Sidewalk in a Mining Camp

sidewalk in a mining camp

the boom has long gone bust

head wheels now stand silent

how they gather rust

fall has drawn to winter

rain and fog survive

empty lots and empty bins

still we are alive

sidewalk in a mining camp

changes like the season

stand there month and moment

shake your head and reason

what has been production

to depth or great divide

the point was once to prosper

grandeur to decide

a limit to the landings

random without fuss

left is only a fog

no limit to the dust

long has gone the shadow

from the summer leaves

reason now distorted

levels by degrees

standing on the sidewalk

an empty one at that

reminder of the old days

money in the camp

the city was a magnet

roulette like a rush

fog binds the open

ushers to a hush

Anonymous

Ghosts of Christmas

Sometimes the Ghost of Christmas Present meets the Ghost of Christmas Past and it is a magickal thing.

Merry Christmas!

May the joy and love of the Season be yours throughout the year.

Solstice Blessings

Tis the Season of cold and white,

May your spirit shine bright on this very night,

With intuitive vision and beauty of sight,

May  your heart embrace the return of the light.

Mes Xmas List

Dear Santy Paws,
Me has been a good Kitty this year. 
Me helped Mommy when she packd the house stuff for the moov - Me even packd Mes mousy! 
Me suffered thru all the noiz & stickiness of the littel peopl on Turkey Day - of course, Me got Turkey!
Me woold like sum Catnip, plz. It's for medicinal purposes of course.
Me woold also like a new Cat Tree. Like the one in the foto below. Yu can buy it at this link - HERE!

P.S. Do yur raindeer like Catnip?

Purz and Catnip Dreams.......Gomez

Murals and Billboards...pt.2

When the casinos came to town, they painted murals on a few of their buildings. While not necessarily advertising, at least the murals are in the spirit of the Old West.
To read part 1 of this post, Click Here!

This building is currently Cripple Creek City Hall and was once the
main Fire Station for the town

'Tis the Season... pt.1

For advertising...

A recent blog post by Debra She Who Seeks, got me thinking about advertising. And Billboards. And old timey advertising. 

Before billboards became prevalent, painting an advertisement on the side of a building for a product or business was a common practice. My little town of Cripple Creek has a number of such murals. While most are of newer origins, there are a few that could pass for something originating in the late 1890's or early 1900's. Be sure to click on the individual pictures to read some of the advertising. It's a hoot!

I'll have more murals - mostly modern - tomorrow.

County Courthouse seen on right 

Police Station is home to this mural

Medicinal Liquors!

My Favorite!

 

Altitude Cooking

With the onset of the Holiday Season, baking is many folks' minds. I love to bake. And cook. But living at a high elevation can prove to be challenging when it comes to something as ordinary as cooking or baking.
The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. And at an elevation of 9500ft. the air pressure here is L*O*W! This low air pressure means lower boiling points, things will rise more rapidly, and faster evaporation because of the lower humidity. The more common ways to adjust a recipe are to increase the liquid, reduce sugar, reduce leavening agent. 
I learned to cook at elevation. And when we lived at 9000ft, I had gotten fairly adept at baking. It has been almost 20 years since that time and I have forgotten a few things since then. So now I am re-learning what I once knew.

To begin this process, I decided to do what the old prospectors used to do, use a sourdough starter. I try to use my starter about every 2 wks, though using it once a week is better. I store my starter in a crock jar in the fridge when it is not being fed or used.



The batter has a strong yeasty smell which is what sourdough is known for. I have read and been told that the yeast in sourdough is very healthy for a person. 

The first batch I tried earlier this month, I made into bread. It was bit dense but quite tasty. The second batch, which I made into rolls, was not as dense but less moist.

I have been keeping notes on any adjustments I make so that I know what works and what doesn't work. I will soon be attempting cookies. Wish me luck!

Read more about high altitude cooking with hints and tips HERE! and HERE!