"Let's just be thankful we have guests," Dean continued as he wound a string of lights into a bouquet of blinking color, unplugged it, and set it aside with a dozen others. "Bird Song was an empty nest."
The inn contained nine rentable rooms, each with a private bath. The three largest of these quarters were located on the third floor. The second floor contained six, five rooms for guests, the sixth occupied by Fred O'Connor. There was an additional small guest room beneath the stairs on the main floor. This floor, bisected by a hall and stairs, contained a living room or parlor on the right, or southern side, and a dining room and kitchen on the left, with the Deans' private quarters, a sitting room-office combination and bedroom, located in the rear.
"All in all, we can't complain about business," Cynthia added. "It's one of the few times we've been without guests since we opened and we'll practically have a full house next week with the Ice Festival coming up."
In recent years, the town of Ouray had attained international acclaim for its ice climbing park, located on the southern edge of the tiny town. The Uncompahgre Gorge, a deep and narrow cut in the rock of the San Juan Mountains, hugged in its confines, a river of the same name. One hundred years ago the stream was damned by the Ouray Electric Power and Light Company. A large pipe still snaked its way downward, carrying water, via gravity, to a generator located over a mile below in town. After a century, electricity was still being generated. This pipe, called a penstock, ranged from forty-four inches down to two feet in diameter and paralleled the Uncompahgre River far above its torrent as it coursed down the deep gorge. Innovative locals, resting in the doldrums of off-season winter, noticed that when the large, ancient pipe leaked, escaping water coated the high walls of the gorge in spectacular ice. Hearty souls climbed these ice-shrouded cliffs, just for the sport of it. Later, the serendipitous drippings were augmented by additional piping, carrying excess water to spray even more surface of the rock walls. A delicate balance of local easements, public involvement and volunteer labor was slowly assembled. Thus was created a major climbing facility and, in the process, an additional invitation for winter tourists, earning the small town a reputation as a growing Mecca for this exciting and perilous sport. The seasonal highlight was a major festival held each January, attracting climbers from around the world.
It's nice to have the place nearly to ourselves, even if it is only for a few days," Dean said, as he stifled a yawn. "Let's enjoy it."