Elreeve Danway For Coach

Well, I guess it's time. Shanahan is a great coach, in my opinion, but I think he was wearing too many hats. Trying to be everything is just too much to take on these days. I'm a little surprised by the news but not disappointed. I believe it's time for a change after 14 years and hopefully everyone will end up better off. Now comes the speculation of who comes next and what changes will be made. This is when the blob gets fun! You can all leave comments here and have a good time. I think Bowlen should hire Elreeve Danway. He was always ready for a party and this way they could still blame Dan Reeves and get over Elway! I'd hire Sean as GM(he knows a thing or two about zoos), Barky Lew as special teams coach(after all that time spent in the bathroom having a special time), Rob as offensive co-coordinator(always on the offensive..ladies)and Jack 'The Hammer' as defensive coach(he'll bite your nose off Jim!!) Let me know who you think would get us back to the future.

Riding In A Two Horse Sleigh

Last night was the annual sleigh ride. I've been doing this for almost 20 years. We gather together a group of friends who are willing to bundle up and ride in the back of an 'open sleigh'(is there any other kind?) and sing Christmas carols while I freeze my fingers off trying to accompany on guitar. Wes Haus from Winding River Resort does these sleigh rides every Christmas season and it always makes for a good time despite the cold. Years ago he used to trailer the horses down to Grand Lake but it got to be kind of hard on them so now he does the rides at the resort which is just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. He supplies blankets and a nice fire and hot chocolate at the end. Of course our gang usually brings along a little schnapps to pass around and keep the chill away! I sometimes dread this, especially when it's below zero and the wind is blowing. Last night, however, was not too cold, everyone had a great time and I still have all my fingers.

Christmas With Alice

Alice is a piece of work....art work, that is. Ronda Eden sculpted Alice out of paper mache and burlap and was featured in her art gallery at Caroline's Cuisine years ago. I really liked Alice and wanted to purchase her as soon as I layed eyes on her incredible hump! Ronnie said she would only part with Alice on one condition(besides the purchase price). That I would have to take Alice out on the town every now and then. Tonight seemed like the perfect time to let the old girl out of the barn and party a bit.

We started off at Caroline's, of course, and soon made our way up to Peggy & Ken's beautiful home to visit with Ken and Marty Lund for a great visit and chat about Ireland, Peggy's new CD and the Foot Foot Song.

I loved spending Christmas Eve with good friends and my dromedary friend. I thought I was going to work tonight but as things turned out....all was calm, all was bright

Alice, Jeanine and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

AND NO CAMEL TOE JOKES ...please

Christmas Eve In Old GL

This picture was taken today about 2:00pm. As you can see, it's a 'Winter Wonderland' here in old Grand Lake. Sunny today but snow is expected for Christmas Day. We're pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas up here at 8369' and this year is no exception. So much for the weather report. I just want to wish all you blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and Happy New Year!!!

Who's Kilban?

OK, here's the little bit I remember about this cartoonist. When I first moved to Colorado Springs to start the "sixties revival" .... (Byrds wanna be) band 'Phantom Hooters' with Sean, I moved into the apartment above "Barky Lew" and "Peach". I don't even want to get started about stories of those days....it would be a book the size of "War and Peace" but we really don't want to go there...do we?
Any who... Sean and Rob had a book of cartoons much like Gary Larson of 'Far Side' fame by a guy named B. Kilban. His big thing was cats but this guy had this "other side" that we could really appreciate. The cartoon in my previous blog was titled "fat man sitting on the presidents face" and there was another of my favorites titled "sedan fading for a cone" that I tried to find on this incredible Internet thing (thanks, Al Gore... just kidding) but happened upon the one I posted.
Well, enough of that ... anyone who appreciates good humor and cartoons should check out Kilban's work. Click on this...
http://www.eatmousies.com/home.html

Trivia

Name the author and title of this cartoon and was it ever featured on Rob or Sean's refrigerator?

Best Wishes 'Denver George'

I have always been a huge Poco fan and have everything they've ever recorded. I have seen them on numerous occasions and still play a few of their songs when my voice is working. I remember a Denver band named 'Benzy Crik' who played at a high school dance and they had a guy on peddle steel guitar(Rusty Young) and a guy playing these "pancake drums"(George Grantham)! I didn't know at the time that they would later be members of the band I grew to love and idolize(POCO). Their first album was called "Pick Up The Pieces" and "Denver George" sang even higher than Richy Furay or Randy Meisener!!!! I'm sure some of you out there in 'cyber space' remember that band that gave birth to 'country rock' and have some comments to leave. My thoughts and prayers for George! Sean asked me to pass this on to you bloggers...

November 20th was the 61st birthday of drummer George Grantham. It's also his fourth birthday as a stroke survivor.Grantham has spent most of his career with Poco; however, during the 80s he toured as a member of Ricky Skaggs' band. His home, however, was always with the legendary country-rock band (a group that would never get country airplay today for being far Too Country), and when they reunited in 1989 for the album Legacy he gladly rejoined the original line-up of Jim Messina, Richie Furay, Rusty Young, and Randy Meisner.Poco has always maintained a loyal following that has stuck with them through the personnel changes, Eagles stealing their bass players, and temporary disbandings. This fan base continued to enjoy their live performances throughout the 90s into the new century.On July 29, 2004, Poco played in Springfield, Massachusetts. As they began the second song of their set, "Call It Love" (their "comeback" hit from 1989), Grantham missed the beat. Rusty Young said he turned around and saw Grantham playing the hi-hat cymbal with his right hand, but his left arm was hanging limp at his side. Grantham assured his bandmate he was okay, but Young stopped and asked if there was a doctor in the house. Grantham was taken to a hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a stroke. His left side was paralyzed.George Grantham has recovered sufficiently to have a quality life, but sadly he will never be able to return to the love of his life, playing drums for Poco. In addition, Grantham's disability has put a financial strain on his family, with (according to a 2006 entry at Poco's web site) $1,000 a month in expenses over and above what insurance covers resulting from the ongoing care that Grantham requires."There's just a little magic in the country music we're playing," Poco sang on their first album from 1968. With the band preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary, that lyric is as true as ever. As George Grantham turns 60, here's hoping the "little bit of magic" of Poco's music, the magic that has brought smiles to countless fans for the past 40 years, will in turn bring a smile to his face as well.Prayers are always welcome for George Grantham. Well wishes and financial donations to help with the cost of Grantham's medical expenses can be sent to:George GranthamP.O. Box 128523Nashville, TN 37212

Brian Lives!!!!

I can't really find the words to tell you all how much it means to me to get to see and play music with the friends that I don't have the chance to visit with much anymore. Barky Lew's birthday bash gives me the opportunity to do just that. Trying to hit that 'HI' note on "Sloop John B" with Foster cracking up to my right as I failed miserably reminds me of all the times we all played on stage somewhere and if the crowd was into it or not, it didn't really matter as long as 'the band' was having a good time! The audience might see Joe, Lewis, Rob or Sean saying something in my ear and not realizing that they're not telling me what key change is coming up or how to end the song.....no, most of the time they were telling me some joke that will totally throw me off my concentration, leaving me to try and remember the lyrics to the next verse without laughing out loud over the mic. Lewis and I got a chance to reminisce a little the other night and we were thinking of the days Mountain Flyer played at the 'Little Bear' in Grand Lake with Tom (Brian and The Tumors) and how wild and crazy that was! Great memories! There are alot of stories we could tell (John Sebastian) and if it all blows up and goes to hell. I wish we could sit on some old 'Blue Bunny Slope' couch or some hotel, and listen to the stories it could tell. You bloggers know more stories than would dare to tell, but go ahead and be anonymous.

Thanks Barky for keeping those good times alive!

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving....

Well, I lived through another one. Barky's birthday bash, that is. Every year since 1979, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving ( a few still don't understand why it's always on a Wednesday, you know who you are...but then again, maybe not!) None the less, a great group of old friends still gather together every year in Colorado Springs to celebrate the day Barky Lew got his name. It all started at the Hungry Farmer and even after it closed, the party is open for business and perhaps a bit of fun! But, I've got to tell you...after 29 years, we celebrate more in the fact that we are all still alive and healthy! I see smiles everywhere and a lot of grey hair, but I get to share hugs and stories with people I love but don't get to see very often, and (most of all for me), get to play music together with... my "old buds".
Sean, Rob, Lewis, Joe, Steve, Lee, Dave and Dave....everybody sounded great and it was wonderful to see and listen to all of those old farts and their music!
I hope everyone had as much fun as I did and I look forward to next year (but never trust a party over 30!!!) I had such a good time playing music that I forgot to take any pictures for "The Blob". I was asking Sean if he remembered the time we dressed up as pilgrims for the party and he did, but wasn't sure if he had any pics and which one of us was dressed up as what?
So....this is the best picture I can come up with? Maybe Dicky Stew (Barky Lew's 'faithful retainer') has one. And to quote 'Stew'....."I swear, I haven't been able to enjoy a 'Thanksgiving Dinner' for 29 years!"

Rock Man

This is my 'Rock Man'! If you've ever seen Harry Nillson's "The Point" then you know the wisdom of those 'stoned folks'. This guy resides about a mile and a half up the East Inlet trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. I always stop and visit on my way up to the second meadow and soak in the good vibes from the cat that just sits there soakin' it all in...soo cool! Check out the attachment here and discover a philosophy that one can dig. After all, you don't have to possess a point...to have a point!
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIC,HPIC:2006-04,HPIC:en&q=the+point+rockman

Barky Lew's 29th Birthday Is Approaching

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to jump in the 'Wayback Machine' and head for Colorado Springs for Barky Lew's Birthday Bash. This year it will be at McCabes on S. Tejon and once again looks to be another good time. Sean, Rob, Steve Foster, Joe, Lewis and myself for sure. Maybe Allan Blackwell on drums and hopefully Cynda can make it again this year. I'm looking forward to seeing the 'old gang' and pickin' a few songs together. Hope to see some of you there. It's hard to believe it's been 29 years! That means next year is 30 and I think it was John Lennon who said, "never trust any party over 30".

One Foot At A Time

Getting back to work on the Foot, Foot project. Ronnie Roo's working hard on new illustrations and I'm getting the recording of the song and the narration together. If you don't know what I'm talking about here, I had an idea (or a brain fart) to do a children's book based on the old 'Foot, Foot Song' by Ray Bolger. My parents gave it to us kids one year with a phonograph and the song slept in my head somewhere until some drunken night in Colorado Springs when I decided to resurrect it with our old band, 'The Phantom Hooters'. Sean and I would do the rabbits with our hands while we sang the song and then one night someone (was it Ralph Routen's wife?) made us three rabbit hand puppets and the act became semi-famous! I did it for the Gong Show at Squeaky Bob's once and didn't even get gonged because Dicky Stew(a judge) said he was a sucker for animal acts.

The hand puppets had little neck ties that were eventually cut off when we were playing at the Trail Dust Steak House. Anyway, thanks to Ronnie's help, my idea for a book, CD and DVD are starting to come together. If we ever get it published, I hope you blob readers will be interested in getting a copy. Also, if anybody knows any publishers out there(hint...hint), let me know.

PS. If you want to see more on this...go to Ronnie's blog(located in my links, roodroppings) and look at the April archives.

There's one foot and foot, foot and a brother they call foot, foot, foot.....

On A Sad Note

Our friend Blaine Albertson lost his battle with cancer yesterday. I couldn't find a picture of Blaine, just a picture of a sign I made for him when he had his counseling business in Granby. Blaine was quite a guy. He had lost both his arms in a farm accident when he was young but that never stopped him. He was an Olympic skier with the disabled team, played pool(with his feet), bowled with a special bowling ball that had a retractable handle that he could throw with his hook and he even played a little golf. He never quit and I'm sure he battled to the end. A great lesson for all of us. I remember a few Christmas parties at Blaine and Nora's at their house in Columbine Lake and of course B.J.(Hershel), the Ethiopian horse. If anyone has any particular memories of Blaine, please share them with us here on the blob.

PS. I usually don't edit my blog after it's been posted but this an exception. Nora sent me a few pictures that I wanted to share with you. Remember that smile!

Happy Birthday Stephen

Tomorrow, November 14th is Stephen Bishop's birthday. He was born the same year as me...1951. He is one of my favorite singer-songwriters(especially the early stuff before he did the movie songs that probably made him a fortune). Haven't heard anything from him lately but I came across this picture and couldn't help but put it out there for you bloggers. I think he looks rather 'festive' but I can't help but wonder if those pants are real polyester? Anyway, happy birthday Steve. Can I borrow that outfit for "Louie Heckert Night"? I could go 'On and On' but I just wanted to give you all something new to comment on. Ooh and how 'bout that guitar?

Winter Returns To The High Country

Winter has returned to the Never Summer Mountains. I don't think I've seen the sun for over a week now. Oh well, as Chris Lapp from "Jeremiah Johnson" would say..." winter stays long this high". Some ski areas are open but there's not enough here yet to get out the 'skinny skis' and do some cross country skiing. I must say we had a beautiful Indian Summer and that was a treat. Now it's time for me to get back to work on a couple projects that I just couldn't quite get into doing when the weather outside was sunny and nice. I don't mind the snow but I do hope we see more sunshine in between storms than we did last winter.

Thanks!!

Thank You Veterans!!

Gong Show 2008

I think the 2008 Gong Show was a great success! It raised over $4,000.00 to help out our good friend Jerry Warner and a good time was had by all. I especially liked the addition of Vanna 'The Bod' and her wheel. Some of the hit acts were "Heidi"(Jeanine) playing 'Stairwell to Heaven' on the accordion, a girl who put nails up her nose, the 'Pine Beatles', and the "Popsicle Girls" sucking erotically on their frozen treats!

The only problem I see is that after the success of this years show they may want to do another one.

Gong Show Lives

Just when you thought it was safe, something comes along and bites you in the ass. I thought the days of the Gong Show were long gone but history is trying to repeat itself and once again someone has decided to resurrect the old Gong Show this Sunday. Just because the Broncos are off doesn't mean we have to go hop in Mr. Peabody's "Way Back" machine does it? Well I guess it does. It's for a good cause....to help our friend Jerry Warner out with a fundraiser of sorts but now I'm forced to come up with an act. How could I possibly top some the acts I did at Squeaky Bob's in the 70's and 80's! There were such memorable skits like the ventriloquist with a speak and spell(stolen from Howie Mandell), the duet with me playing my nose, Bibus playing the 'singing saw' and Chuck Schmuck on the "washtub bass", the 'Lumberjack Song' with Barky and Fetch, "Nursie" Young and her dancing Yankee Doodle Dandy, and the only one I didn't get gonged for..... the Foot, Foot Song with the rabbit hand puppets.
Maybe somebody(Stew) can remember some of the other unforgettable acts. Well, I guess it's time to dust off the old "Comodaphone" and see what I can come up with. On with the show, this is it!

Don't Forget To Vote

Beach Bum

It's always nice to find a deserted beach, even if it's on Grand Lake. In the summer this beach area is teeming with tourists, kids and dogs. Today there's not a soul around, not even Barky's friends, the geese. The weather here has been gorgeous and there's no better time to go down to the lake and just sit in the sun and kick back. The only thing missing was a Pina Colada and a few bikini clad sun bathers. I have a feeling the next beach I'm on will include those necessary items a beach bum requires.

Refer Maddness

I don't know how many people use their refrigerator door as collage of photos, news clippings, etc. Even the refrigerator magnets themselves can be from travels to football schedules to a singing frog. I've got a leaf from Tobago, a beer label from Panama and even a 'GO SLOW' bumper sticker from Belize. I think it all started in college. Steve and Jan Scott had their 'ice box' covered with pictures and postcards and I would spend time to check out their collection, after getting a beer from inside first, of course. Mine is mostly photos of friends, some of which are no longer with us but seeing them everyday there on the 'fridge' always makes me smile.

This might be a good chance for you bloggers to chime in and share some of what's on your refrigerator door. Maybe you have a collection of sorts also or just a dirty kitchen towel and the name of your appliance(so to speak). Leave a comment!

GO RAYS!!

The world series starts tonight. We all remember last year and how the Red Sox swept our Rockies in their first ever world series bid. This year the Tampa Bay Rays are in for the first time vs. the Phillies and I'm throwing my hopes in for the Rays. Our 'little buddy', D.W. is a Rays fan and even got a Ray-Mohawk haircut and dyed it blue...that's a fan! I have nothing against the Phillies but it's good to see new blood in America's great past time. I've snorkled in waters with mantas and even sting-rays but can't quite get a handle on what the Philly Fanatic green thing is all about. GO RAYS!!! (Dubs, I hope you get to shave your head!)

Have A Nice Day

It's a pretty nice morning here at 8369. The sun is peaking out through the clouds and temp is above freezing. The weather forecast is for snow tonight but it doesn't look like it right now. We had a little rain yesterday so scenes like this one are still just a short hike away. There's not much going on this time of year and that's quite alright with me. Guess I'll just enjoy the day and hope you all do the same.

Good Morning

Howdy there blog readers. This is Jax from Grassy Key, FL where the sun is up and the weather is fine and good for a morning swim. In Grand Lake, CO it's dark and 32f and Corm is wondering why he is up this early. Not for an early morning swim in the lake, that's for sure. So I guess I'll go find some fish to eat and let him finish his Cherrios and go back to bed. GO BRONCOS!!
I am awake now and the Broncos suck!!...GO DOLPHINS!!!!

Holding On To The Sun

Winter's just around the corner. We had the third snow up high a couple days back and even had snow on the ground here at 8,369. That means the snow and cold will be around now until next May or June. There are times when the snow is welcome and, of course we always have a white Christmas. The skiing and snowmobiling are great winter activities and good for our local economy. The thing I never seem to get used to about this time of year, however, is the lack of sunshine. The days are growing shorter and won't start getting longer again until December 21st. At least daylight savings time is a couple weeks longer this year and there's always the option of heading south. So I'm just gonna hang on to the sun as long as I can. Viva la Sol!

Helping Friends Through Music

I play for quite a few fundraisers over the course of a year and I'm always happy to help whenever I can. This last Saturday I got together with fellow musicians, Peggy Mann, Brad Pregeant, Larry Bishop, Larry Bacon and Ken Lund. We held a concert in the community house in Grand Lake to raise money to help our friends, the Peterson-Maki family whose son was paralysed from a car crash earlier this summer. I think it raised around $10,000 from the generous folks here in Grand County to help the family. Every one had a great time, especially the musicians as we all did a set at the end together. It was a real treat and sounded terrific. Thanks to everybody who donated their time and money to help Zack, Jim and Suzi

Achieving A Goal

I gave another check to the Grand County Library District for their Breast Cancer Resources today. This made the goal I had set months ago to try and raise $3,000.00 to buy books, DVDs and other resources related to breast cancer. I'd like to thank everyone who bought a CD or T-shirt to help this worthy cause. It's probably fitting that it took until now to reach the goal because October is breast cancer awareness month. Pictured above with myself is librarian Marlene Leiser and cutting the ribbon is the mayor of Granby, Jynnifer Piero. There are many books already on the shelves of all the libraries in the district and more on the way. I'd like to personally thank Penny Hamilton, Stephanie Ralph, Jeanine Elsener, Toni Harless, Bob Rinker and Kathy Whitman for all their help with the Ribbons Of Hope Campaign. Mission Accomplished!!

Foot Loose on the Fancy Free

I got my first sailing experience on Lake Granby today thanks to Pat Gill and his lovely lady Deaire. Jeanine, Michelle Kennedy and I were invited to an afternoon on the water before the snow flies and the deer turn to elk. I've had the pleasure of sailing Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Reservoir before on an E-Scow with the likes of Dan 'Sluggo' Schneller, Paul Harrington, Jason Sutherland and some other great skippers of the high lakes but this was not a race atmosphere, just a wonderful day sailing with friends on the unpredictable winds of Lake Granby. Our hosts treated us like stars and the weather was sunny and windy and perfect for an afternoon without motors and gasoline fumes. Just the cool autumn breeze and a gust now and then to wake you up from the warmth of the sun on your smiling face. We were truly 'Dancing with the Wind', as the songs goes, and I might have the urge to write another song about the joy of friends sharing a memorable time on the waters 6'000 ft. above sea level. I wonder what Jimmy Buffett would say...Hey, Hey, Gardner McKay!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Thanks to all the hard work put in by these wonderful ladies, Team Grand Lake's contributions to the Denver-Komen Race for the Cure was a great success! There were more people who registered(over 440) and with the auction and the Saturday Crawl there should be even more money raised than last year. Estimates say maybe $24,000 all together. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this year the best ever!!

Auctioneer Extrodinare

Ed Peterson and his lovely wife Sharon have been helping out with community events here in Grand Lake for a long time. Whenever there's a fundraiser, they are always there to help out. Some years back, Ed got talked into being the auctioneer at some event(probably the Christmas project) and although he'd never done it before, he's turned into the regular auctioneer for every fundraiser that comes along.
After the race, they hold an auction to raise even more money to be donated to the Komen- Denver race fund. Ed and Sharon will be on hand to run the auction and help keep the spirit of the morning going on into the afternoon. I wonder what I'll buy this year?

Come One, Come All

Quite a few folks bring their dogs, kids and even strollers to the race. Pictured here is Dave Messinger who did a great video on the race last year. You can click on Grand County Dave under related sites here and check out last years race and other Grand Lake events.

Race Info

Don't forget, the race is Sunday at 10 am and the start and finish are at Pancho & Lefty's. You can still register the morning of the race starting at 9:00 at Pancho's. If you're already registered, you can pick up your packet there Sunday morning or before then at Century 21 located at the Waconda.

Looking Forward To The Invasion

One of the best things about this coming weekend is seeing the annual visit of friends who journey from far and near to catch the spirit and excitement that comes from being a part of this race for the cure. Some will be staying with us in the house as well as the tipi and we can't wait for the chance to enjoy each others company again. I wish we could do this kind of thing more than just once a year but we all know about that sort of thing. The same can be said for holidays and family reunions or any reunion for that matter. I don't get to go to many because of work and the logistics and all, and everyone goes through the same frustration at times.
But this has become a reunion for sure, and definitely one I look forward to every year. We are making certain the 'cosmic' tipi is ready for visitors!
Beam me up Scotty!

There's Always Room For Jello!

There's a water station about half way through the 5k walk/run course at the Grand Lake race for the cure. The volunteers every year have been myself, Dave, Mike and Bill (pictured here). Ah, but this isn't your typical water station....remember this is Grand Lake. Along with bottled water, there's also a selection of jello shots! They are very popular, especially with the walkers and stragglers, and they even come in unleaded for the kids.
Remember...the race is this Sunday(Oct.5) and the forecast is for a beautiful day!!

Get Ready, Get Set....

The Race for the Cure is this coming Sunday. Some people participate in Denver with thousands of others and are inspired by the incredible number of people who join in to help this great cause. Here in Grand Lake we also have a 5k run-walk that is affiliated with the Denver Komen Race but in our own smaller version. Last year we enjoyed the company of around 300 friends who ran, walked or strolled the course that winds it's way through our little village and were also inspired by not only the beauty of the mountains around us but also by the energy of the people here who share the dream to find a cure.
Pictured above is our great friend Terri "O'Dell-A -Witz" who was going through treatment at this time last year and sporting her beautiful baldness underneath that funky hat.
This week I will attempt to share some of the spirit that abounds here on race day on this blob. I encourage comments from people who have been here for the race or been involved somewhere else.
Anyone who wants to join in can register at http://www.komendenver.org/ Our team name is Team Grand Lake. Or you can register Sunday at Pancho & Lefty's starting at 9:00 am.

PS. The weather is expected to be sunny and fine

Strawberry Lake

I remember one of my first summers in Grand Lake there was alot of talk about a festival up at Strawberry Lake. The trail head starts off the road to Monarch Lake and heads towards the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and after a steep hike ends up in this meadow. The "festival" was not long after 'Woodstock' and rumor had it that there would be thousands of 'Hippies' invading Grand Lake, which had plenty of it's own in the late 60's and early 70's. It was really a gathering of the 'RainbowFamily of life' (whoever they are) and other than people taking showers at the car wash in Granby, I don't know if there was any kind of impact in Grand Lake despite all the talk and worries by the locals.
So anyway, it's a nice little hike and a beautiful view of Arapaho Peak awaits you. There are a couple remains of some old log cabins but not much else left by humans. No signs of tie dye's or meadows of hemp; just things the way nature intended it to be.
I'm not sure of what my point is here, except to say that, in time mother nature will handle things and eventually the pine beetles will be gone and new trees will grow where the dead ones stand now and life will continue to grow and flourish as always.
And I hope there will always be hippies!

I've got ripplin' waters to wake me(Thanks Ibby). So many of the songs I love to sing are about the mountains and streams and vistas of this wonderful place I get to call home. I've written a few of my own but I love to sing songs by artists that 'get it'! There are way too many to recall but I will try and name some of my favorites and if you get the chance to tap into their music, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do.

Everyone knows John Denver's songs(of course) and I love 'em too but here's some others I like that you can probably Google or you tube to hear some other great rocky mountain tunes.

Jim Salestrom; Jimmy Ibbotson; Chuck Pyle; Michael Murphey; John Daily; Bob Turner...there are soooo many(help me out here Sean and Dicky Stew and Rob) and of course our own such as Peggy Mann; Arnie Green; Jon Cook; Larry Bishop; Bart 'The Artist'; Oly and Brad and Lynnea.

I know I've left out a whole bunch, so maybe some of you can leave a comment as to some of your favorite Colorado musicians and song writers to refresh my memory and give some insight to my blob readers as to who to look for..

OK, here's another...Rick Roberts' "Hey, Colorado", Merle Haggard's Colorado etc. etc. etc....

post script... so I go to bed, thinking I've got a good idea for a blog about Colorado music and then realize that I left out the best one of all...."Good Feelin' To Know" by Richie Furay and Poco...so I had to get out of bed and edit my blob or I would never go to sleep..................

More Indian Summer

It's still absolutely gorgeous here in the 'high country'! The colors are really coming out now and I believe this weekend will be the best to view the aspen. The days have been warm and sunny and the nights cool and the milky way is not just a candy bar up here in the thin air of the Rockies.
In local news...the town of Grand Lake finally has a mayor, Judy Burke won over Glenn Harrington yesterday after the spring election was declared a FUBAR. There have been lots of critters around. Today I saw a golden eagle, coyote, deer, fox, bluebirds and I hear there's one big moose up near Columbine Lake that's as large your Alaskan variety!
It'll be snowing before you know it, so enjoy Indian Summer while it lasts.

Aaahtumn, when the pine trees turn brown and the skies are blue. No, wait; aren't the aspen supposed to turn to colors of gold, red and yellow against the green needles of the lodge pole and spruce against a magnificent Colorado sky? Well, the aspen are doing their part and showing off their 'Fall Line'! But thanks to the beetles( not J.P.G.&R.) but the mountain pine variety, we now have a new backdrop to God's palette here in the Rockies....'BROWN!' I guess we'll just have to get used to the new look of 'Indian Summer'.

No worries though, it's still the best time of year in the high country and the weather has been co-operating very nicely, thank you. Most of the osprey are gone and the hummingbirds are probably in Central America by now but the elk are whistling, the moose are getting nastier than ever and fox, porcupine, squirrels and raccoons can be seen everywhere.(sometimes as 'road kill')

A sure sign Winter is on the way was always when the boys at the bar started tipping their hats to the ladies and buying drinks for them in hopes of companionship through the long, cold winter nights ahead and when a pair of long-johns, and a guitar by the fireplace just weren't quite enough company!(times haven't changed too much)

The Equinox is upon us, "so rut 'em Joe, I've got a little something, you otta know"....

Hey, I Can See My House From Here

The weather here in good old Grand Lake has been absolutely fantastic the last few days. There is definitely a hint of Fall in the air. The mornings are a little frosty and a little fog rises off the mirror-still lakes as they start to cool off from the cold nights. Only the ripples from a few trout rising break the calm surface of the water. Afternoons are warm and sunny with only a cloud or two floating in the clear Colorado skies.

This picture was taken from Apiatan Mountain which is just off the Stillwater Road and not far from my house. It's a short climb to the top and from there are views of the Porfery Peaks, Cascade Mountain and Gravel Mountain. To the east you can see Lake Granby and somewhere in this picture you can almost see my place. The tipi is still up and ready for visitors. I know we'll have some on the first weekend of October. The race for the cure is Sunday, Oct. 5th and we're expecting friends from the flat lands to be here then. I hope the weather stays as wonderful as it is today. You just can't beat Indian Summer in the Rockies!

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, No It's......

Captain Bronco!!!
Fearless leader of the Bronco nation in a never ending campaign to return to and win another Super Bowl. Now that the scumbag Raiders are out of the way it's time to return to those great days of yest-er-year when our hero led us to back-to-back Super Bowl wins. And you thought it was John Elway....wrong cheese head! This picture must have been taken before half time because the can of green beans is still right side up. Remember Barky's Bronco death punch(I can't taste any alcohol in this), flying vodka bottles(Ray), spending most of the game in the bathroom because they scored while you were in there and you can't come out til they score again. Maybe it was spending half the game in the closet with a second grade school teacher who hadn't had any fun in fifteen years. Return with us now and leave your favorite Bronco party memory here on the blob! GO BRONCOS!!!!

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