Strolling through the Arsenal

Flirtatious: I brought some bottled water. Want a sip?

Real Mood: Expository

Prediction: A bald eagle will be sited at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Ocotober 17th, 2006, at 5:18 am. ( Now that's going out on a limb!)

It's a blow to our self assurance to have someone expose us to a reality we know nothing about. That's especially true when that reality has been standing right next to us for a lifetime. It's been my goal this semester to get my Broadcast Journalism class to "look many directions" before crossing the journalistic street.

In the path we are about to take? Well, we are not just whipping up some figures of speech. In this case, don't take the NARROW view.

[SEE PICTURE ONE-THE NARROW VIEW]

Go ahead and look straight ahead.  Go ahead and look to your right.  But before you look to your left?

There is an avenue just north of Denver with the exotic label, 56th Avenue. In a straight line it runs West to East for about 20 miles between an industrial part of the metropolitan area, through an abandoned international airport, past the big new airport, ending at a small general aviation airport. That's what you see when you are pretty much looking straight ahead. 

Look to your right while driving  and you are witnessing the nation's largest "INFILL" project. That's developer-government mumbo jumbo of the day.  It means that with the vacuum of an abandoned international airport? What gets sucked into that land? DEVELOPMENT.

Since 1942 we've all been reluctant to turn our heads LEFT while driving along a portion of 56th Avenue. That's because we've been told, THERE, behind a tall fence, lay an EVIL place. Stare at it? You're hair may fall out. You could be blinded or become impotent. DRINK IT'S WATER? Instant DEATH!

The place has a name. It's THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL.

While a paid once a month journalist I found a way to do at least one story a year at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. It was not because I wanted to frighten anyone. To the contrary, I hoped we could all make peace with the place.

The Arsenal used to be a place where the army made those nasty old mustard and nerve gas bombs. When the World shames us into not doing that anymore?  Shell Oil shows up and makes pesticides.  For a period The Arsenal is labeled the most polluted place on Earth. 

(I wonder if those labelers had ever been to Gary, Indiana. Sorry Garyites.  I was only there twice, but you didn't make me feel very environmentally welcome.)

We in the news media were often given carefully guided tours of the Arsenal. Congress and the Army shut that "puppy" down in the 90's and started cleaning it up. So during one of the cleanup tours it catches my eye that in the shade of some hunk of metal? A hunk of metal probably once used to make Sarin Gas Bombs? There in that shade lie three very healthy looking Mule Deer does. There is an  8 point buck looking on.

Well it turns out during the cleanup process it's discovered this place is loaded with wildlife. It forces official after official, politician after politician to take a wider view of what's going on at this EVIL place.

[SEE PICTURE TWO, THE WIDER VIEW]

Well in the 47 square miles once called the Arsenal? 1200 Deer have been discovered. About a third of those are the skittish, and rare for these parts, White Tale variety.

There are over 300 species of Wildlife on the property. Between 60 and 90 Bald Eagles visit the Arsenal for five months every Winter.  No pesticide deaths. No feathers falling out. (there are a lot of violent prarie dog fatalities)  It's just a great place to visit. And for the wildlife, most of which have a choice, it's apparently a great place to live.

Still a little cleanup going on, but this place if very close to becoming what the hypsters are NOW calling THE LARGEST URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE in the World.  But you know what? Only one of my students in this class knew it was here? And that's because she lived about a block away from it for a while? She says she didn't like the taste of the water around here. But it never made her sick.

Why hadn't the others known about this great Wildlife Refuge? I'm no expert, but I think it's because we have a tough time giving up our fears.  For those who've known the arsenal the "FEAR FACTOR" has been a blessing. Back in the 80's one of my stepsons used to get in the lottery to fish here. I recall him telling me he was practically alone on the one lake citizens were able to Angle.  I remember no details, but I can tell you he caught some beauties. Sorry, no pictures.

So what do you do for succeeding generations? Do you take Arsenal out of the name and pretend it never happened? Or do you highlight the transition of EVIL to SANCTUARY?

Or maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and enjoy the fishing. Anyway, if my students live, a new Arsenal cult has been born.

[SEE PICTURE THREE-THE PLEA]

Some of you will think this is burying the lead.  On a scale of one to ten if we agree that there is some sexual voyeurism in all of us? I'd like to think I'm a two.  I get embarrassed for the participants, and will circle wide to avoid gawking.

But I came upon a situation this week on campus I feel compelled to share.  I'm heading from my car to the elevator (I know I should take the stairs). During my wait period, after pushing the button, I hear this tremendous commotion behind me. I turn and what do I see? Here is a male having sexual relaltions with a female!

They are SPARROWS and I'm embarrassed to say I am mesmerized. This horny little male is all over the female, even though she just sits here, seemingly unimpressed.

The act itself seems to take about 3 seconds, but it is repeated over and over and over again.

You look for parallels to human activity? (well I do anyway) In this case I see few. For instance, the Male is the pretty one. And here's the punchline I guess. In sparrow sex? The Male is the SCREAMER. And the female clearly makes no effort to fake it.

Well I promise to KEEP THAT KIND OF STUFF OUT OF THE POSTING ON APRIL 28TH. WHAT'S APRIL 28TH? Why, you know! IT'S THE ANNIVERSARY OF PaulsModestMusings. Nothing modest about today's, EH?  

no, they don't do it in flight...at least not here...birds here are automatically part of the "mile high" club...they've got nothing to prove.