The bears have been very active

 

Southeastern Wyoming

A sure sign of the approaching winter is the increased bear activity.  Almost everyone in Sunshine has see at least one bear, some have seen two or three.  They sure are beautiful, and very graceful for their size.  While Milo and I were on our walk last evening, our neighbor, Julie had a bear story for us.  I'm kind of wishing winter would arrive and the bears would settle in for their long winter nap.  That will come soon enough though. As for now, we have been enjoying a beautiful Indian summer.

The annual Sunshine Community Fest went well.  For the first time, it was held somewhere other than the old firehouse (which burnt down..save the jokes, we've heard them all).  The new firehouse served as a great setting for the dinner and auction.  It's great to see the neighbors and often there is a surprise.  This year the surprise was seeing our neighbor, Brian.  He has spent the last two years in Africa serving in the Peace Corps. The turnout was somewhat dampened by the Great American Beerfest.  A lot of the big spenders went to the beerfest and passed on the auction.  We'll see that doesn't happen again next year.

I just finished reading Kates post and have been inspired.  I love looking at pictures of places I want to visit and have not yet had a chance.  Scotland is one of those places.   

I have been thinking about doing a short travel series about my home state of Wyoming.  As Kate has shared her home with us, I would like to share my corner of the world with you.   I'll bet very few of you have ever met anyone born there.  Of course, you know me!!!!  There are some amazing, beautiful places in the state (and I'm not talking about Wamsutter..inside joke).  I have some of my fathers pictures taken just after he returned from Korea and I'll try to share them.  I also have a connection with the old west and the last person hung in Wyoming.  It's a story about chasing Indians, cattle rustling, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, and if I keep going, I'll give it all away. So anyway, here's a picture of some of my friends.  I was hesitant about posting the picture.  My old girlfriend may demand equal time and I don't have any pictures of sheep.

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Evening walk

 

Everyday of the week, early in the morning, Milo and I take our morning walk. I raise the American flag.  I have never mentioned that I also take an evening walk and lower the flag.  This evening Milo and I took our walk, as we have for the last year and a half.  I told myself that I was not going to write another bear story but I just can't keep this one to myself.  I usually keep Milo on a lease.  He loves to run and romp, chase imaginary bunnies and sniff every thing he can find.  Tonight I let him run, and run he did.  As we passed Tony's house I noticed movement in the woods above the road.  I looked and saw a black bear moving uphill, away from us.  Milo followed his natural tendencies and started after the bear.  The bear took off on a run, up hill.  I called and called for Milo to come back.  I knew the bear could kill Milo with one swipe of his paw.  Fortunately, Milo quit chasing the bear and returned to me.  Unfortunately, the bear, still in flight, also turned and started down the hill.  As I reached for Milo's collar and clipped the lease on him, I looked up.  There was the bear, stopped dead in his tracks staring at me.  I thought to myself, "this is not a good thing".  The bear turned and moved down hill, away from us.  Milo and I started home, I needed to change my underwear.

The craft fair at the school house went very well.  There were shoppers there on both Saturday and Sunday.  There was pottery, paintings, blown glass, jewelry, Christmas decorations and much, much more. 

Our neighbor, Paul, is the Director of the American HomeBrewers Association .  Paul's organization puts on the Beer Fest every year.  It is a national event, with beers from all over the country.  This year 380 breweries and 1,669 beers will be there.  Many Sunshine residents will be attending the annual Beer Fest at the Denver Convention Center.  It will be held on Saturday.

The Sunshine Community will be held on Saturday, September 30th, 2:00PM to 6:00PM at the fire station.  There will be a live auction, a silent auction (new this year) and great food and drink.

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Busy weekends

 

My neighbor John and his collie, Sandy

What a gorgeous morning for a walk.  Milo and I left just as the sunshine was hitting the top of the flag pole.  The sky was a light blue as the sun rose in a cloudless sky.  We made the trip to the fork and returned.  Bob stopped the school bus and said "hi" as he threw Milo a treat.  Clouds will be moving in and there is a chance of snow tonight.  We are ever vigilant of bears.  There is a lot of bear activity as they prepare for their winter nap.

It's a busy two weeks for the folks in Sunshine.  Saturday and Sunday will be the annual Sunshine Arts and Crafts fair at the school house.  The hours are 10-4.  It will be damp on Saturday but Sunday is predicted to be a beautiful day. 

Saturday night (Sept 23) the band is playing at the Boulder Outlook Hotel.  It will be our first Saturday night gig.  We have a few new songs to play.  If it's anything like the past, we'll all have a good time.  I love it when the dance floor fills up with people having fun.

Next Saturday, Sept 30, will be the Sunshine Community Fest at the firehouse.  The event is the annual fund raiser for the fire department.  It's a GREAT event and a lot of fun. There will be food and drink and an auction.  It's fun to watch apple pies sell for $300. 

Saturday is also the Brewfest in Denver.  It's a Sunshine event because it is put on by one of our neighbors, Paul and his wife, Jean.  There are quite a few of our sunshine neighbors who brew their own beer.  The Brewfest is a good place to see the Sunshine neighbors.

Most Sundays some of the neighbors gather for a long walk.  Here's a picture taken last Sunday of the ladies.

 

From my friend Chris

FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS):

1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

2. A will is a dead giveaway.

3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

4. A backward poet writes inverse.

5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.

13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.

15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

16. A calendar's days are numbered.

17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.

18. A boiled egg is hard to beat.

19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.

21. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.

22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.

25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.

29. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.

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Talk Like a Pirate Day, Sept. 19

 

Milo and I left for our morning walk around 7AM, as usual.  We stopped at the school house and raised the American flag, honored our soldiers and their relatives and continued down the road.  There was wildlife all over the place.  We saw a red fox, a grey coyote, lots of rabbits, birds and a group of male deer. Their antlers are still covered in velvet.  Milo said it looked like they were holding a "stag" party!  How ever said dogs don't have a sense of humor?  Last Saturday a large, black bear(300lbs) crossed the road in front of us.  I was reminded that I still have a heart in my chest, for it was pounding rather hard.  It was the first time in a long time, that I have gone into "flight or fight" mode.  Fortunately it was just crossing the road and could care less if we were even around. On our return trip today, we said good-by to our neighbor Jill who is moving to the city.  We will miss her.

Milo wanted me to remind all of our j-land buddies that Tuesday, September 19th is "Talk Like a Pirate Day".  It is even celebrated in the UK.  It's a fun thing to do and yes, most landlubbers will think you've lost all of your marbles.

For those of you who need help, here are a few words:

ARRGH - Part of speech: exclamation.  A pirates favorite word.  It can be used for anything.

AYE, AYE - Yes, Yes

GOBBLE - To eat in a fast, rude and noisy manner

GROG - A pirate's drink

Grub - Food of any kind  "come ye pirates!  It be time for grub!,  ARRR

Landlubber - Pirate talk for land lover.  A landlubber is a person who does not have the constitution to live aboard a ship.

Manners - Pirates are generally not aware of this concept!

Scallywags - Pirates who love mischief.

Smartly - Quickly

Swashbuckler - A well-dressed, dashingly handsome pirate

Smiles,

David and Milo

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Sunshine gathering

 

Morning fog on the plains

The sun was just breaking over the eastern horizon, giving us a view of the fog below.  Our Sunshine neighbors gathered at the school house.  There was a long table with a green table cloth.  Upon it were pots of coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, orange juice, donuts and rolls.  The air was a crisp 54 degrees.  Although the sky was a bright blue above us, the moisture in the air formed a bank of fog on the plains below us.

Milo and I acquired the garrison flag for it's secure location and approached the flag pole.  This was not our ordinary flag raising ceremony.  We usually honor those in service our our country every morning.  Today we honored our usual list and all of the people involved in the 9/11 tragedy.  The neighbors stood in silence as we raised the flag to full staff and then lowered it to half staff. We stood at attention, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and stood for a moment of silence in memory of all of the people who lost their lives on that September day, five years ago.  Pavel played our National Anthem.

The community members enjoyed coffee and conversation.  Bob drove by in the school bus and stopped for a cup of coffee.  Milo walked to the bus door and wagged his tail.  Bob threw Milo a treat, thanked us for the coffee and the proceeded on his way.  It's a beautiful morning in Sunshine, Colorado.

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One Year Journaling

 

My front yard...you can actually see four neighbors houses, the school house and Denver International Airport!

It's been one year since I decided to no longer just read journals (yes, I started as a lurker) but to join in on the fun.  It was somewhat of a scary venture for me.  The only people who ever read any of my stories were my teachers in school and my wife.  I pondered over the "public - private" selection and said, what the heck, why not... nobody will ever read this stuff anyway.  And for the few few weeks, nobody did!  I sent my link to some close friends who had moved to England.  They said "thank you" for attempting to keep them informed on what was going on in the old neighborhood.

I found that I enjoyed writing in this format, but did not expect, but a few, for anyone to read my thoughts.  I left Dad a few comments and occasionally left my link.  Then two independent things happened.  First, Deb pimped me!  I had never been pimped before but took it in stride.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen when "you're pimped" but I'm a brave soul.  Second, Sharon tagged me and I had to publicly answer some questions about myself to a bunch of strangers.  I knew I was in trouble when I mentioned that I like to shovel snow in sub-zero weather.   At that point Sharon said she knew I was crazy.  More and more of the most wonderful people I have ever met started leaving comments in my journal.  I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this little venture.  I hope you have enjoyed being in this community as much as I have.

I have tried to keep to my 30 second rule.  I have tried to keep my time with you to a minimum, and offer something other than a complaint, criticism or condemnation. I have enjoyed bringing you into our community and home.  I hope you have enjoyed the visit.  I would like to re-print that first entry and reflect on the last year.

Milo (My mixed breed mutt) and I started our morning walk around 7AM.  The morning sky was still pink, following a spectacular sunrise. After waving good-bye to the wife and son, we walked down the long driveway onto the main road.  We stop at the Sunshine school house every morning and raise the American flag.  The School house was built in 1900 and is no longer used as a school, but as a community gathering place.  This morning the flag went up to full staff and then down to half-staff in memory of Chief Justice William Rehnquist.  This will continue until Sunset, Tuesday, Sept 13th.  Milo was rewarded with a doggy biscuit and we marched on.  We passed the spot where we were greeted by a black bear a few weeks before and walked to the fork.  On the way back, the school bus passed us.  Bob, the driver, usually has a treat for Milo, but not this morning.  He just waved and kept going.  Milo usually sits when he hears the school bus coming. He knows there is going to be a treat.  This morning, I gave him one out of my own pocket.

My mother and father in-law live with us in the summer.  They are "snow-birds" and move to Arizona in the late fall, and return in May.  My mother-in-law, Audie, was just diagnosed with Cancer.  She is in good spirits.

Sunday morning the community is gathering at the school house at 6:30 AM.  We will ring the bell and raise the flag, all in remembrance of 9-11.  The bell will ring once at 6:45 and then again at 7:03, the times the planes hit the world trade center.

Milo and I still walk every day.  The flag goes up everyday.  Bob is still driving the school bus and gives Milo a treat.  Audie left us last month after a courageous battle with cancer.  The community will be joining together again on Monday, 9-11, for a flag raising ceremony.  Life in Sunshine continues.

Smiles to all,

David and Milo

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Labor Day in Sunshine

First we need to talk about the color of the sky (please see the comments in the previous post).  For the first 18 years of my life, I thought the beautiful blue color of the sky was something universal in the world.  It wasn't until I left for Army Basic Combat Infantry Training at Fort Lost in the Woods (Ft. Leonard Wood), Missouri in July of 1966, that I found out different.  Even on a clear day in Missouri, you could not see the pure blue sky.  With the lack of humidity in the western US, several things happen.  The sky is a beautiful clear blue.  There are so many stars at night that the big dipper gets lost in them and the milky way is easily seen.  Your skin also dries out.  Wrinkles appear. Oh, and I love touching the metal door knob in the winter....It zaps you good!  I get to see that blue sky about 300 days a year.

There were lots of Labor day barbecues in Sunshine.  It seems like the "flat landers" like to drive to the mountains for the holidays.  For those of us who actually live where others like to vacation, we have our own way of enjoying ourselves.  We had a pot luck picnic, played mountain volleyball and pitched horse shoes.  A great time was had by all.  Mountain volleyball adds a new dimension to the game.  If you hit the ball out of bounds, and down hill......It takes a few minutes to retrieve the ball.  Time enough to retire off the court and grab a quick drink.  I will admit that I am feeling some sore muscles today.

The next events are the Community fest on Saturday, September 30th and the Arts and Crafts fair at the School house on Saturday, September the 23rd.  John and Kat are getting married on the 23rd and the entire neighbor hood is invited to their Post wedding party.  It will be held at the Spread Eagle Lodge, starting at 2PM and going until the beer runs out.

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