Fireside Chat

Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Revelers: Chapter 3922 February 2014 Volume 3, Issue 2

Lunch at Westys Cafe

PRESIDENT: VICE PRESIDENT:

Sue Wieland Larry Martin Linda Baker Anita VanDerEyken Mike Ienna Colin Peecher Kent and Sally Schroeder Bob and Anna Peduzzi

Rocky Mountain Revelers January get together was held at Westys Restaurant Twenty-five members gathered for a nice meal on January 11th. We celebrated the New Year with noiseless noisemakers

SECRETARY: TREASURER: BOARD MEMBER: SPC OFFICER: FIELD DIRECTOR:

and sweet treats that Patty Knight put together. After everyone enjoyed a good meal, we had our swearing in of new officers followed by the meeting. Our waitress Dena did a great job serving everyone with the help of her son Frankie and niece Angie. Most all left with full bellies. Submitted by Bob and Anna

March 25 31

NEXT EVENT March 8th WHITE FENCE FARM 6263 W Jewell Ave, Lakewood, CO

April 25 - 27 May 15 th 18 July 7th 11

National Retiree Rally, Canton, Texas Field Staff Workshop Campout Fort Collins Spring Fling, Brush National Campvention Essex Junction, Vermont

Strawberry Upside Down Cake Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O mix 3 cups miniature marshmallows 1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared as directed on package 2 cups crushed fresh strawberries

1. 2.

3.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows. Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, and pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Cherubs Cup Cocktail

Prep Time: 2 minutes 1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients: inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry 1 part St. Germain gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows. elderflower liqueur 3.Prepare the cakevodka, mix as directed on the package, and 2 parts vodka, citrus pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated or Hendricks Gin oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out 3/4 part fresh lemon juice clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 1/4 shot simple minutes. Runsyrup a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, 1 part muddled strawberry and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator. top with Brut Ros Sparkling Wine strawberry for garnish

2.Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13

Preparation:

A Word from the Prez

Greetings to all the Rocky Mountain Revelers. Can you hardly wait until camping season? Me too! It has been a very cold winter, and I havent been fond of the below freezing temperatures. No wonder some of our members headed south for the winter! As your new president, I attended the FCRV workshop that was held on February 8, along with Larrie, Bob & Annie. It was great! I learned a lot, and will share that with all the Revelers at the next meeting. The biggest problem now is that even though Colorado has the most members, we saw a big decline since the previous year. If you have any ideas about increasing membership, pass those ideas on to our either our Field Directors, Bob & Annie, or to our State Director, Luana. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining, please invite them! We have a great group and a lot of fun. So now that Im the PresidentYikes! What did I get myself into? I admit that I am a little nervous. I hope that with the help of the rest of the Board, as well as the past president, Robert, that I will learn how to run the meetings and fulfill what is expected of me. I look forward to serving as your President this coming year. Sue Wieland

COLORADO CLIPS
Mary and John Elitch A Colorado Love Story

From the Past to the Present

Mary Elitch was born May 10, 1865 in Philadelphia. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to California where her father created a livestock and fruit company. At sixteen Mary met and fell in love with a twenty-two-year-old actor named John Elitch Jr. Her parents did not approve of John because of the age difference, so the two eloped.

Elitch Zoological Gardens 1891 The Elitchs moved to Durango, Colorado and opened a successful restaurant. Soon after, they moved to Denver, opened the Elitch Palace Dining Room, and bought a nearby farm to supply fresh fruits and vegetables. Mary also started a garden at the home and housed stray animals she found on the grounds. Her love for animals was well-known and circus owner P.T. Barnum gave her lions and bears, making her gardens the only zoo west of Chicago. The couple opened Elitchs Zoological Gardens on May 1, 1890. The gardens were so popular and successful that they closed the restaurant, which allowed John to act in California during the winter. In 1891, John came down with pneumonia and died March 10 with Mary by his side. Just thirtyfour years old, Mary was a widow and deeply saddened by the loss of her great love.
Mary tended fully to the gardens after Johns death. She managed the property and in 1894 bought back the Elitch stock she had been forced to sell earlier. Mary became the independent owner, unusual for a woman at the time and the first woman to own a zoo. She added kangaroos, deer, and snakes to her collection. Mrs. Elitch continued to expand the Zoological Gardens adding a successful theater and summer stock program. In 1899, Mary brought Thomas D. Long to her gardens as the theatre manager. They married only a year later in the gardens and took a six-month honeymoon to travel the world. During their travels, they saw entertainment rides and upon returning, they added a roller coaster to the gardens. In 1936, Mary died from a stroke. She is buried next to John Elitch in Denvers Fairmont Cemetery. The Mulvihille family ran Elitchs Gardens until 1994 when it closed after 104 successful years. It was sold in 1996. Marys playhouse was restored and became the Center for American Theatre and Historic Elitch Gardens where performances still occur.

Elitch Theatre 1805

1. Alpine Loop: Guide your 4WD over high-elevation 1880s roads past thick-withwildflower meadows, abandoned mines and ghost towns. Southwest region: Connecting the towns of Lake City, Ouray and Silverton. 2. Cache la PoudreNorth Park: Travel alongside one of Americas few Wild and Scenic Rivers and watch for grazing moose, granite canyon walls and historic landmarks. Between the historic towns of Fort Collins and Walden. 3. Collegiate Peaks: Take this old stagecoach route through canyons carved by the Arkansas River and North Americas densest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks. South-central region: Connecting the towns of Granite, Buena Vista, Salida and Poncha Springs. 4. Dinosaur Diamond: Hunt for fossils and footprints made by massive dinosaurs and rock art left behind by Fremont Indians along sandstone canyons and mesas. Northwest region: Grand Junction to Rangely over Douglas Pass, through Dinosaur into Utah. 5. Flat Tops Trail: Immerse yourself in the mountainous beauty that inspired the U.S. government to preserve its wilderness areas in their raw states. Northwest region: Connects the towns of Yampa and Meeker.

6. Frontier Pathways*Glimpse relics of frontier life along a route that climbs upward, with plants, animals and geology that change every 1,000 feet. Southeast region: Between the city of Pueblo and the towns of Westcliffe and Colorado City. 7. Gold Belt Tour: See canyons dotted with the petrified remains of life from 35 million years ago and find the history of the greatest gold camp in the world. South-central region: Between Florissant, Cripple Creek, Victor, Florence and Caon City. 8. Grand Mesa: Journey atop the worlds largest flattop mountain to see wide-open vistas and more than 300 stream-fed lakes. Northwest region: Between I-70 and Cedaredge. 9. Guanella Pass: Tour the preserved silver-mining town of Georgetown before rising in elevation to raw alpine wilderness. Front Range region: Between the towns of Georgetown and Grant.

JANUARY MEETING AND LUNCHON

Swearing in of new officers!

WELCOME NEW PRESIDENT SUE WIELAND