digital billboards

In Snowmass Village you are greeted  with a billboard telling you to keep you dogs on leash because of multiple dog-coyote interactions.  Interactions is a nice way to say coyotes eating your dog.  In the past week there have been 4 'incidents' in Snowmass Village.  Sadly my dogs don't know how to read the billboard and are not pleased with being on lead all the time.  There does seem to be more human-wildlife interaction every year.

Heading into Aspen the first digital billboard you see at the town line tells you that you must wear a mask indoors. The second one you see at the end of the S curve tells you that you must lock your garbage or face a fine.

Think about that.  If you don't lock your garbage you will be warned and then fined.  If you don't wear a mask you might or might not be warned but for sure you will not be fined.  Does Aspen put more weight on the lives of bears than humans?  

That got me thinking about what would happen if I shot a bear that broke into my house vs shooting a human doing the same.  I asked a couple of friends in law enforcement and while they wouldn't go on record nor say they had really studied the issue their first thoughts where that  you could be in more legal jeopardy from killing a bear than a human.

Lastly, for all you visitors it looks like Aspen is going to try to deliver a very 'normal' ski experience this winter.  For instance the BOH has indicated they will not reduce restaurant capacity until the hospital suspends elective procedures.  Yes you got that right, you can spay champagne to your heart's content (or your wallet's limit) at Cloud 9 until the hospital is in such dire straits that they can't function normally.  And the BOH has indicated they won't shut restaurants until after the hospital is in crisis mode triaging patients and rationing care.

Is it at all possible that we have got our priorities mixed up?  I believe there is a Chinese curse 'may you live in interesting times'.  Yes indeed.   

PS ---Pitkin county has been in the COVID RED ZONE for the past three weeks of our off season.