We were lucky with the warm, dry October, when not one flake was reported in the valley. But it hasn’t taken long to change that.
With the first discernible snow falling on Nov. 1-2, it hasn’t taken long to catch up to where we should be with precipitation.
Last year at this time, we were way above normal in snowfall/precipitation. But as of Tuesday, our little corner of the world had already caught up for the most part with about 90 percent or better of the average snowfall by this date in November.
October was a dream. However, the often-quite-accurate Poor Richard’s Farmer’s Almanac prognosticated that this coming winter will be one of the snowiest and coldest in years. Hooray for the snow; not so much for the cold.
We shall see if Poor Richard was off his rocker soon enough because it looks like winter is probably here to stay for a while. Let’s just hope he is only 50 percent correct and that the snow is plentiful and that the temperatures remain fairly mild.
There is no more serious and heartfelt column you will read from me during the year than this one.
In a simple phrase, that “Shop Locally,” and it is nice to look out the window and see your Meeker or Rangely neighbors shopping locally, because it may never be such an important thing to do this year than ever in the past.
The year 2014 will go down in history for a lot of things, but out my window it looked like a pretty tough year on Meeker and Rangely merchants, with both towns losing businesses to the prevailing conditions.
I am not naïve enough to believe that people aren’t going to go out of town or use the Internet for Christmas/holiday purchases. And I have no real problem with it as long as these local shoppers have taken the time to look around at our local merchants to see their selections and prices.
Every purchase you make locally has a large effect on your friends, your neighbors and, quite often, family members who just may own one of local businesses.
I have heard reports from both towns that there are businesses just holding on through the holidays to see if they can survive or if they are going to have to lock up and close their doors.
Rangely and Meeker deserve great praise throughout the year for how much the residents and businesses need each other and how well they come to each other’s need for help.
The holiday season no different. It is this time of year when reality touches home in respect to business survival. Chances are that not all existing businesses today will remain here by late spring. But your dollars that could make that difference.
Meeker and Rangely are small towns and, interestingly enough, even some of the old timers in both towns are saying quite often, “You know, I just don’t know everyone in town any more.”
What a great way to rekindle old friendships and make new ones: stop into a small business, in either town, introduce yourself and look around to seek what the merchant has to offer.
Let’s be real, there aren’t a lot of businesses to visit and it might make for a pleasant trip or two into or near to town to learn what is there and to see if it can fill your Christmas shopping list.
It is also the duty of the businesses to price items like they want to sell them and still make a profit instead of hiking prices to the point where they drive the local customers out of the towns and to the larger cities.
This truly is one of the times that the community members need to unite and do what they can to help keep their friends, neighbors and relatives solvent and viable entities in our small towns.
Both towns have lost businesses in the past year, and that is in no way a good sign.
A little bit of each of our towns dies when we lose businesses, which means we have lost friends and neighbors. Locals can help make a difference.
Again, I would never tell people in the small towns of Rangely and Meeker to not go out of town. I am only asking that we give our hardworking friends, neighbors and business owners a chance before heading out of town or before putting in that order online.
Once again a tragedy has struck among our young adults—this time in Meeker, as five residents were “severely or critically” injured in a one-vehicle accident last week.
Last year, it was one fatality and three injured in a one-vehicle accident just outside the Rangely city limits.
Let’s all say prayers for the victims who were injured and hope that all five make speedy recoveries and that those recoveries are complete. And perhaps another small prayer that will keep our young people safe.
It was slow in taking off on Sunday, but the Bronco Express finally got going about halfway through the second half against the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos pulled out to an 11-point lead from far behind, but they nearly let the Dolphins get back into it, finally winning by three.
The Broncos hop on the road again this weekend to take on the on-again, off-again Kansas City Chiefs, who have won games they probably should have lost and who have lost games they probably should have won.
Let’s hope the Broncos can take the momentum of Sunday’s fourth quarter with them against the Chiefs. If so, our Denver Broncos will take pretty solid command of the AFC West.
If not, the Chiefs and Broncos would be tied with four weeks left in the season and a couple of games that won’t be cakewalks.
Go Broncos!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Remember the reason for the season, and reflect on all of those things, from family and friends to freedoms and rights that we enjoy and are thankful for.
