Skeeters, Prairie Dogs and Texans

OK. You’re probably wondering what these have in common. Truth is…nothing, but follow along gentle readers and I shall tell you a tale that will shed a little light on the matter.


I was up in CB again last weekend painting for a show coming up in July. For those of you who don’t know, CB is the moniker that the locals in Crested Butte use when referring to their little burg. I’ve been up there so much lately that I feel I have the right to use it.

The first night I camped on a gravel bar close to the trees along the swollen Slate River. The setting sun cast wonderful shadows across the land. It was beautiful. As night fell on me up there at about 9500 feet, the mosquitoes decided to join the party. I quickly built a fire, lit a cigar and let the smoke of both bath me in an attempt to ward off the pesky little critters. The next day I moved over to Washington Gulch and discovered a field of brilliant yellow dandelions. In the far background was the silhouette of Mt. Crested Butte. A painting for sure.

The breeze was blowing rather stiffly where I was parked so I climbed a nearby hillside and got into the trees a bit. This actually afforded a better view anyway, but I soon discovered that the skeeters liked it up there out of the wind too. The little rascals were ferocious. Lots of deet and another cigar seemed to have little impact. Being the professional I am however, I endured the pests and did the painting. With arms and paint flailing wildly about and doing a little jig back and forth at the easel trying to avoid the little beasts I must’ve looked like an idiot up there having a fit. Hope nobody was watching.

Back at the truck, while I sat on the tailgate enjoying a cold one and taking in the spectacular view I had just painted I thought about the mosquito. I think the worst place for mosquitoes I’ve ever been was up in Jackson Hole when I was younger and being a cowboy. I remember trying to eat a sandwich in the barn one day and it was difficult to take a bite without getting a mouthful to add a little flavoring. Alaska claims the mosquito as their state bird. I don’t know about that since the only time I was in Alaska it was 35 below in February. Weren’t too many bugs of any kind out at that time of the year.

Oh! Prarie Dogs and Texans? I’ll have to say those for another time. Thanks for stopping by though and stay tuned.