Sunshine Colorado Notes

A little lost

2012-01-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't spent much time on my blog. I've been over on Facebook, wasting time. I've been a little lost since the fire. I was in a state of shock, losing everything but keeping the things most important to me; my family and my pets. Nobody died, just a neighborhood. I haven't talked much about this to anybody. My family says I need counseling. It's post traumatic stress syndrome. I've become very quiet, not having much to say about anything. I could probably type for hours on the subject, but not tonight. Tonight is for Milo.Milo was born in the mountains on a cold February day. He's a mountain boy. Always has been. He likes running wild through the woods; chasing rabbits, foxes, and yes, bears. He's not afraid of the dark, just the low rumble of thunder during a thunderstorm. He would always find me and stay close during a storm. On a short drive up the hill to Steve and Dee's house, he would run behind my car, trying to stay with me. He would help me raise the flag at the school house. He would lick my face with that big wet tong and look at me, eye to eye, as if he understood everything I was talking to him about.My brother-in-law lived next door to us, well, kind of for mountain living. That is where Milo's Mom (Shilo) and his sister (Cheyenne) live. When we would leave him at home alone, he would bark and howl; scratch at the door until it splintered. Finally, we started leaving him with his mom and sister. He seemed to enjoy the family living, at least until I came home. Then he couldn't get up to me fast enough. Fortunately, my brother-in-law did not lose his house in the fire.We tried keeping Milo with us in town but it didn't work out well for him. He needed to run free in his forest. We talked to my brother-in-law and his wife. They agree that he needed to stay up in Sunshine, so they kind of adopted him. I get visitation rights anytime I want them. For a while I would bring him into town on weekends. He would not leave me. He was always just behind me, on my right side. When I would take him home, he would jump out of the car and run over to his mom. I quit spending time with Milo almost a year ago. I know it's best for him. He's happy now. I just really, really miss him.

The View

2012-01-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jeff Burch for the view west of Boulder. Sunshine is up there someplace.

Our New Home

2012-01-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all that have followed my blog. Sunshine is continuing to rebuild. As far as our family, we have moved to Erie, Colorado. Now we get to "see the view" instead of "being the view". Be safe.

2010-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

So many things have changed this year, but one tradition we’re determined not to lose is the Annual Sunshine New Year’s Eve Progressive Party. Come celebrate the beginning of a NEW YEAR!

6:00—8:00 p.m. Appetizers at Megan & Brian Joseph’s
175 Misty Vale

8:00—10:00 p.m. Dinner at Suzi & Dennis Covey’s

493B County Road 83 10:00 p.m.—??? Dessert/Champagne at Deirdre & Jonathan Damron’s

86 Misty Vale

Life continues

2010-11-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

This little community continues to amaze me. The great community of Sunshine is doing it's best to keep the love flowing. We have had pot luck dinners, FAC (Friday afternoon clubs), and social gathering about every two weeks since the Sheriff let us back into our little town. About half the attendees are driving up from our exile in Boulder to socialize with the folks that didn't get burnt out.

I am not spending much time at the site of our old home. It is still too hard. I do get to see Milo once in a while. He is staying with his mother and sister at my brother-in-laws house. It would be almost impossible for my big buddy to stay in town with us. He would tear our rental house apart. He suffers from separation anxiety and scratches the doors, barks and howls until someone comes home. Not a good situation. This way he can romp and play in his usual neighborhood. Besides, he would miss chasing the bears.

Some of our great neighbors that lost their homes are not going to rebuild. We will miss them.

Although nobody died in the fire, we did lose Scott. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and died a few weeks later. Scott was a wonderful guy. He kept the neighborhood up and on-line. Our love goes out to his wife, Mary and their daughter, Gigi. I can't imagine how strong Mary must be, losing her home and husband within a couple of weeks of each other.

The band is planning a party at the Outlook Hotel on Friday, December the 3rd. I hope you all can come and raise a toast to surviving.

2010-10-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

I can't say it been easy to drive from our temporary house in Lafayette to Sunshine. We continue to sift through the rubble and find little pieces of things that we held near and dear to our hearts. The community is trying to hold together. We have had pot luck dinners. One of our neighbors passed away and the family had a gathering in his honor. Most of the neighbor hood was there. Tim and Linda held a fund raiser for the fire department. It was a "Corn-hole" tournament and was a lot of fun. As the dust settles, we find that 160 homes were destroyed by the fire. That has put a big bite in the tax base. The fire department used the tax base most of it's income. There are two fire trucks that are not paid for and financial resources need to be found. We will rebuild.

There will not be a Halloween party this year. We are hoping the community will be ready next year.

A Sad Day In Sunshine

2010-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

The largest forest fire in Colorado history took it's toll on our community of Sunshine. 90% of the houses were destroyed in the fire. Ours included. The fire started around 10:30 in Saline, one canyon to the south of Sunshine. With dry humity and high winds, it didn't take long for the fire to overtake any attempt to extinguish. Milo wants to re-build.

Sunshine Firehouse Flapjack Fling

2010-05-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 13 9:00 – 10:30 am
Pancakes ● Bacon ● Sausage ● Coffee ●Tea ● Juice
Adults - $6 Kids under 12 - $4
Community Meeting – 10:30 am
Fire Station 2 at 5880 Sunshine Canyon Drive
Open to the public

For more information or to volunteer to help:
Contact: Marty or Don Dick at donaldxdick@gmail.com

Our new neighbor

2010-02-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the Sunshine community held a welcome party for our newest neighbor, Kiri. He is three years old and an orphan from Haiti. Kyle and Heather were in the adoption process when the earthquake hit. He is a bundle of joy and we are overjoyed to have him as a neighbor. By the way, he is in his new mothers arms. The other guy, the old fart, is our mayor, Chris.

She will kill me for this

2010-02-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

As I rounded the massive stone structure I heard a Goolish voice calling out..... "Spirits of darkness, give me your ears. Find he who comes and fill him with fear. Break all his bones and poke out his eyes, sew-up his mouth and fill it with flies...."
Just then, from out of nowhere......a tree bending wind blew away the smoke and there, on the edge of Hell stood...
Janice, the witch of the North Fork, point at me. Her eyes fixed on my soul.
Frozen...... I...
To be continued...

Holiday House Warming

2009-12-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Our Sunshine neighbor, Peter, has been constructing an addition on his house. Last night he had a house warming party for his, almost complete, addition. The guests were an assortment of Sunshine neighbors and folks Peter knows from town. One of our more famous, or should I say infamous neighbors was in attendance.
For those of you who have followed my journal for the last four or five years know that our community of Sunshine was, at one time, a booming gold mine town. The Gold played out and the war came along. The Gold Mines shut down. The shafts and tunnels are still here. So what does one do with an abandoned mine tunnel? Our friend Danny stores his beer in there. The temperature is a constant 54 degrees, summer and winter. Danny is a well known beer connoisseur. This picture was published some time ago in the New York Times. An article about him showed up in an Australian news paper declaring his as a "popular bloat". Danny loves his beer. He even has an attachment to his small pick-up truck that he takes to local functions. The attachment holds 3 kegs of beer, all on tap.

Lori's Passing

2009-11-22T10:37:00.001-08:00

It is with great sadness that I announce the Passing of our neighbor, Lori. I will lower the flag to Half-staff for a week, in memory of a very good friend.
http://lorislovetribe.blogspot.com/

http://silent-keyboards-j-land-angels.blogspot.com/

Thanks to some great neighbors

2009-11-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

One of the items on the Sunshine Fire Protection District's wish list was a pressure washer. One of our great neighbors donated one. Thanks to who ever you are. It is greatly appreciated.

On Memorial Day I went up to the Sunshine Cemetery and placed American flags on three graves. We have two civil war veterans and one WWI veteran.

Sunshine Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T19:58:00.001-08:00

Dancing up a storm. Look....lights but then, that's another story.

Thanks Kat for putting on such a great party.

While the Sunshine folks partied at the historic Sunshine School house, the band played at the American Legion.

Weddings

2009-10-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to two couples in Sunshine.
Tim and Linda are getting married this upcoming weekend at the historic Sunshine School House. We are glad they moved into the neighborhood.

My close neighbors, Marty and Jean were married last month in Estes Park, Colorado.

Sunshine Arts and Crafts show

2009-10-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

June selling her books, including "Stories of Sunshine" and her daughter.

The annual Sunshine Arts and Craft show is held on the 3rd weekend of September. It was well attended and serves as the only fund raiser for the Sunshine Schoolhouse. This year there was a little competition as it was held the same weekend as the Great American Beer Fest. Most of us found time to go to both.

I've been extremely busy and haven't had much time to enter a post. Now that the snow is flying I have found myself inside.

I would like to welcome a new reader. Scott flew in to visit the cemetery. He has ancestors buried there. We took some time to find the graves and walked around in the snow. Scott was very active with his camera and we hope to see him again soon.

Milo and I continue to take our morning walks and raise the American flag. We miss Bob, the school bus driver. The new driver is starting to recognize us and has begun waving. Maybe, just maybe he will stop and share a treat with Milo.

We ask for your prayers for one of our neighbors. Cancer can be so cruel.

You would think all we do is party

2009-08-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Some of the Sunshine boys. Yes, our mayor drinks Coors.

Two weeks ago one of the neighbors hosted a "1888 Party" 6 to 10, I don't think so. I think it went past 2 or 2:30. The only requirement was to dress up like it was 1888. I would have posted this before the party but I don't think there would have been enough parking for everyone.

Tim & Linda

Dee and Steve (not the fire chief)

Hail to the Chief!

Steve is retiring as Fire Chief after almost 8 years.

Come celebrate his ENORMOUS contribution with a party in his honor!

Friday August 28 5-8

Fire Station #1 311 county Road 83

Bring something to eat, drink and maybe a chair.

Grab a sheet of paper or a note card and jot some thoughts about Steve's contribution over the years. We will have a book at the party to assemble these notes and they will make a wonderful treasure.

Vacation and Happy Hour

2009-07-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

The Oregon Coast

We had another enjoyable trip to the Oregon coast for vacation. This year we stayed in Newport. In years past we stayed in Seaside. My son Michael would have preferred Seaside. He calls it his "happy place". Trying something new was enjoyable. I had forgotten how impressive Mount Hood can be. Uncle Gene chose a couple of great wines. We stopped to visit my Mother and Fathers grave site. I did shed a few tears. I do miss them. As we drove through Boise (in 102 degree heat) we said "Hi" to Rebecca Anne but I don't think she heard us. Next year we are going to the Big Island. Reservations have already been made. Michael leaves for Norway tomorrow. He will be gone for two weeks.

Janice and I figure this was the last trip together as a family. The boys are growing older. We'll see what time brings. Speaking of time, have you heard the words to the theme from "M*A*S*H"?

We had a community Happy Hour last evening. We gathered at Steve and Dee's house. Everybody brought their own drinks and a dish to share. The band assembled and we had an open mike. Neighbors played their instruments and others grabbed a mike and sang. We had a great time.

Smiles,

David

The Columbia River Gorge

Time flys when you are having fun

2009-07-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Flat tops in north central Colorado

The summer is just flying by. I'm having a hard time sitting down at this machine to talk about everything that has been going on.

The Weekend of the Summer Solstice, June 19, 20 and 21st was our annual SCSSYYSR (Sunshine Canyon Summer Solstice YaYa Sisterhood Reunion). Those who have followed me for several years know all about it. For those who are new here is the explanation. My lovely wife grew up in Sunshine Canyon. At that time there were very few families living in Sunshine. They were very close. Several of the families have moved away or the children have grown up and moved on. Although there are many miles between them, the families have remained close. Every year, for many of the past years, the families have gathered for a reunion. Except for one year, this reunion is held in the mountains at Dale and Terry's house. We affectionately call it "Hog Hollow". This year was just as much fun and the past years. My only regret is that I relied on Terry to take all of the pictures. She did a great job except that I walked off and left my disk at her house. Maybe, I hope, she'll send it to me. The picture at the top of the page was taken near their house on Saturday.

GREAT NEWS!!!!!! We have electricity at the Sunshine School house. We lost power when the old firehouse burnt down. It's only taken 3 years for the power to be restored.

My youngest son has earned his Eagle Scout award. I am really , really proud of him.

We are leaving for the Oregon coast on Sunday. We'll stop in Salt Lake City on Sunday night and spend time with friends. The next day we'll truck through Boise and then stop in Baker City, Oregon. Tuesday it's off to the coast after brief stops in Mosier (to pick cherries), Camas (to see my brother and his family) and Portland (to visit my parents grave site and then Uncle Gene's Wine shop). We will find our pillows in Newport.
Keep smiling!
David

Randy

2009-06-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Milo and I started our day as usual this morning. We had another “Sunrise Alert”. That is a phrase we use when there is a beautiful sunrise. The sky was ablaze with red, orange and yellow. We performed our morning task and raised the flag. As usual, Milo sat at attention. I almost wish he would learn to play the bugle.
Just then a brand new white Ford extended cab, Ranger approached us and came to a stop. I did not recognize who was inside until the power window rolled down. Behind the wheel sat Randy. I don’t usually talk about people’s characteristics because it’s not polite and my parents raised me better than that. (Also, you never know who’s going to read your journal.) But in Randy’s case, you have to know a little about him to appreciate his new pick-up truck.
Randy has lived in Sunshine for a number of years. He stays mostly to himself. He’s a bachelor in his mid 30’s. Up until today he has been driving an old red Chevy truck. He wears a brown felt “well loved” cowboy hat, Wrangler jeans and a pocket t-shirt (various colors). I did see him on a Saturday evening last summer wearing a “snappy” cowboy shirt. He must have had a date. His cowboy boots are well worn. It’s hard to tell what kind of animal gave up its life for those fine boots. I think he purchased them during Cheyenne Frontier Days.
I believe he fancies himself as a cowboy. I know he sure loves Country and Western music (not that there is anything wrong with that, I do too). I hear it every time he drives by. I used to think he was from Nebraska because of his red truck. Other times I was sure he was from Texas. He will often wear his pants inside his boots. I even remember him saying “all-ya-all” at last year’s community fest. I know he’s not from Wyoming. Unlike myself, he does not get that “far away look” when we talk about sheep.
Personally, I’ve never seen him take a drink, but rumor has it, he can hold his own with the best of ‘em. I’m not sure what he does for a living. He leaves every morning while Milo and I are walking. He returns when we are lowering the flag in the evening. As he passes, he gives us a two finger wave.
I thought it strange that he would stop this morning. He rolled down the window and called me over to his brand new truck. I looked in the window and noticed the gun rack in the rear window. He wanted to show me his “toys’. There, mounted where the back seat should have been, was a microwave, refrigerator and coffee pot. Mounted to the ceiling was a color TV / DVD combination. Randy must be a cowboy from Wyoming. They are awfully proud of their pickup trucks in Wyoming.

Mouse story

2009-05-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of my Sunshine neighbors, Maggie, works in one of the high-rise buildings in downtown Denver. She leaves Sunshine around 6:30 in the morning, Monday thru Friday. She drives down Sunshine Canyon Drive, thru Boulder and onto US 36, the Boulder Turnpike. It’s still called the turnpike even though the toll booths were removed many years ago. Her drive continues onto Interstate 25 and then on Spear Boulevard into Downtown Denver. It is a 35 mile drive that takes about 55 minutes on a good day.
Her office is on the 24th floor. There are 35 people sharing the small space, crammed into small cubicles. There is a large open space where all of the workers share three FAX machines and two copiers. There is also a large bank of filing cabinets. Maggie told me a story about an incident involving a mouse last week. One of the file clerks opened a filing cabinet drawer and saw a mouse. She jumped, uttered the appropriate shriek and slammed the drawer. She immediately ran to her desk and called the building maintenance department to report the incident.
Fifteen minutes later a maintenance worker appeared. He checked every filing cabinet, inside and out. He could not find the mouse. The mouse was probably just as frightened as the clerk and left soon after the drawer slamming. With other jobs to do, the maintenance worker asked the clerk to sign the work order “completed”. The clerk refused, saying she wouldn’t sign until she saw him remove the mouse. The maintenance worker said “Listen lady, the work order says ‘chase mouse’ not ‘produce mouse’ and I did that”. The file clerk thought about it for a minute and then signed the work order. The mouse hasn’t been seen since.

So Long Bob, the schoolbus driver

2009-05-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Milo and I took our morning walk, just like we have everyday for the last 3 years. We stopped at the old Sunshine school house. The flag was raised to full staff; we remembered our servicemen and then continued our walk. We turned and started our return home.

Milo always hears the school bus as it nears us. His ears perk up and his tail wags. We knew our ol' buddy Bob, the school bus driver, would have a treat for him. We knew this was the last day of school for the students. We were looking forward to seeing Bob. Bob pulled the bus to a stop and opened the door. Milo went to the door and waited for Bob's command. "Sit" and Milo was sitting with his tail wagging. Bob threw Milo a treat. Once more, all was well with the world. Before I could tell Bob that we would miss him all summer and would be looking forward to next fall, Bob told us he won't be back next year. He's nearing 70 and is ready to retire. We wished him a fond farewell and he drove on to pick up the waiting students. We will miss him.

So long Bob.

Proof

2009-05-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Just a short note. Here's proof, he made it. Congratulations to my son, Michael. Here he is with his girlfriend, Jeanette.
The Party was a lot of fun.

Late Spring and an open invitation

2009-05-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Spring comes late in the high country. The other morning I had to stop by the neighbors and snap a photo of their driveway. They planted daffodils all the way to their house. Daffodils are one of the few plants the deer are not interested in eating.

My youngest son, Michael will graduate from Boulder High School on Saturday. We are hosting a graduation party on Saturday, noon to 4PM you are all invited. No need to RSVP...just show up.
You are more than welcome to join us. They say it takes a community to raise a child. We have had a very large community.

Not Bothering a Soul

2009-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cheyenne was built along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. As the Wyoming territory grew into statehood, Cheyenne was chosen to be the capitol. One of the main north-south streets is Capitol Avenue. At the North end of the street is the State capitol building. At the south end is the Union Pacific Railroad Depot. Adjacent to the station (west) are the stock yards where livestock is kept before it is loaded onto the train. North of the station and across the street is a hotel with a bar at street level.
When I was in college I use to hang out in the bar. One night I had a little too much to drink and decided to sleep a little before I tried to go home. I walked around the corner and down the block and lay down in the gutter just across from the stock yard. A short time later, a pig who must have broken loose from the stock yard, wandered by and laid down in the gutter next to me.
We (the pig and I) were just laying there, not bothering a soul. Well, this high-tone lady who was staying at the hotel, must have taken a wrong turn and wondered down the street past us. I woke up just in time to hear her say "You can tell someone who boozes by the company he chooses" and you know, that pig got up and walked away!

To My Mother, on Mothers Day

2009-05-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to you , Mother. Although we haven't spoken to each other for several years, you are always with me. I feel your presence every day. I feel you in every fiber of my body, for you gave me life.

You have given me so much. You gave me three wonderful brothers and a safe home. You gave me a home that encouraged love, understanding and respect. For that I am forever grateful. You took me to church, had me baptized, taught me to pray and continued to worship with me. I still hang the Christmas stocking you made for me every Christmas.

Grandmother Eula and my Mother shopping in Portland, OR

Mother, thank you for teaching me manners, a lost art that I have passed on to my sons. I still walk on the outside to protect my wife from getting splashed by passing cars. Thank you for writing to me while I was in uniform. If it wasn't for you and my father, I wouldn't have received any letters. I will always feel bad for ruining you night of cards when I dropped the hatchet on my foot and cut off my toenail. I think you got to the hospital faster than I did.

Thank you Mother for raising my three wonderful brothers. You supported John through the really hard times, when no one understood his Cerebral Palsy. You loved Dan through every wild hair he had. You gave me my youngest brother, Phil, when I was only 15; and taught me how to take care of a baby. A lesson I used when I had my own children.

You gave me my heritage and a membership in the First Families of Tennessee. (and that's an inside joke that only you and I understand...who needs those old bitties in Virginia anyway)

I love you Mother, and I miss you.

It's Derby Day

2009-05-02T09:49:00.001-07:00

Our Spring snow storm has come and gone. It left it's mark. There are trees all over Sunshine that are broken. Limbs lay on the ground. Looks like we will have plenty of firewood for next year. One good thing is that we greened up overnight. The moisture soaked into the ground and everything started to grow.

Today is Derby day. The running of the Kentucky Derby is celebrated even in far away Sunshine. One of our neighbors, Jean, is from the Louisville, KY area. She and husband Paul have put together a Derby party for many, many years. The party starts at 2PM Mountain Daylight Time. Jean wants the ladies to wear their finest Derby bonnets. It looks like "I Want Revenge" is the favorite. I always pick a long-shot. This year I think it might be "Join The Dance". We'll see. I'm glad they are not running up here. 2-7 inches of snow are predicted for tonight.

The Hummingbirds have returned. My wife, Janice, is overjoyed.

More Springtime in the Rockies

2009-04-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Now don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining about the moisture. We really needed it...and we received it all at once. Our 24" of snow had a good 5" of moisture and it has been a true blessings. As the snow melts, the grass turns green.

It started snowing Thursday evening and continued through Saturday night. We lost electricity Saturday morning around 9AM. Power was restored at 6PM Sunday. For those of us that have gone through a Springtime snow storm, it was no big deal. When one of the neighbors ask how we were doing, I replied "Well, I've shoveled out the gas bar-b-que, the beer's cold, the phones not ringing and the wood burning stove is hot...what else could we ask for?" Janice and I snuggled up with a couple of good books and enjoyed the storm.

When we dug out Sunday, we drove around and looked at the damage created by the heavy, wet snow. Mother nature has her way of pruning the weak branches.

Buddy's awake

2009-04-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

If you were reading last fall you will remember that we had an assassin in the neighborhood. He killed two bears and a buck. Our friendly neighbor hood bear, Buddy, went missing. We were afraid Buddy too, may have been murdered. Today we received GREAT news. Buddy has come out of hibernation and has been sighted. We are all overjoyed.

On a different note....Mike's Eagle Scout project went off without a hitch. We're almost there. The only thing left is his board of review. Once that is complete we will plan a party. Of course, you are all invited.

On My Honor, I Will Do My Best

2009-04-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

The Good Lord has blessed me and my wife with two great sons. They are shown here with their cousin, Kelcey, last summer. I have tried not to brag or make a big deal over their accomplishments. I am just really proud of who they are and what they do. As far as my part, I have tried my best to be a good father and raise my sons so they can walk proud.
Our oldest son, Nathan (in the middle), is 21 and a music composition major at the University of Colorado. Last month he presented his first public performance of an original composition. He has been using a computer to write and preform the composition. We did not see him preform. He simply hit the start key on his computer and walked away. His partner played the solo violin part while Nate's computer played the accompaniment. I must admit, it almost put me in tears. It was beautiful.
With that in mind, I must mention two things: Nate's second language is Japanese (he's been to Japan twice) and he is an Eagle Scout.
Michael (on the right) is my younger son. He is 18 and a senior at Boulder High School. Along with finishing high school, Michael is completing the requirements for his Eagle Scout. I'm sure some of the parents out there can relate, I didn't think he was going to make it. He was right on track to complete the task until "the fumes" set in. Perfume and gas fumes. A girl and a car! I though a heart attack was imminent. He has to complete his Eagle project before his 18th birthday (April 21th). I must admit that I worry too much. True to form, he was planning and preparing for this for quite some time. We will be completing his project the Sunday (rain or shine). This is a big deal for me...to have both son's as Eagle Scouts.
Mike's second language is also Japanese. I will say that when we all get together for dinner, the conversation can be interesting and mostly in a language I don't understand.

Sunshine Ant Man

2009-04-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

I should know better than to stop by the Mayor's house. Chris always has a Margarita ready and waiting. Most of the time the top is already off a cold beer. Chris enjoys telling a good story and I love hearing them.

Several years ago there was a Sunshine neighbor known as "The Ant Man". I don't know if anybody knew his real name, he was just "The Ant Man". Chris has been around here for a long time, therefor he either knows everyone in the neighbor hood or knows of them. Most of the nick-names have started in Chris' living room or back deck. I'm sure the "Ant Man" name had to start with Chris.

Where did the name come from? Now I might be a little fuzzy with this legend because, after all, Chris likes to tell his stories after we have consumed a fair amount of alcohol. It seems that our old neighbor was often seen hauling "stuff" up to his house in his small pick-up truck. Often it was overloaded to the point that "stuff" would fall off the truck and be left on the side of the road. Chris said he resembled a worker ant, always carrying more than it seemed possible. He thought he was trying to build his house with scrap lumber and anything he could find for free, just as long as he could tie it down.

No one was brave enough to approach "The Ant Man", for he was a recluse and did not even acknowledge anybody. He was often known to fire his rifle at passing wildlife. We know he did a lot of shooting. We found a tree full of bullets when we cut up some firewood taken from his property.

One day the man just left, leaving a pile of "stuff" for the next owner to clean up. Evidently the neighbor hood was getting a little too crowded for him.

2009-03-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

We have been experiencing one of the driest springs on record. Usually the grass has turned green and the spring bulbs are starting to show their colors. This year the grass is still brown. The only color has been the crocus, iris and the daffodils.

The Spaghetti dinner went well. We filled station #2 with happy neighbors, drank a little wine and told stories. I don't think we made any money but at least we got everybody out of the house and had some fun.

I need to take care of some unfinished business. Last fall my neighbor accused me of stealing a lot of money from his house (it was a joke and was published a few posts back). Well, to get even, Janice and I told him we were planning a trip around the world. Thanks to some friends, we had post cards mailed from various parts of the world. I would like to thank Jan, who sent four cards from England, Chris, who mailed one from Austria and Spain and my brother-in law, who mailed two cards from Hawaii.Back to spring. Those of us who have chosen to live in the high country know that is is common to move from winter into summer in a matter of weeks. Today our prayers were answered. It is snowing. Not just a little snow but a blizzard. I expect the grass will start to turn green and we will finally have enough water to do the laundry. I wish I was still skiing. It's a powder day!

Janice, my oldest son Nate, Dennis and Suzie all attended the March Denver Pow-Wow last Sunday. It was quite a show of the Western Plains Indians.

Milo says "woof, woof" to all
.

Remember "Don't never interfer with nothin' what don't bother yuh none."

Keep smiling,
David

2009-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

Third Annual

Spaghetti Feed

SUNDAY, MARCH 1ST

5:00 to 7:30 pm

Sunshine Fire Station #2

$7.00 per Adult

$4.00 per Child

$20 maximum per family

Proceeds go to the Sunshine Fire Protection District

Please bring your own bottle of wine and maybe one to share

Spaghetti - Salad - Garlic Bread

Soft Drinks Provided

Gift Basket Door Prizes!!!!!!!

Milo and I took our evening walk to the school house and lowered the American flag. I folded the flag and put it away. I sure wish he would learn to hold one end for me. The air was calm and it was snowing. I took his leash off so he could run freely for a while. With him off and away I noticed that it was quiet, really quiet. The clouds, fog and snow muffled any sounds. The only thing I could hear was the snow crunching under my feet. It's been a day of reflection. I was thinking of my other dogs. Sandy, Skipper, Bruce and Malcom. I stayed out all night looking for Skipper when he left. They are all gone now. I suspect they are playing with each other in Mom and Dad's back yard. Mom is reading a book and Dad is reading a newspaper. Days like today I feel them looking down on me, protecting me, giving me strength. It's a good day to remember the ones that gave me unconditional love. It's time now to give love to Milo.

A trip to Wyoming

2008-12-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

First, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Working at the map store (retail) has left me little time for blogging. I have missed reading and promise to get back as soon as things get back to normal, whatever that is.

My older brother John came down from Cheyenne, Wyoming to spend Christmas with us. As usual, the trip was very pleasant and all too short. I took him back to Cheyenne this afternoon. Cheyenne is a two hour drive north of Boulder. It is two different worlds. Boulder is nestled along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Cheyenne is high on the wind swept planes. On our trip north we saw the largest Prong Horn Antelope herd I have ever seen. There must have been at least 100 animals. They were just beautiful. A few miles north of the antelope were a large heard of buffalo. They are just stunning...a reminder of the old west, before the white man arrived.

The wind was gusting to over 60 MPH and the warning signs were posted. We saw the remains of 5 tractor trailers on the side of the road. They had all been blown over by the strong winds and were laying on their side. As I returned home I witnessed one almost topple over. It went over on two wheels but the driver was able to control the vehicle and avert a serious accident.

As I approached Boulder on the Boulder-Longmont diagonal highway, a rather large bird caught my eye. It was soring close to the ground. We do have a lot of hawks out here and they are always sitting on telephone poles or circling, looking for mice. This bird was different. It floated as if it owned the sky. I thought I saw white on it's tail. As I got closer, I could tell that it was white. Knowing only one large bird with white on it's tail, I watched to see if it was, as I suspected, a bald eagle. It turned skyward and confirmed my suspicions. A rare sighting of another beautiful animal.

Janice and I are off to Fort Collins for a night of frivolity with old friends.

New Year's eve we are hosting the 1st part of the Sunshine Progressive New Year's Eve Party. Cocktails are at our house at 6PM. Steve and Dee are hosting Dinner at 8PM. At 10PM we all move up to Steve and Lisa's for dessert and the welcoming of the new year.

Best wishes to all.

Smiles,

David

PS...Thank you Santa for the new chain saw!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all. It's a very cool day in Sunshine. The sky's are overcast and snow is in the forecast for this afternoon and tonight. Janice, Nate and I were joined by a group of our neighbors for our Thanksgiving morning walk. As we passed the Forest Jones house we found Zach and Natalie outside with their puppy dog. Zach was working on his wood pile and splitting wood. We paused in front of our mayors house (Chris) and snapped this picture. We walked up the hill to the Sunshine Saddle and then turned around. On the way down we passed others walking. Michelle and her two dogs came outside to pass on holiday greetings. As we passed Steve and Dee's house, Steve came outside and announced that he had made far too much coffee and would like to share. We shared.

I need to say farewell to my chainsaw. I wanted to finish cutting 6 logs this afternoon. I only completed 3 before my chainsaw started smoking and quit working. I will admit that I gave it a work-out this year. So farewell my friend, the chainsaw. We'll see what Santa can do this Christmas, for a chainsaw is on my list.

Here's wishing you all a very pleasant day.....gobble, gobble.

Smiles,

David

Characters

2008-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that every town has its "characters"? You know the ones. That familiar face you have seen around town for years. He's the one that is a little different. He has something that stands out....his walk, his old car, the old clothes he wears. You don't see him with friends but he is often chatting with someone. He seems friendly but no one is really close to him. He sort of defines the town. Not that he is like anybody else, but if you saw him in any other community, he would be out of place.

I first noticed our friend sitting on the steps of Boulder's downtown post office. The old post office, built in the 1950's; the white building with the simulated Roman columns. You have to walk up 6 or 7 steps to front door. He was sitting there wearing a Indiana Jones style hat with 3 or 4 feathers pointing backwards out of the turquoise hat band. Pinned to the front was an eagle, the insignia for a full bird colonel in the army. His face was covered with a white beard, accented with a few black streaks and his tinted glasses covered his eyes. Through his 6 or 7 layers of coats you could see his army camo pants and his black military boots.

The first time I saw him, I passed him without acknowledging his presence. He seemed to be sitting on the steps almost every time I went past the post office. I started to wonder if he was a homeless veteran. One morning in June, just after I opened the store, he entered. At first glance, I was sure he was going to ask for a handout. He politely asked if he could see a magnifying glass. I agreed and handed him the one we use in the store. He pulled a small white stone out of one of his may pockets and looked at it through the glass. I asked him what he was studying. He handed me the white rock and asked me what I thought it was. I didn't need a magnifying glass. I was looking at a very smooth piece of white quartz with a piece of gold in a small notch. It wasn't very big and probably not worth much, but it was gold. I asked him where he found it and he told me it was in the sand down by Boulder Creek. We had a good laugh, he thanked me for the use of the magnifying glass and went on his way.

Since then I have seen him around town. When we pass, we smile and sometimes say "Hello". He came in the store last evening, about a half hour before I closed. He wanted to look at a clock we have mounted on the wall. It is a map of the world with a light projected from the rear, indicating the parts of the earth that are illuminated by the sun. I asked him about the white rock. He smiled and pulled it out of one of his many pockets. I had the munchies so I shared what was left over from my lunch, some nuts and an orange. He showed me a copy of a picture someone had painted of him. He wants to make some post cards and possibly sell them. I asked him about his military service. He looked me in the eye and could tell I was a brother. He said he was in the Air Force, 1969 to 1971. He didn't have to say any more. Those of us that served during that time frame have a bond, even though it was in different branches. We chatted quietly for a while and then he returned to his home, the street.

2008-11-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well, they all look like cowboys but they sure didn't play country western music! The Halloween gig was fun. We played for 4 hours. Pretty good for a bunch of old geezers.

Milo and I said good-bye to Jan's dad this morning. He loaded up his car and headed to Arizona for the winter. Another snow-bird has headed south. We will see him again just in time for the last big snow in the spring. It always happens.

Saturday was a work project day. One of our Scouts had his Eagle Scout Project on Saturday. He will have his award soon. Now there are only two boys in the troop without their Eagle. The Scout troop will be closing down in February and we have vowed to make sure each boys earns their Eagle.

There was another bear shot and killed in Sunshine. This time it was 10 feet in front of one of our neighbors house. The State game warden has the animal and is obtaining evidence.

If you go back to my October 4th entry you will find the banter going back and forth between our neighbor, Doug and our family. Doug has been receiving post cards from various places around the world and sent me this note:

Dear Janice, David and Harry…

We have loved hearing via post cards about your extraordinary world tour. I estimate that this splendid adventure cost you in the vicinity of $100,000. While you never have been specific about the windfall that allowed you to make this incredible journey, I am very happy for you.

Of course, it’s none of my business how you financed the trip. And I certainly would never pry.

On A completely another topic, we finally have finished an inventory of items stolen from our home. The chief investigative officer for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office says the thefts have all the earmarks of being done by some person or persons whom we might have let into the house willingly. His suspicion is it probably was perpetrated by folks who live somewhere on County Road 83 because, he says, “we have always had a lot of trouble with the perverts, trouble makers and felons who make up most of that population.”

Unlikely, he says, that is was anyone with a Sunshine Canyon address because “those people are all kind, loving, upright citizens who spent their day focused on honestly and their nights focused on integrity.” I don’t know for sure that’s true but all I can do is repeat what I’ve been told.

Anyway, the investigator says if the items stolen from us were sold on Ebay, their value would be $999,994.26. Having nothing to do with your trip, of course, but it is a quirk of numbers, isn’t it, that the cost of your trip and the value of the theft at our house are almost identical?

Have to run. Mary Ann and I are taking our annual vacation. We leave about 11 a.m. today to go have lunch at Wendy’s in Longmont. We’ll return form our vacation around 1 p.m.

Regards,
Doug

Some day I'll share how he received post cards from around the world.

Keep Smiling,

David

2008-10-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with some nice fall weather. The Indian summer is lasting much longer than I expected. Milo and I have been enjoying our morning walks. Bob still stops the school bus and gives Milo a treat. I have been looking at several new flags to fly at the school house. I am not able to lower the flag before dark so I will wait until next spring to raise and lower the American Flag. My favorite so far is a world flag. It is a depiction our our mother earth.

There were two private Halloween parties in Sunshine last night. We were going to try to visit both.....good intentions, poor execution. Janice and I both worked yesterday and the clock was running faster than we were. At least we made one of them. Next Saturday will be the kids Halloween at the School House. This has been a Sunshine tradition for as long as I have lived in Sunshine.

Speaking of work, I have figured out why I like working at the map store. Every customer is in a good mood! They are all planning something fun, mostly a trip someplace. Some are just quick day trips, others are trips to an exotic place int the world. What ever it is, everyone is excited.

The band is playing at the American Legion Hall next Friday night. I know it will be fun. Come on over an join us. Just mention my name at the door.

Keep smiling,

David

Ready for winter

2008-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I can say that I am ever ready for winter. I know it will arrive sooner than later. I've tried to do all I can to prepare. Milo and I had fun cutting and splitting that pile of wood. Milo told me to fill the big wood boxes (not seen) first. After we stacked the remaining 3 cords of wood, we took this picture and covered it with a large tarp. The wood seems to burn better when it's dry.

Janice, Milo and I worked outside Sunday. We prepared the flower beds, planted the daffodils, raked the pine needles (no leaves up here to speak of) and swept the porch. We put the patio furniture away. Should I admit that I put up the Christmas lights. I found it's much easier to hang the lights when it's 70 degrees than when it's 2o degrees with the wind blowing. I won't turn them on until Thanksgiving. OK snow.....bring it on....I'm ready!

I have hesitated about talking about something negative in my blog. I have made it a rule to keep my blog positive. (Chris you know how I feel about criticizing, condemning and complaining.) As much as I have been fighting this, I must mention some negative Sunshine news. There was an incident that has affected everyone of our neighbors. Last week, a bear and a deer were shot and killed in the creek below our neighborhood. I don't want to say much more for this is a very sensitive issue and many of our neighbors read my every post. I could probably stump on this issue for a day or two. I don't have a problem hinting for food. I do have a problem shooting a high powered rifle in a neighborhood with 230 houses. OK...so much for my stump!

Indigo, a note for you. The bear has been my spirit guide for quite some time. I think you know how I feel.

Smiles to all.

David

First Snow

2008-10-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

So long to fall....the Sneffels range in southwest Colorado

It is a cold Saturday night. This has been a very busy week and weekend. It seems to be the weekend to celebrate OctoberFest. The band played at the American Legion hall last night. We had a great time. It was their beer fest.
This is also the weekend of The Great American Beer Festival . Our neighbor, Paul puts on the festival. 46,000 people attended the three day event. Janice and I have attended the last several years but we both had to work today. Oh well......I'm really a wine drinker anyway.
It is 10:35 at night as I write this entry. It's snowing. I have, in the past, noted our first snow. It's right on schedule. I noticed entries of October 8th, and the 10th in the last couple of years.
Speaking of my old journals, I have successfully downloaded and saved my old entries. If you are interested, the links can be found in my profile.
It's late so I'm off......I'll try to make another post soon.
Keep smiling,
David

Neighborhood intruder

2008-10-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ruby and Buddy

Several weeks ago there was a report of a suspecious person in the Sunshine community. Evidently it was a dark complection man going up to peoples houses and asking for odd items, such as a car battery. This report made us all a little nervous.

Thursday morning I was taking my morning walk with Milo. We spotted our neighbor, Nancy, walking in our direction. She was wearing a green jacket, black slacks and walking rather briskly. I could see the smile come across her face as she recognized us. Nancy stopped to talk. She shared her story.

When I arrived home last night, Butch related to me a story from Ruby regarding the above intruder. ... When I was leaving for work this morning I noted that one of Butch's passenger truck door was opened as were 3 of my car doors. Immediately I became more anxious, and my mind jumped to multiple conclusions none of which were pretty. I tip-toed up to the truck and looked inside luckily there was no one inside, I then tip-toed to my car looked in the back seat and front seat but saw no one. I then looked in the trunk, which held my usual paraphernalia and no person. I went back in the house to notify Butch of the disturbance (don't ask me why didn't do this first) and then left for work. As I am driving down the Canyon the sun glistens on my side window and I notice a 6-inch paw print. When I arrived at work and looked around my car, I noted several other paw prints. There is dusty dirt on all the windows, door handles, backseat and trunk. As I continue to look around the car more closely with a coworker, she asked me what happened to the passenger head rest. Half of it was missing!
As you probably have guessed by now the intruder was not in the form of a man above, but a clever Sunshine Bear who was able to open 4 car doors with little effort. Luckily, I have no food in my car since the children are grown and I remember to take my coffee mug in daily minimal damage was done. Just a word of advice watch out for that Clever Sunshine Bear!

Nancy and I laughed as she passed on Ruby's comment about Buddy, our local neighborhood bear. Ruby told nancy that Buddy learned to open car doors many years ago.

Our neighborhood

2008-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

I don't want to leave an ongoing story with AOL and not keep everyone up on the progress. I am going to copy the last couple of entries just to remind you of the story.

One of our neighbors made a bird house that looks just like the Sunshine school house. I challenge my neighbors to find it's location.
Speaking of neighbors, I wanted to mention that a couple of weeks ago we were invited to a Sunday brunch at Doug and Mary Ann's. The event was totally delightful. They have a beautiful view from their house, overlooking the mountains to the south of Sunshine. Mary Ann has wanted to entertain for quite some time but Doug was against the idea. You see, Doug was afraid we (the neighbors) would try to steal everything he owns....that thought still has me laughing. You have to know Doug to enjoy his sense of humor. Doug wrote for a national magazine with the initials SI. His column was always a joy to read. MaryAnn's choice of fair could not have been better. The food was great and the guest list was tops (of course I would say that, I was included). MaryAnn reads this journal so for you MaryAnn.....you walked by the bird house this morning....did you see it?

My neighbor, Doug, read my last entry when I discussed our enjoyable visit to his house and the delicious Brunch. He responded. I would like to share his comment with you. I feel honored that he would allow me to reprint his words.

Good evening, David...

Many thanks for your wonderfully kind words in your blog about our brunch. You know we loved having you and Harry here and wished Janice could have come.

Every time anybody who lives up here comes to our house, the first thing I do when they leave is begin a thorough inventory. I have not quite completed the inventory from when you and the others were here a couple weeks ago. But, so far, so good. Remarkably little was stolen. One of our cars is missing but I think someone just got confused and will bring it back by year end. About $150,000 cash is absent but, again, my guess is somebody thought they had brought it with them and just took it home. Once they focus on it, I know they'll be embarrassed over this and they'll mail it back to me. The only other missing items, and of little import, is all the silver. However, in fairness, we might very well have mistakenly thrown it out with the trash in our haste to clean up after all you pigs.

Regards,
Doug

My lovely wife, Janice responded with this missive:

Dearest Doug and Mary Ann,

So sorry to have missed the brunch that you so graciously hosted a couple of Sundays ago. David and Dad had such a wonderful time.

I wanted to give you and Mary Ann a heads-up in hopes that you would keep an eye on our place over the next 3 weeks as David has surprised me with tickets for a cruise around the world. He said he just stumbled on to some extra cash and wanted to spoil his little "cupcake". Wow! The new cars are coming next week and we are remodeling the kitchen - wow! How does he do it? I didn't realize how well his band gigs were doing! Well, time to pack - take care! We'll miss you and will send postcards. David mentioned that it was with support from you two that he made the big decision - thanks!

Janice

Doug then replied:

Dear Janice...

I'm so happy for you. In fact, I saw David a day or two after our brunch and he had a spring in his step that I had not seen before. He was positively ebullient. Plus, he was, frankly, a trifle too appreciative of being included on our guest list. One of his comments was maybe a little odd: "Doug, most of all, it was great that I got to look around your entire house by myself. Being alone and unobserved gave me a chance to, well, be alone and unobserved." I dunno. But people always are saying curious things. I didn't read anything into it then and don't now.

Anyway, you have a lot of exciting things on the horizon. There's probably nothing like an around the world cruise. While we have never done that, I took Mary Ann on a comparable trip in 1967. We went to Greeley, ate at the I-Hop and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. I tell you, it was an experience for the ages. I'm sure you'll experience similar feelings. New cars and a kitchen remodel also are things I'm familiar with. I've never bought Mary Ann a new car but I recently got her a 1948 Nash with a bumper sticker: "I go from 0 to Bitch in 2.5 seconds." And while a kitchen remodel is out of the question here, I did buy her a really classy ice box last month.

David's sudden financial success is absolutely terrific. Perhaps when you all return from your trip, he can come over and have a cup of coffee. It will be a nice chance for him to meet and get to know the sheriff and the country attorney.

Regards,
Doug

I then received a missive from my good friend and neighbor Susan, who stayed with Doug and Mary Ann while her house was being remodeled. With her permission......

David, it's amazing after the neighbors wonderful hospitality in allowing me to stay at their house more than several times during my remodel that I was able to do a few more things than planned on my house. I too am able to afford a trip around the world now, but have a few more details to take care of around here to make it more comfortable. Then I'll start getting the plans ready to build a larger home which I never thought was possible.

lol

Susan

It is such a pleasure to have a neighbors with such a great since of humor.

2008-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I'm starting to play around with this new site. Please bear (no pun intended) as I try a few things. As soon as I feel confortable, I will post a story about our neighbor, Nancy)

Here's a copy of my first entry, September 8, 2005:

Milo (My mixed breed mutt) and I started our morning walk around 7AM. The morning sky was still pink, following a spectular 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. Milo was rewarded with a doggy bisquit 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.

Smiles,

David

My move from AOL

2008-10-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Watch for things to come!