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The “Best Damn Liquor Store On the Western Slope”.

1400 bottles of wine to choose from 130 vodkas,

71 Single Malts, 60 Bourbons, 110 Tequilas

91 Styles of Rum, this is a really big store

with a huge selection and a competent staff !!!!!!

350 Craft and imported Beers in addition to all the major brands!

Check out or pricing on our Club Members Specials page!

Crossroads Sighting in the Grand Canyon

If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon it's well worth the time spent getting there.

Eleni and I did a quick trip down to the South Rim and had a ball!

The ride down through Mohab was spectacular

....this in the area known as the Windows

The Valley of the Gods in southern Utah!

Colorado River just below the juncture with the Little Colorado River

on the edge of the Painted Desert!

Bright Angel Canyon an hour's hike below the rim!

Valley of the Gods from Cedar Mesa on the trip back to Junction!

Durango and Back Monday 9/24/07

By the time we got to Ouray the sun was quite high in the sky so the light was terrible for photography! Nevertheless I did my best to capture some of the great scenery we found Monday on our drive down to Durango.

A few miles below Red Mountain Pass

It will even be better on the Million Dollar Highway this weekend ... Route 145, between Dolores and Telluride was just starting to go off and ought to be stunning this weekend.

Looking back from the top of the Red Mountain Pass!

Molas Lake south of Silverton

Trout Lake below of Lizard Head Pass

Eleni and I drove over Hastings' Mesa via Last Dollar Road on the way to Ridgway. In this picture you can see the ski trails of Telluride in the background!

Like I said the light was harsh and the view of Mt. Wilson was better in real time! One of our wine reps, David Campbell from Synergy is going to summit 3 14teeners this week including Wilson Peak! Looks like he has his work cut out for him. Travel safe David!

Fall kicking into gear ...snow in the Mountains this week!

Great photo spread from Mimi and Walt of RAMBLIN CAMERAS

Photos Courtesy of RAMBLIN CAMERAS
Walter Miller, Ph.D. & Miriam H. Miller
http://www.ramblincameras.com/Cmtsth.htm

Walter Miller, Ph.D. is a mathematician/theoretical physicist, for years involved in research in phenomena related to the atmosphere and atmospheric effects on laser satellite communications. Walt is now retired, and devotes his full time to photography and the Ramblin Cameras web site. Walt's other interests are scuba diving, trekking, and a study of the Russian language, classical Russian literature, and Russian folk songs.

Miriam H. "Mimi" Miller. In addition to trekking and scuba diving, Mimi's interests are southwestern and classical cooking, backcountry exploration and building and maintaining high performance backroad and marine engines.

The Millers reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

No not me but I will be out in the San Juans some time this next week to celebrate the changing of seasons!

An old Pine and a mosaic of autumn Aspens from Sunshine Trail, with Wilson Peak (14,017 feet) as a background . San Juan National Forest, Southwestern Colorado - Late September

Fall Aspens add a touch of color to a view of Illium Valley, to the south from Sunshine Campground, near Telluride.
Sunshine Trail, San Juan National Forest, Colorado - Late September

Aspens glowing in the late evening light provide a striking foreground for the north face of Cirque Mountain (13, 686 feet).
Access road to East Dallas Creek, Sneffels Range, San Juan Mountains, Colorado - Late September

Overhead light causes the Aspens in this steep canyon to glow. Weehawken Trail, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Late September

Photos Courtesy of RAMBLIN CAMERAS
Walter Miller, Ph.D. & Miriam H. Miller
http://www.ramblincameras.com/Cmtsth.htm

The Millers reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Crossroads Sighting Italy

Roger and Ellora Stanton in Rome at the Catacombs

Crossroads Sighting Idaho

Rich Durnan of Ridgway on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho

Chris & Susan Martensen celebrated their wedding anniversary by heading into the mountains and spending some time together in Telluride and Ouray!

Store Regulars will probably recognize Chris. He works for Continental Diviide a distributor of liquor and wine. Because wine and food are more than a job for him (it's his passion) Monty and I like taking Chris to other distributor's tastings. Chris makes most of our Friday and Saturday wine tastings in the store so if you see himdon't hesitate to ask him questions he's a great source

of knowledge.

Looks like Chris and Susan made some new friends on their trip to the mountains!

It's easy to forget how close we are to the San Juan Mountains and forget what a great escape they are from the High Desert!

This picture of the lowest of the 3 blue lakes was taken Memorial Day Weekend .....wildflower season might come a little late this year!!!!

Ahhhh yes ...I used to rule my world from a pay phone!

Crossroads Sighting in the heart of Mexico!

Does it get any better than this???? Well my good friend Carol Busbey from Cape Hatteras says it does! Mexico is better in the late fall! Better surf and less surfers she says! This was the last day of a ten day all gal surf trip to a little ocean front village about an hour north of Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Coast of Mainland Mexico. April 15 to 25. Two gals from Preschool, one from Virginia Beach, two of us from Hatteras Island and a nurse friend from St. Paul who works to take surf trips.

Looks like a fine place to buy a Margarita!

Yep with a sunset like this I would definitely classify this village as a fine place to chill!

Crossroads sighting!

Scott Busbey is on another surf trip this time to Puerto Rico. Waiting for waves is worse than waiting for snow in my opinion. However since these waves originate out of deep water (probably 10,000 feet not including the area known as the Puerto Rico Trench which is just off shore a few miles and is something like 5 miles deep) they still pack more punch than waves of the same size on the East coast! The board he is carrying is a popular style for small days called a "FISH". Scott shapes "In the Eye Surfboards" by hand so each of them is a highly prized work of art.

Crossroads Sighting Florida

Carol Ortenzio getting friendly with a tasty morsel known as a Sheepshead!

Eleni and I took a week off to rest up for the holiday season and headed to California. The R&R was great as were both the wine and the food!

We started in Santa Barbara visiting former Ridgway resident Wendy Slade. She did an incredible remodel of an older home and now it could easily be considered Santa Barbara's cosmic center! She has vision and a real talent for this kind of adventure it was really great visiting with her.

Sanford Winery's Tasting Room near Santa Barbara.

Do we look rested ...I think this was our 3rd winery that day!

This was the first time I had seen an ocean in over 3 years!

Big Sur on the way to San Francisco

Up in Sebastopol we stayed with Keith and karen Miller. Keith and I have been friends since 1983. We created some of the most famous t shirt graphics ever to hit the tropics. If all we had was a nickel for every copy of a design called Hey Mon that was knocked off all over the Caribbean we would be rich beyond the dreams of avarice. He and Karen run their graphics house called "Gone Tropo" and are still breaking new ground. They only work with a handful of customers but one of them is the largest resort retailer in the world ABC stores in Hawaii.

Probably the most famous thing we saw on the trip was the Godfather's desk in the Motion Picture Arts Museum at the Niebaum Coppola Winery!

Bring on the holidays!

Crossroads Sighting

Local optometrist, outdoorsman and wine aficionado Robert Brownson under Mesa Arch in Canyon Lands National Park! Hey get out and do something fun.

Crossroads Sighting

Carol and Paul Ortenzio stocking trout in the Gunnison River

Paul and Carol love to fish but they are also great friends of the environment. Here they are restocking the Gunnison River a week or 2 ago.

They said the trick was releasing the trout in just the right place so that the big brown trout that hide in deeper water didn't have a clear shot at the fingerlings till they got acclimated to the wild.

Retirement for this former Police Commandant from Bergen County N. J. is one adventure at a time!

Carol is a nurse at St. Mary's and game enough to take on any outdoor activity you can name.

Crossroads Sighting in St. Kitts Mon!

Local Realtor Mark Fenn in my old stomping grounds on the islands of St. Kitts & Nevis! Mark is having a love affair with the West Indies. He spent a week or so hanging out in what I tell people are 2 of the last unspoiled islands in the Caribbean. West Indian Charm still exists on these islands and it is a place where you can truly step back in time and sample life at a slower pace.

Rawlins Plantation is a fabulous guest house and my favorite place to have lunch on the island. On an average day you can see St. Eustacia and Saba to the north but this is an exceptionally clear day and you are looking at St. Barth in the background.

Romney Manor is owned by Maurice Widdowson a long time customer and close friend. In the old manor house he manufactures his world famous Caribelle Batik. It is part of an old sugar estate and one of the most spectacular properties in the region. Every time you turn around on St. Kitts you will find Tropical Scenes with either the Caribbean or the Atlantic as the backdrop!

Do you think you could forget about the rest of the world here! You know nothing happens fast in the islands. If you ask a native when an expected event is going to happen the most common reply is "soon come mon"!

Seems placid now but during the age of sail many sea battles were fought in these waters between the French, Spanish, Dutch, English and the upstart American colonies.

Yeah a lot of West Indians wish they were Bob Marley but the real deal in Caribbean music is Calypso. When it time for Carnival Calypso singers poke fun at those in government who pretend to take things seriously by performing musical skits. Whoever becomes the favorite of the people is elected Carnival King and Queen!

Carnival is the most important event on the island!

There is only one thing better than windsurfing off shore with the flying fish and that is eating flying fish sauteed in butter and spices. Native fisherman work the sea out of these traditional wooden vessels. Every thing is constructed by hand on the island including the oars which are strung together with chicken wire.

Amongst the lovely scenery you will find natives and ex patriots alike. Some live in tiny shacks their whole lives side by side with those who live in the lap of luxury! Nevis above and below!

Lets all have a drink to Captain Adam Troy (Gardner McKay who died in 2001) and his 85 foot schooner named the Tiki in the old 60's TV show Adventures in Paradise who inspired many of our tropical fantasies!!!!

Uncle Jerry

The Damn News 8/23/06

Shrooms in the San Juans

Ridgway residents Sandy and Doug Canright seen here with Eleni and their faithfull hound Roxie. They are a great couple and exceptionally fit. They do the race over Imogene pass most years. We took a hike with them way above Elk Meadows not to far from where the mountains abruptly rise up 3-4000 feet. They dogged it so that we could keep up with them and at 10-11,000 feet I will tell you the air was very thin! We were walking through an Aspen forest in a mist most of the time and saw lots of mushrooms. Another friend from Ridgway, John Hollrah gave me the descriptions of the ones that are edible or not. He happens to be a genius and can describe the poisonous compounds and what the good ones smell like. Don't pick mushrooms on your own and eat them without expert advice it is a very dangerous hobby. The foremost authority on the subject died this year after she made a mistake.

Amanita Muscaria ...Alice in Wonderland will make you sick and delerious!

not enough info (probably cortinarius)

sarcodon imbricatum (edible)

ramaria largentii
(edible for most people)

yellow coral of some sort

Leccinum fibrillosum (edible)

pholiota squarrosa

boletus edulis (edible)

not enough info to tell

pholiota quarrosa

clitocybe gigantea

The elusive & ever so Yummy Chanterelle

We got off the mountain just in time. About a minute after I took this picture a bolt of lightning landed right on our location. Fortunately we were in the car. We encountered several hikers heading in while we were hiking out and we thought they were nuts especially the one that had the unicycle with the mountain bike tire (couldn't believe this kid was going to ride it down the trails). Their timing could not have been worse. It was already raining and we had heard thunder...not a good thing in the mountains!

Eleni on the bridge over Owl Creek! If you want to Spend a few tranquil hours riding your mountain bike, head to Ridgway and do a tour of the valley!

This is the Sleeping Indian Ranch ....first time I saw this place with it's security lighting system, observatory, 15,000 square foot garage and video monitored gate I thought it was Goldfinger's Hideout or perhaps the CIA headquarters in the Rockies! The actual owner imports Japanese cars and owns a bunch of other ranches around this vallley....if he is reading this we would love to stock your wine cellar. This road takes you into the Cimarrons and is spectacular in the fall!

BEER CAVE

With o ur pick a six-pack program in the "Beer Cave" there are 300 different craft and

imported beers and ales hand picked based on excellence for your enjoyment. Mix and

match 101 allows you to assort $1.50 - 1.75 bottles into a six pack and receive a 17%

discount. For those of you who have more eclectic tastes you can mix in any price range

or bottle size and receive a 10% discount. If you are not sure what direction to head

ask the staff for help!!!!!!

Over my head,

looping the Monument with Mike & Steve

Our city engineer Mike Curtis and graphic designer Steve Beutler along with Uncle Jerry at the start of the monument loop. Mike and Steve are both honest to god mountain jocks who are built for speed and are really good at this bike thing. Even though I literally suck at this sport they were willing to double back on the big hills, slow down on others and in the flats punch a hole in the air so I can get pulled along in in their draft. I can't believe they managed to get me over the top. Both of them know how much I enjoy being out of doors, and you can't ask for better friends than this!

The climb up is torture but the view on the way up to the top of Cold Shivers is spectacular. The best thing about the ride is that once you get on top the scenery gets better and the rest of the trip is relatively easy if you attack it from east to west! Some riders don't get enough exercise riding it one way and turn it around at the ranger station on the west side a do it in reverse.

One of those moments when Mike and Steve were dogging it so I could stay in close proximity! Both of these guys have lots of giddy up when they choose to use it. Mike has been an avid rider all of his life literally logging 7000 miles a year in his hey day. In addition to hitting the the road and single track regularly Steve is also a trail runner. He does the Imogene almost every year but gets most of his training by chasing after his 3 kids. If there is a father of the year award out here on the Western Slope he should definitely be nominated. One thing I've noticed about Colorado a lot of our neighbors are really fit!

We took a break at the visitor station before taking the E ticket ride down to the valley. If you can't do the loop on a bike you can do it in your car or Harley. Definitely one of Grand junctions best attractions!

Crossroads Sighting On the Drive in Jensen Beach

	This is Jerry and Eleni's former neighbor and great friend Dave De Ferrari in Jensen Beach with Junction buddy Carol Ortenzio. Dave is a fabulous chef and is one of the few people I know that has sampled as many rums as I have. As for Carol anyone who has been reading this column will be wondering the same thing...this woman travels a lot when are she & Paul ever home!
	Paul Ortenzio went fishing all day every day while he was in Florida. Here he is matching grins with a small barracuda.

Crossroads Sighting Indy 500

Uncle Jerry is a big fan of the Andretti family of auto racing fame and has been rooting for the whole family at Indy for almost 40 years. He would love to have been there to cheer on Michael and son Marco however Grand Junction resident Dave Lame was there sporting one of our trademark caps!

The Damn News 7/26/06

...Hiking Colorado Edition !

Crag Crest is a popular hike on the Mesa

... Eleni has been up in the last couple of weeks

and so have our friends the Loweys who

always send some great pics!!!

Gail and daughter Katie at one of the magnificent overlooks.

One of Eleni 's favorite hiking partners Walt on the trail to

Crag Crest on the Mesa ...Photo by Brian Olson

Columbines in full bloom ...Photo by Brian Olson

Getting a bit late for the flowers but looks like they timed it right on this hike!

Don't forget life's short, get out and do something fun ...ride your bike, take a

hike, float down a river or hell even play a round of golf!

The Damn News ...young as you feel edition!


	Climbing is for the young and the young at heart! Here are Gail Lowey, her daughters and best friend are at it again. There's nothing boring in their family album!

The Damn News 6/14/06 ....a real leg burner

of a hike Edition

Liberty Cap

Near the trail head off Redlands Parkway, Eleni and her buddy Kerry

...this is the flatest part of the hike!

This is the trail up!!!

Incredible the number of great hikes we have in our back yards!

Plenty of rock formations on this hike!

This is the view from just below the Cap!!!

Not an easy hike but the view from the backside is worth it!

Uncle Jerry's recommendation is get out and do something fun!

Crossroads sighting in the Germany! Jake Heuer, KJCT TV's ace production guru sitting here in Frankfurt with his dad Tom enjoying the best thing Germany Produces besides Riesling!

The Damn News

....spring on the high desert continued Edition!

Fighting gravity sucks! I just don't have the tools to deal with it anymore. I do it so that when the snow falls in November (and I am counting the days) I will be ready. Been on several bicycle rides the last few weeks but on Sundays Eleni & I have been hiking a bit. We are missing our friends Paul and Carol who in addition to always being up for a hike, know all the good trails and Paul is a great trail leader. Any way our local hike we do for exercise is Independence Rock. If you haven't been what are you waiting for. Here are some pics!!!