FALL



 

Ah, Nuts!

 A very sudden change sweeps through Southern Colorado, the trials season has come to an end, Jack
Frost has nipped all the tomatoes in the vegetable patch, and everything is changing color.



 

Golds in the La Plata river

 On my trip to Durango yesterday I was amazed at the beauty of nature and the majesty of the colors
across the mountains and hillsides. The flame reds mingled with the bronzes and brilliant yellows with
evergreens dotted throughout are a magical delight to the eye. Looks like a run on the Beemer
tomorrow with the photographer and the big camera.



 

Just amazing

 With the arrival of the first Rifle season for Elk the town will soon be full of hunter orange and ATVs as
the Rambos take to the hillsides in pursuit of big game. Can't help but wonder how many will go back
to "Disappointment Gulch" where many of our showerees were last year and they got skunked!
I wonder why ? There did seem to be more Archers this year so perhaps we will have an increase on
the rifle side after last year's rather dismal showing. Still if you can't get a shot off you can at least look
at the gorgeous fall scenery for a couple of weeks before the trees are bare and the first snows arrive.



 

 A day of plant saving as numerous pots were brought in to escape the ravages of winter, I will be out
with the pick axe again loosening up the vegetable plot and digging in all the compost I can find. The
last lawn mowing will be done this week and some general tidying up before all those leaves start
dropping.



 

The Dolores River

 Yes, fall is here, and this morning the temp was a crisp 21F and the dogs didn't think much of it
considering the sprinklers had been on early and all their favorite grass was covered in ice. The photo
mission went well and Brenda has some cracking pictures which I will dot through the article. It
doesn't take much and the leaves are falling already. I might adopt last year's policy and let the wind
remove most of them and clean up again in the spring.



 

One of our trees in the park

 Soon be time for collecting firewood and all that entails as we will be burning from November to April
so stocks need to be plentiful or it will be a cold miserable winter.


TONY DOWN