Pueblo Citywmn

Went on a ghost-walk.

La LLorona. Drowned the kids.

Haunts the river. Dark.

Two roof-top swamp coolers in the neighborhood were seen already covered by their snug-fitting little canvas jackets on Tuesday, October 6th.

A sign of an early winter coming or just an early start to winterizing? Jumping the gun or better safe than sorry? A stitch in time…? An ounce of prevention…? Acting prematurely? Cross that bridge…?  Don’t put off until tomorrow…? If it ain’t broke…?

It’s always hard to know when to cover the swamp cooler.

It was downright spooky, seeing them all perched up there in the half-dead elm tree. Silhouetted against the overcast sky, they were motionless except for an occasional restless flutter. Must be 25 or 30 of them, I estimated. Then I stopped to actually count: 63.

Just a bunch of bird brains, I thought as I went on my way.

But I remember The Birds.

They’re starting to clog up the mountain roads and the city park paths and the river trails, wearing their baseball caps and cowboy hats and of course their sunglasses. They’re toting water bottles and binoculars and sometimes their easels and watercolor kits.

They’re slow-driving and slow-walking, and they keep pointing at trees (how annoying!) and snapping endless pictures on their phones, and they keep saying “ohhhh, look at that!” to their friends and other Leaf-Peepers.

Be kind to the Leaf-Peepers because…….well, because we are all Leaf-Peepers, right?

The aroma of roasting chile peppers was irresistible, right? So you bought a bushel! It seemed like a good idea…but now what?

Put a little chile pepper on your dinner plate:  burgers, eggs, chicken, chili, omelets, cheese sandwiches, burrito, taco, enchilada, tostada, spaghetti, hot dogs, fries, steak, sausage, salsa, soup, cheese, corn, mac and cheese, cornbread, potatoes, stew, beans, lamb chops, pork chops, chips.

Did I forget anything?  Yes, one more: Put a little chile pepper on your license plate!

Do we have any volunteers to monitor the city patchwork sewage pipes? All shifts, all days available for civic- and environmentally-minded individuals. No experience needed, but the ability to see a leak or read a gauge is helpful.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gauges, duct tape, concrete patches, spackle, chewing gum, putty, mortar, superglue, joint compound, and shovels. Snacks will be provided. Contact information unavailable at this time.

A week or so ago, I walked into the Rawlings Library and up the staircase to the second floor. The man at the librarian’s desk there noticed me and said, “Hi! Can I help you?”

Bookshelves behind him and to the left and right of him, and really all around him: computer science, dictionaries, physics, mathmatics, science fiction, philosophy, biography, mystery, poetry, essays, astronomy, travel, carpentry, law, medicine, botany, cookbooks, economics, humor, sociology.

Was he……Claude?

Urban Treasure is what you find when you poke around the city. It can be a little storefront shop in an out-of-the-way place, or an unexpected juxtaposition of signs that makes you laugh. Or maybe it’s an interesting person, or a striking spot of colors, or a glorious display of something weird.

Urban treasure is unusual. It’s unexpected. It’s delightful. It’s personal.

Here’s an urban treasure: Lil’ Crafters Cottage, over on Lake Ave.

Hello, Soft Sun! Glad to see you, you mellow, sensible, sane orb!

Good-bye, Summer Sun! Best wishes, you blazing, scorching, searing fireball!

The signs have been posted. The streets have been cleaned. The grass has been cut. The weeds have been trimmed. The flowers have been watered. The trash has been picked up. The stores have been stocked. The quilts have been hung. The Ferris wheel has been tested.

The trees have been polished. The sheep have been fluffed. The rain clouds have been moved. The bears have been relocated. The escaped shopping carts have been detained. The gas prices have been raised. The moon has been eclipsed.

We’re ready!