FCMRR conductors Jim and Jeanne stopped in for a retirement party!
In uniform why not?
It was yet another volunteer day working on the railroad for Jim and Jeanne who had to rush over to Foothills UU for Mark’s retirement party; No time to change out of uniforms; sort of made the event a minor costume party.
It took some time to find these two:
Maybe on the CSU Oval, or maybe in the sculpture garden, then no, neither of those.
Yep, I found ’em. Strangely there were very few people on campus who even knew that John Cho and Kal Penn were coming to CSU. The information desk at Lory Student Center didn’t know about it, and the Coloradoan (the last place to look for breaking news) gave the address for Ammons Hall near the CSU Oval. The woman at the front desk at Ammons didn’t know about it either. At last I found the ASAP group by chance on the Lory Student Center mall and it appeared as though they actually had something to do with the Harold and Kumar visit: They told me where to go!
The High Park fire is now the largest wild fire on record in Colorado:
The National Guard has their HUMVEE’s ready to go
View from the back yard
Earlier today it was relatively clear in the foothills but later today the winds changed and now smoke and ash is blowing into Old Town Fort Collins.
At Vern’s in LaPorte
The firefighters’ number one priority is to keep the fire from spreading to populated areas. They are doing what they can, but today’s winds are making it difficult.
at the Downs On The Farm in Berthoud:
Kids on drums
This little boy was fascinated with the Surdo drums. He was here attending a BBQ party given by “Downs on the Farm“, a 501c3 non-profit focused on doing both animal rescue as well as offering animal therapy for kids with special needs.
Kids find needles in a stack of Hay? Hey?
Kids toss eggs at each other?
Kids and adults beat Ace Hardware pails with sticks
Kids eating pies quickly
Kids shooting arrows at targets. Does that say “Alcatraz Penitentiary” on that kid’s shirt?
Adults holding favorite pet chicken.
Lots other fun stuff too, like a petting zoo, horseback rides and sack races.
and Fort Collins premier samba band, Bloco Em Foco.
Remember back in 2008 when we reported on Winsor’s tornado damage? That was a EF3 tornado on May 22, 2008. Three years later:
This was an EF5 in Joplin MO.
On May 22, 2011 a deadly tornado ripped though the town of Joplin, Missouri. The above picture was taken by my nephew Alan who currently resides in Joplin.
His Bedroom
Luckily Alan, his wife and their two dogs somehow survived the onslaught but as many as 134 people died. It is estimated that the tornado caused at least $3 Billion in damage. If you want to help those in need, please check out RebuildJoplin.org. The web site lists many local organizations taking donations and they could use your help!
The people of Fort Collins are helping.
Here in Oak Street plaza, Fort Collins’ premier samba band “Bloco Em Foco” performed a benefit concert for Joplin on June 3rd.
The First Friday Collection
On the first Friday of each month Bloco Em Foco sets out a bucket and collects money for worthy causes.
This Friday it was Team Rubicon for the Joplin relief effort.
Think of the CHILDREN!
Oh, and Budweiser too!
We live just close enough to College Avenue to hear the roar of motorcycles on their way to Loveland on the annual event for “Realities For Children Charities” a 501(c)3 organization that serves the needs of abused and neglected children.
Old Town Biker’s Paradise
“I’ve seen more bikes than that” is what I told some of the vendors while I walked my old 21 speed that sports the RAGBRAI tags of previous bicycle rides. “Huh?” they said. Not impressed.
Some “Style Rides”
We know this ride. I mentioned it here. Some of the bikers invited me to come to a BBQ next week even though I was obviously a “cyclist” and not a “biker”.
That’s this weekend in Old Town Fort Collins
So they will ride from the Harley dealer to Fickle Park – Loveland, then Bruce’s in Severance, Sol’s and the Bar SS in LaPorte, then out to the Colorado Feed & Grain before getting back to Old Town. It looks like we are heading out to the Feed and Grain for lunch right now so we might see ’em coming in. If I see or hear anything interesting I will be sure to report back!
This annual rummage sale has got to be the largest in town:
And it’s organized! Look! Here are shoes!
It starts TODAY at 8:00 am! It runs from Aug. 26th through the 29th – Thursday/Friday 8-6; Saturday/Sunday 8-3 at the Foothills UU Church, 1815 Yorktown Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado.
Bikes and related stuff! It’s where I got Duncan’s carrier last year for only $20.
Outdoor kiddie playhouses. There are also several rooms of toys that I didn’t check out.
Antiques!
Musical instruments
Fancy stuff
and all sorts of clothes from 50 cents to four dollars!
Stuff for FREE too!
I did very well last year; I got a brand new Cashmere wool sweater and some drywall stilts! I wonder what I’ll find this year?
We didn’t do it!
Motorman Moose and Conductor Jim
A special booth was set up at NewWestFest this weekend to help collect donations for the trolley. No, not for number 25 that is being refurbished, but good old number 21, the one that Jeanne and I conduct on select weekends. I was on RAGBRAI when I learned that the axle broke on our only operational trolley car! We probably will not see this car in operation until next year!
Axle and bearing coupling on display
It will cost at least $20K to fix. It you have any spare cash laying around, please send it to the address shown on the FCMRR Website. I guess we will have to find something else to do in the meantime! Maybe we should skip town for a while?
More fun than you would think…
Lots of local companies represented here
and lots of networking going on
an opportunity to get more free pens and keychains!
Actually when I do my jobs workshop at the Larimer County Workforce Center I tell everyone I see that they should get off their butts and get down to NoCoNet on Monday mornings and get networked! This Job Fair was well attended with employers and I was quite impressed. Great job NoCoNet!
It was time to spruce up the day care center on Pine Street:
I volunteer at Centenial High School and I run a workshop for job seekers at the Larimer County Workforce Center. My wife Jeanne drives for the SAINT organization and works at the Fort Collins Municipal Rail Road.
Jeanne also took charge of a Social Action group and organized a team of volunteer painters to help paint the walls of some offices and hall ways at the United Way Daycare Center. “And I halped!”
We got there about 9:00 AM and began to work. The UW staff had all the materials ready for us (we did not pick the paint colors!). We had about 10 volunteers on the team and we hoped to get done by 2:00 PM.
“Damn, it looks like it’s gonna take two coats!” The label on the can says to wait four hours before the second coat. Since it’s fairly dry in Colorado, I bet we can let it dry during our lunch hour and it will be OK ! ?
Hey we did it! And we are out of there by 2:05 PM! Thanks to all our volunteers!