Month: January 2017

Other than politics, which I try to avoid in these posts even though we follow events closely, it has been a ho-hum week. Here is an update from the past week on several topics.

We have decided to hold off scheduling a visit to the last Cedaredge house I mentioned in my last post; perhaps we can arrange to look at a few “potentials” in one trip instead of just driving to look at a singe place. (145 N. Grand Mesa Drive) The realtor did send us info on the cost of utilities which appear to be high: $182.00 per month (average) for electric and natural gas. That seems to indicate the place has little or no insulation, a factor to consider if we would consider remodeling such a place. So, while not eliminated, we don’t feel there is a great hurry to look this one over.

A recent ATV ride in Wild Horse Mesa yielded a couple photos; the roads are muddy due to melting snow (daytime temps once again above freezing). I spotted an “antique” oil pumping rig, now out of service, that originally ran an internal combustion engine on natural gas. The old rigs are being removed and few remain in this area.

Muddy roads on Wild Horse mesa

Natural-gas powered oil rig is now an antique

The trip was not long, a couple hours, but it was good to be out in the sunshine again!

As mentioned above, the weather has improved and we are now looking forward to a spell of  weather featuring above-average temperatures. We did have some single-digit low temps this past week, a reminder that winter is a long way from being over, but the warmer temps are welcomed by us and our critters.

And speaking of critters…here is a photo of Pam – with KitKat and Auburn Jo – sitting on our glider:

Pam with KitKat and Auburn Jo

KitKat is mellowing out; she would not let herself be petted for over a year but now likes to have Pam (but not me) pet her on occasion.

I can’t end without visiting the political events of the past week. My grandparents were immigrants who came to this country for a variety of reasons, including political ones. Religion was never an issue and, in my opinion, never should be. The US Constitution, First Amendment, reads, in part:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Mr. Trump claims his 7-country immigration ban is about keeping the US safe from terror but not one individual who has committed an act of terror in the US, going back to 9-11, originated from one of those countries. The countries where terrorists have come from, including Saudi Arabia (15 of the 9-11 hijackers had Saudi passports) are not on the list. This executive order is clearly a ban on immigration based on a specific religion.

The Constitution also includes Article 6, which reads in part:

…but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

Which further strengthens the argument that banning immigration based on religion is unconstitutional. I hope the courts, where challenges to this order will be heard, put a check on the President’s [God-like] power to issue executive orders, orders that must pass constitutional muster. This is not a given. If the courts decide the President’s power is absolute then our democracy is worthless; the idea of checks and balances in a democratic system will cease to exist and the President would be free to act as a tyrant.

Regarding the Executive Branch’s contention that the inauguration was better attended than it was, and the photos by the National Park Service verifying otherwise, I’ll close with the following graphic:

Let’s hear it for the good guys!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Geez, I look like my Aunt Angela in that photo. Time to color my hair again, I see.

Yes indeed, every day this week has been a political education. The country surely is in buyer’s remorse over the results of the last election; Executive and Congressional branches both are filled with alarming and disappointing “representatives.”  Felicity marched in the Portland Women’s March on January 21st.  She reports it rained and she was wet and cold, but the turnout was $70,000 +/- and she would do it again.

Happy Trails.

The unusual weather pattern continues. Last Sunday I was able to take my motorcycle out for the first time in 2017. Temperatures rose into the low and mid-40 degree range and most of the snow melted away. It was nice to get out on the bike – but – I knew the warmer weather would not last.

Here’s a photo of the Roan Plateau taken during this ride:

Roan Plateau, 1-15-2017

True to form, we had another snow storm this past week. I woke up Friday, January 20th, to a new white world of winter.

New snow, 1-20-17

I had already cleaned the drive and sidewalks of 3 – 4 inches of snow  before I took this shot. More snow is in the forecast for the next few days but daytime temps will be slightly above freezing; the snow should melt off (mostly) during daylight hours. (It is snowing again as I compose this post.)

You can tell the snow was heavy and wet by the way it stuck to the fence lines and tree branches.

White World of Winter

Commuting was not bad; the roads were wet but not slippery. I have taken to keeping a jug of water in the car to clean the windows before we head home as the road spray really mucks them up during the inward-bound commute. Such is life in the winter!

A new president has been sworn in; lets hope he governs better than he campaigned.

Pam has identified a new home listing that may be of interest; the address is 145 N. Grand Mesa Drive in Cedaredge. Although it is directly on main street, the lot is about an acre and there are several outbuildings that could be used as storage for my toys. The kitchen is a mess but the rest of the house looks “OK” although dated. (Green carpet?) I will be contacting the realtor to arrange a visit. More on this as we continue our house hunt.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Snow is romantic before Christmas, now it’s mainly a nuisance.

The Cedaredge house is intriguing because of it’s potential history.  As is the case with most old houses, the integrity of the original structure has been lost with multiple “updates” and additions.  I mostly regret the loss of all that lovely baseboard-and-door-surround woodwork. This particular address may have been [most recently] a real estate office.  But, plenty of outside storage for Fields.

I personally think our future lies on the Front Range, but I’m itching to “house hunt” again.

Happy Trails.

Weather has been the main focus of our activities this past week. Conditions have  been highly unusual.

The week began with an ice storm; these are rare in western Colorado. I-70 west of Grand Junction was closed to the Utah border and I-70 eastbound was closed due to truck accidents that spilled toxic diesel fuel (2,100 gallons) over both sides of the interstate. This was near Dotsero, east of Glenwood Springs.

Overturned tanker (CDOT photo)

In fact, I-70 has been closed 3 or 4 times this last week; the latest was due to avalanches that put up to 15 feet of snow into the traffic lanes.

I-70 avalanche on Vail Pass (CDOT photo)

These closure effect us as gasoline, fruit and vegetables, and other consumables are trucked into the area on an almost-daily basis. Some gas stations ran out of “regular” fuel before the tanker trucks could get in and resupply the underground tanks.

Denver International Airport was closed twice due to bad weather.

Some county roads were closed due to black ice. Black ice occurs when clear ice forms on black roadways; the ice is so clear drivers don’t realize it’s present. This leads to extremely dangerous driving conditions.

Pam arranged to work days from home during the ice storms but I had to get to the office to do my regular work. I had no near misses or close encounters, but road conditions slowed the commute. The RAV4’s all-wheel drive is a definite advantage in these conditions.

Then, in an abrupt turn, it began to rain. Temperatures warmed up into the 40s. The ice and snow melted, eventually, but not until after a layer of rain formed over the top of the ice. Thunderstorms (Loud thunder!) rolled through the area and fog formed in the river valleys.  A valley weather inversion formed, giving us colder air trapped in the valleys and warmer air at higher elevations. (The city of Vail at 10,000 feet elevation was warmer than we were at about 5,000 feet.)

Today it’s mild (above freezing) and we are surrounded with heavy fog. The weekly forecast is to return to more normal temps and drier air next week. I sure hope this is the case!

In other matters, there was fair amount of family news this past week. Daughter Felicity moved into her room in a house in the Pacific Northwest; she shares the residence with 3 other single ladies, all young. Felicity is experimenting with having a home base again.

My cousin Bill Rohland reached out to me and we had a good phone conversation, with follow-up e-mails. It was pleasant to connect with him.

One of our nieces, Lilly Polivoda, was released from the hospital shortly before the New Year after several days of treatment for an intestinal infection. Lilly is still in the recovery process from this health event. Care and transport put a lot of stress on Lilly’s mom (Pam’s sister Becky) at the holidays. Kudos to Pam’s brother Larry who was of great help to Becky during this period.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

The ice storm made it a rather rough start to 2017. Several times the dogs’ wet paws stuck to our metal entry ramp (think tongue on a frozen swing set pole from childhood). Ouch!

But, yesterday, I heard and then spotted a pair of robins.  Obviously they know something about the approaching Spring that we don’t?

(Internet artwork)

Happy Trails.

We are in a cold snap which has given the high desert the first sub-zero temperatures of the season. Last night we hit -4 degrees F. Below zero temperatures are not uncommon in western Colorado; we generally get several very cold nights each year. This is the first of the season, though, and it was still a bit of a shock to walk outside this morning. My “Nanook” hat is getting a lot of use!

I had the kerosene heater going in the garage; the cats have found they can stay nice and toasty if they sit right in front of it.

Cats Ink and Gywneth in front of garage heater

The forecast for the coming week indicates a warm-up to more seasonal temperatures with highs in the upper 30s and lows in the 20s; I hope it’s some time before we get below-zero conditions again.

We did get more snow before the cold temperatures hit. Every thing is covered in white and I used the John Deere garden tractor to plow snow this past Thursday morning and evening. (Blowing snow was more of a problem than accumulation and led to having to do a morning and evening clean-up.) Main roads are now clear but side roads are snow-packed. The warming temperatures will clear the side roads in the next several days but will lead to rather sloppy conditions until they are completely dry. These are typical conditions for the time of year.

There is not much else to report. We continue to monitor the real estate market, but there’s nothing of interest in this slow winter listing period. I am still looking for a new assistant at the Sheriff’s Office. Pam’s stack of incoming transcripts at the community college indicates an even busier year than 2016. Life goes on.

I have a few “general” photos to include; on these cold days, both the cats and dogs look for pockets of sunlight to soak up the warmth.

Senior dog Blondie in a patch of sunlight

Sunny and Cirrus enjoy a spot of sunshine

(Note: These photos were taken with my phone and not my regular camera. I’m not as familiar with the camera phone and the photos are not the best quality but they are what I have for this post.)

Since the Broncos are not in the playoffs this year, Go Packers! Along those same lines, congratulations to the Wisconsin Badgers for their Cotton Bowl win.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Two more months, I tell myself, two more months before warmer temps (the dogs and outdoor cats would certainly appreciate it).  Unlike my Midwest childhood days  — when the “gray snow” and wind chill lasted well into April — I can expect periods of springlike weather by the end of February in the high desert. Some compensation for fairly frequent 100-degree temps in the summer…

Since the retirement house hunt has slowed wa-a-a-ay down at present, I am refreshing rugs, chairs, and misc. household items in preparation for an eventual move to “somewhere.”  Wish we were getting on with it.  Additionally, I’m practicing my meditation skills (New Year’s resolution) after listening to the presidential transition news.

Happy Trails.

A new year has begun. Let’s hope it will be a better year than 2016, although given the political situation that seems unlikely. We have pretty low expectations.

Christmas was celebrated in our typical low-key style, at home with a good meal and gifts. Here are a few Christmas photos:

Pam opening Christmas gifts

Jerry with his new  “Nanook of the North” cap

The week following Christmas we packed up the [indoor and outdoor] decorations and stored them for another year. Weather conditions cooperated, with a warm snap that made taking down the outside lights less of a chore than normal. In fact it was so warm, I hand-washed the cars on December 31st!

Having done a bit of shopping before New Year’s Eve, we settled down with a few new bottles of wine to enjoy the evening and watched the fireworks display put on by the town. Here is a 41 second clip of the finale:

Tomorrow we’ll watch the Tournament of Roses parade (what’s with that, not on New Year’s Day), but today we’ll catch some of the football games and generally take it easy. Pam has been on winter break from the community college for the last week while I have a four day weekend off; neither one of us is anxious to go back to work on Tuesday but life goes on (or at least life’s bills).

Generally the weather has been mild, but Winter may come roaring back this coming week. A chance of snow is in the forecast for the next several days and high temperatures will not be getting above freezing a few of those days. It’s an odd situation; mild here (for the date) but above-average snowpack in the high country. All OK with us!

I’ve added our New Year’s electronic card to my E-card library; here is a link to the 2017 card. We hope everyone has as happy a New Year as possible.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

The new year: Let’s see — I feel as if this is the Spring semester of my senior year in high school, when I remember repeating to myself, “Let’s get on with it.”  That’s how I feel about this coming year, and life, and the retirement house purchase, and generally planning for retirement in 2017.  “Let’s get on with it.”

Happy Trails.