Greetings of the Season

So how much can you cram into December? Out this way, in Colorado, old Man Winter made his appearance in late summer and at least in the mountains has never let up. The Winter Solstice has only just arrived and I’m already looking forward to Spring which at the rate it’s going won’t get here until July. Usually in Colorado if you don’t like the weather people tell you to wait five minutes and it will change. This year in the High Country it’s more like wait five months.

Now, I’m a newby to Colorado having only been here since 1971 so granted what I know of Colorado weather would fit in a thimble which I guess is what it takes to be a weather prognosticator in these here parts, at least on television. But I’ve got to say I’ve never seen so much snow at our mountain cabin as I have this year. I mean deep - deep enough that I have to shovel to see the top of the chimney. Even my snowblower is booking a flight to Phoenix so I guess when it goes south I’ll have to follow.

I think this is the year of two miraculous events. The widespread adoption of ‘smart’ doorbells that allow you to stare for untold hours watching all the excitement on your front porch. And, seemingly by coincidence, the advent of that urban scourge - the porch pirate. Even though Amazon Prime offers free shipping I guess porch pirates just can’t wait the day or so it takes for the package to arrive so why not head next door and snag that tempting parcel sitting on your neighbor’s front porch. As a bonus you may end up on the local news captured by that ‘smart’ doorbell video. Don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d be all that entertained getting a ping from my doorbell only to see some fool abscond with all my Christmas Cheer. I will give kudos though to the creativity of the delivery drivers. They’ve found some spots to hide my packages so good even I have trouble finding them.

And how ‘bout a nice impeachment to add some holly to your jolly. It doesn’t matter which side of the issue you’re on but ‘Senate Trial’ just doesn’t have the same holiday ring as say, Chestnuts roasting over an open fire. Or Jack Frost nippin’ at your nose.

Up at the cabin we still have running water despite the snow and the cold. Lots and lots, and lots of running water. All in the form of a split pipe that didn’t want to wait for summer to be free. And good luck finding a plumber. All the Leadville plumbers are working in Eagle and Summit counties fixing the split pipes of those far more affluent than I so we had to coax a pipe fixer from down Buena Vista
way. Ethan, if you're reading this, you’re our Christmas Miracle. God Bless, and enjoy that Mexican vacation we financed for you.

The saying goes “If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough”. Can’t argue with that. So why not get out and enjoy the snow? If you’re brave enough to venture out on I-70 despite the avalanche and rock mitigation closures come on up! And kids, if by chance Santa and his sleigh are a tad late Christmas morning it’s because their stuck in the abyss just past Floyd Hill. We tried to drive up last Wednesday around noon time and found a nice parking spot along with thousands of other idgits (that’s my technical term for idiots cum laude) who thought that it would be safe to drive into the mountains in the middle of the week on a day with no weather issues. Thank God for CDOT, if it wasn’t for them posting to their website AFTER we were stuck that the highway was now closed and would remain so for hours we would have been clueless. I used to refer to I-70 as ‘Mountain NASCAR’ but the Colorado Highway Patrol nixed that fun by just shutting the whole thing down.

We eventually made it of course after a nice scenic detour by way of Bailey, Fairplay, and Buena Vista.  Fairplay’s grocery store has really grown with the times and is almost worth the long, long trip just to see it. Just sayin’.

Anyway, I hope you and yours are enjoying this time of giving as much as I am. This year its like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps giving and giving and giving. So Seasons Greetings. As the TV anchor lady succinctly put it, “...whatever you celebrate, celebrate!” Far be it for me to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Joyous Kwanzaa so I’ll just say Feliz Navidad, Bon Noel, Shastlivogo Rozhdestva along with something that I think is still politically correct, Happy New Year!

Lest we forget, please remember the reason for the season - it’s to allow your local plumber to spend January basking in the sun on some exotic beach. Ho, Ho, Ho!

Here's a video Christmas Card from our family to yours:

Now this is Christmas Camping!

Once upon a time, if I were to write a blog about camping this time of year, it would feature windswept vistas and campsites nestled in among the snow-dappled peaks.

Not this one. This blog features a more sedate, but perhaps more creative type of camping. I'm referring to Camp Christmas which is a 10,000 sq. ft. extravaganza highlighting Christmas through the ages that takes us on a Holiday journey from ancient Rome all the way up to present day. Created by Lonnie Hanzon in conjunction with the Denver Center for Performing Arts, Camp Christmas is a feast for the senses and is open now through January 5th, 2020 at the Hangar at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, Colorado.

I took my better half out one morning braving the I-70 traffic (does rush hour in Denver never end?) after reading about Camp Christmas in the Denver Post. The thought was to go at a less-crowded time. Tickets are best purchased online and ahead of time and give you a 15 minute window to arrive and enter. I can imagine Camp Christmas is pretty busy of a late afternoon, evening, or weekend but our 10:30 a.m. timeslot allowed us to wander freely without having to shoulder our way through any crowds. Parking at the Stanley Marketplace can be a challenge so carpooling would be wise.

Camp Christmas is unique and something to see. I'd compare it to 'It's a Small World' at Disneyland but 100% dedicated to my wife's favorite time of year. Mr. Hanzon and team have done a remarkable job of transforming a 'Hangar' into a wintry yuletide wonderland and best of all - it's all indoors! No need to brave the elements at all so I guess Camp Christmas qualifies as 'glamping' in its own way.

Oh, and there's a bar. Well, actually several. The first is the amazing Santa Bar and its something to see. Having Bars is unique in and of itself for such a Christmas event but that's ok because in my humble opinion Camp Christmas is really aimed at us adults. Though it bills itself as family-friendly I think a lot of the nuance and context presented would be over the heads of little children. You definitely won't find your typical Mall Santa Claus set-up at Camp Christmas, which was kind of a nice relief. That said, though he wasn't in attendance while we were there, I understand the jolly old elf does make appearances on Saturdays at select times through December 21st. (more info at the Camp Christmas website). Don't tell anybody but we did sneak a selfie in his sleigh...

Camp Christmas takes you through 13 different Christmas's spanning the ages. Along the way there are activities and Pun-trees that will have your funnybone groaning. You'll probably also learn a lot as you meander your way but don't mistake Camp Christmas as some type of museum exhibit. Mr. Hanzon and team are way too creative for that!

Here's a sneak peek of some of the magic you'll get to see: