Ah, Spring in Colorado

Started last night and is expected to last until tomorrow night. Cleaned off my deck and stairs at 6 am and need to do it again. Very happy I'm not out driving in this mess.

Redneck Woman

PROBLEM: Snow laden trees branch in danger of breaking. Two story house. 1/10 pitch roof too dangerous to climb

REDNECK WOMAN‘S SOLUTION. Five rounds of 12 gauge Pheasant loads into the snow laden branches, thereby removing the snow.

PROBLEM: Solved.

Don’t mess with my sister. She will hurt you!

Obama"s Fault?

We have been enjoying 80 degree weather along the Front Range. Yesterday, a storm came through dropping 8 or more inches of wet, almost cement, snow. Today Obama visited Denver. I'm blaming him for the mess.

Other than catching trees still with leaves, a heavy moisture storm like this is good for our parched soil. Going from 80 to snow kills off a lot of grasshoppers, etc., which will be helpful next summer.

Ground Blizzard, Please

Six days without a computer. Will read all your posts and try to comment.

I would rather drive 500 miles in a ground blizzard than 500 miles in heavy rain. A stationary front stretched from New Orleans to Pennsylvania and I got to drive across it. Rain, wind, tornado warnings and hail were part of the mix. The client's vehicle is one of only two made so far. NO DAMAGE ALLOWED. Meant sitting under a bridge for two hours watching hail come down. Oh well, I was being paid; not my money!

Easier money then the roadside merchant on a minor off ramp in Kansas. Didn't see his MOTOR anywhere.

Fun watching fellow Colorado residents meeting the Kansas State Patrol. One gentleman in a Mercedes got two greetings I saw. Yes folks, the speed limit is 70 MPH on I-70. Just grit your teeth and endure.

Meanwhile, Out at The Ranch

Check out this new blogger.

http://meanwhileoutattheranch.blogspot.com/

Her blog is aimed at school age children who know little about ranching.

She and her husband are the type of people who make up the backbone of this country. I'm proud they think of me as their friend.

Globull Warming

Just finished the fourth application today of shovel and broom to the several inches of global warming on the deck, stairs, walks, and vehicles. So far, this has been a dry winter on the plains and this moisture is needed to fill local aquifers and irrigation reservoirs.

As storms go, this is nothing for this area. Guess it is the other parts of the country getting hammered along with Alberta. Still, it validates why I keep a 4x4 on hand.

A Story for Dirty Al, Part Two

Seems Dirty Al didn’t like my last story. He is concerned people will think he was “Bill”. No, Bill was Bill. However, this is a similar story that directly involved Dirty Al.

Dirty Al and the lovely Lisa were driving in Kitsap County, WA when a vicious snow storm hit the area. The conditions were so bad, Al pulled off the road. He found shelter in someone’s summer home carport and waited from conditions to improve.

Lisa needed to relieve herself. Al suggested behind the car. Lisa, a city woman, informed Al that she had never went anywhere but a bathroom in her life and that he was to find her a bathroom right now!

After awhile a snow plow came along and Al followed behind until they came to a service station. Turns out that was too late for Lisa.

Dirty Al has been very reticent about what happened next but, within two weeks, he and Lisa were history.

So Al, be cautious when you bust on me. I’m the one with a blog!

Same Sex Marriage

J.D. Hayworth, McCain’s primary challenger, recently stumbled while discussing same sex marriage. He somehow got off on a tangent that people might want to marry their horses. This issue was settled in 1975. Please read on.

A constant theme in my blog is the need for people to get involved, at the local level, in politics. By local level I mean precinct, city, and county. Doing so can produce some interest results. In the early 1970’s, students and others associated with the University of Colorado, Boulder County, CO overwhelmed and took over the political parties in the county at the caucus level, nominated their favorites, and captured many of the county offices in the general election. Their efforts were completely open and legal. All hell broke loose. Taxes, on the books but never previously collected from the movers and shakers, were now collected. Many other changes were made. The “establishment” was truly shaken.

Clela Rorex was elected County Clerk and Recorder. She was well qualified. Her father was the long term County Clerk and Recorder of Routt County, CO, and very good at his job. He was reelected by such margins he rarely had a challenger. Clela grew up working in his office as an unpaid helper. She knew the procedures, rules, and law.

Clela issued the first same sex marriage licenses in the country. She checked with the County Attorney. There was no law on the books forbidding it. She ended up issuing six licenses in all. One day a man came in and wanted to marry his horse. There was no law against it. Clela asked the age of the horse then informed him, by law, the horse was too young and needed written permission from both parents. Mr. Hayworth must not know of this precedence.

This is an example of how political change happens. What happened in Boulder County influenced Colorado politics and new laws for years.

The evangelicals have used the local process to gain a lot of influence. My hope is that the Tea Party participants will get into the gritty business of politics at the local level. It is not as much fun as parades and rallies but is much more effective. You won’t get a lot changed by spending your time talking with people who already agree with you. I write as a former precinct committeeman. My late father was a precinct committeeman and County Captain. He was a man of modest means but had a lot of influence. All you need is the willingness to give a few hours a month and a strong ego to withstand the critics that will come your way. The good is you will attend some great parties! Many precincts positions are unfilled. Call your Parties’ county office.

Was it Woody Allen who said 80% of success is just showing up?
Show up, and be amazed at what you can get done. Tip O’Neil said that all politics is local. Somebody in your locality is making your decisions. Why isn’t it you?

Much more fun than the 8" of global warming I just shoveled of the deck and stairs.