San Juan Silver Stage | March 2021 | Volume 25, No. 03
CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
as the region’s Premier Lifestyles Publication!
This issue
Birds are early this year.
Sandhill Cranes Herald Spring
All month at the Art Center
March 14th
We're transitioning into a Virtual World
Business
Medicine
Arts & Entertainment
Self-care
Doctor attending by teleconsultation
Learning creative ways
to practice social distancing.
March is Woman's History Month
When you see this icon, click on it or on the STORY LINK next to it for a downloadable, printable version of the story. Many of our readers like to read a printed page. Since we are no longer producing a print issue of the Silver Stage, we’ve found a way for you to still have, hold, and read a paper page.
Sandhill Cranes Herald Spring in Colorado
Eckert Crane Days
By Jim Durr, Eckert Crane Days] Eckert Crane Days is the acknowledgment of the gift of Sandhill Cranes who profoundly announce the arrival of Spring to the Surface Creek area of Delta County. It is an attitude . . . a state of mind. And it started in February this year, almost a month early, because of the mild winter. The ancient birds will stay until late April. [Read article]
Monte Vista Crane Festival
[Reprint from Cranes in the Sky] In February, Sandhill Cranes, the San Luis Valley’s oldest visitors, begin their annual migration north from their wintering grounds on and around Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. They congregate in large numbers on the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and return during the fall on their way back to New Mexico. [Read article]
Graphic adapted from drawings by Bryce Chismire.
Covid Fosters Creativity?
How does that work?
By Kathryn R. Burke. Has Covid fostered creativity?. Bet you never looked at it that way, but when you think about it, Covid 19, by whatever name you call it and whatever news source you track (or choose to believe) to follow it, has actually impacted our lives for the better in many ways. It has forced us to rethink what has long been considered “normal” and evolve into accepting, even embracing, a “new” normal rich with a myriad of positive possibilities.
Our world is changing—shrinking, yet expanding—and both at the same time! Yes, Covid has restricted our activities and frequently narrowed our “in-person” options to “at home” or “closer to home.” Yet, at the same time, it has it also made our universe a lot bigger. It has extended the “local only” labels that have constricted our lifestyles and resources for so long to a wider world filled with boundless resources and opportunities.
Today, thanks to Covid, our reach for shopping and services has unlimited proximity. Order products online from anywhere, and anything can be delivered to your doorstep or storefront. Any service provider, regardless of their locality, can visit you virtually, so you can tap into services and learning experiences once unavailable or unattainable.
This does not mean the end of “shop local” and “support local businesses.” It actually enhances it. Covid’s unwanted restrictions also open doors, widening the scope of what we can buy, how we can get it, and where we can get it from. Your neighborhood is still there, but at the same time, it just got a whole lot bigger.
Some (but just a few) of the areas experience radical, positive change are: Food, Housing, Wearables, Education, Medicine, Self Care, Arts & Entertainment, Socialization and Communication. [Read article.]
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LOTS MORE going on around the region now. A nice mix of in-person and virtual events and classes. Check here March 2021 events .
Featured Artist
Gary Ratcliff
Gary Ratcliff, Ouray Image Photography. Courtesy photo.
By Kathryn R. Burke. Much like a plein air painter, Gary Ratcliff is a plein air photographer. His stunning landscape and wildlife photographs of the San Juan Mountains and desert southwest are the result of his photographic journeys. Visit the MCA website see his work.
VSA Spotlight:
Gary Miller
By Stacey Ryan. VSA principal tubist, Gary Miller, has been with the symphony for over a quarter-century. He is a founding member of the Montrose Community Band, Silverton Brass Band (he continues today as its only original member after 43 years), as well as the Great American Rocky Mountain Brass Band Festival. He has also played with numerous other bands and orchestras. Miller’ musical knowledge, longevity, and harmonious influence on the Western Slope.. [Read story]
Artist on a Harley
Lewis Williams, Paint the USA by Bike
Artist and Cyclist, Lewis Williams.
By Mike Simpson. Lewis Williams, fellow artist and friend is going to do something rather spectacular. He’s going to pedal his bike across the USA and paint en plein air along the way. I have been honored to be a part of the planning of this ride from its inception over a year ago. Consequently, Lewis has invited me, this Artist on a Harley, to join him on as much the ride as I care to do. In fact, All are invited to ride along with him, to paint along with him and to offer support along the way. He wants artists along the route to ride and or paint along for an hour or two or even a day or two. [Read story]
People & Pets Live Better Together
2nd Chance Humane Society. Courtesy Photo.
By Kelly Goodin. Second Chance Humane Society believes that pets and people live better together. People are turning more than ever to pets for comfort and companionship and to battle anxiety and other emotional responses to our unprecedented and unstable times. [Read Story Here].
Second Chance Community Medical Programs
By Kelly Goodin. The cost of veterinary care is out of reach for millions of families with pets, threatening the wellbeing of pets and their families. Second Chance Humane Society’s Community Medical Program eliminates these disparities and creates a pathway to additional pet services as well. [Read story here].
g. Second Chance Humane Society believes the power of the pet has never been more needed. [read story here].
2nd Chance Pet Training
Trainer: Krissi Goetz, Founder of Animal Adoption Center’s Training and Behavior Program.
By Kelly Goodin. The mission of Second Chance Humane Society is Connecting Pets, People & Community While Saving Lives. One of the ways we do this is by offering an effective and affordable pet behavioral support program. For 2021 we were able to import a new trainer to our service region by hiring Krissi Goetz as our Behavioral Manager at Second Chance. [read story here].
COMMUNITY LIVING SERVICS
High Cost of Social Isolation for the Elderly
Elder isolation increases during cold winter months, which has been exacerbated by Covid-caused visitation restrictions. Image, Kate Burke.
By Eva Veitch, Region 10 Community Living Services Program Director. Human beings are social creatures; our human connections help us survive and thrive. COVID-19 and the social distancing that has been put in place to protect us have had a huge unintended consequence, hitting the elderly especially hard. Learn how you can help.
REGION 10, AREA AGENCY ON AGING
How do you know if there’s an emergency in your community? What should you do if you’re told to evacuate your home? What should you have with you during an emergency? What is your emergency plan? Please join CU Denver’s Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE), in collaboration with the Western Slope’s Region 10 Area Agency on Aging, for an emergency preparedness training for older adults, persons with disabilities, their family members and caregivers. [Learn more]
REGION 10, AREA AGENCY ON AGING
Before You Venture Out Consider the Options
By Eva Veitch, Region 10 Community Living Services Program Director. Eventually things will return to norma, but it will be a while. Older adults remain at risk even after two vaccines. Avoid crowds and wear masks. Consider all the options for getting things done and stay safe. [Learn more]
