Hello, dear friends and readers. The good news is that it was nice and cool last Wednesday morning. The bad news is that we bought our first floor fan on our last trip down valley. For the first time since we retired here, we felt that we needed a cool breeze to sleep comfortably. On the day we brought the fan home, the temperature was 83 degrees as we cruised into Rico at 4 p.m. One should feel grateful that it wasnt 93 degrees. So that just tells us that we are spoiled and self-centered and have forgotten how the other half lives!
Our friend (and friend of the community) Paul Moore of Rico and beautiful California has finally arrived and, besides opening the cabin and getting all the possible leaks corrected, etc., he immediately set upon the task of preparing for the arrival of company. That is the way it is in a happy, cool place like Rico and the 100 degree temperatures elsewhere prompt friends and family to head for the mountains!
Also, the Pasquenellis of Rico and Yuma, Arizona took time off from their busy business to seek the cool comfort of their home up here. In the olden days, Gary would assist Rhea Curran in offering Mass for our Catholic friends.
We wish Helen Drummond, mother of Mary Lou Milstead a belated happy birthday. Our friend Helen is coming close to setting a fantastic record for the you-know-what-number. She is a fine lady and we adore her. Unbelievably, she adjusts to this altitude immediately. When we come home from sea level, it takes us three weeks to adjust!
As we entered Dolores on our way home last trip, we were delighted to spy the mysterious wild black goat grazing near the fire department property. Our editor of the Dolores Star has featured this famous goat in her articles from time to time with great photos, and to see it in real life was exciting. He normally sticks close to the cliffs on the north edge of town, but we were told that because of the drought, he was forced to move down for some green grass!
The complete staff of volunteer hosts up at the U.S. Forest Service Information Center on Hwy. 145 just up above Rico have arrived and, if traveling by, stop and take in the museum and other projects that have been completed. Joy and Joe Russell, long-time retirees of the Center, first began the museum/gallery project many years ago. We miss seeing them. Time is not in our favor when it comes to doing the things that we used to do.
We are working on a plan for saving a fine old upright piano that needs a home. It is in fairly good shape and perfect for a child or adult who is interested in taking piano lessons! This campaign will try to save it from a sad demise. Please call 970-882-7919 for more information.
Karen, Sam and daughter Karla Harrison, friends of Rico for generations, have escaped the heat in Yuma and are enjoying their cool new cabin that is completely finished. The Harrison family have had a home up here forever. Sam is a member of our Fire Department and puts in his valuable time for our Town!
Join us at the Rico Courthouse for an evening rich in Rico history! On Friday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m., author Joanne Branson Smith recounts what it was like growing up in an era where imagination knew no bounds and what it was like to live in our old Rio Grande Southern Train Station. This story relates to the Glen Baer family and other Rico old-timers.
Marlene Hazen has lived in Rico for two decades. An active member of the community, she participates in organizations such as the Rico Womens Club and Rico Historical Society.
