On African Thyme: March 2012

So, it's already the end of March but it feels like the middle of June. Except for the wind. THAT feels like spring weather. The kids are loving the unseasonable warmth, out jumping on the tramp every chance that they get. The greenhouse keeps calling to me (no matter how much I try to ignore it) and so we have delved into getting it up and running. Colt has tilled it all and we got a new water pump that will hopefully adequately water the whole thing on a timer. We were just about ready to plant some seeds when the wonderful wind grabbed the back door to the greenhouse and snapped it in half. Like a twig. It decided to nearly pull off some of our metal roofing on the barn as well. Gotta love the wind!

Anyways, besides the wind, we have enjoyed the setting in of spring. The first hint of spring was the return of our bluebirds. Then our antelope appeared again across the way. The song of the meadowlark floats with the wind and the honks of geese rise up from the Elkhead. The throaty calls of sandhill cranes echo in the valley. For the first time since we've been here, we've actually watched sandhills in our far back pasture--the male doing a goofy dance to impress his girl. We've had other new visitors to the back pasture as well--two raccoons often traipse back and forth, I'm sure looking for some sort of mischief to get into, and I've seen a porcupine out there twice, waddling slowly about. The deer still wander in, as does our fox. I'm wondering how many sweet little goslings can escape his grasp this spring. We did have some elk wander into view a few weeks ago as well, but that was out our front windows. They'll be headin' for the high country soon enough.

It is also looking to be the start of a long fire season. Colt has had a number of local fires already, and the Front Range is dry as tinder and fires have already gulped up homes and lives. With a home still for sale in Price and plenty of dentist bills to pay off, we hope it will be a busy season but wish it could be less catastrophic. I think this will be one for the record books, though.

The children are looking forward to summer and I am looking forward to seeing if I can stir up some interest in the local community in building a recreation center. When we moved here I could not believe that Craig did not have any sort of recreation facilities. After living here almost a year and seeing how much it truly would benefit the community, I REALLY can't believe they don't have one. I have found out it is not for a lack of trying, though. The local Parks and Rec did a feasibility study, rounded up political and partial financial support for a $21 million facility in 2008, but simply could not get the local community to support a quarter of a penny raise in their taxes.

Ouch.

So, here I am, in the deep end of a recession, trying to figure out how to drum up support for something that will benefit this community in ways that is worth so much more than I feel many realize. I suspect that much of the reticence is not the actual tax, but the cultural belief that it simply is not needed. Or that perhaps it will just be the start of many changes that will transform Craig into what it so doesn't want to be: like any town on the Front Range. Craig IS "The West" and you don't find treadmills, climbing walls and indoor running tracks and swimming pools with fancy slides and squirty things out West (except in Meeker and Rangely and Vernal and....). The problem is that we DO need it. Our high school swimming pool is so dilapidated that they are looking at shutting it down because of lack of funds to repair it adequately, which would mean the dissolution of the High School swim team as they have no other pool to practice in. There are no local fitness centers. Craig could direly use a place for kids and families to exercise and have fun year-round.

My first attempt at rallying support: letter to the editor in the local paper. If Meeker, Rangely and Fraser have rec centers then why not CRAIG?! Colt designed an awesome online petition supporters can sign with google docs. I'll let you know how it goes. 'Course, they might not even publish my letter...
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Anyways, happy spring!