COLORADO (still)

I keep remembering events that I neglected in prior posts so I decided to add a section to clarify. Some of the additions include

Hunting. I tried hunting as it seemed the thing to if living in Colorado. I bought a converted 8mm rifle, converted to a 30.06. The problem was the shells were ever so slightly expanded once fired so the rifle had a hard time ejecting empty shells (sometimes before empty.} Inconvenient but I managed to make it work. Toward the end of my experience with hunting I either gave or loaned the rifle to Ellen's brother Doug. He returned from hunting one day and had neglected to unload the rifle before entering the house, As he was trying to unload, the shell didn't exit so he was more forceful. I know you know where this is going. The rifle fired and he killed a cream can. Luckily no people were hurt. The rifle was retired!

Thomas. When Thomas was born I had purchased a 1957 Chevy hardtop (red and white). When Ellen woke me to go the hospital we jumped into the Chevy and drove north to Porter hospital, As it turns out a policeman stopped us for speeding (I can't imagine why) Anyway, we pointed out that Ellen was about to give birth and he jumped in to action and gave us a police escort. I later received a ticket when driving the same car due to racing another driver. I won the race but got caught and the other driver didn't so I guess I had that one coming. Thomas arrived with no problem by the way.

Rodeos. We spent a lot of weekends driving to Steamboat Springs to visit Ellen's family. I think it snowed every time I went unless it was July. I attended quite a few rodeos, not my thing but I'm trying to fit in. One particular rodeo Ellen's dad and I were hanging out and decided we needed more alcohol. So, we visited the local liquor store and loaded up. We sat in the hot stands consuming beverages to excess (it was hot on July 4 in the sun.) We left the stands to visit friends and one of them asked me if I wanted chewing tobacco and fried chicken. Well, I swallowed the tobacco (my 1m and only experience with chewing tobacco) and I'm not sure what happened to the chicken because my body decided I had abused it enough that day and I passed out on the dirt road going to the rodeo. Ellen walked right by me (disgusted I guess) but luckily her brother Ed was there and picked me up to take me to the ranch. I decorated the side of his beautiful 1957 Chevy. Lesson learned? Ellen's Aunt Kate was visiting and concocted a mixture that helped immediately. I have not been to too many rodeos since that day!

Ellen's mother. Alice and I hit it off right away. I hear people complaining about in-laws all the time. I am here to say I had no such problems. Alice always loved me and I her. She had an old upright piano which I would play and she would sing. I think she knew the lyrics to every song from the 1920s. I was a self taught piano player but it made no difference. She always made my visits very enjoyable and was a marvelous cook. She cooked on a coal stove with no fancy gadgets and could tell by feel if the temperature was correct, Amazing!

There are probably a lot more events but I am trying to be as brief and still give a picture of our life so now to our next adventure.


1957 Chevy Bel Aire

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