Blog Salida: Crazy Eddie

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Whiff of Spring

Sundays In Salida by Crazy Eddie

Well, the pitchers and catchers for the Colorado Rockies have reported to Spring Training. To non-baseball fans this probably doesn't mean a thing. To baseball fans, though, it means the beginning of spring. Salidans know better, though. We know there is still plenty of winter left. But at least we have gotten past the worst part of winter and can now enjoy the occasional balmy day. Walking around town yesterday, I swear there was a faint whiff of spring in the air.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic. Maybe I just desperately want spring to get here quickly. Perhaps you can tell that I'm not a winter person. I don't ski, I don't snowboard, I don't snowmobile, and I don't snowshoe. I don't really care for snow and I certainly don't like icy streets and sidewalks. (I have managed to not slip and fall on the ice once this winter.) I also don't care for huge heating bills.

So if I am not a winter person then what am I doing living in Salida? Are you kidding? I live in paradise! To me, during spring, summer, and fall Salida is the most beautiful place on the planet. Sure, winter can be quite beautiful, too. But personally I would prefer a shorter winter. This is my 16th winter in Salida and every winter I bitch about the weather but as soon as spring arrives I forget all about it and I am happy again. Oh, it's good to be in paradise!

Well, it's Sunday, my day off. Hellelujah for Sundays! My doggie is going to take me for a nice long walk this afternoon. I can't wait. Salida is a fantastic place to live for those inclined to take daily walks. Walking, to me, is not just about exercise; it's a form of meditation. It's also a great way to connect with Ma Nature and with the community. Walking brings me great joy.

Copyright © 2008, by Crazy Eddie. All Rights Reserved.

As a young kid playing "cowboys and Indians," Crazy Eddie always insisted on being an Indian. He wanted to be a chief. Well many, many years later he finally became a chief when he took on the task of being editor-in-chief of Blog Salida.

Nebraska POW Camps

Cabin Fever Eases, Poetry Needed

Sundays In Salida by Crazy Eddie

I do enjoy Sundays in Salida and today's weather could not have been more delightful. Salida has been on the verge of a cabin fever epidemic and today's gorgeous weather did a lot to quell the epidemic. My dog took me on a very long and therapeutic walk--and I was wearing a very light jacket! I hadn't seen that light jacket since early November. And by the end of the walk that jacket was just about too much. Today I experienced actual warmth. It felt really, really good.

With Valentine's Day being this week things are sure to heat up even more. Don't forget! Unless, of course, you're single. Then you don't have to worry about it. Unless each year you've always given your dog a Valentine's card. Luckily, I've never given my dog a Valentine's card so she doesn't expect one. Thank goodness.

Speaking of Valentines, do you know what Blog Salida is looking for? We're looking for poets! We want to publish poetry by local poets living in the Salida Area. So if you do poetry please consider submitting one or two of your best poems to Blog Salida. Check out our submissions page for submission guidelines.

And that also goes for short stories, photos, articles, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Being a community website we want to publish community writers. Express yourself through Blog Salida. Oh, send us your favorite secret recipes, too.

Colorado Town Loses Legal Fight

by Crazy Eddie

The town of Fraser, Colorado lost its fight with the town of International Falls, Minnesota over the trademarked use of the term, Icebox of America. Both towns claim they are the coldest towns in the lower 48 states. International Falls claims to have been using the phrase to describe their town for a longer time. They have photographs of their 1955 Pee Wee Hockey Team with Icebox of the Nation printed on their jackets.

In 1989 International Falls paid Fraser $2,000 to stop using the phrase and Fraser stopped using it. It looked like everything was settled but recently International Falls neglected to renew their patented trademark on the phrase and it briefly slipped into public use. Fraser made a bid for it. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made a ruling on the dispute and awarded the trademark back to International Falls.

Anyone who has lived in Salida over the past two and a half months might think that they have been living in the coldest spot in America but this legal battle reminds us that there are even colder places! Heck, just think about Leadville, Gunnison, and Alamosa. To the people of those towns Salida must seem like a tropical beach. But to us Salidans who have put up with non-stop snow and ice and wind and brutal cold for the last two and a half months it is hard to see our situation as even remotely resembling a tropical beach. It's all perspective. So it's good to occasionally remind ourselves that we are a banana belt and that there really are colder places. I purchased a bunch of bananas at Safeway yesterday to help remind me of that. They are so beautiful! Just looking at them I am filled with hope and I can feel myself warm up ever so slightly.

Copyright © 2008 by Crazy Eddie. All Rights Reserved.

Super Bowl Sunday in Salida

Sundays In Salida by Crazy Eddie

You know what I like about Super Bowl Sundays in Salida? It's a great time to take a walk, in fact it is a rare opportunity to see Salida in suspended animation. While the big game is on tv my dog takes me for a walk through the utterly deserted streets of Salida. There is no traffic; no one on the streets or sidewalks. It's like the town has been abandoned. The only sounds are of nature and of my footsteps. It's not often one can experience Salida like this during the day.

Yup, that's what I do during the Super Bowl. I'm not a football fan nor do I care about those million dollar commercials. I do enjoy walks, though, so today I will time my walk to occur during the big game so I can experience the town in that eery silence.

How did you spend Super Bowl Sunday? Leave a comment.