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Pioneer Days Rocked and Some Bear Advice

July 3rd, 2015

Filed under Community, Crawford, Featured, Marla's Moments, News

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Pioneer Days Rocked and Some Bear Advice

By Marla Bear Bishop – Fruitland Mesa, Crawford Country and beyond correspondent

Crawford Pioneer Days couldn’t have been more fun than it was this year! It took a village to make it happen, as is usual. Tristan Pfeffer, new recruit, headed up a crew of volunteer super-humans that kept it all humming along as if the entire affair came wrapped in a pretty box with a fancy bow.

Starting with the melodrama, a smash hit and well attended, even on a rainy Thursday night, things got off on the right foot.

Of course the baking contest was excellent and had many entries that I, as one of the judges, got to taste−every single one. Twenty-plus pieces of yummy stuff and then I had to sit in my seat for the duration of the night without flying around the room or falling over as the sugar kicked in. Not easy. That reminds me, one of the entries was a biscotti treat served with a cup of coffee. Coffee and sugar. Lordy. If you know me you know what this would be like in the late late late afternoon.

This was followed up by a delicious dinner put on to benefit the Fire Department and fireworks. Lasagna was the dish. Noodles also turn into sugar. Did I mention the host of desserts offered after lasagna?

All of this led to a great evening of auction action. Gabby George started the proceedings and Mr. Bair and Mr. Cunningham kept it lively, not too many folks got out of there without at least a token of the event that is so important to our little town. There were so many items to auction, all great! Thanks to all business and private donors for your generous gifts. The volunteer coordination for getting the goods to auction is a daunting task in itself. Thanks Tristan and all the volunteers!

The next morning started off with a breakfast and then the mighty parade through town−actually right down the highway!  Bob and Joanie Heid’s grandchild, Seona, took the grand prize with my little horse, Stormy wearing hand- beaded Native American outfits charming the crowd with their cuteness. Stormy was painted up for the day and it was funny when he came back home to the other equines. They thought he looked like he had maybe gone to outer space for a few hours! What were those circles around his eyes and polka dots on his butt? They looked him over pretty thoroughly and then wondered how those things fell off in the rain.

Out-house races and train rides, tug of war, face painting and booths galore, good food, good weather, good friends and lots of music including Young at Heart, David and Tamara Hauze and one of my favorite voices, Donna Saunders who showed a rock’n side I’d never heard from her before. What could be better? There was also a dance but I didn’t get to go! One CAN NOT do everything.

On to the highly anticipated night of pyrotechnics, cars were coming in from near and far to get a good view of this major display put on by our own fire department. The Crawford State Park and Reservoir filled to the gills with campers; boats were plentiful in the water, all waiting for the sun to go down. I don’t know who else volunteered to take the boot around to the campgrounds collecting money for the next year’s event but I got my own team together and hit all the party goer’s in my designated areas. So fun to be a part of it. (Thanks Jesse!) We ended up on the peninsula for the spectacle, looking straight up at the sky. When I say straight up I mean it. We could hear the commands given to one, two, three, four and five blower-uppers. Able-bodied firefighters safely doing serious work for our enjoyment. I think they also had some fun.

Even though it was very late when I got home I required a hot bath of Epson salts to make sure I could look left and right the following morning.

What a terrific “Pioneer Days” this little Crawford Country town hosted! My ears are just recovering a week later and it is still uncomfortable to look “up.”

Bear. The bear is back in the neighborhood. He cleaned out John’s worm bed, chased his cat around the porch and upset the dog, but caused no real harm. I say it every year: People put your trash up and don’t call the authorities if no harm has been done. We live in bear country. Don’t feed the wildlife and then complain and have them killed, sometimes the truth behind the word “re-located.”

The New Mad Dog Café has finally opened its doors and it’s great to have it back. I met the new owner, John, who was sweet and genial, (not to mention cute) showing us around. Gail, Kim and I picked out our bar stools and plan to grace the place with the beautiful drinking women that we are.

During Pioneer Days, ice cream was what I had there. Three times. Yum. They are now open to serve you, so let’s make it happen for the Mad Dog and for Crawford! (Since that weekend I have returned a few more times, seeing many friend’s also enjoying their meals)…get up here and support local business. It’s good for everyone.

Had a friend staying at the Bross Hotel in Paonia recently and I joined him for breakfast…Thanks Linda, for the amazing blintz soufflé with fresh cherries and coffee to start the day! It was fun to spend some time on the porch rocking chairs enjoying the beautiful landscaping.  What a nice way to introduce the Valley to out of town guests. Something to think about if you have family coming and want to impress them with a bit more than the futon in your hallway.

Summer is upon us, the waiting game is over! Heat after all that rain is going to make for some dangerous fire conditions.  Be careful out there and make every single beautiful day count!

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