Winter and little bits of other stories

It is snowing as I write this. Lite snow but more to come and bitter cold following, in for the weekend. After my snowshoeing the last few days the trail was nicely packed down - not so now. No trace what so ever of the path, animal tracks, nada. We'll be starting all over...

We shiver, build lovely fires inside, drink spiced tea, and the cows eat, drink, and sleep outside. Even in -20. The cowboys drop hay for them every morning and that's apparently all they need. This also goes for the horses, goats, sheep, and any other animals the ranchers and farmers keep all winter. Harsh...

So speaking of animals, want to share some information I  found out some months ago. Pronghorn aka Antelope. They're a big deal in Colorado and we enjoy seeing herds of them from time to time.Here's the funny thing, there are NO antelope in North America. These beautiful animals have been misnamed for at least 130 years, probably longer, and it seems to have started with the man who wrote Home on the Range.Which is actually the state song of Kansas, who knew, and written by a Dr. Brewster Higley in 1876 - you know the one, "Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play," etc. Perhaps he was distracted with his 5 wives and drinking problem, nonetheless, its been engrained in our heads for a long time. There's a movement out here to correct all of us, but I can tell you pronghorn does not come off the tongue easily.

I do not have jury duty and very happy about that. Was dismissed Wednesday - bless those 14 that are left to decide the verdict in the probably 5 week murder trial. I hasten to add the murder did not happen in our county, was just moved here. We're still a land of mostly petty crimes, thank goodness.

snow ribbon

red tail hawk nest - winter empty

More snowshoeing photos. It is the quietest place, our woods, only snowshoes can be heard crunching on the snow - stop and not a single sound , only pure silence.
My online genetics and evolution class is going well so far. Only practice homework the first week, we'll how I feel this second week. The video lectures have been fascinating - learned a lot already. Next class is a live one - history of Gunnison County at Western State through April. Mark and I are both taking it on Monday nights. What's with all this learning stuff? Don't know, could call it New Year's resolutions, except I never make any...