With October right around the corner, many of us are planning short trips out in the country to view the fall foliage or pick apples and pumpkins. Some of you, evidently, are also going to visit a haunted hotel and attempt to spend a night in a haunted room. In the "spirit" of Halloween, I think this sounds fun. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, an old, historic hotel would have charm to spare and probably be full of all kinds of neat antiques. And if you chatted up the locals, you'd no doubt get some interesting stories as well.
Take this poll (not mine--from about.com) and let the guys at Paranormal know if you'd be willing and brave enough to spend the night in a haunted hotel: http://paranormal.about.com/b/2011/09/28/poll-are-you-brave-enough-to-sleep-in-a-haunted-hotel.htm?nl=1
At the bottom of the poll page, there are many comments from readers. Some share their own experiences in so-called haunted hotel rooms. Scroll down--makes for fun reading. Happy October, everyone.
Black bear eating from my apple tree, August night, 2012
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Ludlow Massacre
I am embarassed to admit that until today, I had never heard of the Ludlow Massacre. I did some sightseeing this morning on scenic Highway 12--the Highway of Legends--here in southern Colorado. Driving north on Interstate 25 from Trinidad to Walsenburg, I saw a sign for the Ludlow Massacre Memorial and exited to view it, not knowing what it was.
Here's what the United Mine Workers website has to say about this tragic event:
The date April 20, 1914 will forever be a day of infamy for American workers. On that day, 18 innocent men, women and children were killed in the Ludlow Massacre. The coal miners in Colorado and other western states had been trying to join the UMWA for many years. They were bitterly opposed by the coal operators, led by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.
Upon striking, the miners and their families had been evicted from their company-owned houses and had set up a tent colony on public property. The massacre occurred in a carefully planned attack on the tent colony by Colorado militiamen, coal company guards, and thugs hired as private detectives and strike breakers. They shot and burned to death 20 people, including a dozen women and small children. Later investigations revealed that kerosine had intentionally been poured on the tents to set them ablaze. The miners had dug foxholes in the tents so the women and children could avoid the bullets that randomly were shot through the tent colony by company thugs. The women and children were found huddled together at the bottoms of their tents.
The Baldwin Felts Detective Agency had been brought in to suppress the Colorado miners. They brought with them an armored car mounted with a machine gun—the Death Special— that roamed the area spraying bullets. The day of the massacre, the miners were celebrating Greek Easter. At 10:00 AM the militia ringed the camp and began firing into the tents upon a signal from the commander, Lt. Karl E. Lindenfelter. Not one of the perpetrators of the slaughter were ever punished, but scores of miners and their leaders were arrested and black-balled from the coal industry.
A monument erected by the UMWA stands today in Ludlow, Colorado in remembrance of the brave and innocent souls who died for freedom and human dignity.
In December, 2008, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Ludlow site as a National Historic Landmark. "This is the culmination of years of work by UMWA members, retirees and staff, as well as many hundreds of ordinary citizens who have fought to preserve the memory of this brutal attack on workers and their families," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said.
"The tragic lessons from Ludlow still echo throughout our nation, and they must never be forgotten by Americans who truly care about workplace fairness and equality," Roberts said. "With this designation, the story of what happened at Ludlow will remain part of our nation's history. That is as it should be."
The dedication ceremony was held at Ludlow on June 28, 2009.
Here are a few snapshots I took today at the Memorial Site. It was a beautiful, peaceful place and am pleased to have discovered it.
Here's what the United Mine Workers website has to say about this tragic event:
The date April 20, 1914 will forever be a day of infamy for American workers. On that day, 18 innocent men, women and children were killed in the Ludlow Massacre. The coal miners in Colorado and other western states had been trying to join the UMWA for many years. They were bitterly opposed by the coal operators, led by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.Upon striking, the miners and their families had been evicted from their company-owned houses and had set up a tent colony on public property. The massacre occurred in a carefully planned attack on the tent colony by Colorado militiamen, coal company guards, and thugs hired as private detectives and strike breakers. They shot and burned to death 20 people, including a dozen women and small children. Later investigations revealed that kerosine had intentionally been poured on the tents to set them ablaze. The miners had dug foxholes in the tents so the women and children could avoid the bullets that randomly were shot through the tent colony by company thugs. The women and children were found huddled together at the bottoms of their tents.
The Baldwin Felts Detective Agency had been brought in to suppress the Colorado miners. They brought with them an armored car mounted with a machine gun—the Death Special— that roamed the area spraying bullets. The day of the massacre, the miners were celebrating Greek Easter. At 10:00 AM the militia ringed the camp and began firing into the tents upon a signal from the commander, Lt. Karl E. Lindenfelter. Not one of the perpetrators of the slaughter were ever punished, but scores of miners and their leaders were arrested and black-balled from the coal industry.
A monument erected by the UMWA stands today in Ludlow, Colorado in remembrance of the brave and innocent souls who died for freedom and human dignity.
In December, 2008, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Ludlow site as a National Historic Landmark. "This is the culmination of years of work by UMWA members, retirees and staff, as well as many hundreds of ordinary citizens who have fought to preserve the memory of this brutal attack on workers and their families," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said.
"The tragic lessons from Ludlow still echo throughout our nation, and they must never be forgotten by Americans who truly care about workplace fairness and equality," Roberts said. "With this designation, the story of what happened at Ludlow will remain part of our nation's history. That is as it should be."
The dedication ceremony was held at Ludlow on June 28, 2009.
Here are a few snapshots I took today at the Memorial Site. It was a beautiful, peaceful place and am pleased to have discovered it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival
From today through Sunday, my husband will have to hold down the fort alone, as I will be enjoying the Spanish Peaks Celtic Fest in Walsenburg and La Veta, Colorado. My friend Betsy has taken up the harp and will be participating in four days' worth of harp workshops at the festival. I, on the other hand, have no plans, other than driving her down for a roadtrip.
After looking over the festival schedule, there are a number of free events I might try. I can learn to play the dulcimer or whistle (?) in La Veta, or try beginners' harp back in Walsenburg. (I can also attempt to play the bodhran, which I found out is an Irish goatskin drum.) Several musical sessions/concerts are also free of charge, including a session at La Veta Inn Pub led by members of the traditional Scottish music group the Old Blind Dogs on Saturday afternoon. I can picture myself right now with a pint of Guinness, surrounded by musicians playing up a storm in an historic town.
The Spanish Peaks area of Colorado is absolutely gorgeous, so if I skip out on some of the festival, there's lots else to do. From the linked website (great info--check it out) at sangres.com:
The Spanish Peaks of south central Colorado have been among the most important landmarks of the southwestern United States, guiding Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American settlers. The Ute, Comanche, Apache, and other, earlier Indian tribes held the Peaks in religious awe and named the mountains Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth." Even the ancient Aztecs believed the Peaks were a source of hidden treasure. Later travellers named them the Twin Peaks, Dos Hermanos (Two Brothers) and Mexican Mountains.
Walsenburg, by the way, is a former coal-mining town. Read more about its history, and that of La Veta Pass (gateway to Great Sand Dunes National Park), here: http://www.spanishpeakscountry.com/Walsenburg.aspx
Anyway, looking forward to a great time down in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with a good friend. Enjoy the week and weekend, everybody. I'm sure I will.
After looking over the festival schedule, there are a number of free events I might try. I can learn to play the dulcimer or whistle (?) in La Veta, or try beginners' harp back in Walsenburg. (I can also attempt to play the bodhran, which I found out is an Irish goatskin drum.) Several musical sessions/concerts are also free of charge, including a session at La Veta Inn Pub led by members of the traditional Scottish music group the Old Blind Dogs on Saturday afternoon. I can picture myself right now with a pint of Guinness, surrounded by musicians playing up a storm in an historic town.
The Spanish Peaks area of Colorado is absolutely gorgeous, so if I skip out on some of the festival, there's lots else to do. From the linked website (great info--check it out) at sangres.com:
The Spanish Peaks of south central Colorado have been among the most important landmarks of the southwestern United States, guiding Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American settlers. The Ute, Comanche, Apache, and other, earlier Indian tribes held the Peaks in religious awe and named the mountains Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth." Even the ancient Aztecs believed the Peaks were a source of hidden treasure. Later travellers named them the Twin Peaks, Dos Hermanos (Two Brothers) and Mexican Mountains.
Walsenburg, by the way, is a former coal-mining town. Read more about its history, and that of La Veta Pass (gateway to Great Sand Dunes National Park), here: http://www.spanishpeakscountry.com/Walsenburg.aspx
Anyway, looking forward to a great time down in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with a good friend. Enjoy the week and weekend, everybody. I'm sure I will.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Hot Pepper Peach Spread
During the last month, our kitchen counters have been overflowing with juicy, luscious Colorado peaches, and coincidentally, tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers have been ripening in the garden. I have always loved hot/sweet combos, so I came up with this recipe for a zippy spread. It works well as a sweet preserve or really kicks it on grilled fish, pork, or chicken. Try it in stir-fry of any kind, too. Makes a great dipping sauce for Asian food and tempuras--just heat it up a bit to make it liquid.
Anyway, the recipe link has been giving me trouble. It's easy to find, however, on http://www.food.com/ if you search for it (Hot Pepper Peach Spread) under my member name: PainterCook. (I'll try to update this link if it gets fixed.)
Keep in mind that everyone has a different threshold for "heat" when it comes to hot peppers. I like my spicy dishes medium-hot with regard to chilies. This recipe can be adjusted to what kinds of peppers you have on hand--I didn't specify anything other than "fresh hot peppers." Because the spread is sweet, I added extra zip from red pepper flakes and cayenne, just to make sure it was fiery enough.
Keep in mind that everyone has a different threshold for "heat" when it comes to hot peppers. I like my spicy dishes medium-hot with regard to chilies. This recipe can be adjusted to what kinds of peppers you have on hand--I didn't specify anything other than "fresh hot peppers." Because the spread is sweet, I added extra zip from red pepper flakes and cayenne, just to make sure it was fiery enough.
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