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Old 09-30-2010, 11:03 PM
 
16,433 posts, read 22,102,049 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ziasforever View Post
What does the Montrose Sheriff's office carry for side arms? ... .40? .45acp?
Shopping for a vest?

 
Old 10-01-2010, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Western Colorado
12,858 posts, read 16,764,657 times
Reputation: 33500
Well it's October 1st, and I've lived in Ridgway for one year. Amazing this thread has 45 pages. Some of the replies were funny, some considerate, some just downright mean. So my first winter, I loved the snow, the cold, thr crisp air. Walking around at night in 15 below zero weather seemed like a good idea at the time, I remember my eyeballs froze. But the ink black night sky and those stars were worth it. It surprized me everything closed for winter, but the town sure was peaceful and quiet. The community bonfire Christmas was that small town thing that just doesn't happen anymore. Yes by June I was saying enough with the snow already, but it really wasn't all that bad. I noticed it would snow, then the next day the sun would shine, and the roads were clear and dry. Winter here was a lot more pleasant for me then were I moved from. I really loved seeing Bald Eagles nest right across from me, saw a bear, Elk, mountain lions, and thousands of deer. The deer, who seem to wait until you're right on top of them before they decide to step out in front of your car can be annoying, and careful attention is demanded along hwy 550. Come spring, I learned what windy season and mud season was. The dust storms I could do without. Summer was a few days of high 80's, and seemed very short. I'm still waiting for the tomatoes I planted in June to get ripe.

I loved going to the small town festivals here, the concerts at the park, walking into places and having people say "hi Jim". Although tourists are the lifeblood of this area, and are entertaining with their wacky antics and questions "when do they turn the waterfalls off", "how high do the deer have to get before they turn into Elk", weekend traffic is a bit insane. Tourists tend to fall off shelf roads, back atv's off cliffs, and think nothing of standing in the middle of the highway to take a photo.

I learned Ouray Mountain Rescue are the heros here, the county sheriff is undermanned and underfunded, the town marshal does the best he can, and the volunteer firefighters and ambulance personel simply amaze me. Being paged out in February at 3am in a blizzard? No thank you. But I'm glad we have these people here.

Oh the first time I heard the fire siren, I was in a dead sleep. I jumped up thinking it was a tornado, and after a few moments discovered it was a fire siren. How quaint. I sleep through the thing now.

I love being close to family and doing things for them. I've spent time with nieces and nephews and cousins that I haven't seen in years. And being able to do things for my sisters is the best part of being here.

I learned quicky about water rights and irrigation and there are still fights over that issue. I've seen where every other house has a for sale sign on it, 50% of the homes here are in Foreclosure and people are struggling to make ends meet. I know who works what job when, as everyone it seems has two or three jobs. I've also gotten to know there is a small group of people who want to change things here to what they left in Texas, Florida, California. Not thank you. Leave it alone.

I've read every book I could get my hand on about the history here, talked to locals who have lived here for generations, there's not a whole lot of those left, and have made it a point to learn about where I live. I really enjoy telling someone who's lived here forever some of the things I learned, they didn't know. Driving Owl Creek Pass, I stop and imagine what the cattle drives in the 1800's must have been like there, or standing in front of the old train station which is now a home, what it must have been like to ride the train from Montrose to Ridgway, something I wish still existed. Driving Last Dollar Road, Engineer Pass, and the others, I am astonished at the hard work it must have been to work the mines here, to carve out a living and to just survive. I also think of the Ute Indians, who saw the invasion of the Europeans and how they took over and destroyed their land. Everything changes with time, some for the better, some not so much. I guess that's why I respect this area as I do, I learned the history of it.

People, as I, still pan for gold here, and the locals I know hunt Elk and deer not for a trophy but to feed their family in winter. Salmon snagging is huge here in the fall, trout fishing, and finding those out of the way places is a real treat.

Summer had the evening monsoons and I learned around 3pm to get inside, then about 5pm the storms were over and back outside it was. The nights were cool and pleasant. Only a handful of people here have air conditioning, it's not needed.

So, after one year I still love it here, have no intention of changing a thing, and call this my home. I have no desire to build or buy some huge home carved into a hillside. If I can find a small cabin or established home someplace, maybe. I love Ridgway, Montrose is a nice clean bigger town, like the murals on every building in Delta, LOVE Olathe Sweet sweet corn, and Palisades Peaches and Cedaredge apples. Paonia Hotchkiss area with their orchards are neat towns. Junction I can do without, just too crowded, hate hate hate Telluride, love Ouray, Mountain Village, and Silverton, but not the attitudes of the people there. Driving over Red Mountain Pass is an adventure especially in winter, and sometimes I think driivng 62 over Dallas Divide is more dangerous.

Breakfast at Butch's in Delta, lunch at the Aspen Trails Campground above Cedaredge, Panny's Pizza in Ridgway, chocolate at Ouray's Candy Store, Stone House in Montrose, and the Philly Cheesesteaks at Union Cafe in Ridgway, some amazing food. Don't care for and won't eat at the plastic fast food places.

To me this is paradise, and I cannot think of living elsewhere.

Some things I've learned, everyone wants to move to Colorado. If you don't have a job, don't move here, because once you're here, good luck finding a job. Sticker shock - Colorado is pricey. If you want to live in one of those "cute mountain towns" be prepared to drive long distances for groceries, medical needs, etc. Spend time here, lots of time, and in the middle of winter, before you move. Talk to locals. Surprising to me how many people ask "where's all the green?"

So this will be the last post of mine in this thread, I'll post photos on new threads from time to time. Thank yall for reading, and the replies, even jazzlover, who can be a thorn sometimes, but I know he loves Colorado and sees change that isn't especially good for the future of this state. I can understand that.

I too love Colorado, and am proud to be able to call this state and especially Ridgway, home.

Last edited by jim9251; 10-01-2010 at 10:17 AM..
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