Monday, May 23, 2011

Fraser (Colorado) Writer's Group

Every Monday we meet at the Fraser Library. We socialize, we read our stories, try to stay on task, we talk about writing, and then we part.


Today we had a special guest, Kirk Klanke. Kirk came to the writer’s group to talk about the Moffat Firming project and the Fraser River. He came to ask us to write letters to the Wildlife Commission and ask them for a state position on the Moffat Firming and Windy Gap projects that will require mitigation that will offset the true impacts of taking the high flows from the Fraser River. He asked us to share our experiences with the declining health of the Fraser River and send a letter to Colorado Wildlife Commission.


Our Group: from the left: Linda, Howard, Jean, Kirk, Barbara, Gracie, Fran (not pictured) Judy.
I asked him specifically what wildlife is most endangered by these projects. He said trout. But he also said the riparian zones around the Fraser River supports 90% of the wildlife including moose and bird life.

I love that Kirk came to our writer’s group to help us write letters. Last year, his wife, Marianne came to our group as well to help us write letters and to encourage us to spread the word about letter writing campaigns to fight Fraser River diversion projects. Marianne passed away a few months ago and she was a true supporter of saving the Fraser River.

After Kirk left the group, we read our writing. Jean read her outdoor fiction story about her son in the woods during a full moon. Linda read a chapter in her book about women firefighters. Joan wrote about a neighbor friend who helped her care for her children. Gracie read about her first job in Tennessee and how once she was promoted to a better job, the laughter stopped. Judy wrote about an elderly woman who was taken advantage of by a male companion. Howard showed a drawing he did of a man in the mountain off I-70. Barbara wrote a story about wine.

What a great bunch of men and woman who love to write and read. The average age of most members is about 70 so I’m one of the youngest. If you are a writer and would love to read your work, please come. Every Monday at 10:00 at the Fraser Library. We would love to have you.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Road Biking in Rocky Mountain National Park

Over the weekend I got a long bike ride in. We rode from Grand Lake into Rocky Mountain National Park as far as we could go. As far as we could go ended up being pretty close to Lake Irene, just over 10,000 feet. The road got more narrow and we had to turn around. It was cold coming down, we didn’t notice the cold so much going up, up, up.



The views of the Never Summer Wilderness and Bowen Baker were simply, Stunning. The bluest sky. The whitest clouds. The whitest snow. Can you tell I’m in love with this place?

Here's me with the Never Summer Wilderness behind me.

Next weekend, we will bike again and see if we can go a bit farther.

The road is closed 10 miles in from the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on the Grand Lake side of Rocky Mountain National Park. But, foot and bike travelers can duck the gate (legally) and walk and ride about 7-8 miles.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Who Doesn't Love A Rant

I’m going to copy another blog that starts with “A Rant”. I don’t really have anything to rant about. I’ve been buried in another life these days. I don’t watch the news or even turn on the TV. I try to read my Twitter and Facebook updates from all I follow but time is slipping away each day. I’ve been training for Ironman, working, writing, and most importantly walking my dogs several times a day just to get outside and walk. It’s mud season here at 8,000 feet; my favorite time of year. As we walk around the roads and some-times trails, I see birds flying past me, and fox running across the hills, deer wander around in herds, and the world is coming back to life.


A few days ago I have been seeing the same porcupine in the culvert. Since I’m around children’s books many hours a week, I see all the wonderful, creative children’s book titles, and when I saw the porcupine I instantly thought it would make a great book title: There’s a porcupine in the culvert. The book would be the adventures of a silly, yellow lab trying desperately to get up close to the porcupine. She just wants to smell it and maybe, just maybe, bite into it like a squeak dog toy. There’s no need to keep the ending a secret, she ends up in the vet’s office.

Maybe there is no rant here in my story. Okay, no rant. But I know I could call up ole KO and he’d have one for me. Maybe.