“And the days grow short…”
by Gary Rollins
LA VETA- It pains me to realize summer is nearing an end. Early each week, I take pleasure in hanging around Charlie’s Market to visit with those wonderful folks who are visiting La Veta.
If I find someone who is willing to chat for a spell, I offer them my card and invite them to belly-up at Charlie’s ice cream fountain. Most of the visitors are from the great state of Texas, and I’d suggest more are “older” than “younger.”
I had a pleasant chat with a couple who drove up from San Antonio. Their destination was Denver, where they had relatives, but they wanted to see what life was like in a small town in southern Colorado. They seemed genuinely impressed and the lady remarked that the late Normal Rockwell would probably have wanted to feature La Veta’s Main Street. It pleased me that she felt that way about our little town.
As they were driving north on I-25, just north of Trinidad, they remembered both La Veta and Cuchara as places friends of the family had visited in years past. They remembered the ski resort nearby, but I told them the Cuchara Ski Resort had gone the same way as the hula hoop. And, although there are whispers that the ski resort might be born again, there are no promises. Only unanswered prayers. So far.
This conversation took place when the temperature was in the mid-70s, and the lady asked if we had air conditioning in our home. I told her we simply opened our windows, both at night and during the day, to enjoy the fresh air. She said their air conditioning bill typically topped $500 during summer months and any open windows represented an invitation to the bugs and mosquitoes to come on in and have a bite.
School has begun, and so the days grow short and it won’t be long before those aspen leaves will change from green to golden yellow.
What a wonderful time to live in the Spanish Peaks. I don’t feel sorry for those people who come to visit. But, by the same token, I do not envy them as they motor back to the Alamo City. People from San Antonio have long proclaimed, “Remember the Alamo.” But those two people who came from San Antonio this past week will darned sure remember La Veta.
And they’ll certainly not forget that fellow who resided in La Veta, but came from Texas and who bragged that his air conditioning bill for the month of July was zero.
I have almost forgotten how to sweat.
