Editor's Notes – 2008

Read the Crestone Eagle's 2007 Editor's Notes here.

August 2008

Ode to summer

Ah, summertime—and even if the livin’ isn’t always easy—it sure is grand.

Today the Saturday Market was happening downtown, and vendors brought their colorful wares, their kids, their dogs and their drums. It was such a nice social setting of small-town camaraderie. The kids ran through the woods with sticks and hid in the bushes or wandered into Curt’s with money all their own.

Crestone is a great place to raise children. We seem to have lots of young families here now. I sure hope they find ways to make it here. They bring such life to our community.

Peggy Sue & I wander around town stretching our legs. People wave, stop to chat. Yesterday’s good rain seems to have greened everything up overnight. Such a relief to have some moisture in the air! Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing and the scent of yellow clover is sweet in the air.

Stopping to just sit on the grass in The Eagle’s beautiful back yard brought a sense of deep joy. The perfection of being in the moment in a beautiful place.

These are the grand days of summer that we wish would stretch longer. More days to hike or garden or just enjoy being outside.

Our garden is finally doing well after a very cool spring. We are picking strawberries, zucchini and greens—and the snow peas are high.

Despite controversies, politics and the occasional threat of complete environmental collapse, life is good in Crestone.

About the time you read this issue of The Eagle the Music Festival will be starting. For awhile, just forget all the heavy news—and come out and dance.

—Kizzen

July 2008

Making the connection

And, um . . . say, “what about the war?”

The news the past couple of months has all been about: The Democratic run-off—Obama or Clinton? The economy—not good. Gas prices—up, up and away. Oil speculators—greedy vultures. The mortgage crisis—thousands of families loosing their homes. And, thanks to Al Gore and big chunks of Iowa being underwater and the Midwest being frequently flattened by tornadoes—climate change and fossil fuels.

But, what about the war? You know, the one where billions of dollars are being spent and thousands of lives are being squandered? The one that is making people hate us, causing oil prices to rise and sucking us dry. The one that is STILL GOING ON?

It’s not making the news —other than Democrats saying McCain wants us to be there 100 years. Boo hiss. The TV networks don’t show the daily carnage anymore. It’s gotten too boring. Out of sight, out of mind. The movement to withdraw is in limbo—waiting for the next president to, hopefully, end it sometime next year.

It’s not a part of our daily lives. Or is it? When you stand at the gas pump watching the numbers spin ever faster, do you see the connection? When services are cut and people loose jobs, when money’s tight and the water rises, when you toss and turn at night, do you see the connection?

We are paying for this war. But maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s what’s fueling solar, wind, hydro, people power. Maybe because we’ve run out of other choices, we’re making good ones. Well, I’m all for audacious hope and change—and ending the war.

Happy Independence Day,
—Kizzen

June 2008

Ode to you

Magical! The Crestone mystique was in full swing last month. The Shumei celebration, the Sacred Earth Conference, political activism, and one of the wildest springs (weather-wise) I’ve seen really brought out the wonder of this place.

When the temps were still plunging into the 20’s while I was preparing my garden beds, and the dusty winds from the Center farms made you not want to go outside, I wondered what the heck I was doing here on the side of this cold rock.

This. This is why: I heard Paul Winter play at the Shumei celebration. I sat up high under the canopy, overlooking the valley with a great view of the dunes. Paul told stories of playing music with the elk, buffalo and geese and having them sing back to him. Of recording the wind and water so his music was a symphony with nature. And as he played and spoke the breezes swirled around, dancing, making their elemental selves very much known. There were moments of impeccable beauty.

The Sacred Earth Conference showed some of the intelligence and spiritual depth of the people who live and come here. The strong protest response to oil & gas drilling shows that we walk our talk in our love of the earth. We are a diversely individualistic awesome bunch. In this isolated mountain community there is a generally agreed upon commitment to a higher purpose. Sounds crazy? Yeah. Dreams often do.

There IS something special here. A certain je ne sais quoi. We may not be perfect—or maybe we are somehow in the divine ways of things. Or maybe I simply just get real happy when the apple trees bloom and my peas come up.

Love you,
Kizzen

May 2008

Enough already!

When is enough enough? How does mindlessness become mindful? What will it take to stop corporate greed and social gluttony?

The BLM has recently put huge tracks of land in the SLV—and some right next door to Crestone—up for oil & gas lease bid. They probably did so without any deep thought whatsoever. The oil & gas industry probably urged them to do so. “What the heck” the BLM bureaucrats probably thought, “there’s nothing out there in the San Luis Valley anyway.”

Nothing except people, ranchers, farmers, schools, churches, communities. Nothing except bobcat, eagle, owl, fox, elk, fish, an essential migratory bird route, crops, forests, plants, herbs and endangered and threatened species of all kinds.

Nothing except a very unique high altitude valley that is extremely sensitive to climate change, development and industrial impacts. Mountains whose high lakes are already becoming contaminated with mercury and acid rain. Nothing except the headwaters of the mighty life-giving Rio Grande River.

How casually these things are dismissed. Like the wetlands of New Orleans. Like the rainforests of Brazil or the cloud forests of Central America and the ancient polar ice caps.

The San Luis Valley has become a leader in the development of alternative energy. There is a large solar farm near Mosca with more facilities being planned. There is talk of wind generation and more organic farming. Detrimental technologies are on their way out. We do NOT need to feed our beautiful valley to an all-consuming gas-guzzling monster for maybe one more day of fossil fuel for the world.

No, the world needs places like the San Luis Valley to remain intact. It is not about the money anymore.

I give thanks to all who are working to preserve this place.

Gratefully,
Kizzen

April 2008

Say what?

“Today we have rifeye if a door ganz ola boss” and funny wustard fork hops.” Hmmmm. Pause for blank look. Sounds like, maybe, given the context, “ribeye with a goronzola sauce.” I repeat this back, she nods, I order. All right, we have communication.

I am hard of hearing. Quite. Many years ago I was given certain antibiotics for a septic infection that came very close to killing me. My life was saved, but a little bit each year, I’ve been losing my hearing.

Among us baby boomers, and those older than us, being hard of hearing is not uncommon. Heavy machinery, rock & roll and a very loud world has taken its toll.

The fancy dual hearing aids I wear help. Mostly. Sorta. All you hearing aid wearers know exactly what I mean when I say that background noise and little beeping sounds can drive you crazy. Or just make you avoid social situations and not engage in conversation with people who never learned to enunciate properly.

It’s a struggle. People say “hello” to your back, you don’t hear, they think you deliberately ignored them (well, sometimes maybe).

But I’m very grateful for my hearing aids, because with them I actually can hear—so many wonderful things.

If you find yourself saying “huh?” way too often, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and get your hearing tested by a good audiologist. (I’m especially talking to all you old muscians who insist on playing the music REAL LOUD because you’re already half deaf).

“An forget chew any thin gelse?

No thanks, just the check please.

Happy, finally, Spring
—Kizzen

March 2008

Going Loca(L)

“Please listen carefully, as our options have changed.”

—Boy, they sure have.

I’m trying to find someone. The person who undid my “autopay” at the propane company then sent me an overdue notice, the person who can tell me why my airline tickets went from “confirmed” to meerly “booked.” The real person who can come and actually figure out why my DSL internet is not working—not tech support, I want them to actually fix it!

“To speak to an operator, please stay on the line, or press 1 for more options.”

There are no other options. One by one small local businesses have been bought out by bigger companies who have been swallowed whole by corporations.

“For English, press one.”

There is only one “operator” serving other customers at the moment in the entire United States—and she’s actually in India. She’s very polite and friendly, but I can’t understand a word she’s saying. She puts me on hold—then loses me—and forgets about me. Our global friendship was short-lived.

“Please enter the last 4 digits of your social security number.”

I used to be on a first name basis with Peggy at the phone company, Diane at AllStar Gas—real people answering the front desk phone. They actually cared about their customers and the community they lived in.

Thankfully, we have a great local credit union with people we trust. Jerry knows our correct P.O. box number (even Peggy works there part time), and you can still call the county courthouse and get a person who will call you back.

Supporting local business is important. Going bigger is not always better. Cost cutting doesn’t mean customer service. A number doesn’t replace a name.

“To repeat this menu, press nine . . . and have a nice day.”

—Kizzen

February 2008

Got economy?

Whew! January was a rough month to make it through. Talk about cold! And we did: it was the main subject at gathering places, along with the economy, the severe winter crud, and the outrageous cost of propane.

This winter has been hard for local residents who earn their living here. Construction jobs are way down. There is a glut of houses on the market and only a few new custom ones are being built. Many carpenters and laborers are either out of work, or barely working. The effects of this radiate out and affect the whole local economy. We’re kinda like the town where the mill shut down.

Two years ago the housing market was booming and lots of construction was going on. Money was flowing. Good times economically, but residents were very concerned that with the new National Park we were going to be overrun with people wanting to move here.

Now there is a nationwide recession going on, and we’re feeling it here. We have lots of houses for sale. Crestone is a great place to live. I trust that wonderful people will buy these homes and become a part of this community.

This recession is a wake up call. We can’t keep doing business as usual. Our community must become more sustainable, for food growing, energy production and for jobs (but not in the oil & gas industry!). We can’t depend on growth, nor should we. We need outdoor, health & spiritual tourism. We need to create small green factories, local products, efficiency upgrades to our homes, and an “internal stimulus package” to generate income for our families. I think we’re motivated now.

Live long & prosper,
Kizzen

January 2008

For women leaders

I watched with sorrow the news report that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated in Pakistan. The people there had such hopes when their former Prime Minister returned. She was no saint, but she was a very courageous woman challenging Mushariff. She might have made a real difference, brought stability to a country on the edge of chaos, but the militaristic and violent culture saw her as a threat to its hold on power.

We all are aware of how women are treated in many Muslim societies. They have little power, are dominated by the male culture, and generally considered unfit to govern. To have a woman head an Islamic county? Horrible! Unacceptable! We Americans watch and think ourselves superior. We don’t believe that—but then, maybe we do.

We have yet to have a women president, or even vice-president. Women are severely under represented in our Congress. Other nations have elected women presidents—but not us. Why?

Women would bring change. Change is scary.

The world is crying out for change. Women speak for peace, for the home, family, children—and for life! Women create stable societies, they network, they nurture—and they are quite capable of leadership. We have a desperate need for women’s voices, women’s viewpoints, women’s hands of restraint and for a balance of perspective.

I believe that when half of the nations of the world are governed by a woman we will see a different world. Either by the actions of those women, or by the shift of consciousness it will take to get them elected in the first place.

Shift happens. Wishing us all a visionary new year,
—Kizzen

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