Florence,Colorado: Hardly A Tweet or Twitter

Oh my! Florence, Colorado is a beautiful little town, not far from the Arkansas River. It's the antiques capital of Colorado AND it is also home to many artists, craftsmen, authors, agricultural folks and many all-around talented people.

I've been operating on the theory that we have a multitude of talented people hiding out in Fremont County--the Royal Gorge Region, and particularly in Florence. In Florence, we have lots of public artwork. Great architecture. Great shops. Fantastic restaurants. And mostly friendly people.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this--and says it. And writes about it. OK, not that many people write about Florence. I occasionally work in an antiques mall--and I've heard hundreds of people from near and far--make the same comments I do.

Why just the other day a woman from Colorado Springs literally ran up to me and smiled and yelled,"I love Florence! Florence is my HAPPY place!"

Yes, Florence is MY happy place too. I was just talking to a friend who moved here from Colorado Springs last year. I moved here from the Springs (and Denver) a few years ago. We were talking about how when we moved here we thought we'd be in our beloved Colorado Springs and Manitou every week mourning the loss of culture, shopping, food and the bustle.

Not so, we both agreed. We still go to the big city every month or so--and love it. BUT we are happier in Florence than we ever thought. My friend said it's so quiet here. So peaceful. And I commented (as we were enjoying a world-class lunch at Ito's Japanese Restaurant on Main Street) that we had good restaurants and didn't need to run to Pueblo or the Springs that often to chow down.

OK, so Florence is great. All my friends here are transplants and we all talk about how cool it is is here. I speak to dozens of customers weekly about how they LOVE Florence--even if they are from Canon City or Westcliffe.

So, why when I go to Twitter--do I see less than 50 Tweets in the past six years about Florence?

Shocking!

We have our own hashtag. #FlorenceColorado

It turns out that I am the primary tweeter of Florence, Colorado. And I didn't plan it that way. So, come of everyone. Share the news about Florence on Twitter--or wherever. We shouldn't be hiding our lights under a bushel.

Recreational Marijuana In Florence, Colorado

Last September I wrote a post about marijuana in Florence, Colorado.

You can read it here: http://truestoryclub.blogspot.com/2015/09/marijuana-million-dollar-mistake-find.html

I already know my opinions about the subject. My opinions are very similar to Ron Paul.

For those who don't remember--Ron Paul was a 2012 Republican presidential candidate. He also ran for president previously. He was a long-time Texas Congressman.

He's a Libertarian.

I'm not a registered Libertarian--but am one at heart. I'm a conservative. Yes, the two ideologies do mesh well--even though it sounds improbable. If one is objective (and calm) it is possible to hold to one's own personal ideas and not attempt to control or bash other folks for their opposing ideologies.

What does Ron Paul have to do with recreational marijuana in Florence, Colorado--or anywhere for that matter? It's pretty simple--some of us don't smoke weed or even like it, but due to being educated in Libertarian principles by Ron Paul and others, are able to give up judgment and control and realize that recreational marijuana might have a place, even in a conservative area.

Disclaimer: I was an alternate Ron Paul delegate in 2012--and I did note yes on medical marijuana for Colorado and NO on recreational.

If you go back to my September post, you'll see I changed my mind. Not on liking marijuana. Just on the freedom and economic potentials in Fremont County, and elsewhere that might come from recreational marijuana enterprises.

I've received a few comments on that September post that got me intrigued. I am guessing the comments are from people involved in the recreational marijuana industry in Colorado.

We all know how I feel about it. BUT I'm more interested in how OTHERS feel about. As a former small-town journalist, I am always interested more in others people's true stories and opinions--even if they don't necessarily fit my opinions  and conclusions.

So, I am asking people from both sides of the issue (in Colorado and especially Florence and Fremont County) to weigh in. I'll consider posting lengthy opinions on this blog--not to judge or rip the insights apart--but to learn and share.

So, feel free to weigh in. I do this for free and fun, so I don't have a lot of time and resources to interview people or go to them.

Contact email: wildwordsclub@gmail.com

You can remain anonymous--or not.