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Show Page A6 (Htmeg-f3Jtthgpgnhe- Thursday, August 26, 2004 nt Idle Thoughts from Mt. Waas Many Trails I by Adrien SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY F. Taylor include the chokecherry, plus some plum and raspberry, and it will be interesting to see which of those three distinctive flavors predominates, if any. Meanwhile, the high season for peaches and tomatoes has resulted in something like what Garrisdn Keillor has described regarding zucchini, as people sneaking bags of them onto the neighbors porches in the dead of night. And for those who dont have access to them, the Saturday morning Farmers Market at Swanny City Park has all kinds of fresh produce, plus some music and a chance to visit with the friendly crowd that is there every week. The weekend before the start of school has traditionally been the time to take to the La Sal mountain roads in search of chokecherries. Accordingly, daughter Sena and met up at Horse Creek last Saturday afternoon to check out the prospects. Nothing there. Other pickers had been there before us. And its little wonder since the fall weather seems to be arriving a little early this year. We hied on up the Oowah Lake road, however, and found chokecherries, if not in plenty, at least enough. These are odd little fruits and very aptly named. Taste one straight off the tree, and youre puckered up for some time to come. But made into jelly, theyre delicious and dear. My survey of pectin last week, it turns out, was somewhat incomplete. Getting into my own pantry, I found two varieties that are no longer available, at least not on the shelves of Moabs two larger markets. And suspect that since one is dated before 2000, that its no longer manufactured. Pectin isnt something that strikes me as being unstable, though, so Im using it. Brand names are another thing again. MCP is the only brand have found that includes the recipe for chokecherry jelly right in the package insert. Tuesday evening made up two batches. With about two cups of left over juice, I'll do what the big guys do and make a batch I -- aft- Although not much of a sports fan as a general rule, do enjoy the Olympics, and have been tuning in each evening to see the action. Interestingly, the national news has reported that more women than men are watching the Olympics. don't know, but can't help but wonder if it has something to do with the individual competition, as opposed team contact sports. And congratulations to the Grand County High School football team for great start to the season last week. Good luck in this Friday's game against Monticello in Monticello. It looks like hard work the past two seasons under the tutalege of Coach Dennis Wells is starting to pay back. I I I I I of something called mixed fruit jelly.That would The way Sam Remembers by Sam Taylor it . tunately the community irrigation ditch carried a lot of seeds along with the water. Our fairly adequate football field featured a carpet of goatheads and sandburs. During annual freshman hazing week, we used to make the freshmen pull the sandburs and punctureweeds on their hands and knees. It was a little cruel in the late summer heat, but very effective. Of course, we had all been freshmen ourselves a few years before. remember some of the games quite well. When was a senior, we had a great team, and won a lot of contests on that old field. But most of all, remember the lengthy afternoon practices that were tough. In those days, was almost always hungry. One of the families that lived on 1 00 South across from the football often cooked venison and Dutch oven potatoes and onions. That fragrant smell drifting across the football field in the evening made my stomach think my throat was cut. That is still one of my favorite meals of all time. Well, the smell of fall is in the air, and for me memories of football. really enjoyed the game here last Friday. It was a great victory for the Red Devils, and gave promise of things to come. It is one of the best balanced teams have seen Moab produce in many years. It is hard to pick out key players because there are so many. am sorely tempted to follow the team to Monticello this Friday. That is always a spirited contest and fun to watch. But if it is cool in Moab, you can expect it to be a lot cooler in Monticello. If go, Ill be sure and take my jacket. Although Friday night's opening football game Moab featured weather, it turned cooler over the weekend and there has been a touch of fall in the air all week. Fall is the greatest time of the year, and always has been in Moab. like living in a part of the world with changing seasons. Each one is distinct here, and fall is a relief after the warm July and August season. The only drawback to fall is that its arrival means that it wont be long until January and February arrive. That time of the year, in my book, is the pits. just don't like cold weather. The fact that Ive lost a whole bunch of weight this last year makes my protruding bones shiver when think of fog and snow. Fall has its own feel and smell. For me, it always brings thoughts of football, and memories of the days long ago when actively participated in the sport, as a Moab Red Devil, and later during a year of college ball. Moab high school football was a lot different in those days. We practiced and played our games on the old gridiron located on Center Street where the modern, new baseball diamonds now reside. We had only homespun lights, so most of our games were played in the afternoon. remember one practice session which lasted until 10 p.m. Our coach was so displeased with our performance the week before that he led us through three straight hours of tackling practice, with the field lined with cars and pickups with their lights on. It was long before sprinkling systems with adequate water pressure. Our field was watered from the big ditch owned by Moab Irrigation Co. The water was plentiful, and things really grew. Unfor in I by Ollie Harris I doubt we will be returning to our little Colorado town much anymore. Mother Lee was our primary reason for visiting there, and she is gone now. Barbara and I went there a few days ago so that she could help her sister go through boxes, closets and cupboards that contain the old photographs, books, papers, and memorabilia held onto by Mother Lee. I was clearly in the way. Besides, I wanted to go photograph the little house that my father built for us in 1949. 1 got in my truck and drove the few miles west, out on the Dry Side. I turned north off the gravel road onto a little-use- d side road and followed it to a locked gate. From where I sat I could just see the top of the tin roof on the house. I climbed up into the back ofthe pickup and stood on the side of the bed. From that perch I had a clear view of the house about yards away. I took a couple of photos of the lonely little house with the magnificent La Plata mountains in the background. I have strong feelings against trespassing, about going where I may not be welcome. I could tell from the tracks and condition of the road that it was very seldom used. The place was not posted but there was an old board nailed to a post that probably once held a no trespassing sign. Beside the locked gate was a gap just wide enough for me to walk through. I very much wanted to get some photos of the house. Feeling uneasy about it, I stepped through the gap and walked toward the house. At about a hundred yards I took a photo or two. Being somewhat emboldened, I decided to get closer. I took photos of where the pigs and the cow were kept. There was old machinery scattered out in the brush. There are few things I enjoy more than snooping around an old place..I love old machinery and decaying buildings. I was sorely High Country News Writers on the Range How I I I I I I I I win-starv- I I I I r v a resort town loses its soul by Allen Best If not paradise, Aspen during the summer comes close. The mountains are dazzling, the Victorian homes beguiling. The musical menu is rich, and a Nobel or Pulitzer prizewinner lectures nearly every evening. Everywhere are trails. Its a heaven for tourists. But Aspen is no longer a tourist town in the conventional sense. A new kind of tourism, one dominated by extravagantly expensive homes, has gained economic swagger in Aspen and Vail, Colo., gussied-u- p Jackson, Wyo., Sun Valley, Idaho, and several other resorts of the West. This second-hom- e economy is bigger than skiing, bigger than summer tourism and in some places bigger than both. Mountains have always been places of weekend and summer cabins. Then, during the 1960s and 1970s, as skiing became a lifestyle, condominiums proliferated. But in the 1980s and 1990s, a fundamental shift occurred. Buyers wanted stand-alon- e homes, sometimes miles from the ski slopes. Supersize me can apply to more than fast food. Homes of 10,000 square feet have become common, even if used only a few weeks or months of the year. The sweepstakes winner of this conspicuous consumption is the 55,000 square-fomansion in Aspen owned by Prince Bandar bin ot sultan, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. n Even at Fraser, Colo., a cabin in a mountain resort goes for $450,000. And a cottage in this vacation world goes for even more. Talk about a cottage industry: It takes hundreds of people to build one of these mansions, then a steady stream of workers to scrub the floors, tend the flower gardens and keep the is enormous. pantry stocked. The trickle-dow- n Many maids get $30 an hour, and immigrants who barely speak English can earn $18 an hour chistourist busieling stone. No wonder nesses complain they have a hard time getting help. Demographers predict a strong demand for such vacation homes as baby boomers conclude their peak earning years and then retire. Some second homes will become first homes, at least for the early retirement years, a phenomenon that is already occurring. All ofthis means existing trends will continue. Few people working in the resort communities little-know- low-payi- n&epcnhcnt ISSN 1538-183- 8 (UPS) 6309-200Entered as Second class Matter at the Post Office at Moab, Utah under the Act of March 3, 1897. Second class postage paid at Moab, Utah 84532. Official City and County Newspaper. Published each Thursday at: 35 East Center Street, Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 0) address: editormoabtimes.com ail Postmaster: Send changes of address to: The 435-259-75- Member KNlKNLffi P.O. Box 129, Moab, UT Times-lndepende- or FAX 84532 and Lisa Church Jeff Richards Marjorie Miller Lisa Taylor Jeannine Wait Circulation Manager, T--l Maps Press, Production Manager Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Conributing Writer er homes has also helped cause profound demographic shifts. Ski resorts were once the domain of young white kids, but the median age is rising rapidly close to 60 in the Aspen area without owners. There are proincluding second-hom- e few GenXers, as couples in their 20s portionately and 30s have found the resort communities too expensive to sink roots into. In most resort towns of the West, the term second-hom- e owner has almost pejorative connotations, similar to developer. But the truth is nowhere that simple. Spend some time in a small mountain town that hasnt had fresh blood in three generations, and youd probably be happy to see a few second-hom- e owners in your midst. towns resort have begun to question Many whether this new industry pays its way. Most towns depend upon sales tax revenues, and unlike factories, these homes pay few taxes. A lot of people look back fondly to the old days of tourism, where the tourists rented hotel rooms instead of buying the comer lots. Some locals also say its hard to relate to d-home owners who have so much money they dont buy their own groceries, let alone know the price of bread. Social divisions between the haves and have-notbetween the locals and the second-home owners, are widening, and thats not secon- s, good. In Aspen, former Mayor Rachel Richards observed this years Fourth of July parade, noting owners were the spectators that second-hom- e while locals participated in the parade. We need each other, she said. But the issue, she added, is one of balance. Once a town loses that balance, its hard to get it back. Aspen, she thinks, has tipped. Other towns, she says, should take note. Allen Best is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He lives and writes on Colorados Front Range. Michelle Wiley Dorothy Anderson Jed Taylor, Jose Santana '. Ron Drake Ron Georg Oliver Harris A.J. Long The does not necessarily endorse the opinions published in letters to the editor and guest editorials. The l welcomes opinions from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to Southeastern Utah. Letters should be to the point and must include the writers name, address and telephone number. Letters may not be used to replace advertisements, or to list and thank sponsors or participants to a particular event. Letters to the editor will be not be accepted from any candidate who has filed lor political office or from anyone writing in support of a filed candidate. Anything unsigned, of a libelous nature, or containing defamatory statements will not be considered for publication. All letters must be typed or legibly written, and be 400 words or less. Letters are subject to editing. Mail to Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 1 29, Moab, Utah, 84532. Deadto editormoabtimes.com. The line is Monday, 5 p.m. Letters may also be sent via may not accept letters from persons who write more frequently than once every four weeks. Changes to letters to the editor after submission will be accepted only in the most extreme circumstances. . nt T-- PRESS ASSOCIATION Samuel J. and Adrien F. Taylor, Publishers Adrien F. Taylor, Editor Sadie Warner, Assistant Editor Tom Taylor ever-farth- Letters to the editor policy Times-lndepende- UTAH Zane Taylor five there. In a market hyperinflated by the demand for second homes, land becomes too expensive for laborers. Almost all affordable housing down-valle- y in resort towns is subsidized. One-tim- e towns have become upscale, which means bedroom communities are away. One-wa- y commutes of 30 or 60 or even 90 minutes become common. Just as second-hom- e owners have dual existences, so do the workers. The massive infusion of money from second 435-259-77- NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION turn. nf tempted to go examine the old machinery. Who knows? I may have recognized some of it. And what about the trash pile? I resisted the temptation to snoop around in the brush. Instead, I walked over to the house. I wanted a shot of the foundation because I could not remember how it was constructed. I found that it was just a few cinder blocks. . Being further emboldened, and just a few feet from the house with its missing door and broken windows, I decided to go inside. There were the three rooms, just as I remembered them. Each room was about twelve feet by twelve feet, arranged in a row. We four kids slept in the west room. The middle room was the kitchen. Our parents slept in the east room. At least, thats the way I remember it. It was very, very quiet and I was alone with As I stepped over the piles of rat memories. my into west room, and was taking a the manure, owl dropped from the the resident photograph, rafters and flew out through the empty window. I was deeply pleased that the owl lived in the house. I photographed a little night stand that I am sure my father built. I was not comfortable being in the house because, as I have mentioned, I do not like to be where I may not be welcome. I turned and shot a picture down the length ofthe house then stepped outside. I did not visit the east room. I stepped around to the east end of the house and took a picture of the door my father built. I wanted to go investigate the old, tumbled-dow- n outhouse, but I didnt. As I walked away from the house I turned and got some pictures of the big old cedar tree that I used to play in. I walked back to the truck feeling just a bit sentimental. I thought of James Micheners statement: Poets are simply people who see things in two ways. Like children, as if they had never seen them before. Like old men, as if they would never see them again. Contributing Writer Mail Room Supervisor Backshop Castle Valley Columnist Columnist Columnist Distribution Times-lndepende- nt . |