C is for Agatha Christie (Teaser Tuesday) & Colorado Territory

We've made it to Day 3! Keep it up! I may be running a day behind in responding to comments, but I WILL visit everyone!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:



1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser is from Crooked House, by Agatha Christie.

"'But I don't suppose,' I said, 'that she'd murder anyone just because she didn't approve of their aims and mode of life. Perhaps if she really hated the old man - but are any murders committed just out of pure hate?'" p. 57.






C is also for...

olorado Territory!

Yay! Look at that, I managed to get Colorado history in here, anyway. Colorado is the epitome of the west with its rugged setting, semi-arid climate and homesteads and gold mines still standing. When I'm out exploring and sight seeing, I often try to put myself into the mindset of the pioneers and gold miners that made their way out here.

On these tours, one idea stands out, one slogan: Pikes Peak or Bust. You can still see old wagons decorated with those words, such as the one at Rock Ledge Ranch, or the one outside the Wild West Ghost Town Museum. The Colorado Gold Rush started in 1859, pulling people in from both the east and the west. Those who were busted in California sped back to Colorado, hoping to make it big with this second chance.

Prospectors flooded Colorado, mining towns springing up left and right. Cripple Creek (1890's), Denver City & Boulder City. In Leadville, copious amounts of silver were discovered in the gold mines, creating another rush.

All these prospectors (and those who wished to capitalize and open stores, hotels, etc.) caused this area to be named Colorado Territory in 1861. However, prospectors weren't the only ones who came this way. Outlaws like Clay Allison ventured through parts of Colorado, as did Bat Masterson, Buffalo Bill Cody, Kit Carson, Doc Holliday, and more. Nikola Tesla had a lab here in Colorado Springs, having arrived here from New York in 1899.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown lived in Denver, the wife of a man who struck gold. What does that tell you? Coloradans are hardy enough to survive the Titanic!

Before all of these people began flooding in, though, the Ute, Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians made their homes here. Unfortunately, they were removed to other states, but their impact is seen all around, including places like Manitou Springs, where the healing springs they utilized are still appreciated by visitors.

Beyond those mentioned, Colorado Territory was famous for mountain men and fur trappers, as well. There were also farmers/ranchers and gamblers, and anyone else who yearned for the free and rugged life that Colorado Territory offered. In short, Colorado Territory drew just about anyone with a sense of adventure and determination to succeed.

What are you reading? Ever visited Colorado?

May you find your Muse.

*Letter C courtesy of Mohamed Ibrahim at clker.com
**Pikes Peak wagon image courtesy of Pikes Peak History
***Chief Ouray and Chipeta image courtesy of Cynthia Becker

Field Trip: Taking Inspiration From Your Surroundings

Whether you're in a slump, stuck for ideas, lacking inspiration or just wanting a change, a great way to get yourself started is to go on a field trip. A field trip, you ask? Yes, a field trip! You're never too old for a field trip.

Yesterday, I packed the kids up and headed out to the old mining district, specifically Victor, Colorado.

There's a better chance you've heard of Victor's neighbor, Cripple Creek, but they both have old preserved mining equipment from the last big gold rush, as well as preserved buildings from the time. Walking through a town that still boasts the gorgeous brick visages of the late 1800's and early 1900's will get you in a creative mood if nothing else can. Since we went on a Sunday afternoon, it was a virtual ghost town, which meant I could envision the old days: miners grabbing the electric car out to the mines; rich men in suits and hats strolling with powdered, perfumed women in long dresses with frilly hats; the bawdy madams of the red light district calling out to the saloon goers; trains steaming their way into town. Into historical fiction, non-fiction, steampunk? This place had it all!

I had intended to hit Victor, Cripple Creek and Florissant (to view some fossils and fossilized redwoods), but the kids and I had so much fun hiking and exploring the old mines and homes that we never made it anywhere else. And, while I'd really gone out there intending to get some fall foliage shots with maybe a couple of homestead/aspen shots, most of my hundreds upon hundreds of photos from yesterday are of the great old buildings.

I highly recommend that any field trip you go on, you take a camera, pad and pencil. Jot down ideas and notes that come into your head. Take photos of those things that inspire you, as you will continue to be inspired each time you reference them, and it will help to keep those ideas fresh.

Not everyone has a mining town near them that they can just pick up and drive to in an hour, but anywhere that allows you to get lost in the feel of a different time or place, anywhere that allows you to be closer to nature or deep in a past time, is perfect. If you're busy and can't spend a day exploring a new place, take a half hour jaunt to the woods, the beach, the mountains, a historical site near you or even your downtown, which will often boast older buildings, especially deep in the heart of the city. Go somewhere that is bustling with people to watch them and take it all in. Listen in on snatches of conversation and fill in the blanks. Any of these things can get your mind working in a different way, and bring out the creative juices.

I thought I'd pass along a handful of photos from my day out yesterday to maybe give someone else a little inspiration. I hope you enjoy!

An old homestead along Highway 24

Victor, CO, downtown, as you come upon the city

Victor City Hall, built 1900

Street view in Victor

Old buildings in Victor, including Victor Record (newspaper)

Shot of inside of one of the old electric cars that took men up to the mines

Old home on mining site. That top window was creeeeeepeeeeeey.

Mining buildings down the slopes

Old mining machinery

Some sort of motorized mining cart

Mining cart

Ore processing house at mine

Theresa Mine

Theresa Mine gears

Small building by Theresa Mine; I've seen this referred to at the changing house, and it had a little bench inside.

Homestead above Theresa Mine

Note: Do not use these photos without my permission.

Have you gone on any field trips lately? Any you'd really like to go on?

May you find your Muse.