A Day Too Late

 

A major prairie fire yesterday devastated parts of Boulder County.

https://coloradosun.com/2021/12/30/boulder-grass-fire-evacuations/

We have had an extremely dry fall with no snowfall along the Front Range until today

 

We didn’t get much but enough to lessen fire danger. I doubt we will get much more this week.

 My heart goes out to the people who have lost everything. While I recently wrote in my blob titled “Sprawl” about all the housing developments, the devastation isn’t something I wish on anyone.

As Sisty pointed out to me, that area is near Coal Creek Canyon, a natural funnel out of the Foothills and notorious for high winds. The highway from Golden to Boulder is frequently closed, year around, for high winds.

Housing is going to be a big issue. There are few homes for sale in this hot real estate market and as many as eight applicants are in line for area apartments.

When a whole neighborhood was lost in Colorado Springs a few years ago, people were commuting from as far away as Walsenburg, 100 miles away. One son was involved in managing a motel there at the time.

 Timing

 This morning I proved PPPPP. All this past week I planned on visiting my offsite storage unit. Today I went during the snow storm. Luck?  Walking to my unit, I noticed a Murphy Special wiring job. While rummaging in the unit, I heard a “pop” behind me. Turning, I saw the wiring on fire. A few tugs and the burning part of the wiring was on the ground. That still left an exposed live electrical box.

I was able to contact the owners and alert them. I suspect some renter will soon get an eviction notice.

Banner

Banner isn’t pleased with the change in weather. As winter progresses (hopefully with a lot of snow) he will adjust. I need to make sure of my footgear. A 80 lb lab hitting the end of the leash can cause an old man to fall.

ADDENDUM: Maybe Every Blade of Grass will get to use his new snowblower.

Peoples Republik of Boulder

Social justice warriors rejoice. You can take your blankie to Boulder and feel safe. Plus, there is a coffee shop in every block where you can get your soothing beverage of choice.

http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2016/12/06/the-peoples-playpen-safe-and-silly-in-boulder/

Good to see the County Commissioners spending time on such important issues since they can’t be bothered with gridlock, the homeless population, little affordable housing, Byzantine building and land use codes, crime, opiate addiction, and illegal dumping off county roads.

Appearance over substance, Boulder County leads the way and the prairie dogs rejoice!

I'm Not Welcome in Boulder, CO

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28359296/moose-loose-boulder-police-scare-late-night-visitor

All I did was comment on a Facebook posting that the moose raised the level of common sense in Boulder, not that it was a high bar to begin with.

Sheesh, the hateful responses!

Miscellaneous Colorado Observations II

Foothills flooding is beyond serious. Authorities are talking in terms of 100 year and 500 year flooding. Starting at Coal Creek canyon, just West of Arvada/Golden and extending North to Lyons, all the streams are over their banks. Boulder County is especially hard hit. We are not out of the woods, yet. The above picture is looking NNW where Longs Peak, the highest 14,000' peak in Colorado sits. Looking East, lots of moisture, and the clouds at about 1,000' AGL are moving North. That is not our usual weather pattern.

Outside the flood areas, there are many flooded basements. People neglect their roof gutters, or have none, and the ground is becoming saturated. Few people in Colorado buy flood insurance.

The South Platte is still running high. West of Monument, CO, this river drains all of the Front Range. After a huge flood in 1965, two big dams were built in the drainages above Denver, and dikes were built along the river below Denver.

Unusual doings this morning, an Amtrack train on the Union Pacific rails to Cheyenne. Passengers were aboard. The only scheduled service is the California Zephyr, which runs on the BNSF trackage.
This picture was taken around 10 a.m. The Zephyr goes Westbound around 6 a.m. and Eastbound around 7 p.m.

On the other hand, the neighbor's chickens were busy putting their feathers into place.

Once again, the Denver Post has given space to as vile an attack on 2nd Amendment supporters as you are likely to read. MSNBC has linked it.
 http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_24081847/columns

The article says he is a businessman. Bullshit, he is a professor at the University of Denver School of Business. He inherited his business, that he has someone else run and has had two jobs in the private sector. One was for a firm run by a relative.

And this just in.
https://www.facebook.com/BoulderCounty/posts/10151878339068545

Silly Town, USA Addendum

Boulder, CO. Fifty Square Miles surrounded by realty (that is not original).

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22355050/residents-organizing-silent-walk-mapleton-elk-boulders-pearl?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22355722/reason-kill-ballad-big-boy-mapleton-elk?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22348725/boulder-da-no-decision-this-week-charges-against?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

• http://www.beastinthegarden.com/Home.html

  
  

  
  

  Ah, well, gives us something to tut, tut, about.

  
  

  
  

Silly Town, USA Update

I do believe in fairness and hearing all sides to an issue. With that, here is something from Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/BigBoyBoulderElk

• 

  Here's a message to the haters! You know who you are, you trolls posting elk recipes for fun and calling us retarded:
  
  We're not against mercy killings and mos...t of us aren't against hunting. The community is upset because nobody but that cop is saying that the animal was injured, conveniently after he hid the killing for two days. An eye witness to the killing who saw it just before (and after) it was killed said on video (see previous post) that "it was a healthy animal." So it's clear to most of us that he lied. Please don't get distracted by some of us who value animal rights or our candle light vigil Boulder-style sentimentality. We're a community worried about a crooked cop trying to get away with poaching an animal while being paid by the tax payers. The Police Chief is angry about this, as are we all. Many of us are elk hunters and eaters ourselves who just want equal treatment under the law. Most of all, we all want justice for Big Boy the elk!
  

Silly Town, USA

 Harmless critters,  no?

What happens when your population is “over educated” and/or trust funders. Peoples Republic of Boulder. You hold a candlelight “vigil” for an elk.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22310417/mapleton-elk-boulder-police-shooting?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22322028/residents-mourn-boulder-elk-at-candlelight-vigil

Same people who feed Bambi, then are appalled when mountain lions show up on their decks.