Colorado Chronicles : The Rio Grande Starts Here

Falling For the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is one of the most famous rivers in the world. "The Big River" has been memorialized in John Wayne movie classics, Johnny Rodriguez songs, and literature. Texans think of the Rio Grande as a border between the Lone Star State and Mexico, where it's known as El Rio Bravo del Norte. But it's much more than that. Modern history shows that the river has been used for irrigation since before 1540 when Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set eyes on the Pueblo Indians doing just that near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Some folks will be surprised that the Rio Grande begins as a trickle high in the mountains of Southwest Colorado in Rio Grande National Forest. Located four hours southwest of Denver and four hours north of Albuquerque, Rio Grande National Forest is an outstanding place to hike, camp, cross country ski or snowshoe, depending, of course, on the season. According to the USDA.gov website : "The 1.86 million acre Rio Grande National Forest is located in southcentral Colorado and remains one of the true undiscovered jewels of Colorado. The Rio Grande begins its 1800 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of the Forest. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the western border of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains form the eastern border.  In between these two mountain ranges sits the San Luis Valley which is the largest agricultural alpine valley in the world. The Forest is composed of a myriad of ecosystems ranging from high elevation desert at 7600 feet above sea level to rocky crags at over 14,300 feet in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Portions of four Wilderness Areas (South San Juan, Weminuche, La Garita and Sangre de Cristo) make up almost ¼ of the Forest." Rio Grande National Forest is a more than worthy addition to any vacation schedule. I plan on taking my family on a cross country trip in the next few months and Colorado was on the list because my Mom lives there. The Rio Grande National Forest is not on the direct route home for us when we head back to Maine, but having discovered such a place as RGNF and its incumbent Natural Splendor, I think we'll take the long way home.

Maine Minutiae : Carrabassett Valley

Mount Bigelow*

 I often say that I'd rather be lucky than good. Today I was lucky. I found out about Carrabassett Valley. Read on. As you may have correctly surmised by now, I am an outdoors kind of guy...especially if there is fishable water in the general vicinity. Fish.Fear.Me. Using my 5th Degree Black Belt in Google-Fu and blazing speed of hand, I round-house kicked and back flipped my way through the deepest, darkest, most villainous part of the internet like Jackie Chan through a beauty parlor full of hairdressers with dull scissors. The result of this death-defying dive into deviousness was to find one of the coolest websites I have ever seen.. Not cool because of the technical aspects of it (which are 1st rate), cool because of the content. If you are like me and see God's Handiwork and in it, God Himself, please click this link and thoroughly peruse the site about Carrabassett Valley. You will not be disappointed. I promise.  And to think this place is only 74 miles from where I live and is open year round.  Chances are that you'll never be able to make it to Maine to behold this masterpiece, perhaps however, you can use your own Google-Fu to find something just as breathtaking near you. Maybe you'll, like me, get lucky and discover a Carrabassett Valley in your neighborhood.

Texas Tidbits : The Law West of the Pecos

The Law West of the Pecos*

 Other than Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and a handful of other famous Texans, perhaps none is quite as famous (infamous?) than the man who was self-anointed as "The Law West of the Pecos" - Judge Roy Bean. When it comes to separating fact from fiction regarding Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. (1825-1903), the line is, put mildly, blurred. It is said that Judge Bean held court in his saloon and passed sentence on defendants by bellowing, "Hang 'em first, then try 'em". Smithsonian Magazine by way of JudgeRoyBean.com further informs us "By Gobs! There was nothing judicious about Judge Roy Bean "Doffing his saloon apron,  the grizzled barkeep dons a dirty alpaca coat,  sits himself down behind the bar, draws a pistol and bangs for silence using the butt as a gavel.   "Order, by Gobs!   This honorable court is now in session, and if any galoot wants a snort before we start, let him step up to the bar and name his pizen." The good judge had never seen the inside of a law school.  His only law book was the 1879 Revised Statutes of Texas.  But the self-styled "Law West of the Pecos" knew how to hold court. There, in his Jersey Lilly saloon in the minuscule West Texas town of Langtry, Roy Bean doled out drinks and his own brand of justice for more than 20 years." You. Can't. Make. This. Stuff. Up. For this tale of Law West of the Pecos-style "justice", we go to desertusa.com : "One of Bean's most outrageous rulings occurred when an Irishman was accused of killing a Chinese worker. Friends of the accused threatened to destroy the Jersey Lilly if he was found guilty. Court in session, Bean browsed through his law book, turning page after page, searching for another legal precedent. Finally, rapping his pistol on the bar, he proclaimed, "Gentlemen, I find the law very explicit on murdering your fellow man, but there's nothing here about killing a Chinaman. Case dismissed." They say justice is blind. Could it be that Judge Roy Bean was blind to justice? You decide. You don't need my help. Here's a good, one page bio of Judge Bean. Like George S Patton said about some Russian general, "He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son f a bitch". Thus it is with the Law West of the Pecos.

*Judge Bean photo courtesy of desertusa.com

  

Texas Tidbits : Just Steve and The Lake - Handcrafted By God

My long-time friend Steve Hardy, with whom I graduated from Nimitz High School ('75), still lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that we grew up in. Last night/this morning, Steve pulled an all-nighter on Lake Grapevine and it looks like he's got the whole lake to himself. With Steve's permission, I am posting his observations from his Facebook page.

Steve's Got a Grip

'Steve Hardee Sitting in my boat at the dam Lake Grapevine, putting a fishing pole in the water, listen to the Stones, gazing at the moon (looks to be about half off to the east) the universe looks pretty big for were I am sitting. It is spectacular ! 

'Steve Hardee There is the Glass Cactus at 230am. A dark view from the water. The moon above. I don't think I would be out here if the moon wasn't so bright. I am one of about 4 boats on the entire lake. 85 degrees now, tomorrow will be 105! It doesn't get much better than this, except for next month when my granddaughter is born!

Glass Cactus

'Steve Hardee You can't imagine how amazing it is out here on the lake right now! With any luck the fish won't bother me. The sky is huge and I am so insignificant, well you know. There are no mesquitos and there is a chill in the air!!!!! The tunes are on! The eagle fly with the dove ;) this is you 312am update

'Steve Hardee Ok here is your 420am update. The fish ain't bothering me. I stopped tying. I am now on the south side of the lake. Chest deep in the water about 200 yards from shore. The boat is on the shore and I can here David Bowie playing. Getting kind of tired? I slept earlier. I know this lake like the back of my hand. Oh crap ...

God's Turning On the Lights For Us

Big Orange Ball

'Steve Hardee ‎6 am update. Day break looking awesome.

 

'Steve Hardee Time for some coffee! :)

When our good friend Clay Money reminded Steve that we aren't 20 anymore, Steve replied thusly: 

'Steve Hardee Clay this goes out to you from your earlier post when you said we are not 20 any more. Well you are right. I am not as good as I once was, however I am better once than I have ever been!!!!!!!! I hope I got that right :) have a great day! :)

Steve, I couldn't have said it better. Good man, that Steve Hardee.

UPDATE : Video added!

Three States Plus One Plus a Few More (Plus Some Overseas Places, Too)

Sexy Russian Spy Lady

This blog first published on June 14, 2010 with this Award-Winning (OK...my Mom gave me a Dinky Button because she liked it) post about Outlaw Sam Bass . Over the last six weeks you've been incredibly supportive of a wet-behind-the-ears Middle Aged First Time blogger. And I thank you for that. I am honestly humbled by your generosity, but not so impressed that you don't have something better to do than read this drivel  well-researched documentary information. I say that with love in my heart. On to the point : you'll notice on the home page a widget for "Flag Counter". As you can tell, it shows where my readers are located by country. So far, I am a major disappointment  big hit in the USA, Canada, France, Great Britain, Taiwan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and I am HUGE in Russia and the Ruskies haven't sent me a single sexy Russian spy lady NOT ONE!! in return. WTF, comrades? I am, today, gonna share some Super Duper Secret Inside Blogger Information with you. If the Russians won't send the Sexy Russian Lady Spies to me, I'll share with you for free. Take that you Commie bastards! This link will give you a breakdown of  which state/country my readers are in and how many of them there are. These 259 unique visitors have viewed Three States Plus One over 1300 times in just six weeks. I thank you and am forever in your debt...unless the Russians send over some Sexy Female Spy Ladies. Then all bets are off. :)

Toby

Quick note : When you click the link above, be sure to expand each listing on Flag Counter by clicking on the "+". Doing that will give you a little more detail on who's where.

UPDATE : My wife says if I have anything to do with any Russian Spy Women, sexy or not, she will cut off my "caviar", if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Maine Minutiae : Presque Isle - Peninsula City

Aroostook County is an unspoiled diamond on what is called 'The Crown of Maine". That's waaaaaay up north for the uninitiated. Aroostook County is a large area, bigger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Presque Isle is the major city in The County, as it is sometimes called. The city gets it name from the French word meaning peninsula. You see, Presque Isle is a peninsula formed by the Aroostook River and Presque Isle Stream. For a period of time, nobody was even sure if the town was in the USA or Canada, but that was settled the good old fashion way - war! Wikipedia states : "Originally known as Fairbanks for its founder Dennis Fairbanks, it was settled in 1828 in land that was unknown to be Canadian or American. The Aroostook War broke out in 1838 because of boundary disputes with Canada, which were resolved in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. The township was incorporated from Plantations F, G and H on April 4, 1859 as Presque Isle.." Today, being firmly ensconced in the US, Presque Isle is a bustling city of 9500 and a center for commerce and business. You'll also find the University of Maine- Presque Isle and Northern Maine Community College as well as a nationally recognized K-12 school system. There's a chance that the potatoes you had for supper last night came from Presque Isle or The County. To get a bit more on the history of Presque Isle click here. By the way, here's a note for you Mainers : the Northern Maine Fair gets underway today and runs for the next 8 days! Have a great weekend!

Texas Tidbits : Woodville - Where Fish.Fear.Me.

I have been around the coffee cup hunting the handle. I'm certainly not the most well-traveled guy in the metaphorical room, but I've been fortunate enough of to have seen much of this country from coast to coast, north to south. This is especially true of my beloved Texas. If you had a map of Texas, looked at El Paso and followed I-10 to San Antone, then I-37 all the way to Corpus Christi, the area below and left of .the Interstates is the only area of Texas I have not seen, but I'll conquer that part of the state soon. Long story short (I know; it's too late for that), as far as the Lone Star State goes, I've been there, done that. One place consistently stands out in my mind in the approximately 200,000 square miles of Texas I've seen. The 3.2 square miles that is Woodville. Woodville has no 100,000 seat football stadium or behemoth amusement park to attract visitors or tourists. To me, it has some things much more valuable and welcoming, its people and the gift from God of the land that surrounds it. The scenery and natural beauty around Woodville offer a guy like me, thankfully, something that can't be unseen. I haven't been there but once in the last fifteen years, but my friends and the places in Woodville are as fresh and vivid as if I were there a few minutes ago. Martin Dies State Park, home of Dam B (B. A. Steinhagen Lake), is a great place to camp and fish. I will point out to you that when you see a sign in the park that says something like "Beware of Alligators", they mean beware of alligators! Dam B and the surrounding countryside are home to some of the best fishing I have EVER experienced. Ivanhoe Lakes, south of town on Hwy. 69, is a residential community with several private lakes on the property. These lakes harbor some huge bass. I was lucky enough to know some folks who lived there, and at Ivanhoe Lakes, Fish.Fear.Me. On the north end of Dam B is the confluence of the Neches and Angelina Rivers. (In the Angelina link, Sam Rayburn Lake is on the right and the river is below the dam) The spot where the two rivers merge into Dam B is a sight to behold. The Neches is muddy and brown, while the Angelina is almost Royal blue - the contrast is amazing, as if the Good Lord got out His Heavenly Paint Pallet and decided to make a colorful imaginary border between the two. South of Woodville is Village Creek and the State Park named for it. The creek is so wide that is almost a small river and it is loaded with bass, crappie and catfish. Village Creek and the Angelina rate as my two favorite fishin' holes out of the literally thousands I have decimated. Fish.Fear.Me. Just ask the ones in Village Creek. :) On the outskirts of Woodville are many small communities - Warren, Fred, Spurger, Village Mills and more - that play host to dozens of creeks that run like aquatic ribbons throughout the area. I was kind enough to leave a few fish to repopulate the local watershed, so you, too, can enjoy what has brought me thousands of hours and hundreds of days of what I call "goin' to Church" - just me and God. I talked, He listened and I was Baptized in the Spirit. Thank you, Lord for this piece of Paradise and giving me the privilege of reaping its Bounty and becoming Your son and you my Father. Amen.