Via: Flickr Title: Cowboy breakfast By: GinnyRED57
Originally uploaded: 16 Jun ’07, 11.43am CDT PST
We just had breakfast at the Creekside Cafe in Steamboat Springs; it was delicious and also the outdoor seating was really pleasant if a little crowded. What caught my eye was the party of locals in black hats by the entry, as they all had big rodeo buckles and wore their hats througout the meal in approved cowboy fashion when breakfasting alfresco. I wonder what the long-time local residents think of all the new development that turned Steamboat from a sleepy li’l one-eyed rancher’s town into an internationally renowned ski resort?
We drove by my Aunt Florence’s old house afterward – yes, it’s still there. It wasn’t the house on the corner of Merritt, it was the next house, and aside from a different color stain on the old faux-log siding and bigger aspen and pine trees out front, it’s almost unchanged, although the current owners converted the former garage (which was nearly useless in winter) to an entryway/mudroom.
My memory of place and time can be so unreliable, but when something slots into place, there’s almost an audible “thunk!” sound in my head. It was like that when I recognized the “bones” of Florency’s little old house, which was finally triggered when I saw their neighbor’s house, which was also nearly unchanged. There was a wide shared side yard between the two houses with roses, and there’s still a flower garden there.
When I was a kid, I used to play with the kids next door while Mom worked on straightening out Florence’s finances or tried to talk some sense into Marty, who used to buy new lawn mowers and snowblowers rather than change the oil and maintain them properly. He was well-liked in the neighborhood because he loved running his machines, whether it was cutting the “common” shared back lawn for all the neighboring houses in summer, or clearing driveways in winter. But he never could figure out how to fix things when they stopped working (like cars, or power tools, or gas-powered equipment), so he’d just buy new ones and give the old ones away. This may have been part of why he was so well-liked in the neighborhood.
Steamboat is busy today – there’s some dang car rally going on and Lincoln Ave/US 40 is blocked off for a car show called the “Mustang Round-up.” I’ve never seen or heard so many highly customized Ford Mustangs in my life, and half of the participants are staying up here by us.
Later on, we’re going to be out for the day and into the evening, and then we leave tomorrow. More later.