School In The Woods

There is a program here in Colorado Springs called 'School In The Woods'.  It started in 1999, until this year this program only took 52 4th graders, now it  has expanded to 78 4th graders.

The school is in Black Forest (this is an area in Colorado Springs and has been called this longer then I've been alive because of all the trees), anyway, the school has 640 acres that is used as a living classroom.

It's only for 4th graders and they learn everything about the environment. They check wind speed and temperature, they study insects and plant cycles.

It was designed to increase students knowledge of natural science. I really wish they would have had that when I was younger, it would have been so interesting.

If you want to read more about it, the article is by Kristina Iodice, 'Window To The Outdoors Will Push Open Wider', www.gazette.com

Things about Colorado

We get a magazine from the Colorado Sheriffs every month. It is fascinating.

This month they did a 2 page article on Colorado's symbols and emblems. I will be sharing each day on a different one.

You would think that I would know all this stuff, a few things I did but not all of it.

Today is about the state flag:

The flag was designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson. By an act of the General Assembly, it was adopted on June 5, 1911. The act was amended in 1929 & 1964.

The flag is to be used on all occasions when the state is officially and publicly represented.

All citizens have the privilege to use the flag on occasions as they deem fit and appropriate. Laws pertaining to the use of our national flag are also applicable to our state flag.

1929 the General Assembly stipulated the precise colors of red and blue as the same as the national flag.

Neat, so that's it for our flag. Of course, you know me, my brain starts turning and I wonder, 'why does each state have their own flag' :)

First National Forest Campground

picture courtesy of R. Scott Rappold

The first national forest campground is Squirrel Creek Canyon in the Wet Mountains here in good ole Colorado. It was done in 1919 by the U.S. Forest Service but alas, it no longer exists due to a flood in 1947. But, you can camp at the Davenport Campground which is on higher ground and was remodeled to resemble a 1920's camping experience.

America got into the great outdoors due to 'The Progressive Movement' and Theodore Roosevelt.

We have a lot of places here in Colorado for people to camp and enjoy our forests. I found it fascinating that it all started back in 1919.

When you look at America, each state has a wonderful history to explore. Here in Colorado part of ours is the forest, to walk among nature and bask in her beauty is a thrill.

It Magically Disappears

picture courtesy of Disney

I was disappointed in the Colorado Springs voting. We had 3 issues to be voted on, it had to do with taxes. In the higher income districts, these 3 issues magically disappeared from the ballots.

One woman, came out from voting & wanted to know why these issues were not on her ballot. She was given a lame excuse but it sent them scrambling. Everyone of the ballots in these districts had these 3 issues missing

I guess they are not going to do anything about it, the issues passed & we are going to have higher property taxes. I smell a HUGE STINKY RAT!!! And I don't mind telling the world about it!!

So, after the disappointment of the elections, in the mail I got the renewal for our business license. It is not a biggy, the state use to send the notice & I would mail a check. Now, I have to do it by computer. There are 8 steps I have to go thru once I get to the site, then pay, then download a copy for myself. It was much easier when I just got to mail a check in (sigh)

Well, I feel a lot better now that I got to bitch, moan & complain.

Everybody take care :)

The Dark Cloud Has Lifted

picture courtesy of John Crossley

In 1972 a woman in California shared a dream she had of Colorado Springs, Colorado. A black cloud covered Pikes Peak and the whole city. What she did not know was at the same time, the city of Colorado Springs told the American Indians in the region, that they could no longer have their pow wow's at the Garden Of the Gods.

The Garden of the Gods had always been the sacred gathering place for the Indians for over 3,400 years. Complaints had come in from residents about the drumming and that the grass & flowers had been trampled. The drumming part is true, the other is not. To this day no one can find the names of those complaints. I know why those complaints were made and who was behind them but that is another story. Today, I tell the story of victory.

After 32 years, on September 25th (my wedding anniversary also), the Garden of the Gods had it's first pow wow. before the pow wow began, the American Indians had to make it sacred once more.

Eugene Redhawk lifted his gourd, shook it and moved across the dry grass in the dance of sanctification. Then came a procession of the American Indian flag of buffalo and eagle feathers, followed by other flags including the flag of the United States.

Once the the grounds were blessed they danced, the drums beat and healing of our land and city began. Sandy Turcotte, a Chippewa Indian said, "This is a healing step, its the first healing step I've seen in a long time." Sebrena Forrest, a Mohawk said, "This feels like coming home again."

Being born in this city and seeing what has happened to it, I dance the dance of VICTORY. To long have we been in darkness, a dark cloud covering our lands. The Garden of the Gods, is once more sacred ground where the American Indian can come with the song and dance of healing.

Our city will once more be blessed.

Pikes Peak Library Pictures cont.

2.

ok, a little history here.

My parents had a # of 1.

houses. Picture #1 is the inside

of one of these houses. Now, the

library is saying that Picture #2

is the outside of picture #1.

Wrong, picture #2 belongs to

either the Tutt's or C.L. Tutt's

secretary, Merton W. Bogart

(I'll be doing more on good ole

Merton, he was Tutt's secretary

not my dad's and I have hard copy proof of this)

So, back to the houses. Julie wanted to live at the Broadmoor Hotel, she had friends that lived there. I heard this argument every single day. Her and my dad would argue about it, my dad would tell her "I am not living where I work." She would not let it go, she was like a pit bull. After my dad's death, she had a part of the hotel redone for her apartment. This is what she had wanted for a long time but it wasn't what she thought it would be.

She lived in fear the whole time she was there. Her phone calls were monitered and she only got a very few. This was by order of the Tutts (remember this was the time of calls going thru the hotel switchboard). She would not eat any of the food prepared for her from the hotel kitchen. When it was delivered to her apartment rooms, she would have the waiter eat the food in front of her. She was deathly afraid she would be poisoned.

So much for wanting to live at the hotel.

It's A Wild Life Or Is It Wildlife

We live in beautiful Colorado Springs, on the southeast side. It's more of the plains but we have a beautiful view of the mountains. The west side is closer to the mountains and wild animals are always coming down.

It's not unusual for a bear to roam the golf course of the Broadmoor, deer are always grazing on your lawn and we have a moose that likes the creek by Colorado College. Out on the plains you know that there are antelopes, foxes and coyotes. The antelopes are the ones you usually see. Growing up here you believe that it is as natural as the sun coming up.

But, the last few months we have had a fox and a coyote in our back yard. The fox got one of the neighbor's cats, bummer. But, yesterday a young bear got lost and found himself at Wal Mart, he didn't bother with the Citadel Mall which was a hop, skip and a jump from there. He also wandered in a few yards (not ours, thank goodness). The wild life people captured him and took him back to the mountains.

My dogs wouldn't go out yesterday without us, now I know why. Poor Galileo, he just wanted to sit in my lap and he shook the whole time. Just the smell of the bear scared him. This is unusual, for the wildlife to come in so close on the south side. It shows me that they have built far too much and food is getting scarce.

It's a wildlife here :) hope everyone has a good week end!

Happy Birthday, Daddy

May 10th is my dad's birthday. My father was always a kid at heart and I related to him very well being a kid myself. One of his favorite places to go was the zoo and the

Will Roger's Shrine.

We would stand at the shrine and look out over Colorado Springs, my dad always had his binoculars and he would look towards Penrose, Colorado (a town named for him). He always loved that town, he said he always felt alive when he was there.

My father would talk to me for hours, I was like a mini tape recorder. As I look back I realize, all of my dad's closest friends were gone and I was the only one he could confide in. There was also another reason, he was dying. Cancer was eating away at my tall vibrant father and he wanted to tell me about the Penrose family and the family secrets.

Horseback riding was a love of his, Goldie was the name of one of his horses. She was a palomino and a very gentle soul. My father also loved polo, which he played very well. He lived life to it's fullest even as the vultures circled. His life was fulled with problems as all lives are but he made the most of it.

Cancer did not kill my dad, he was murdered and the man who did it, got away with it. Justice is not only blind, she can be bought.

We had a motto in our family, "keep looking to the stars". I have no idea what it means but every night I look to the stars and say hello to my dad.