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!

Buck...

Violet's boyfriend Buck is also a visitor. This is mating season for deer so we all steer clear of the couple. Maybe we'll have babies come visit in the Spring.....

Violet

Her name is Violet because she munches on the Violas which grow in the back.

Holiday Shopping

Need a unique, one of a kind gift for someone on your holiday list? 

Check out this Etsy shop, BashandStorm.

The shop owner sews a variety of bags - handbags, tote bags, etc. She uses unique fabric and all her bags are very well made and of a high quality plus the prices are very reasonable. Her work is amazing. How can someone sew a straight line like that???

The shop is named after her son, Bash, and their kitty, Storm. She is a military wife, and hubby and I have 'adopted' her and her family. Give the shop a look-see. You never know what you'll find....

Marketing 101

Over the summer I attended a seminar about Marketing for the artist. It was sponsored by Cottonwood Center for the Arts.

The panel of experts consisted of the heads of two local tv stations and two local newspapers, along with reps of an advertising agency and a local gallery. They were all knowledgeable, friendly and very willing to share their experience and expetise with those in attendance. And I wanted to share what I found out with you.

Marketing is a necessary part of selling anything - books, artwork, tangible or intangible items. Marketing oneself can be hard. But who knows you and your product better than YOU! So YOU are the best one equipped to market yourself and your goods.

The biggest part of marketing something is getting the public to know about you and your item. The more interesting you are (life experiences, places lived, etc.), then it is more likely that the public will take notice of you and/or your work. 

Blogging was, and still is, a great way for the public to learn about you and whatever you create.  Social media is also another almost imperative publicity outlet in today's marketplace.  

Here are some pointers when writing a press release or a notice for a media outlet.

• ·         Cater your story to the media outlet - A write-up for a social media source may be shorter and more personal than one for a newspaper
• ·         Create a human interest story – go behind the scenes of the person (YOU!) written about in the press release
• ·         Write the press release with people in mind – create a hook to draw them in
• ·        Press releases or articles should only be one page – short and concise, important info at the top, do not stray from topic, boiler plate info at bottom
• ·         Press release should be one paragraph for tv coverage
• ·         Add pictures or video to online press releases - use metatags (labels) to increase visibility, online press releases (via Facebook, Twitter, or online media calendars) receive approx. 3x the views as printed matter (newspapers, magazines)
• ·         Create an ongoing relationship with media or business organizations
• ·         Collaboration with others increases visibility
• ·         Provide quality material to leave a quality impression

In Memorium.......

Elvira

2007- 2017

A mommy dog you were

Teaching kids to walk by holding onto your fur.

You raised a batch of puppies with patience and with love

You may now rest, the coos you hear are doves.

May your food bowl always be full

May you run and play and cavort.
Elvira we miss you.

But you will always be in our heart.

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

Unwritten Law

For about as long as I can remember, it has always snowed before or on Halloween in Colorado. It is rare to get a Halloween without snow or cold or wind. 

I think it is some kind of unwritten law in Colorado to have it snow on Halloween. And this year was no disappointment.

We didn't get much snow, more like icy precipitation. But it was really pretty as the sun came up on Halloween day.

The other unwritten law in Colorado is that radio stations must play "Riding the Storm Out" by REO Speedwagon when the weather is stormy.

Happy Halloween!

What's it?

After the first flood at our cabin location, we found this track in the mud in the driveway. It was the only track we found.  What is your guess?

All That Glitters...

Is not Gold! Hubby and I thought we might get lucky after the floods this past summer and find a flake or two of gold in our stream. HA! We only found mica. But it was still fun.

The View...

From my kitchen window...

Both with and without snow

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Her Name

Our home is next door to a large Victorian home which is owned by the City of Cripple Creek. It is used as housing for the actors, actresses and stage crew for the local repertory theater, The Butte Theater.

The house is only inhabited 6 months out of the year. So it is almost like not having neighbors. This year's crew has been fun and our dogs have greatly enjoyed the extra hands which so eagerly reach over the fence to pet them. 

View of The Victorian Lady from my side yard

The house is gorgeous, with leaded windows and all sorts of detail work. It was built in 1898 by a Charles N. Miller. The house has been named The Victorian Lady. 

Well, not wanting our lovely home to feel left out, hubby named our house The Painted Lady. While the name may reference the "Women of the Night', it is in no way derogatory. The women who worked the bordellos were often kind hearted and generous. And very much misunderstood. But that is all for another post...