The Woody Creek EARWIG Page 1

"Better your own land's weeds, than other men's wheat." - Uzbek saying

The Woody Creek

E A R W I G Volume 2, Issue 4 the voice of Woody Creek April 2014

Woody Creek and its yesteryears by Tony Vagneur The Woody Creek Store came into being about the time the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad snaked up the valley in 1886. It was originally located across Up-per River Road from Allen Way (named in honor of Allen Vagneur). The store sat just down below the bank from this spot, parallel to the railroad tracks and was, during its last years, weather-beaten and gray from many years of hard mountain weather.

Basically all one building, the east end contained the living quarters for the owners, which was connected to the store itself. They had a small delicatessen, con-taining such things as bologna, salami, hamburger and cheese. Canned goods, potatoes, some vegetables (depending on the time of year), household goods such as soap and detergent, leather work gloves, horseshoes and nails, soda pop, milk, and other sundry goods were offered for sale. Stocking up on fishing tackle was a favorite of mine.

It was the custom of ranchers in the area to maintain a charge account at the store for their various needs, paid monthly or sometimes yearly. Since the post office was there as well, someone from my immediate family showed up at least every other day, except Sunday. When I was a kid, Prue and Jess Bogue owned the place (bought it in 1943). My great-grandmother on my mother’s side

was Emeline Bogue, so I guess there’s a connection there somehow, other than I always liked the establishment. Immedi-ately to the west of the store (and at-tached) was a long building which looked as though at one time it must have been similar to a small motel. There were four or five rooms, probably rented to railroad travelers and others needing a place to spend the night.

When I knew the structure, those old rooms were used for the storage of horse and cow feed, livestock salt, and other things too bulky to take up space in the main store. Just to the south of the building and across the railroad tracks, were the stockyards and the home of the railroad section man, Mr. Blough. We’ve talked about the stockyards in a previous stroll down memory lane, but I can’t close without mentioning the excitement the steam locomotive would create as it chuffed into view of the Woody Creek Store.

In the early 1950s, the store was sold to Lee and Virginia Jones, who built and moved the store into the log structure that now houses the Woody Creek Tavern and Woody Creek Community Center. Tony Vagneur grew up in Woody Creek, or at least he gave it his best shot, and still hangs out there, somewhat like an old ra-ven with tousled feathers and a loud opin-ion.

The Woody Creek Post Office, and Tony’s aunts: Eileen, Lucille and Bernice Vagneur. Photo provided by Tony Vagneur.

Heroes and easter eggs By Alaina Mulawka It’s that time of year when eggs get decorated for the pleasure of the egg hunt. Most households have a system; decorate the eggs, count the eggs, hide the eggs, make a map of the hidden eggs, make sure no egg is left behind. A prize is given to the lucky kid that finds the most eggs. Easter rolls over onto Monday. Life goes on as usual. But then there are the households that have absolutely no idea how many eggs are out there, nor where. Easter is a holiday that results in parts of the house being quarantined for the remainder of the spring - sometimes even surpassing Inde-pendence Day. It’s no longer about a child being the winner, but the hero. In 1995, I was that hero. My family used to go to Florida for Easter up until 1995, the year they got banned from their own timeshare. My brother suffered from Eremikophobia, the fear of sand. So between that and the Easter Bunny, that weekend was quite pos-sibly the most petrifying place to exist on this planet for him. He also had a speech impediment, “I wait wan! I wait wan! I wait wan!!” We discovered later, what he meant to say was, “I hate sand.” But since it was nearly impossible to understand any word out of his mouth, we would just continue on as usual and bury him in the sand. As Florida became a distant mem-ory, the Mulawka Clan decided to have the extended family up to Minnesota for Easter

cont. on page 2

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that year. I think my mother was hoping the snow would stick around, and we wouldn’t have to decorate the eggs, she could just throw them out in the yard with a “good luck!” Possibly, the relatives wouldn’t be able to make it due the snowstorms, and my mom could just enjoy herself on this wonderful holiday, for once. Miraculously, the snow did melt. The relatives arrived early. And Polish grandma converted the kitchen into a child slave shop of cooking, stirring and chopping. She would bring her own pots and pans too, for my mother’s kitchen would never live up to the high standards of an immi-grant mother-in-law’s. After we feasted, and feasted again, and polish grandmother stopped crying cause you couldn’t finish your fifth plate full of food cause you were going to get sick and might die from your stomach erupting before starvation, the egg decorating commenced. I was the artist in the family, so I took egg decorating quite seri-ously, everyone else, not so much. If my brother put a sticker on an egg, he’s a genius! Everyone got to hide an egg. I would hide my egg in the egg crate in the fridge. No one ever looked there and my egg would remain

safe, intact and pretty. July creeps around. Mom needs her 4th of July decorating box out of the basement that has been marked off with caution tape and air fresheners since early May. I volunteer to help, for I have been practicing all summer holding my breath underwater and am the champion of my swimming class. I huff and I puff and I hold my breath. I go down into the pits of despair, past the piles of mouse-traps and dust bunnies, to the back of the storage cubby. I see the box labeled “Independence Day,” I’m about to take another breath as I tug at the box, when there, right behind it, is the egg with a bunny sticker on it, my brothers revenge.

Woody Creek Caucus Meeting Minutes

March 27, 2014 Moderators: Phil Holstein, Jim Collins Caucus Members present: Gail & Phil Holstein, Nancy & Bill MacKenzie, Janet Schoeberlein, Jim Collins, Daniel De-lano, Jean-Marie Hamel, Michael Owsley, Greg & Heather Rydell, Marty Schlumberger, Linda Waag, Emily Taylor, Jon

Edwards, Donna Harper, Judith Ettinger, Cathy & Jeff Jandigian, Lani Shaw, Missy & Steve Prudden, Susan Taylor, The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM. The minutes of the last meeting were read by Janet Schoeberlein and approved. Jim Collins chaired a general discussion of efforts to write a new master plan. Jean-Marie Hamel reported on progress made by by-laws commit-tee. Jim Collins read the list of topics from the 1997 Master Plan. Topics to be covered were suggested as follows: rocks on the road, traffic problems, roads and Lower River Road by-pass, agriculture, local food production and community gardens, the gravel pit, need for broadband service, mainte-nance of the bike trail, question as to a horse trail at the Aspen Valley Ranch, questions of public access versus preservation of some wilderness areas. Copies of the old Master Plan will be made available at WC3. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM. Minutes submitted by Janet Schoeberlein, edited by Emily Taylor for The Ear-wig.

The Mojo Gardener: composting in bear country by Isa Catto Shaw

One of the easier ways to halt conversation at a cocktail party is to mention a passion for com-posting. Consequently, I tend to keep my enthusiasm for compost-ing for an already captive audience. Like one in print.

Why bother with composting? Compost-ing produces free organic fertilizer; it keeps pounds of waste a day out of the landfill (we com-post all paper, cardboard and food which is at least 5 pounds not going to waste a day.) Finally, it’s really not a big deal or gross.

There are libraries of books devoted to the science of composting. I enjoy the glossy photos and devotion to pH, but I don’t have the time to screen my compost or turn it. I let nature do the hard work, and you can too with a little ingenuity. The trick is to have an even ratio of green matter (food waste, grass clippings) to brown matter (dirt, manure, leaves) and to make sure the com-post stays slightly moist.

We live in bear county, and composting is a challenge - but not impossible. Here is a great video that troubleshoots some problems: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Lr2e1IncU (called "How to Compost in Bear Country" by northshorere-cycling). You can build a bear proof composter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0dnKYdiiQE (called "Bear-Proof Composter" by Michael Leven-ston) or use solar electricity to thwart them. You can also hand bury as you go. I bury everything directly into the garden with the help of my hus-band. The trick is to dig a deep enough hole (at least 30 inches). I insert compost, top with card-board, then throw our coffee grinds and some cay-enne pepper on top to deter the bear and other diggers (our dogs). Finally, I replace the soil, and pat it down with a shovel. There will be a mound, since the compost will take up the room that the dirt did, but as the worms take over, the mound will subside. This is a labor intensive approach at the front end, but you eliminate the spreading and digging of finished compost back into the garden. I often toss in manure or leaves when I get them to keep the ratio of greens to brown. The worms (I bought worms from a worm farm when I first took on reforming our soil, much to the sorrow of our postmistress) will do the rest. They will be de-lighted with the food and will gradually convert the soil to gold. The results are staggering.

In the winter, I switch to a composting bin and wait until the thaw to switch to hand burial. These winter compost piles get topped off with soil and get converted to “grow heaps.” I grow our pumpkins and gourds from these piles, because they stay “hot” throughout out the summer and the nutrient rich mounds help with heavy feeding plants like gourds and pumpkins.

In the future, I hope community compost-ing gains traction. It would be an immediate way to improve soil quality. Meanwhile, I just saw that Whole Foods is giving away free compost un-til you can start making your own.

Heroes and easter eggs (cont. from page 1)

Alaina Mulawka shares her egg decorating skills at a special Easter edition of

“Tots & Crafts”, which occurs Monday mornings at 10am the community cen-

ter. Photo by Emily Taylor

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WE NEED TO UPDATE THE

WOODY CREEK MASTER PLAN It’s that time of the decade! The Woody Creek Caucus must up-date the Master Plan— Be the voice for the next 10 years! We need the input of all of the clans of Woody Creek, all the neighborhoods, all renters and owners. Topics will include but are not limited to: Agriculture: Traditional and Commercial, , Airport, Commer-cial Topics: Guidelines for Gravel Pit, Raceway, Tavern, Commercial Rec-reation, Home Businesses; Public, Housing & Growth, Open Space, Pub-lic Supported Housing, Public Spaces, Recreation Traffic, Schools, Transpor-tation & Roads There will also be a section on each neighborhood within Woody Creek, including Upper River Road, Lower River Road, Phillips, Lenado, Woods Rd/Twining Flats, Pitkin Iron-River Woods, Woody Creek HOA, and the W/J Metro District and the Ranches, including Aspen Valley Ranch, Craig Ranch, Vagneur Ranch/Chapparal, Flying Dog, “Sitting Cat,” and Dart Ranch. If any of these topics or areas interest you, please get involved! Help with even one specific area is what will make this Master Plan a repre-sentation of the community. Meetings will start with the planning commission on Mondays at 4:30 at WC3. Then, committees interested in specific topics will choose their own meeting times to update the plan. Updates to the whole caucus will be monthly on the last Thursday during the Woody Creek Caucus Meeting. Each committee will have flexibility to meet when the mem-bers have time to do the work. Email caucus81656@gmail.com for more information!

Blue Heron in tree. Photo by Rachal Baxter

Time of planting by Peg O'Brien Woody Creek dwellers know that in this valley of extremes it can be difficult to hold a balanced perspective. It’s easy to feel shame at the paltry exer-cise gained from twice daily ½ mile dog-walks. It’s easy to avoid participation in local organizations, afraid that any role would be burdensome, draining and time-consuming. It’s easy to keep your schedule clear so you can focus on self-improvement training so you can keep up with the big dogs, and then spend the time holed up, pressing your form into the couch cushions. Maybe this spring you are realizing that to live life to its fullest, right here, right now, requires a bit more balance; along with caring for yourself and your home, you need a purpose that serves your community. Maybe you are thinking that a few weekly yoga classes and a few walks, balanced with an on-going essential community role, is the way to excellent health. Maybe you are wondering if there is a community role for you. Not everyone is cut out to be a board president, or even a board mem-ber. Active, informed ordinary members are a great value to any group, espe-cially a member who gets behind a goal that benefits the community. Pick a pro-ject, tiny or big, see if anyone else is working on it, then pitch in or create your own project and support will flow to and through you, improving your life and those of everyone around you. A solid tree is made up of more than the trunk, and parts designed to be of the root are no good at being leaves. Clarify your interests, skills and aptitudes, match them with a role or project, and go to work. It is the spring of the year. Time to plant a seed. Time to realize that those short walks with the dog add up and are of great value. Time to nurture yourself and our community. Role Ideas:

WCHOA and WC3 board member elections are coming up. Both are also in need of project volunteers or leaders. The Neighborhood Clinic loves volunteers. The Caucus is looking for help on specific aspects of the master plan. Write for or help publish The Earwig. Smile at your neighbor, and give a hand when needed. County committees/boards. The Thrift Shop. Meals on wheels Any non-profit in the valley would appreciate your help.

If you need help to get in touch with any of these or other organizations, give me a shout. Helping folks get connected is one of my roles. ; ) Peg O’Brien, Woody Creek

Ranch Roundup April 2014 By Lauren Burtard, Chaparral Ranch Spring is upon us, and the last of the calves are on the ground! It always feels like a huge accomplishment when all of the cows are done calving-especially if the babies are healthy. Let’s not get too excited though, because there is still work to be done, such as burning ditches, harrowing (dragging) the fields, cleaning up from the winter months and building fence. We can’t start harrowing until the fields and pastures are pretty dry or else the tractor will leave marks in the ground.

Harrowing is basically the same as raking your yard, it drags away the old dead grass and manure and allows for the new growth to come in. We burn the ditches in order for the water to flow more easily without extra growth slowing it down. Most of the duties done in the spring are about re-growth and starting fresh-isn’t that how we all generally feel this time of year? It feels great to have longer days and the desire to stay and “play” outside! Those horses are also calling our names to come and ride them. They’re feeling rather sassy this time of year, which can make for an interesting ride-if you’re not paying attention.

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4 Foxes Farm CSA in Woody Creek: An Introduction by Patricia Fox In late July of 2013, 4 Foxes Farm, a new Woody Creek farming initiative, began selling garden shares to a few friends. I then purchased two nanny meat goats to improve the condition of the pastures and in August, ten spring lambs were added. They were gently raised, fed only wholesome grass, and sold at Thanksgiving. I was gratified by the response to both garden and meat products and thanks to friends, it was a successful first foray into commercial agriculture. I am now expanding and I invite you to join the 4 Foxes Farm CSA. My home garden for more than 35 years, 4 Foxes Farm garden has always been chemical-free and has been prepared with bio-dynamic composting for 20 years. Now I’m learning new methods from other master gardeners and have spent the winter reading about no-till farming, inter-plantings for beneficial insects, adding value to farm produce, and using intense grazing to keep my healthy, happy goats and sheep moving to fresh grass and avoiding all hor-mones and antibiotics. This spring I’ve started gardening earlier - it was early March but it was so warm and beautiful one weekend that I couldn’t stop myself from dropping spinach and kale and lettuce seeds into the warm, moist earth. I covered them with my plastic milk-carton greenhouses and leaf mulch and now tiny leaves have appeared! This week I planted 100 sun-flower seeds in preparation for original Christmas door hangings and candleholders to hold the hand-dipped beeswax candles I’ll be making in the fall! I will be planting more intensely with new varieties of old favorites, especially sugar snap peas! My two Boer goats, Molly and Missy, were bred to a Kiko billy and will deliver their kids any day now. Milo, the llama, is here to protect them. Ewes with their lambs are coming in May and hopefully, I’ll add laying chickens for real farm-fresh eggs. What an exciting summer it will be! Having grown my own organic vegetables for many years, I was barely aware of prices at farmers’ markets or health food stores. This winter I spent some time – and money! – in Whole Foods and was glad to see that farmers are beginning to be paid for their labors. Perhaps you read Jason Smith’s article in this month’s Edible Aspen and have reconsidered the real price of a chicken. To respect myself and other local farmers, I want my prices to be competitive but also to begin to reflect the true value of my produce: 1 adult share -- $350 (about $19 per week); 2 adult shares delivered together -- $650 (about $36 per week) for 18 weeks. Average weekly deliveries will include four vegetable servings per person plus fresh greens, herbs and specialty items. I will begin once a week deliveries the week of June 15 and continue through October 16, delivering to you either Monday or Thursday morning or scheduling a pick-up at the Farm. Last year shareholders provided me with two large matching recyclable bags with their names on them. Each week I delivered their vegetables in their bag and in recyclable containers and picked up their clean, empty bag and containers. Thus, there was no waste in packaging. I also write the 4 Foxes Farm News with garden updates, recipes, and treasures of-fered by both farmer (me) and shareholders. If you would like to join my CSA, please feel free to contact my by email (listed below.) Warmly, Patty Fox 4 Foxes Farm CSA 4foxesfarm@gmail.com Patricia Fox, PO Box 187, Woody Creek, CO 81656

The elusive black fox. Photo by Margaret Reckling.

Recipe of the month: Kale Salad with Butter-nut Squash, Roasted Shallots and Ricotta Salata by Rachel Polver, On the Table Aspen 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon citrus juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 3 medium shallots, quartered 3 tablespoons pine nuts 2 bunches of kale, rinsed and dried, ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise 1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil for the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine the squash, shallots and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium bowl and toss to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the squash and shallots on a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until the squash and shallots are tender and lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place directly into a large bowl. Add the kale and dressing to the squash and shallots. Toss thoroughly, then place the mixture in a serving bowl, top with the feta cheese, and serve.

Photo from http://www.abbeybell.com/blog/

Do you have a recipe you’d like to contribute? Please

email all ideas to earwigsubmissions@gmail.com

Thanks so much!

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Community news: M.J. Mirano com-petes at USASA Nationals

The first week of this month was both hectic and exciting for 14 year-old Woody Creature MJ Mirano. He was one of 35 ath-letes from AVSC invited to compete at the USASA Snowboard Na-tionals at Copper Mountain. There were 137 total competitors. The events included halfpipe, boardercross, slalom, giant slalom, slopestyle, rail jam, and the new banked slalom. MJ competed in all events, except boardercross. He ended a season of training (on the slopes, in the gym, and at local competitions) with a mixture of speed and acrobatic skill to achieve great results, coming in first place, overall, for the Aspen/Snowmass series Breaker Boys ages 12-14. Final USASA results: SLALOM - 15th HALFPIPE - 16th SLOPESTYLE - 13th RAILJAM - 5th GIANT SLALOM - 20th BANKED SLALOM - 14th He made a memorable impression on the judges with his tweaked out grabs and near perfect style, and when they noted that he rides for Woody Creek and Gonzo, they offered free t-shirts to anyone who could name the famous author MJ was affili-ated with! MJ's Rail Jam performance was a crowd pleaser. Coming after a long day of competition for Slopestyle, the athletes gath-ered from 7-9pm and had heats lasting 20 minutes per group, run-ning up the steep course and then riding rails, boxes and other features at great speed, to accumulate as many points as possible. MJ's run included gap to the down on the down flat down rail, (known as a "Disaster"!), followed by a backside, board-slide pret-zel 270 out, followed by a front 50/50 front 3 spin out, and earned him the nickname of Michael "Air Jordan" Mirano by the judges. MJ's 50/50 on the flat box to tame dog ("Squirrel Flip") out also scored highly, ultimately earning him 5th place. Uncle Hunter would be proud!

Drink of the month by Doug Brand

“Cement Mixer” 1 shot Roses Lime Juice 1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream “Take the shots together, so that the lime juice curdles the baileys. It turns into a solid, and you have to chew your way through it...” “...This is a great drink for kids who have just turned 21.” Doug Brand is a bartender at the Woody Creek Tavern #killingit

REBELUTIONARIES: Art Expose at the Woody Creek Community Center The show

runs April 4th through April 30th, featuring the work of Rachel Fulfer. The full title of the show is “Rebelutionaries: A screen-printing love story, dedicated to the rebels who broke the rules” and includes images of rebels, musi-cians, and scientists such as Willie Nelson, Stephen Hawking, Blondie, Richard Pryor, Rick James and more.

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The Woody Creek

E A R W I G P.O. Box 4

Woody Creek, CO 81656

ABOUT THE EARWIG The Earwig is a neighborhood publication sharing the news and creative efforts of the residents and friends of Woody Creek, CO. Please email submissions to earwigsubmissions@gmail.com by the first Sunday of the month. The Earwig comes out the second Sun-day of each month. You can find it in boxes at the Woody Creek Community Center, the Woody Creek Tavern, and the Woody Creek Post Office. Editors: Gaylord Guenin Emily Taylor Margaret Reckling April Contributors: David Berkson Doug Brand Lauren Burtard Isa Catto Shaw Patricia Fox Alaina Mulawka Peg O'Brien Rachel Polver Tony Vagneur GET A FREE AD IN THE EARWIG! The Earwig will be selling ad space starting in May. For a business card sized ad, the cost is $10/month. If you have a local business, please consider buying ad space! One local business a month will be given free ad space, tell us why it should be you! If you are interested in buying larger ad space, please email earwigsubmissions@gmail.com for more information.

ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST April 2014 Nearly every astrologer is anticipating a turbu-lent April. We have a Grand Cardinal Cross forming at 14 degrees of each these signs... which means Aries, Libra, Capricorn and Cancer are in it big time - a n d a c t u a l l y h a v e s i n c e 2007. This month the exact cardinal cross kicks in April 20th - 24th. This is the square or opposition of four planets, all with a huge and yet subtle influence on our psyches. These planets Mars (action), Jupiter (abundance and good fortune), Pluto (transformation: death and rebirth) and Uranus (unexpected change) are the culprits. So with these four planets in this position there are a multitude of possibilities. Some possibilities could be good, and others bad. Now is a time to think about which piece you are dealing with. We are also in an eclipse cycle. This year we actually can see the eclipses in the Northern Hemisphere with the April 15th full moon and April 28th new moon. There is a chance to see the rare blood moon on April 15th for almost 45 minutes. It could be quite spectacu-lar, and very illuminating time to ponder any shifts or dreams you are experiencing. So you can extrapolate that from April14th to April 29th anything can shift... Be careful. Be aware. Let’s see if the world newspapers have any news during this time frame. The Pluto Uranus square has been in effect since 2012 and will end 2015 - so we are actually right in the middle of it. Examples are the Greece Bankruptcy, the Arab Spring, Fukushima, The Occupy Wall Street move-ment, and now the Russian movement. If you are paying attention, there are a ton of crazy happenings. I'm not going to join any colleagues in shouting that the world is coming to an end. I can just say that if there is anything coming to a head, or something shock-ing and unexpected that you are going through, then you are under this influence. If your relationships have been teetering then this will be the time that makes it or breaks it. It’s time to get off your butt and change some-thing about yourself or something unexpected will come around to force your hand. The eclipses are only going to exaggerate the forces of the Grand Cross. Remember eclipses are 3x stronger than regular full or new moons. There is a good chance that some things are getting clearer, and that new ideas (seed points) are springing to action. New moons always indicate a new beginning - and in combi-nation with the Cardinal Cross and the eclipses, some-thing amazing is going to come to fruition! It's always unknown to us and yet in hindsight these personal shifts always turn out for the best. For more info on how these aspects affect you... For more personal understanding of your direct effects o f t h e s e a s p e c t s , c h e c k i n : D A V I D B E R K S O N A S T R O L O G Y d a v i d b e r k s o n @ m e . c o m (847) 777-9138

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Joke of the Month: Q: What do you get when you pour hot water down a rab-

bit hole?

A: A hot cross bunny

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