Newest residents

Driving to Kiowa and back was just over 2 hours.

It was a strange drive to the SE. First the middle class suburbs of SW Denver then through walled and gated communities of million dollar houses with their private golf courses and horse corrals. (These two areas were actually dotted throughout the drive) It wasn't long before I could no longer see the mountains in my rear view mirror. Trees were lone sentries on an arid landscape of rolling hills (well save for the previously mentioned private golf courses). It was a different dryness than say Eastern Washington. The area seemed to be hushed, ready to shout "Surprise!" when the rain finally came home, having worked late on the other side of the Rockies.

Then at Franktown the gated communities became intertwined with ramshackle farms (many for sale) and small towns sporting a post office, feed store, town diner and a Walmart. The trees, almost all evergreens of one sort or another, were back lining both sides of the highway giving travelers a feeling of welcome. I felt relaxed here - despite the Walmarts.

On the way there I was serenaded by the morose stylings of Robert Smith. The drive seemed stretched out, as it usually is when one does not know where they are going. The Cure just seemed appropriate to the dark clouds and brown grass that back-dropped the scenery.

The country store was small and dusty. Were it not for the helpful clerks, I don't think I would have found anything. The aisles were narrow and crowded with feed and country style decorations. I stepped over or pushed aside half filled boxes of weed killer to get to the counter.

But I left with a dozen baby bob white quail, a new larger (Purple!) waterer for the coop, locally grown organic starter, and commercial game bird starter (higher protein, no other kind available)

The ride home was much faster and upbeat. Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers were regularly interrupted by the quail, whose peeping is much larger than they are. Even now I can hear them, even though they are in the basement behind 2 closed doors.

And yes, Mesha squealed in happiness - I had not yet even taken them out of their carrier box (reused from the mail delivery) It turned out I had only 11, but it is hard to count them when they are trying to jump out of a box 8x their height - and succeeding. They are fast and fearless.

I am not driving to get my $2.70 back.

In the first photo notice the quarter on the saucer for size reference. The marble in the last photo is a shooter. I could not have planned that pose.