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Horseback caroling and Cowboy Christmas usher in the holiday season Unusual Christmas gift ideas..............................10&11

Horseback caroling and Cowboy Christmas usher in the holiday season

By Amber McIver-Traywick

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The Surveyor

For more than two decades, members of Larimer County Horseman’s Association have brought Christmas cheer to Berthoud with their Christmas caroling on horseback. The group is gearing up for the annual event this year that will coincide with the Cowboy Christmas event held by The Rancher’s Wife on Saturday, Nov. 27.

The caroling, which began in the early 1990s, originally took place during Christmas in Berthoud and after the cancellation of that event coincided with other Berthoud Chamber of Commerce Events. However, the pairing of Cowboy Christmas, an annual event that celebrates the kick-off of the Christmas Season in and outside the famous grain elevator in town with the horseback carolers has become a perfect pairing.

The horses and riders will begin preparing for the ride between 9 and 9:30 a.m. outside of Turner Middle School, many of which will be decked out in full holiday décor.

“We enjoy getting out with our horses and dressing them up and getting into the Christmas spirit and sharing it with people who don’t have access to horses.” Said Bonnie Templeton president of the Larimer County Horseman’s Association.

Cowboy Christmas will be from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27 at the Rancher’s Wife located at 604 Third Street and will include locally made artisan booths, food, Berthoud High School groups fundraising event, miniature horses and ponies, the horseback carolers and of course the man himself Santa Clause will make an appearance for visits and pictures.

“We’ll set off from Turner at 10:30 and head down Massachusetts Avenue,” explained Templeton. For those who don’t live in old town Berthoud, Templeton said lining up along Massachusetts Avenue would be a great location to see the horses and enjoy the caroling. Although caroling will take place in front of the Rancher’s Wife, the group will continue through town and stop as they pass pedestrians to sing a carol or two as well so if you do live in the area make sure to step outside to enjoy.

“We sing traditional carols,” said Templeton. “Ones that are fairly easy to sing.” Although many riders will be on horseback the group will also be pulling a trailer with hay bales for members who want to participate but aren’t able to bring their horses.

The group has members from across Larimer County including families from Berthoud. They are a non-profit 501C3 organization. Formed in 1972 to be an advocacy group for the use of horses in Larimer County, LCHA works hard to ensure future generations will have equine recreational opportunities in Larimer County.

Templeton did say that caroling will be canceled if the roads are icy or unsafe for the horses but said the group is hoping for good weather and looking forward to continuing their tradition, Our horses’ safety is our first priority, she said, but if recent weather patterns stick you might see some folks wearing shorts.

Along with caroling, the group holds several other events each year for its members, including ride-outs, evacuation training, educational meetings, picnics and parties. Anyone interested in joining Larimer County Horseman’s Association can visit www.larimerhorseman.org to find out more, or attend one of the group’s meetings listed on the site, which are always free and open to the public.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN BERTHOUD • 2021 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor 10 Unusual Christmas gift ideas

For more years than I can remember, I have written an article suggesting unusual or offbeat Christmas gift suggestions. This year’s theme is gadgets and gizmos.

In no particular order, here are some gift ideas for you to consider.

Let’s start with an umbrella. It’s getting to be that time of the year for storms. A site called www.bluntumbrella.com has a selection of umbrellas starting at $79. By the way, the company name is in reference to having no tip on the top of the umbrella. This umbrella is touted to be waterproof (a good attribute for an umbrella) and windproof. Rookie weatherman standing in a hurricane not included.

This next item may be on my wish list. It’s an LED ring light that clips on your cellphone or laptop. It puts you in a good light while you are on a Zoom meeting. No more harsh room lights or darkness as you chat.

The ring looks to be a bit wider than a cellphone It has three adjustable light levels and the color temperature can be changed too. Anything that can make me look better needs to be on my list. Look up Olumi LED ring light on Amazon. The cost for this bright idea is $9.99. Any handyman or handywoman can’t pass on a handydandy all-in-one tool. In this case it’s the Kelvin 17 found on Amazon. The palm-sized gadget consists of 17 tools. These include a small hammer, tape measure, liquid level, light, screwdriver and 13 bits. It is available in both pink and black on www.Amazon.com. For around $25. Staying with the all-in-one theme, the next gift idea is a compact (about 9 inches by 2 inches), first aid kit. eep it in the car, boat, home, backpack, etc. The unit contains more than 60 items.

Surveyor Columnist

Bob McDonnell

The VSSL first aid kit costs $130 from www.vsslgear. com. Inside the tube-shaped container are bandages, a thermometer, antibiotic cream packs, burn cream packs, blister pads, tweezers and medical gloves. But wait, there’s more. There is also a compass, LED ashlight and emergency whistle.

Who doesn’t like their back scratched A company called Bearback (www.getbearback.com) has the ultimate itch reliever. For only, $21.97, one can have a scratcher with customtuned bristles , a non-slip comfort grip and a pivot hinge on the handle to get to those hard-toreach spots. The handle folds and extends to 17 and collapses to 9.5 . All this for $22.97 what a deal!

Another useful and utilitarian gift is a collapsible water bottle. This leakproof, nontoxic drinking bottle is made of food-grade silicone and BPA-free plastic. It is 4.5 inches in diameter and stands 6 inches tall and can hold 17 ounces. It collapses to a height of 1 inches. The price is $24.95 at www.itsthoughtful.com.

My last suggestion is something I have never seen before. A USAbased company called www.benshot.com sells beer glasses, cocktail glasses, shot glasses, wine glasses, decanters and even coffee mugs with a bullet embedded in the side. Other varieties of their glasses have a golf ball, shotgun cartridge or guitar pick in the glass. Each one must be handcrafted, meaning no two glasses are exactly alike. Prices start at about $25 per item. I hope this list sparks some ideas for you to purchase for someone you care for. Merry Christmas.

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