Tag: Vail Colorado

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September 2024 Wrap-Up

Posted on by Econogal

Fall is Here

The September 2024 calendar was filled with travelling, canning, reading and writing. Warm daytime temperatures and cool nights make this one of my favorite months. Add in the beauty of the turning leaves and the ripening of vine fruits and you have just about everything one could ask for.

Unfortunately for those not living on the High Plains and within driving distance of the Rockies, the weather may not have been as pleasant. Plus, my heart goes out to those residing in the Southeast part of the country. Hurricane season is not to be taken lightly.

Travel in September 2024

The mountains of Central Colorado are at peak fall color. So, I tagged along on a business trip to Vail Valley. In addition to Vail, I spent time in Silverthorne with a dear friend. We had a delicious lunch at Enza’s Delicatessen and Market, sitting outside along the creek.

Dinner in Vail the first night was also along a creek-Gore Creek at Mountain Standard. The restaurant hosts a hearty menu of various meats. We try to eat here every time we are in Vail.

The second night we wandered through the village for an hour before finding a pizza place. Pazzo’s Pizza had the Thursday Night football game on. Now that these games are streamed for pay, it was nice to find a spot with a subscription. On top of that, our pizza earned Pazzo’s a rank among the top in pizzeria’s west of the Mississippi.

Fall Colors

Aspens in Background ski lift in foreground
Vail Mountain

Gore Creek

Stream flowing

Silverthorne

Aspens turning blue sky with two stray clouds

In the Garden September 2024

The abundance of tomatoes and cantaloupe continues in this year’s garden. The green beans are now producing as well. I am watching the calendar closely. The sweet potatoes need to be dug just after the first light frost. This helps cure them for storage. Also, it is time to plant the garlic for next season. So, work in the garden is not quite finished.

In the Library

This month I zipped through the Sunshine Vicram trilogy by Darynda Jones. Each was enjoyable. September 2024 also marked a return to a favorite series.  Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch appears in Pitch Dark. Once again, a master author weaves action-adventure with thought provoking plots. Full of twists and turns, look for a review soon.

Final Thoughts

Social media continues to baffle me. Searching for first-hand accounts of Hurricane Helene yields bitter political discourse. Also, there are a variety of conspiracy theories regarding the weather. No common sense and very little compassion and understanding.

Fortunately, in-person conversations continue to uplift. One recent encounter at a C-Store on an interstate provided much joy. Little Daisy Mae in her side car is a service dog with excellent training and great behavior. Her owner was tickled with recent awards at a car show in Goodland, Kansas. Our conversation ended because vehicles were waiting for their turn at the pump. I need more of this in my life! Real people and real experiences.

Daisy Mae

Australian Shepard riding in a side car of an Indian Brand Motorcycle

Vail History: Two Book Reviews

Posted on by Econogal

Two Looks at Vail

As long time readers know, I love visiting Vail, so I was delighted to receive two Vail history books for Christmas. Vail Triumph of a Dream by Peter W. Seibert with William Oscar Johnson tells the story of the first 40 years through the voice of Seibert, a key developer of Vail. The other, Vail: The First 50 Years is part of the Images of America series produced by Arcadia Publishing. This volume is written by Shirley Welch.

Images of Vail History

Both books provide a plethora of photos. Black and white photos are dominant in the early days. Perhaps by design, the Arcadia publication is entirely in this format. This definitely lends an historical flavor.

Meanwhile, Vail Triumph of a Dream includes breathtaking views in full color. And full pages of color. The images transport you onto the slopes.

Just The Facts

Vail: The First 50 Years was read cover to cover in one sitting. The format offers extended commentary on each photo. Welch includes backstory information on the area itself. The settlement of Eagle County predates the development of Vail by over 50 years. Prior to the establishment of the ski resort, inhabitants of the valley were primarily sheep ranchers.

The books in the Images of America series tantalize the reader with a multitude of facts in an easy to read format. The only glitch in the book was through no fault of the author. Vail: The First 50 Years ends with a look forward in the resort town’s future. As of the writing, an expansion called Ever Vail had just received preliminary approval. Welch included this proposal but it failed to materialize and permits expired in 2021.

In Depth Insight of Vail History

While Vail: The First 50 Years provides a nice overview of Vail history, Vail Triumph of a Dream is much more in depth. However, the latter is also as much an autobiography of Seibert as it is record of historical fact. Quite an interesting personal account!

Seibert’s account of Vail’s development is as much a story of his life as it is a description of Vail. This Vail history encompasses so much background, after reading one feels as if they grew up in the valley and more. The insight into the business of Vail is shadowed by the glimpses of passion for No-Name Mountain. While it may be difficult to replicate the devotion Peter Seibert had for Vail, anyone who has spent time on the mountain whether hiking or skiing can emphasize. Vail Valley is truly spectacular.

September 2019 Wrap-Up

Posted on by Econogal

The month of September 2019 flew by. Two conferences, one in Billings, Montana and one in Vail, Colorado created havoc with scheduling. Furthermore, the garden once again provided an abundance of produce. So, it was tough to squeeze in time to read.

September 2019 Travel

I expected to see lots of color change in both Montana and Colorado as both conferences were in the second half of the month. But that was not the case. I am glad my primary goal focused on the conferences and not sightseeing.

The last time I visited Billings was back in the spring of 1985. Much has changed. The population is close to double. My visit included visits to both Montana State University-Billings and Rocky Mountain College. Both institutions of higher learning were very impressive.

The Vail trip included information on detecting incidents and breaches with respect to online activity. One break-out session reiterated the importance of unique passwords. Please read my post on passwords by clicking here.

Fall colors were almost non-existent in Billings and in the early stages at Vail. Higher elevations in both states displayed more of the typical color I expected. Unfortunately, my October schedule will not include travel to see fall color.

September 2019 Garden

The big garden as I like to refer to my raised row garden is growing like gang busters. The only crop not living up to expectations are the beans. The runner beans have put out a mass of flowers but not much in the way of fruit.

The root crops are great. An abundance of garlic is in storage in the basement. Pickled beet jars line the pantry. The onions were combined with tomatoes and peppers to make the family recipe salsa. This salsa is always gone by February. Additional tomatoes not eaten fresh are used for spaghetti sauce.

Eggplant has also produced well this year. We have fried them and made multiple batches of eggplant parmigiana. I also canned some eggplant in a Lemon Basil Eggplant Caponata. This is a multi-use dish. We had the Caponata atop noodles, but rice works too. Plus, I think it would make a great spread for crackers or bread.

September 2019 Books

I struggled to finish books to review this month. Part of this was due to the above mentioned items. Additionally, I have spent time on fall cleaning. But the month did bring a review of Things You Save in a Fire which I highly recommend. This past weekend I finished two books on my night stand so check in on Friday for another review.

Foreclosure Re-model

A lot of my spare time has been spent coordinating long-distance on the re-model of a foreclosure. The storms in the Atlantic delayed a tile shipment-still not here. So, we chose an alternative. Of course this changes other selections.

I am anxious to see the progress in person and plan to make a trip back to Florida soon. I could use a break from the Central Plains heat and from canning! Plus, I can check on my family member with Alzheimer’s.

I hope all of you had a productive month! My September 2019 was quite eventful. Thanks for reading.

Personal Challenges

Posted on by Econogal
Aspen trees leaning
Falling Aspen Trees

Most often personal challenges are discussed at the beginning of the year. Many articles and blogs write about New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes, people discuss challenges during the summer. These tests usually involve athletic feats such as triathlons or Xtreme Hikes.

I heard recently from some of the readers taking the no alcohol challenge. For those who may have missed the original post click here. One of the readers even cited a statistic from the recent WHO report as written about in The Guardian. Deaths linked to alcohol top 5% with the percentage among the younger population numbering in the double digits.

If you are one of the readers still participating in the no alcohol until Halloween pact please let us know how things are going in the comment section below. How are you feeling? Are your activity levels higher? Any unexpected side-effects?

On a personal note, I find it hard to cut out sugar. Chocolate and ice cream are my downfall cravings. I try to limit chocolate to no more than one ounce a day, preferring dark chocolate. However, after participating in the Vail Xtreme Hike, I could not consume enough chocolate for about 30 hours afterwards. I even had two small-sized packages of peanut butter chocolate M&M’s during the hike. I am happy to say the chocolate craving is rapidly diminishing.

Vail Xtreme Hike

The Vail Xtreme Hike was personally fulfilling. My Gear S2 indicated 22.4 miles were covered. That would include the walk to and from the starting line. But what I gained the most from participating was social. Individual hikers and volunteers all had different stories and motivations. Many, but not all, knew individuals directly affected by Cystic Fibrosis. The fundraising effort is an important part of the event. Even more important is the reason for the funds. I am glad I hiked up, around and down Vail Mountain.

Most would see covering the twenty miles at altitude difficult. The altitude at the bottom was roughly 8500 feet above sea level. Climbers making it to the highest elevation at Buffalo Creek reached an elevation of 11,500 feet.

View of Mountain
Climbing Vail Mountain

However, discussing personal experiences face-to-face was the toughest part for me. I am by nature an introvert. I love participating in online groups and thrived in online classes. But sharing one-on-one is tough. In person, you share not only your words but your body language as well. Unless you are a heavy user of emoticons, the written word can help you hide emotions.

Even though it is only late September, I am giving some thought to next year’s resolutions. So far, I am meeting the ones set for this year. The social aspect has been tough at times but is where I have had the most growth. I still need to pick up two new skills. But, I have a quarter of the year left.

Personal challenges can be physical or mental. Both allow for growth. Feel free to share some of your challenges and accomplishments in the comment section below.