Recently I posted about the wonderful birdies that wake me in the morning. It lead me to think of all the wildlife that is in my "neck of the woods". Most of the animals I see all the time, but the first summer that we spent at our home in Mountain Shadows we saw a pack of 10 raccoons. Let me tell you the story.
Everett and I were sitting out on the patio eating our dinner. We were so excited to enjoy our serene hillside and trees; we were eating outside almost every night (the kids were at Grandmas). We bought this house with a lovely water feature. That was burbling and the crickets were chirping in the dusk. Without any sound, around the corner of the house appears a line of raccoons. It was comical because the smaller ones trotted by us first and then they got larger and larger. These raccoons were about three feet away from us. We were sitting in silence because we were both so surprised. At this point those little rascals hadn't seen us yet. They filed over to our fountain and started to drink. About the time the 7th one came around the corner, I said to Everett, "You don't think that raccoons attack people do you?" He said he didn't know. 
Then Papa Raccoon, the last of them, saw us. He was huge! He stopped right in front of us, arched his back, hair on end, and growled a weird snort bark. I'm not sure but I think I was in the house before Everett but we both had the same thought....10 angry,snorting, barking raccoons jumping us. Not so cute anymore.
Behind the safety of the screen we watched as they all scurried up the hill in the dusk, each disappearing into the tall grasses.
We have never seen them again. I guess we scared them. LOL
I found an article about racoons currently roaming around the White House like a pack of cute fuzzy bandits. The National Park Service spots them around the property but have not yet apprehended the critters. They hope to take care of the problem before the President and his family choose a new dog. That might lead to a problem on the White House front lawn. http://brighthall.aol.com/2009/02/08/raccoons-vs-obama/
S Stay away from strangers!
M Make sure you ask permission before you so somewhere
A Always tell an adult you know where you are going
R Remember your code word
T Take a friend whenever you can
To Parents and the Village that cares. Please watch out for your children. Listen to them. You will
find out more about their thoughts, their friends and their fears, if you listen. Talk often about safety.
Give your children hugs and complements. Children can never be loved too much. Please take the
time to read information about child safety, you can never learn too much.
by and from a loving Parent, just like you.
Raine Nordby
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/guidelines/default.mspx
http://www.sproutonline.com/sprout/originals/firesafety.aspx (this is a great site for kids to learn about fire safety)
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
I was sad to open up my local PPAR page yesterday to read that a local Realtor had been attacked. This is following a recent blog on the safety of our city compared to others of similar population. It shows that even if your city is safe, it only takes one criminal to make one too many.
As far a Realtor safety, from what I've read, we let our guard down and ignore our instincts. Of course, there is a class to teach us basic safety when we get our licence, but we tend to forget the important safeguards taught in class.
The realty office in my area reported that the customer even met this Realtor at her office, but from there she let her guard down.
“He came to the office and picked up our agent
in his grey SUV. He is tall, dark hair, and he is his
30s. He convinced the member to stop for lunch.
It was there that he slipped her a drug and the rest
of the story is not good. She ended up in the
hospital for tests.”
Top advice from Realtor Safety 911
Listen to your gut. If you have a bad feeling, or notice something
is just not quite right act on that instinct. Change the plan,
cancel, don’t ignore that “back of the neck tingle” you feel.
Carry a protective weapon. Preferably mace.
For more information read Realtor Safety 911….you should read it top to bottom.
Nature is amazing but I didn’t think that it could be so loud.
We’ve all seen the funny commercials where the person is sleeping and through the open windows comes the cacophony of the morning bird calls. Well I would love to have that problem. Right around this time all the way through spring and in fall we have the biggest woodpeckers attack our siding. Their favorite place? Yes, the chimney. The echo of their fevered hole drilling beaks crashes into my dreams about 5:30 am in the predawn morning. As soon as there is a thread of light those industrious creatures go to work. These
guys are personal friends of Woody Woodpecker and they have a pattern. Laugh, drill, laugh, drill, laugh, drill…..you get the idea.
A couple of seasons ago we (meaning my husband) risked our necks to tie a fake owl to the roof area. They are so big and tough they would just land next to the thing …..laugh, laugh, laugh. You are supposed to move the thing around but my hubby doesn’t care for the latest in neck brace fashion. So now we just put more tin where the holes appear. Soon we won’t have to worry. We’ll just have a tin roof , complemented by “Swiss cheese siding.”
Colorado Springs has been named the second best walking city in America by USA Today. Criteria included various walking-friendly attributes such as low crime rates, mild year-round temperatures, the number of cultural attractions, participation in recreational sports, and pet ownership. The overall survey included more than 18,000 topics of information about the top 100 cities from sources including the Census Bureau, other government agencies, and market research surveys.
2008, we ranked 5th in the nation as best city to live in for work, lifestyle and quality. With gas prices walking to work increased 7% in 2008. In Denver they have an ambitious transit-oriented plan to increase public transportation use to 25% in the next 2 decades. Colorado Springs is sure to follow.
On top of all this great information we are NUMBER 1 as the skinniest city. Because of the myriad of available activities we boast the lowest percentage of adult obesity in the country.
Epic Monarch Crest Trail
Epic is the only word for it. The Monarch Crest Trail is considered the premier mountain bike ride in the entire 14ers Region. It may be one of the top five rides in the United States. The trail covers roughly 40 miles of tundra-like terrain, across talus fields, through old-growth forests and high plains desert.
This ride is one not to be missed. Accending from 6,000 feet you'll top out at about 11,960 feet. The first part of the trail is fairly easy but later is becomes a technical challenge with some large scree fields, switchbacks, and some rough sections of trail. An awesome ride, do it if you get the chance but watch for thunderstorms and be prepared for a long day. As with all things Colorado...layers,layers,layers (we already have location maxed :)
Climbing the GoG
The name Garden of the Gods dates back to August 1859 when two surveyors helping to set up nearby Colorado City were exploring the nearby areas. Upon discovering the site, one of the surveyor
s, M. S. Beach, suggested that it would be a "capital place for a beer garden." His companion, the young Rufus Cable, awestruck by the impressive rock formations, exclaimed, "Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." The park is a favorite place for many locals in Colorado Springs. Hiking, biking, church services and weddings all happen among the beautiful rock formations. One of the favorites is to mountain climb. An annual permit is required. A cautionary tale, many try rock scrambling. That is climbing without a permit or safety equipment. More than a few have fallen to their death.
Red Rocks Canyon Loop
This is a super trail for the family. A little over 2 miles, you can take all the kids and the dog too. What is amazing is this scenery is right in town. It is also a great hike for your out of town visitors. Colorado Springs sits at over 6,000 ft. Some visitors find they are not ready for the altitiude change. They become winded very easily. It can take some people months to adjust to living way up here. This hike gives your guest beautiful views without more altitude.
Come live here in Colorado Spirngs. Colorado Springs, does the heart good!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-01-13-fit-fat-cities_N.htm
http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/05/2008-best-cities-Colorado-Springs.html
http://www.fitsugar.com/1038353
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