Mini-Chaurauqua

     We bought a season pass to Colorado's state parks.  Trinidad Lake State Park (TLSP) has a series of presentations on Friday and Saturday evenings at their amphitheater and we have attended several of them.  They have been entertaining and educational.  The idea of Chautauqua presentations came to mind while driving to one the other night. 
     The presentations are hosted by Ranger Pat Patrick in the amphitheater on Caprios Ridge.  Ranger Patrick is a wonderful host, funny, knowledgeable and who goes out of his way to make you feel welcome.  From the ridge there is a wonderful view of Fisher's Peak (photo below) in one direction and the Spanish Peaks in the other

Located near the amphitheater are the campground and an old Jicarilla Apache camp.  The only distracting aspect are the beautiful sunsets from the ridge.  Sometimes it is not easy to pay attention to the presenters.
     "Pretty, Prickly, and Persistent" was the first presentation we attended.  It concerned the local ecosystem, the plants that grow in it, and how they have adapted to the environment.  Having moved to a new ecosystem, it was interesting to discover some of the intricacies of it.  After the presentation, the group took a walk around the area and observed many of the plants of the area.
     Another presentation was on the native American and Spanish heritage of the southern Colorado area.  We learned about the life and culture from the past of the area, the origin of place names, the foods they ate and how they were prepared.  Within the amphitheater there is a horno, a beehive shaped adobe oven used by the native Americans and Spanish descendants.  How the horno is used was explained and, as a bonus, Ranger Patrick baked "ranger biscuits" in it for us.  It was amazing how delicious a simple biscuit baked in a horno and served with butter and honey is in the outdoor setting.

     Not all of the presentations are about lectures and food.  Two of the presentations were musical.  One was a harmonica concert.  A wide variety of music was played:  popular, ragtime, blues, marches and rock and roll.  In addition to the music,  the history of the harmonica, the evolution of its use, and techniques were excellently explained to us.  The second presentation was a pair of musicians playing guitars, mandolin, and a squibbler.  Songs ranged from "Going Out to the Garden to Eat Worms" to Up on Cripple Creek", with additional songs that were new to me.  Both presentations were thoroughly enjoyable evenings.  The squibbler is an adaptation of a laptop dulcimer that look similar to and is played like a banjo.
     All of this reminded me of Chautauqua -- I was educated, entertained, and buoyed up in spirit.  I apologize for not getting the names of the presenters, they deserve to be mentioned.