of their own volition.  That means something to me.  There is a personal connection there, however tenuous and probably fleeting.  I do hope someday to be recognized by a large number of people as offering some value, but I want that to happen through the addition of individuals  chancing on my site, liking it, and slowly adding to the numbers who choose to visit again as regulars.  I want circulation to grow by word of mouth.

I want to stress I am human . . . if I were to be Freshly Pressed I would feel proud, validated, etc. etc.  . . . but I do not like that small measure of control being taken from me. I do not like the spotlight shined on me so that people can find me.  I prefer, however stupidly, to wallow in the shallow mud and occasionally be recognized as having a bit of sparkle.  

So, how do I control this . . . I checked the Freshly Pressed site . . . your chances are greatly helped if you use only nice words, words are spelled correctly, and you have pictures.  

I can’t give up pictures, but . . . 

Thanks for stopping by to read my stuff.

. . . and the new regulalr addition to my sign-off  . . . chieken shit.

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Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.  

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Beautiful Seniors Mock Interview

Yesterday the blog registered 208 visits.  That was twice my previous daily record for most visits, and about four times the typical daily hits count.  Don’t know why, as to my tired eyes I did nothing different.

Were I to give it a reason, I would credit a couple of bloggers who stumbled onto my blog and poked around a bit.  I would also credit some of the pictures I posted as drawing them here.  The other reason are the comments.  When one gets a conversation going in the comment section, each visit to reply counts as a hit (or so I assume).

But, pictures and narratives take time.  I was hoping to have a few blog posts ready to go, but I don’t, so I will offer up a bit of writing from 2004. 

In June of 2004 we closed Harwtwick, our company of 20 years.  That same month we sold our house, and moved to an apartment.  The intent was to make a major change in our lives, but as a side consequence of those two actions we lost touch with most of our social circles.  Back in the day I hit on the idea of e-mailing out updates as a way of keeping friends and family up to speed on what we were doing, but not wanting to bore people to death, I concocted this mock interview with the fictional (at least back then) Beautiful Seniors magazine (B.S. for short). 

The e-mail I sent is reproduced below in its entirety and as originally written; it ought to be an effective vehicle for slowing down web traffic to the blog.  By the way, as with all my writing, I still enjoy reading it. 

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This interview took place the morning of November 3, 2004 between Beautiful Seniors magazine and the D’Alise family, Melisa and Emilio.

Beautiful Seniors (BS): So, we understand that being unemployed has turned your thoughts towards new directions for the remainder of your lives.

Emilio (EJD): Why yes, we are contemplating our options with an eye towards reshaping our lives.  In the last 20 years we had focused our efforts on Hartwick, a consulting company for the automotive industry.  While it was challenging, sometimes fun, and occasionally profitable, we felt we let a large part of our life slip by us.  Given how this opportunity has presented itself, we figure maybe it was time to slow down a bit and take the time to smell things.

Melisa (MJD): You mean “the roses”, dear.

EJD: Yeah, those too.

BS: So, in the interest of educating others that may want to follow in your path, how have you gone about it.

EJD: Well, first I started working for GM, way back in ’78, then . . .

MJD: He means the retirement part.

EJD: Oh. That. Well, first you wait for all the good jobs to head overseas, and then you sort of are left with few options for anything else.

BS: Actually, we are more interested in the steps toward executing a plan for the future.

EJD: O.K., if that’s what you are interested in.  Well, the first thing was to become highly mobile.  We decided to sell our house of 14 years, and basically positioning ourselves for any option we may want to explore.  Stuff we owned that was not sold is in a climate controlled storage facility, and we have a few items with us in an apartment we are renting month-to-month.

BS: So, this has been a recent thing.

MJD: Well, yes and no.  It has been four months since we sold our house, but we did not do anything for the first few months because Emilio landed a small job at GM.  That job was good for bringing in some money, but it curtailed our relocation efforts.

BS: In what way?

MJD: Well, instead of going around the country looking for places where we may want to live, we spent a lot of time surfing the web reading about placed we want to move to.

BS: And how did that work out?

MJD: Like crap!  Pardon my French.  What I mean is that we learned that there are a lot of areas that sound very nice, but that all that information is useless unless you have been there.  I can quote you all sorts of statistics about all sorts of places, but it is little help in making a life-altering decision.  On the other hand, I can now quote you the crime rate for many small communities around the country.

BS: So, what happened?

EJD: Well, we figured we have to get our asses in gear and take more positive action.  That meant we had to actually go look at some of these places.  The first one was north of the Seattle area, a place called Bellingham.

<pause>

BS: . . . . and?

EJD: Oh, yeah.  Well, we flew out there.  That was a mistake, as in retrospect it would have been smarter to drive out there, allowing us to visit more places.  Sort of like a grand loop of places to retire.  But we flew.

MJD: Yeah, and it was a crowded flight, on a plane that was designed to give leg cramps.  And get this; the passenger next to us was traveling with a cat!  He had it in a pet carrier that, apparently, doubled as a bathroom.  Well, I tell you; at first I thought it was Emilio’s breath, but . . .

EJD: Hon, I don’t think they are interested in the flight.

MJD: Right.  Well, Bellingham was not exactly what we hoped.  The mental picture we had was that of a seaside community with waterfront walks, and a certain amount of charm.  Instead, it was a fast growing, developed, and so-so town.  It did not help that the real estate market was booming there (Californians moving in and buying up everything), and that anything we even remotely liked was expensive.

EJD: Actually, we did not like much.  All the nice areas were already snatched up, and new houses were being piled on top of each other on postage stamp lots.  You would literally be able to watch your neighbor’s kids from conception to the time they left the nest.  I understand they return later on, but that’s another story.

BS: So what did you do?

MJD: Well, since we were there, we looked around the areas.  Blaine, Olympia, Portland, small towns in the Olympic Peninsula, and some inland parts of Washington.  We also drove into Oregon.  We saw some nice places, but nothing that jumped out at us.

EJD: Yeah, we came back a little bit disappointed, and concerned that winter was coming and we still did not have a clue of where to go.

BS: What did you do then?

EJD: Well, we went out to eat with some friends, I played some racquetball, and Melisa did some sewing, exercised at the workout room in the clubhouse, and followed the election.

BS: <long sigh> I mean, what did you do about continuing your search? <turning to Melisa> Is he always this annoying?

MJD: Yes, but you learn to ignore him.  Anyway, we did some more reading.  I’ve always been attracted to Montana.  We had gone out there a few years ago for a vacation, and we both liked the landscape.  For some reason I had it in my mind that Bozeman was a nice place.  Actually, we had never driven through it, but since I thought we did, I did some research on it.  It seemed to fit a lot of what we were looking for, with the exception of the snow in the winters.

EJD: Yes, and I did a search on cities above 4500ft in elevation.  The idea was to look at places where the summers would not be too hot.  Colorado Springs came up as a nice place to go.  The only negative there (and many places out West) was the water situation.  As in “there is a four year drought affecting most of the West this side of the Rockies”.

BS: And that is a concern?

MJD: Well, yes.  We went through losing our well at our old house, and worrying about having water. I like to landscape, love to plant flowers, and would like to continue doing so.

BS: So what happened then?

EJD: Well, while we were debating what to do, we heard from various people that gave positive feedback on both Colorado Springs and Montana.  We decided to go out there.

MJD: Yes.  Sadly, the opportunity presented itself when one of my uncles died.  We went to Illinois for the funeral, and decided in the spur of the moment that since we were part of the way there, we would just go see those two places.  We took my dad with us, since he likes to travel.

EJD: A little less planning than I like, but we figured it would be ok.  We feared we would hit some snow, but that if it got bad, we could just wait a few days for it to pass.  As it turned out, we only had one day where we had to stop because of poor travel conditions, and that was on the way back, in South Dakota.  We had to stop at Sundance because high winds and drifting snow made the road unsafe.  But the next day it was clear, and we sailed on.

BS: So, what is the verdict for out West?

EJD: Well, we are still digesting everything.  If I were to rank places we have seen, it would be 1) Bozeman, MT 2) Colorado Springs, CO 3) Michigan (somewhere) and 4) Washington (somewhere).  But we now need a few days (weeks?) to digest everything and to try and make up our minds.

MJD: Yes, and it’s not easy.  The little noggin really begins to hurt after you work at the problem for a while.  One option we have is to go and spend the summer somewhere warm.  Like maybe, Arizona.  Take some classes, go see a few more places, and decide in the spring.

EJD: Well, that’s one option.  The other option is to spend the winter in one of those two places, Colorado Springs or Bozeman.  That would give us an idea of what the winters are like, and give us a much better feel for the place.  Although it would be nice to spend the winter somewhere warm.

MJD: And of course, we could spend the winter here, and take trips to other places we may be interested in.

EJD: Yep, it’s a poser, all right.

BS: So what are you going to do?

EJD: Well, I have some racquetball matches to make up, and I bought a DVD recorder I want to set up.  Maybe I’ll even build a PC to replace the one I’m using.

BS: CUT THAT OUT!!  What are you going to do about planning out the rest of your life?

EJD: Hey, ease up there bud.

MJD: <giving Emilio a stern look> We’ll take stock on what we have seen. Look where we are financially.  Take one last look around here for prospects.  Failing anything turning up here, we’ll probably be moving.  Or not.  Oh, I’m getting a headache.

EJD: Ok buddy, it’s time to wrap this up.  Bottom line is that we need to sleep on this.  It’s a big step to take.  Most people tell us we are lucky to have all these opportunities ahead of us.  Well, it’s exciting on the one hand, but it’s also a major step in our lives.  It sounds nice to be able to take control of one’s life, but it’s much easier to let life carry you along.

MJD: We’d hoped something would help sway us one way or the other.  Truth of the matter is that everywhere looks nice, even here.  We’ll take our time to imagine ourselves in various situations.  At some point we’ll have to make a decision.  Then we’ll probably write a book on how to go about planning your retirement.  If it does well, we’ll be able to retire.

BS: <Epilogue> Well, there you have it.  Nice people, but all screwed up if you ask me.  That Emilio can get on your nerves, and wherever he goes, I say good riddance!

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I make no excuses for the writing.  Back then I was 11% younger than I am now, and that’s like 60% younger in writer years.  Don’t know what it would be in dog years.

Understand it was written primarily for people who knew me, and as a vehicle to give them a dose of me they might have missed.  Strangely, no one asked for more, but as we’ll see in future posts, they got it just the same.

Once more, thanks for visiting and reading my stuff.

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Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.  

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Pikes Peak and I

In 2006 The Gazette of Colorado Springs held an essay and photo contest for Pikes Peak Centennial celebration (a brief history of Pikes Peak HERE).  New to the area, I had, as I do now, a profound fascination with Pikes Peak.  I decided to enter both.  

This was my Photo Entry:

Photo Submission

The above photo was taken during my 2004, two days visit to Colorado Springs, when I came to scope out the place as a possible escape from the Motor City.  We had a half day to spare, and we drove up to the summit.

I was pleased to learn I had come in second, and that the photo for ten days would hang in the Pioneer Museum in Colorado Springs (I did not go see it).  The winner was published in the paper, and it was an evening view of the peak from the area known as University Park.  

Hence why judging photos is subjective, and I seldom enter contests.  The winner was similar, but not as nice, as many I had from the same area (I lived in University Park apartments for the first four months here).  I should have saved it for comparison, but since it was “on the Internet” I figure I could always link to it  (wrong!).

This is one of mine from about, but not quite, the same spot.  

The reason I did not use the above, or any from that area, is because it includes The Garden of the Gods area (the big red rock visible through the trees), and I thought Pikes Peak should not be sharing the spotlight in celebration of its centennial.  

I don’t want to seem like I’m chewing on sour grapes here, but I was a tad annoyed at the lower third of the winning picture showing an unsightly industrial park.  

Rest assured, I am posting this strictly because I thought this would make an interesting post (different from my usual posts).           . . . but come on! An industrial park!

Seriously, I also want to point out all forms of art are subject to the whims of individual likes and dislikes.  Different judges might not have ranked either the winner’s or my photos as worthy of the top ten, let alone first and second.  By the way, that’s why they encourage writers to submit all over the place; what is crap to one editor is gold to another.

The following is my submission for the essay contest (as written, no modifications):

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On October of 2004 I came out to scout Colorado Springs as a possible relocation site.  My first memory of Pikes Peak is that of the rising sun bathing its summit in a golden light.  

Later I saw many other mountains as I drove north through Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, but Pikes Peak had allowed me to reach its summit, and a bond was forged.  A one sided bond, for sure: my deep respect, and its majestic indifference.  

And yet, in each of the subsequent five visits, it seemed possible to believe it was minimally aware of my presence.   It parted clouds, letting the sunshine bathe green meadows dotted with impossibly delicate yellow, blue, and white flowers.  It brought hawks to silently soar above the great boulders casually defying gravity on its slopes.   And it let me watch in eerie silence the passing of a thunderstorm far below.  

I’m sure others were about, but each time it seemed as if the show was for me, and me alone.  On those brief moments I could let myself imagine I was part of the mountain; untouched by events unfolding before me, but yet an integral part of the world around me. 

I’ve now lived here a full year, and still, when out walking or driving, I strive to see the familiar outline.  Whether offering a majestic sight spanning the horizon, or appearing as a snow-covered jewel just visible between the evergreens, the Peak never fails to draw my eye, and for those brief moments I once more feel as one with the silent giant. 

 It’s more than the beauty of the snow blanketing the summit, or the interplay of light and shadow on its slopes.  It is Pikes Peak’s comforting permanence, and the promise of new secrets to be revealed on each subsequent visit. 

Perhaps years hence the feeling will wane, and I will barely take notice its presence.  If that should come to pass, it will be like losing touch with a dear friend, and my life will surely be diminished for it.

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It was not until a few years later that I Googled myself (I don’t do that anymore) and found out I had placed third in the essay contest.   

You can read the winning essay HERE.  The only minor quibble I had was that the winning essay went over the 500 word limit.  

As many people know, I am not pithy, and struggled to keep it under 500 words, cutting out what I thought was good, but non-essential stuff.  

Anyway, Pikes Peak remains a comforting sight and presence as I go about my life.  And it certainly merits a post of its own (yes, with lots of pictures).

Thanks for visiting and reading my stuff.

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Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not personally hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.  

About awards: Blogger Awards         About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff