Ear to the ground

“Nice skirt!”

“Glad you like it. It’s yours.”

– An on-trail conversation at the Singlespeed Worlds between a local woman and a visiting man who not only camped in her yard but raided her wardrobe for a costume

‘The Baby Bummer’

Durango author Jackie Juliana is hoping to beat the odds. For every 12,000 children’s book manuscripts submitted to publishers, only three actually make it into print. And Juliana is well on her way to success. Her book,The Baby Bummer, is a finalist in ABC’s Children’s Picture Book Competition and only needs a little help from local residents to find its way into bookstores.

A high school science teacher by profession, Juliana is currently raising her two daughters in Durango and writing on the side, a hobby she finds “excruciatingly difficult, way too time consuming, and thoroughly satisfying.”

The Baby Bummer follows the plight of Cara, a young girl, and Mosely, the family dog, as they’re moved to the sidelines to make way for a new addition to the family. The book is currently the top finalist for the competition, now in its sixth year, having received the highest literary score. However, Juliana and The Baby Bummer now need a little help from their friends and neighbors – online voting determines which manuscript makes it onto bookshelves.

Durangoans can visit www.abcbookcompetition.org, click on “5th Competition Finalists” and briefly look at all of the entries before clicking onThe Baby Bummer and “Vote Now.” Voting is open through Oct. 4.

Top of the market

Is Southwest Colorado recession proof? A price-tag in nearby Pagosa Springs would suggest that the hyper-wealthy may still be attracted to the region.

Bootjack Ranch, a regular host of Music in the Mountains events, recently went on the block for $68 million (that’s $68,000,000). The number makes the property the most expensive in Colorado, which puts it high in the running for priciest worldwide.

The “recreational ranch retreat and family compound” tops out at 77,000 square feet and comes complete with 27 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms and 4 “half bathrooms.” The main house is a comfortable 13,800 square feet, and the property’s numerous guest cabins can accommodate up to 50 friends for a weekend in the lap of luxury. A 12,000-square-foot Spa and Aquatic Center rounds out the Bootjack experience. The only thing currently missing is a buyer.