Snow Trails: Christmas Blizzard

Mother Nature gave us a Christmas gift that whitened up our outdoor wonderland, will probably test a few snow-shoveling hearts today and slow down travel to an as-needed basis for a day or two.

Received an e-mail from a Southeast Colorado neighbor/writer/friend in Lamar this morning about his snow coverage.  Oris George always tells a good story, and this one is no less descriptive or real than those in his new book, Along the Back Roads of Yesterday. This e-mail is a must-share!  As is his book - a great gift for your last-minute buying.

 “Mother Nature zapped us a good one! …about 12 inches of new snow last night, drifts 3 to 5 feet…  In places the cows are eating corn stalks, etc. that are on completely bare ground.  Snow drifted onto the back porch, three feet deep!

I opened the kitchen door at 4:30 this morning…  Much to my sleep-eyed surprise, our border collie who was supposed to be in her doghouse, came bounding into the kitchen, acting all smart! Her pen had drifted full and she had walked out over a 6 foot drift. With this knee just recovering from a replacement, I could hardly walk in the drifts.  (In my advanced age I am becoming a sissy.)

I have not a clue how I am going to clean the snow out of that dog pen. I wrapped myself in a heavy coat, put on heavy rubber boots and ventured out to feed the chickens. Trying to walk through those snow drifts with boots on and the snow deep, I found I needed to go back to the house and wait for spring!”

I suspect poor Lily (the smart dog)...may spend a few days visiting Oris's chicken yard!

Enjoy the beauty, wonder and awesome power of Nature-at-work this Christmas week...in Southeast Colorado.

Particularly today, as the snow plows roar by...Nature prevails!

Boot trails: shades of yesterday

It’s never too late to write a book; Bud Scranton from Prowers County, Colorado, has grandchildren. He will host his first book-signing tomorrow for Boot Tracks, There and Back, Thursday, January 13th, at the Senior Center in Lamar, from 10 am to 12 noon.

The first title for Bud’s book was Letters to my Grandchildren, which is the main reason he wrote the book – to insure that his grandchildren knew how different life was in the ‘30’s. “Life did a flip-flop after the war,” Bud said. "Life changed! I wanted my grandchildren to know that.” Bud went on to explain that the final title, Boot Tracks, There and Back, “…just fit! There were boots…and the tracks…all along the way. Well, it just fit.”

“It brought back the good memories, but I had to also relive some of the tragedies”, Bud said, as we chatted about his book. He said the hardest part was keeping the chapters “…short, simple and to the point.”

I asked Bud if he had any advice for other, promising authors. He hit the three high points that every writer needs to follow on their road to successful publication;

1. Keep it simple!

2. Write what inspires you, write from your heart.

3. Write the chapters out first, then go back, later, and edit.

Lola Shrimplin quoted Scranton in the Lamar Ledger last week, "This is brand new ground for me. I`ve never sold a book before. I`ve sold a lot of things."

Jan Verhoeff writes on one of her websites, http://acewriters.com/ , “Scranton’s dedication to life in southeastern Colorado, his family and neighbors is evident in his book. Weather darkened skin, wrinkled by the sun surrounds clear blue eyes when he speaks to you directly, sharing his memories of life on the prairies of Colorado.” On her Lamar website, http://lamarco.us/blog/?p=853., Verhoeff says, “Scranton, a survivor of the ’30′s dust bowl days, details his efforts to bring sheep to Colorado. Walking a path of determination he wore the soles off many a pair of boots to make it there and back, again and again.”

As I listened to Bud tonight, I heard a Love of life, an energy that evades many people half his age. I heard strength and pride as well as humility and kindness.

This book belongs on our bedside tables, a reminder to all of us that life is precious, short and so very much what we make of it. We get out what we put in; we are remembered for what we leave behind. Bud Scranton’s written act of Love for his grandchildren will endure forever – both in print, and in the hearts of his loved ones.

Boot Tracks, There and Back, is available...tomorrow at the senior center, at the bookstore in Lamar on main street by the train station, as well as at Amazon , and at Barnes and Nobles.

As always, Nature prevails.

The NATURE of man; neighbors

It's a part of everyday living - neighbors. Unless you have your own private island or own a 2000 acre ranch, neighbors are a fact of life.

Sometimes their dogs wake you at 2am (never much fun). Or their music overshadows your peace and quiet (very irritating). Or they intrude on your privacy for that never-ending cup of sugar.

Or, you are fortunate enough to live near a special neighbor family who offer you a key to their basement for protection against the ever-present tornadoes that plague the high plains of Colorado. And, they entrust you with the care and safety of their 4-H animals that are more precious to their children during this time of summer in southeast Colorado (local and state fair times), than any type of new toy.

And for the minimum work you provided and the maximum enjoyment you gained interacting with the cutest goats on the planet, the nicest young gentleman and young lady bring you gifts from a far away place near a beautiful ocean. Not just any gift, but ones personalized with your names - in addition to the biggest box of salt water taffy you've ever seen! Did I mention it's my husband's favorite candy?! And they didn't know that...till now. Yet another synchronicity in life.

This is a time for considering...the Nature of man - my nature, in particular. What of the times my nature was grumpy and not the most understanding...of my neighbor? These are parts of my human nature I am occasionally tempted to disown. But life isn't quite that easy.

Today, our neighbor family reached out yet again, displayed a part of human nature that is connected to the creation and design and artistry of life, rather than the negative, self-serving side, (as I have shown in times past). And as such, I continue to learn, and grow, and rise just a little more, above the recesses of humanity that reside in corners of my psyche that are much younger than my chronological age, that still have lessons to learn, and understanding and patience to gain.

I have watched this family over the years, the way they cater and interact with their small children, spend quality time with them, include them in their lives in so many ways. I admire continually how they teach them kindness and understanding...such as having them deliver small gifts to their sometimes not-so-nice neighbor, (me, not my patient, loving, understanding, nice husband), in return for a little help while they vacationed.

The Nature of man is complex and confusing and sometimes misplaced. And then sometimes...angelic.

Our appreciation and heartfelt thank you to our special, angelic neighbors.

Nature prevails.

Nature's Perfect food; The Perfect EGG at Chicken Tracks on the Trail

The American Egg Board has this to say about the 'lowly' egg; "WHAT’S IN AN EGG? Eggs are rich in nutrients and a very affordable component of a healthy diet. They contain, in varying amounts, almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans as well as several other beneficial food components. In fact, egg protein is of such high quality that it is a standard against which other proteins are compared. Take a look at the nutrition statement and see what you get in today’s incredible, edible egg."



Under sunny, warm, breezy Colorado skies, our 6 healthy, free-ranging pretties, here at Hasty Acres, keep us stocked with all the incredible eggs we need - and then some. Just ask Mr. George over at www.orisgeorge.com. He will gladly explain just how to perfectly cook our perfect eggs; Donkey and Mule aficionado, published numerous times in The Brayer and other mule publications, Mr. George has recently taken up the art of egg-cooking. But I digress.

Hens don't always lay eggs and Roosters don't have the least inclination. But more about that on the next Chicken Tracks on the Trail.

Nature prevails.