I would like to ask people who are eating THC gummys to please be careful with them. Please make sure you don't loose any on the trail. They would surely be fatal to small wildlife simply due to the inability to walk, run or fly. I would hate to think of a child finding them.

DENVER, Colo., April 7, 2020 – Acting Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien today announced and signed an order to temporarily close developed recreation sites and an order to implement fire restrictions within the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region to align with local, state and federal orders and guidelines to protect public health and safety. The region includes 24 national forests and grasslands across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.
“While we know that going outside provides forest and grassland visitors needed space, exercise and satisfaction, we are taking the risks presented by COVID-19 seriously,” said Eberlien. “We are providing some recreation opportunities where we can while protecting and keeping employees, the public and our communities safe from the virus, as well as protecting and keeping communities and natural and cultural resources safe from unwanted human-caused wildfires.”
Recreation Closures
Developed recreation sites are temporarily closed while dispersed camping, hiking and river uses are allowed, although discouraged. Closed developed recreation sites include campgrounds, day-use areas, picnic areas, and any other constructed facility amenities – such as potable water stations, fire rings/grills, picnic tables, restroom facilities with flush or vaulted toilets, and trashcans and trash collection services. Parking facilities, trails and trailheads remain open. Dispersed camping includes camping on a national forest or grassland where recreation facilities or services are not provided.
Forest and grassland visitors camping in dispersed recreation sites, hiking or embarking on river activities are encouraged to adhere to the following safety and responsibility guidelines.
• Stay close to home to keep other communities safe.
• Stay 6 feet apart from others.
• Avoid crowding in parking lots, trails, scenic overlooks and other areas.
• Take CDC precautions to prevent illnesses like COVID-19.
• Prepare for limited or no services, such as restroom facilities and garbage collection.
• Prepare to pack out trash and human waste.
Fire Restrictions
Effective immediately until rescinded, the following is prohibited:
1. Igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, including charcoal grills and barbecues, coal
and wood-burning stoves, and sheepherder’s stoves.
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer or building.
-more-

The following persons are exempt from fire restrictions:
1. Persons with a Forest Permit, Form FS-7700-48, specifically exempting them from the
effect of this Order in the areas listed above.
2. Any Federal, State or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefightingforce
in the performance of an official duty is exempt from Prohibitions.
3. Persons using pressurized liquid or gas devices (stoves, grills or lanterns) with shut-off valves in an
area at least three feet from any flammable materials are exempt from Prohibition #1.
4. Residents, owners or lessees within the areas listed above who are using a fire in a permanent
dwelling with an effective and properly installed USDA- or SAE- approved spark arrestor, are exempt from Prohibition #1.
Fire restrictions enhance public safety, protect natural and cultural resources and help prevent human- caused wildfires. Several criteria are used to determine when to implement fire restrictions, including fire activity levels, current and predicted weather, fuel moisture and the availability of emergency and firefighting resources. Additional restrictions may be required if conditions warrant.
Entering upon closed areas or igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or smoking on national forests and grasslands is a violation of Federal law and may result in consequent fines and possible jail time.
All offices are conducting business and providing virtual services. For specific forest and grassland information, please visit the region’s forest and grassland directory.
-USDA-
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

We will begin the November gathering with a parade starting at 6p.m. at Alpine park walking to the Arkansas, then headed back to A Church for a community pot luck with music, stories, crafts, and togetherness.
If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, Day of the dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. The multi-day celebration, begins October 31st, all Hallows eve, and ends November 2, all Saints day. This holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and helping support their spiritual journey. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle. Mexicans view it not as a day of sadness but as a day of celebration because their loved ones awake and celebrate with them.
Bring a pot luck dish which you can drop off at A Church from 5-5:45 p.m. on November 2nd, and after the parade we will share stories, food, drink, clothing and pictures from your departed ones and join in on the joyous remembrance of them.
This is a colorful celebration that celebrates life and its continuous cycle.
We look forward to seeing you there.

Starting time : 7:00 Admission is FREE and there is FREE pizza, drinks and snacks.

Costume Contest : 8:00 Cash Prizes for the best costumes (voted on by the teens). $50 for 1st place, and $25 each for second and third.

Horror Movie: The Ring. Starts at 9. Rated PG-13.

Happy Halloween!

Chaffee County residents will learn how to save money and home energy at the Chaffee Green Homes Tour Saturday September 14.
At no charge, residents can tour select homes in Salida where homeowners have installed solar energy systems and made other improvements to make their homes more sustainable. Homeowners, volunteers and representatives from solar installers Peak Solar Designs, Renewable Energy Outfitters and Colorado Solar Energy will be available to explain smart “green’’ home features.
The tour will begin at the Salida Farmer’s Market, at Alpine Park, 4th and E Streets, at 9 a.m. on September 14. Tour sponsor New Energy Colorado will host a booth featuring a variety of energy efficiency measures that homeowners can install at little or no cost. At the booth, a map of the tour homes will be available – all are near the park location.
From 9 a.m. until noon, the tour homes will be open to interested residents.
“We are delighted that Chaffee County residents will be able to see first-hand how to make homes more energy efficient through this tour,’’ said tour co-sponsor Jacy Doumas, of the Chaffee Green Sustainability Program, part of the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association.
New Energy Colorado works to engage citizens in shaping our energy future by providing education about how our energy system and utilities function today, and what changes are needed to pave the way for a future dominated by energy efficiency, renewables and a smart grid. For more than two decades, the non-profit has sponsored a green homes tour in metro Denver.
“Bringing the Green Homes Tour to Chaffee County is an important step in reaching out around Colorado to spread the word about steps we can each take to reduce our carbon footprint and live more sustainable lives,’’ said Sheila Townsend, tour coordinator for NECO.
The tour is also part of the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour.
---------- For more information: Sheila Townsend: 720-312-5948

A Church's August Gathering will be held this Saturday evening, the 17th at 6 p.m. Mark Monroe and Jimmy Sellars will be speaking and we'll follow with some live Salida music and a potluck dinner. Come for some or all - we hope to see you there! Visit us online achurchsalida.org

DENVER—In one of the more tone-deaf episodes of Secretary Zinke’s tenure at the Department of the Interior, he told reporters in California in response to the record-setting fires, “I’ve heard the climate change argument back and forth. This has nothing to do with climate change. This has to do with active forest management.”

This claim runs contrary to forestry experts, firefighters, and scientists who are in agreement that hotter and longer summers are a primary factor contributing to record wildfires experienced in California and across the West in recent years. In response, the Center for Western Priorities issued the following statement from Deputy Director Greg Zimmerman:

“Secretary Zinke is either being willfully ignorant or purposely deceptive. Any politician ignoring the role a warming climate plays in record-setting wildfire seasons loses all credibility as an honest broker. Instead, Zinke is in California using an ongoing natural disaster to push an unpopular political agenda.”

In an op-ed recently published in Huffington Post, Zimmerman explained how a complex problem like wildfire requires a thoughtful, nuanced, and science-backed approach, not more political talking points. He wrote:

“Balancing solutions to mitigate wildfire risk is thorny and complex. Doing so would mean accepting that California, the western U.S. and the globe are becoming hotter. It requires acknowledging that wildfire is natural and healthy for many forests, and that our nation’s century-long practice of putting out even the smallest fires has put forests at risk of wildfire on an unprecedented scale.”

For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org. Sign up for Look West to get daily public lands and energy news sent to your inbox.

The study, which took place in the 2,200-square-mile Raton Basin along the central-Colorado northern New Mexico border, found more than 1,800 earthquakes up to magnitude 4.3 during that period, linking most to wastewater injection well activity. Such wells are used to pump water back in the ground after it has been extracted during the collection of methane gas from subterranean coal beds.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

http://county10.com/first-90-kangaroos-released-in-wyoming/

So I emailed CDOT, noting the sign at 291 & Hwy 50 prohibiting truck traffic through downtown, & politely brought to their attention the problems these truckers are causing, in spite of the posted signs.

Just a few days later, I was pleased to receive a phone call from Chris from CDOT saying that she's workingon this issue! She researched the rules & sent "her guys" out to verify the signs. The guys found that the signs have been taken down! She
acknowledged that the trucks should not be allowed to pass through downtown & should follow highway 50 around town instead.

She pledged to get the signs replaced so that enforcement is again possible. Chris also committed to calling me back with updates on her progress.

I hope you'll all join me in contacting CDOT to politely share your concerns about these huge trucks rolling through our town. These trucks are wearing out our roads, damaging the aesthetic of our town, destroying our property values & endangering everyone who tries to enjoy downtown Salida. Contact CDOT here: https://www.codot.gov/topcontent/contact-cdot

The next step, once the signs are replaced, will be to implore state & local police to enforce the law, ticketing the truckers & spreading the word that they are not legally allowed to travel through town. I hope you'll help with this effort as well. I'm encouraged that it's possible to make this change!

I had the good fortune to work on a film for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where I had face time with thought leaders in the early childhood development space. From the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to a Harvard Professor who runs the Center on Media and Child Health—These people are equally astonished at how quickly the brain develops, and the ways that we can affect the developing child through specific kinds of interactions in the earliest days and week. The new science on how, and when a baby’s brain develops, is remarkable, and new non-invasive technology is giving us incredible new insights. Yoee Baby may look like a classic plush toy, but was designed to reflect this science and create those giggles, smiles and coos we expect.

It has taken almost three years to get Yoee Baby off the ground, and as soon as we get through our product launch, I will explain the whole backstory of how I got into baby toys. But, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share this project with y’all, my Salida family, because right now you can buy a Yoee Baby at a discount (via KICKSTARTER) during our launch.

If you want to check out some short films, start with KICKSTARTER campaign, then head over to our web page. You may recognize some locals!

Thanks to Donna and crew at Kaleidoscope Toys, as well as the Moms, babies and many other locals for being great early supporters. This project has taken us around the country, and as far as China where we contracted a small woman-owned, women-run cut and sew facility for manufacturing. There are only 5 days left to support our campaign.

If you have any questions, reach out! bill@yoeebaby.com If you believe the world needs fewer electronic, blinking toys, please share this article or head over to our FACEBOOK page. Your help in supporting and sharing our crowdfunding campaign is very helpful.

Years ago, on a whim, my buddy Trey and I created The Salida Citizen. This was another side project in a long line of projects; Antero Hot Spring Cabins, C3 downtown office studios, and of course Dog Sonic Design, where we have made countless short films and consulted with clients on design and media. But our latest project, and by far the biggest, is Yoee Baby!

In November, Colorado voters will decide a question that gets to the heart of individual choice in one of the most personal issues anyone can face: one's own death.

The question is: Should a terminally ill adult have the right to request medical aid in dying to end their suffering? The proposed End of Life Options Act is modeled after Oregon's "Death With Dignity" law which has been in place for 18 years and which has provided peace of mind to countless cancer patients and others facing death from a terminal illness.

Washington, California, and Vermont have adopted similar legislation. In all cases, safeguards are in place to ensure that no one is coerced into participation, including doctors.

Medical aid in dying is not for everyone and supporters respect the right of each individual to chart their own course at the end of life. Prior to his death at age 92, my father begged everyone who came into his room to help him die. Others choose instead to fight death until their last breath.

Supporters of End of Life Options simply ask that mentally capable adults with a terminal diagnosis be given the right to seek a peaceful end within a legal medical framework. Signatures are being gathered throughout Colorado to put this issue on the ballot. Please add your name if you get a chance.

How does this translate to Salida? When I am driving my car on F street, I don't often stop on impulse. Conversely, when I am on my bike I don't always use F street—because of the cars.

This is just my experience, but progressively, with more traffic, and more tourism, the idea of a pedestrian mall on F street, replacing cars completely, feels right. Think about benches, fountains for kids and the sound of the river. Moving parking off of our retail epicenter might might also result in better retail foot traffic on surrounding streets. These are not new ideas, and they do not solve the general lack of public parking...oh, how how that railroad holds the keys. Anyway, enjoy this piece, and keep the dream alive. Having less traffic, and less pollution while making things more convenient for people who are walking or riding bikes sounds good—and it's increasingly easier to find data to show that it also makes good economic sense.

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/salt-lake-city-street-removes-parking-adds-bike-lanes-and-sales-go-up

* Comparing tax receipts from a time when the economy was just recovering may not be the best comparison, but I believe cultural trends i.e.., more people riding bikes each year, will likely fortify the tax based argument in the attached press release.

Mountains cover approximately one-fifth of Earth's land surface. Although rare, a mountain can exist singly, such as Mount Kilimanjaro in northeast Tanzania. Most mountains, however, occur as a group, called a mountain range. An example of a mountain range is the Sierra Nevada, which extends for about 400 miles (643 kilometers) in eastern California. A group of mountain ranges that share a common origin and form is known as a mountain system. The Sierra Madre, which arises just south of the U.S. border and extends south, is Mexico's chief mountain system. A group of mountain systems is called a mountain chain. The Pyrenees forms a mountain chain in southwest Europe between Spain and France. Finally, a complex group of mountain ranges, systems, and chains is called a mountain belt or cordillera (pronounced kor-dee-YARE-ah). The North American Cordillera runs from Alaska to Guatemala and includes all of the mountains and elevated plateaus in that vast region.

Greg Walter

Employees from every city department made their way to the podium to plead for their jobs. They deeply touched my heart with their passion, respectfulness, dedication and clarity. One after another braved their fear of public speaking and broke their silence that tumultuous night Wednesday April 29, City Council chambers. They thanked Council for looking at bold actions to resolve the challenges of the April street ordinance.

They deserve better. Each and every one of them. I honor our public servants who run the machinery of Salida. They green and clean the parks, master computer technology, engineer master plans, clean and repair our streets, slice and chop their budgets, delay hiring , manage our money to pay off our debt, stretch every penny, make our dreams come true with parks, pools, culture - entertainment.

When I learned from Police Chief Clark that city workers have been treated "uncivilly and down-right mean" on job sites and at their desks, I was sickened and saddened. Chief Clark detailed his fears about our current climate and stated that everyone has a breaking point.

This is not the Salida we want. We live in paradise and make sacrifices to be here. We celebrate our neighbors' successes and turn out to grieve their losses. We are happy when they can get by on one job. We greet each other with gratitude and appreciation. Our city employees' passion is to make our city great, functional and beautiful so we can live in a wonderful community.

We have all sacrificed in economic downturns with stagnant wages while inflation soared. It stinks to shoulder more and more work because jobs arenÕt filled. It's no fun to take on extra assignments to fix new problems when you're stressed about deadlines. Our workers appreciate having their jobs; and now they must endure mistreatment in return for their efforts.

Previous councils got us through the recession with their best efforts. They deserve kindness because they weren't holding it all together for the money; it was for Salida. It was for us. The least we can do is to say thank you and treat them with respect. Just as we would any other of our neighbors.

We all love Salida, its small home-town feel and the beautiful mountain setting. As a community, each one of us needs to do what she or he can with simple acts of kindness, shopping locally and counting our blessings. When our neighbors succeed, we succeed. Let's work together to help Council make the tough decisions required to keep Salida a great place to live, work and play.

Alisa Pappenfort

The answer is: in an around Washington the laws say they do have to stop. Today’s question is, should they? Turns out, that’s debatable. And it’s not a new debate.

For 32 years, bicyclists in Idaho have been allowed by law to slow down at stop signs, check for cars and pedestrians, and they continue pedaling if the coast is clear. Treating a stop sign as though it were a yield sign now is known as an “Idaho stop.”

They are illegal in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, but cyclists are seen rolling through stop signs with the same frequency as drivers rolling through right-turns-on-red, when they’re supposed to come to a complete halt.

Joseph Stromberg, a blogger for Vox, explained the Idaho stop earlier this year.

“While it’s obviously reckless for them to blow through an intersection when they don’t have the right of way, research and common sense say that slowly rolling through a stop sign on a bike shouldn’t be illegal in the first place,” he wrote.

Stromberg pointed to research by a physics professor who determined that a bicyclist who rolls through a stop sign at 5 miles an hour uses 25 percent less energy in regaining full speed.

Stromberg continues:

“For drivers, the idea of cyclists rolling through an intersection without fully stopping might sound dangerous — but because of their slower speed and wider field of vision (compared to cars), cyclists are generally able to assess whether there’s oncoming traffic and make the right decision. Even law-abiding urban bikers already do this all the time: because of the worry that cars might not see a bike, cyclists habitually scan for oncoming traffic even at intersections where they don’t have a stop sign so they can brake at the last second just in case.

“The Idaho stop, if legalized and widely adopted, would also make bikes more predictable. Currently, when a bike and a car both pull up to a four-way stop, an awkward dance often ensues. Even when cars get there first, drivers often try to give bikers the right-of-way, perhaps because they think the cyclist is going to ride through anyway. If the cyclist logically waits, both parties end up sitting there, urging the other to go on. In the opposite (and rarer) scenario, both people assume the other will wait, leading to a totally unnecessary accident.

“An Idaho stop would put an end to this madness: the first vehicle to come to the intersection always has the right of way, giving bikers a rule they’d actually follow, making them more predictable for drivers.”

Stromberg said that since 1982, bike accident injuries have declined in Idaho. And when Boise was compared to two similar-sized cities in California, it had vastly fewer bike accidents.

Washington isn’t Boise, a city of 205,000 people, but it has plenty of stop signs, plenty of drivers and plenty of cyclists.

[ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Jay-
YES there has been disrespectful conversation from the side of those angry at the ballot outcome. I went thru quickly and here are random quotes from the last thread.
o ”When Melody Hallet said she did not support the Carlisle/Farney initiative, the audience roared with spontaneous laughter.”

o “Their thoughtless negativity has put a well run city on the brink of financial disaster. we all know the names of the few idiots who put us into this situation. Shame on them.”

o “Carlisle/Farney (and friends) bamboozled a lot of citizens in our fair community, and now we are left to pick up the pieces and figure out a solution.”

o “I find it interesting that you are so sure that the 3 council members never said "Vote for 2014-28." Were they coached?”

o “Billy, it was your arguments ... excuse me, good discourse, .. that got us in the mess.”

o “Melodee Hallett, Mike Bowers, Hal Brown who are continually confused about these items during City Council meetings.”

o “If you did not understand the difference between capital and operating and the related restrictions, then why did you not educate yourself and your supporters?”

On the other hand---the comments of Supps and billtoo and bcarlisle and jeff A were the most level- headed and respectful. Review. They appear to respect the people who voted for the initiative, and most of the others do not appear that way.

That is kind of the crux of a lot of this issue--- some people feel they are smarter and know better, and don’t care what many Salidans believe. Many in Salida just simply believe in small government. (Me!) Many don’t trust the government . Many don’t care about bike paths/lanes and whitewater parks, music festivals and development of Vanderveer, and don’t aspire to be like the suburbs, etc etc. The sentiments of many people must be considered whether you like it or not.

I appreciate when people are concerned about what is going on-- they are the reason the ballot was voted on and they are the reason it won. It is unfortunate that so many people on the other side consider this group ignorant or stupid. That is a very common belief among the whitecollar about the working class. It is very common among affluent democrats to believe republicans are dumb.

As Bcarlisle has pointed out--- several issues have been pulling this town apart. The biggest one is lack of respect for other viewpoints, IMO. There are ways to cooperate instead of being passive aggressive and working toward a zero sum outcome= winner take all. That to me is in truth what a lot of the loudest against Car- Farn are about--- it is winner take all. Also by the way, a very urban attitude and that is where a lot of power people in Salida come from. They aggressively (usually passively since they dislike accountability) push for what they want with little regard for others—who they are better-than in any case.

To me, Salida is quickly becoming a bunch of suburbanites and baby boomers looking for a mtn retreat. What made it a great town is working class people who believed in community over money, good conversation over competitiveness, simple government over a complicated bureaucracy. We are in trouble as a community because the newcomer culture is better at playing the game to win while the oldest families and rural people are just numb with all the noise of suburbia coming to Salida. And they are ridiculed because they don’t applaud the noise.

We should slow down, relax, respect eachother, and applaud the families who put up with all the hubbub year after year. Instead, I have heard over and over “if you don’t like it go somewhere else” from people who have been here a short time. IF you haven’t been here for at least 25 yrs, you’re still kinda new, OK? We should always K.I.S.S., and this means all of us.

Thanks

Mike

The much shortened version of the story goes something like this: When Jimmy was nine years old, his ex-stepdad, whom he lived with for about a year, dropped him off at social services because his mom wouldn’t give the ex- stepdad the $98 she was receiving in child support.

When Jimmy was 11 and his belongings stuffed into a black garbage bag, his mom dropped him off at a group home for juvenile delinquents where he was beaten. Eventually, Jimmy’s mom took him back from the group home only to see him beaten by her boyfriend.

Jimmy described this period of his life as having “no hope, love or future.” This was Jimmy’s reality.

Enter Becky Vinson. At the time Becky met Jimmy she was a single mom of a five year old and going through nursing school. Becky didn’t have much. She was short on money and spare time. In fact, Jimmy described Becky’s home as a “tin can”. What Becky lacked in resources she more than made up for in compassion. Through a series of interactions, Becky became aware of Jimmy’s situation and later brought him into her home to live with her tiny family.

The Jimmy in this real life story is none other than the tight end of the New Orleans Saints, Jimmy Graham. Jimmy will be playing in his third Pro bowl on January 25. So how exactly does one go from a life of abandonment and failing grades to the life of a college graduate with a double major and a professional athlete? The only explanation I can offer is that Becky injected Jimmy’s life with hope, love, and a hope for his future. Becky’s consistent presence in Jimmy’s life allowed him to flourish.

Not all mentoring relationships have the same rags to riches result as in the case of Jimmy Graham. In fact, I’m not aware of any Chaffee County mentees making it to elite athlete status. However, all healthy mentoring relationships do provide the crucial elements of hope, love and consistency. The transformative power that comes from this type of relationship has the ability to set a young person on a new life trajectory.

As we, Chaffee County Mentors, celebrate National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the lives that have been positively impacted through mentoring relationships right here in our county. We look forward in anticipation to the stories that will surely come from these relationships in the year ahead.
To learn more about the Chaffee County Mentors Program, you can visit our website at http://chaffeementors.org or give us a call at 719-530-2581.

Kenny Wilcox
Chaffee County Mentors and Youth In Action Coordinator
719-530-2581
kwilcox@chaffeecounty.org

“Chaffee County Mentors Program is committed to strengthening our community by connecting our young people to purpose and self-worth through positive one on one mentoring relationships.”

Like my parents in the upper midwest so long ago, I take a few runs, then sit in the lodge, then go back out for a few more runs. It's not like this all season of course. In the heart of winter, if we are healthy, locals will assault the mountain on the deepest days and be back to work by noon. We will sneak back to town to exchange knowing looks at the bank. We will work a little harder, stay up a little later.

But, this is the holidays when our families expect an all day outing. They want a beer and maybe some nachos, and we locals get to be on a ski vacation. In February we can ski for three straight hours in waist deep snow, but inexplicably we cannot last all day on hardpack.

See, our families are invested in a mindset that demands an all day event, despite the snow conditions. In fact, they will go all day for multiple days. They must compress a whole winter of skiing and riding into a few magical days—and we understand. We get it. This approach defines the Colorado winter vacation for many of our families, and it's why we live here. Those decadent family ski vacations of our youth took place at a time when our middle class parents could go to Aspen or Vail with their families in a station wagon.

We are spoiled and we know it, so we indulge in our families desire to be at the ski area for first chair when there is little snow. We understand, and we are also happy to take a long lunch. But, on some glorious years, like this one, we get to play in powder before Christmas. We are in the snow, at the mountain ready to play just like our brother in law. So, when the snow is great before Christmas, the whole experience engulfs us; A new season, family in town, time off work, kids out of school and powder. This freedom is why we left our homes in the East and midwest to come to the west. The best part of our childhoods are captured on these days.

We know the winter is young. So, we embrace the social event that is skiing. Our visiting siblings clomp about in sweaters and dark blue bibs—their happiness making them oblivious to their dehydration, while packs of kids pour in and out of the lodge; nephews, nieces, and friends from the valley.

We know the world needs our time and our energy, and we give it. The relative complications of the world make the experience richer. We try to be better people, down below this mountain. But, that is later. Today, in this place we are present.

Then, we are back on the lift.

...where we hear music playing through the woods, like the night skiing in Michigan, or Vermont, or maybe North Carolina. We ride the lift, silently, as a fox walks across a slope and disappears. We look at our track from the previous run. Then, four tiny skiers come over the rise, talking as they slay the slope with wide stances and hand me down ski clothes.

Later, we see everyone at Safeway or Scanga. We hug their visiting parents. We smile because we appreciate our good fortune. Around here, the week before Christmas is special because it embodies our community as well as our family. For some, a ski lodge brings into focus that idyllic carefree sparkle that drew us to the west , and to this life, so many years ago.