Donkey on early morning pasture – Photo by Marla Bishop
by Marla Bear Bishop – Fruitland Mesa, Crawford Country and beyond correspondent
Alfalfa! What a great year for it. Rich bluey purple and the scent, it couldn’t be more delicious. By the time this goes to print, the alfalfa that I’ve been nursing along will be cut and baled. Later in the year the equines will search it out among the grasses in their daily feed. I’ll remember back to these summer days when I was lost in the beauty of the lovely plants still blowing in the breeze.
While summer fun continues, a certain highlight thus far was Paonia’s Cherry Days, lots of fun seemingly free of drama, political or otherwise. I ate at the Greek food truck about a dozen times punctuated by ice cream and lemonade and of course, cherries. Six pounds of cherries to be exact.
This was the first year in many that I didn’t attempt to walk an animal down Grand Avenue in the Cherry Day’s Parade. I was sad sad sad, even shedding a few tears like a grown up baby. It’s not that easy to ask for help on a holiday with everyone busy just getting through their own day. As it turned out, the freedom from having this time to myself was just plain fine. I was able to enjoy the floats; the entire parade got my full attention. I was able to check out venders, try on earrings (especially loved Michelle Riley’s hand- worked beauties) never did that while watching over a beast or two! Life is funny that way…you think you’re sad and missing something but as the saying goes, another door opens and it’s nothing but good! Next year hopefully I’ll get back to that parade participation. It made me happy to meet up with more than a few humans wondering where the animals were.
Later that July 4th day, the party continued at the Colorado Centennial Ranch celebration of the Houseweart’s homestead. While in the food line, the ginormous food line, it was noticed by a few of us that root beer floats were being prepared within a short visible distance but out of the food line itself. Saving my place in line, two sweethearts waited with anticipation while I had three floats made and we downed them before we even reached the food. It felt sort of naughty to be so indulgent but later it just felt rather terrible. This must have been why a few of us didn’t make it to any other Fourth of July gatherings. Thanks to the Houseweart’s of all generations for hosting such a joyous hootenanny!
Not that I want to change the tone of this article on a rain blessed summer, not wanting to cool off the warm memories we’re making to wrap this up but I had my second encounter with what I always have two encounters with every single summer.
It started by having a car with a trunk. Not used to having a trunk, let alone a car. Trucks don’t have so many hidden places.
While putting groceries in the hopefully mouse free trunk, I noticed a bird seed bag that I’d been using to keep the trunk carpet clean showed absolute signs of disturbance. Hmmm. All the way home I imagined what could possibly lurk inside this vehicle in which I was singing along to music. What could possibly drill through a woven plastic bag and what had that creature made with the material? Todd and Cynthia were the D.J.’s on the radio, so I didn’t feel alone. I pulled over near the Crawford Reservoir and unloaded the bags of food, lifted the carpet up and found a huge nest set up inside the spare tire. Well done, really. Huge and puffy. Quite tidy on the inside except for the giant poops everywhere that wasn’t in the nest. Bigger than a mouse poop…more like a pack rat dump. Ok, I had already passed the car wash with the heavy-duty vacuum and I was low on gas as usual. I could wait until tomorrow to rid the trunk of the super nest. Groceries were seated next to me in the passenger seat safe from the maker of the Parthenon.
Maybe a couple of days went by because it was now Friday. I was off to Paonia to join friends for the BMW Rally that the town hosts every year. But not before I stopped by the car wash to rid the trunk of the House of Uber-Mouse. and stuck my quarters in, the monumental power kicked on. I’d already had a big day, bucking hay and also enduring a motorcycle ride up to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I’m not cut out for the horse I don’t control. Ok, back to the vacuum. I’d already lifted the carpet and stuck the hose in when I saw them. MANY pinkies. Baby whatever’s without hair or fur or whatever whatever’s have. OMG! The vacuum didn’t have a big enough opening to take them all in, just the nest attached itself to the suction and everyone just flew willy nelly through the air. I screamed so loud…sound reverberated all over town. I was stunned but probably not as stunned as the mother of all who escaped a life in the garbage at the car wash.
After driving about five miles per hour I arrived at the BMW Rally. Got a chair massage from the lovely Lynn Weatherall who spoiled me for more than the few dollars I had in my pocket. Gail was working on the entire body of a thankful biker. I could see his smile from where my head was sticking through the chair. Then I was treated to Big B’s Hard Cider from the KVNF Beer Garden, followed by a night of dancing with the girls and strange motorcycle men. That, my friends, was a time.
Enjoy the end of this fabulous summer!
(Editor’s note: Marla says she forgot to send a shout-out to Megan and NO-FO Foods in Paonia for an amazingly delicious brunch she is still raving about. At least she raved to me about it.)
Tags: Colorado, Crawford, Fruitland Mesa, Masrla Bishop