Monday: The Pleasant Valley Report

Let me begin this post by saying, that until a year ago, I had no idea that we resided in “Pleasant Valley.” Sure, it’s nice here, and yes, I suppose it is a valley, but we just knew it “Laporte.” (Laporte is actually quite historic and I will blog more about our town proper at a later time.) As I type, stimulus money is paying for an improved bike trail and restoration of a historic bridge near our house, and when I looked this project up online I discovered that the bike path is called “Pleasant Valley Trail.” Further research at the Fort Collins archives revealed that this area has been called Pleasant Valley since 1870 or so. So as bland and vanilla as this title is, it has a “Prairie Home Companion” feel. Thus, from here out, where we live is no longer a subdivision or rural unincorporated area. It is—Pleasant Valley.

So what’s new in The Valley? The biggest news was the wildfire that broke out over the weekend, and the 70-mile-per-hour winds Saturday night didn’t help. (I was awake at three AM Sunday chasing after my deck furniture and gathering up pots and planters being flung against the house.)  The fire west of town in rural Larimer County timberlands (called the Crystal Fire) ended up consuming 4,500 acres but is now considered contained. Some homes were lost, and the cause of the fire is being investigated. Because we had so little precipitation here this winter, experts say this is just the beginning of a historically early fire season.

In happier news, we discovered a red-tailed hawk nesting in a cottonwood behind our house. This is a first for me, and because we have a bird spotting scope, we’ve been able to keep an eye on it. Garden news—I am sure many of you know that frog and toad populations have taken a nosedive in recent years. These amphibians are considered “indicator species”-- species whose presence, absence, or relative well-being in a given environment is indicative of the health of its ecosystem as a whole. So, when amphibians die off, it’s a sign that the system isn’t working, and we should be alarmed. Anyway, Friday, while spading the vegetable garden, my husband saw a toad! Growing up in New Jersey in the 70s, we saw toads all the time (we lived adjacent to a large patch of forest), but lately, it’s cause for celebration to find two or three toads A YEAR here in our backyard. I was so excited! Over a toad. Go figure.

Lastly, this tidbit is for the locals. Many in the Fort Collins area are familiar with that butterscotch-colored old store in Bellvue, which in its most recent incarnation was an art gallery. Well now, it’s a coffee shop—“The Bellvue Bean.” They’re having a grand opening on April 9. Live music, good grub, meet the owners, etc.. The cafe is located in such a gorgeous part of Larimer County, and the bike trail starts nearby at the Watson Lake wildlife area. I highly recommend a bike ride on the Pleasant Valley Trail, a stop at the Bean for pastries and caffeine, and possibly a stroll on the riverside boardwalk at Watson Lake this Saturday. Here’s the link for more info:

http://www.topix.com/city/bellvue-co/2011/03/bellvue-bean-grand-opening-on-april-9