Spending more time with the men than I had planned, I headed up the road about a block to speak with a local taxidermist. Panic struck me when I saw the CLOSED sign in the window. Frantically looking for another way in, I was relieved when Vicky Huffman, the taxidermist's wife, opened the door and greeted me. (This encounter made me feel like people were really watching me--they knew I was a stranger.)

Entering Huffman's Taxidermy, I saw Steve working on a fox--his favorite small animal. Settling in, I had to get used to the raw flesh smell that hung in the air.

Although Steve has competition (his father) right next door, he doesn't fight for customers. The majority of his customers are from out-of-state and town.

"Most of the orders we fill are received through the Internet," Steve said.

On Huffman's Web site, each item has a special code, so he knows exactly what the customer is requesting. This way of doing business gives him flexibility, so he is able to attend to other local problems and challenges.

Huffman reinforced Ringo's statement that the community members wear many hats. Steve has not only been one of Aguilar's taxidermists for twelve years, but he was fire chief for seven years. Currently he is the town's municipal judge and one of its firefighters. His firefighting abilities had him involved in the Bailey, Spring, and James M. John fires last summer when much of Colorado was going up in flames. In the past he has worked for the Division of Wildlife and the Fire Protection District.

As night begins to fall over the town, I head out to meet with one other person, Daniel Scuzzaro, owner of the Sunset Tavern. The barmaid tells me he had gone home, but he would be right back.

Feeling a little uncomfortable I decided to strike up a conversation with some customers in the bar while I waited for the owner's return.

It only takes one question and the conversation takes off. Following suit to everyone else's feelings and thoughts, the four men sitting at the table tell me they have lived there all their lives, and they have family ties that go way back.

Shortly after our conversation started, Scuzzaro walks into the room. His big frame, bald head and full beard were a welcoming sight. His friendly smile was enough to make me like him immediately.

Unfortunately, by the time I talked to Scuzzaro, I was beginning to hear the same thing over and over.  He too grew up in Aguilar. He continues to live there, so he can take care of his elderly mother, even though his wife and daughter have moved to Texas. Family ties in Aguilar are strong. People may venture out of the small town for awhile (they have no choice--no one can earn a living there) but they always return.

When looking for entertainment in Aguilar, you face a big challenge. There are no movie theatres, bowling alleys, or museums, so the Sunset Tavern is one of the likely entertainment choices for the adults in the community. Offering his customers drink specials, food (his own homemade sausage) and occasional live entertainment, Scuzzaro draws a good crowd on a regular basis. In the future, he plans to offer the community even more fun. By enclosing the property, he will hold barbeques outside during the warmer months.

Ending my visit, I realized I'd have to return to Aguilar another time.   

Anxious to revisit the town, I recruited a friend to tag along with me. Being a passenger, having much more time with no appointments gave me the opportunity to explore freely.

We turned right at the stop sign waiting at the end of the off-ramp. Crossing the railroad tracks and veering left, we are on our way to the hidden town of Aguilar.

Perusing the area as we travel the road into town, we see old mixed with new. Metal buildings, pipes, stacked cedar wood and a road grader sit on properties that have old structures--a barn made of railroad ties, one side clad in side-by-side license plates, and an 1800s barn that barely stands"Everything waiting for life to put it to use. My friend and I wonder if the quiet is a constant pleasure, or if it is just another lazy Saturday afternoon.

Wanting to look around the town a little more that I had during my first visit, we drove through the residential area. We found boys playing football in the street and people sitting in chairs or leaning against porches, visiting with one another like they had all the time in the world.

Stopping at the end of the street, we are faced a major construction project"the new school. Life is evident here as construction workers busy themselves with their tasks at the site. We later found out the residents were excited about the new building because the school is such a vital part of the community, and it hasn't been remodeled for a long time.

In downtown Aguilar, we drive a short distance and cross the Gonzales Canyon Creek Bridge (the creek bed dry as many other Colorado waterways) leading us to the heart of the town. Turning right on the main street downtown, we see the major businesses of the community: the only grocery store; the only full-service restaurant; three (soon to be four) bars, a bakery, two taxidermist businesses (both owned by the same family), and most of the other pertinent offices and buildings a community needs: court house, police and fire station, library and post office.

Interested in getting some pictures of the area, my friend and I went to higher ground. Making our way up the road we found not only a beautiful view, but also one of the foothill dwellers (implants) that I'd heard a little about during my first visit.

French-Canadian Nicole La Voie is the creator of Sound Wave Energy Technology, based on vibrational frequencies. She is a lecturer and author of Return to Harmony: Creating Harmony and Balance through the Frequencies of Sound.

Voie shared some of her personal history and her future plans involving the multiple dome structure she is building in the foothills overlooking the scenic highway leading out of Aguilar. She claims to love the view and people, making her quite content with her property selection.

Back downtown at the public library, Tamara Eagle, a two-year resident and assistant librarian, was engaged in a computer game when we walked in.  Social life in Aguilar revolves around school events, she said. For the most part, everyone agrees Aguilar is a great place to raise a family.

"Everything generates around school," said Eagle. "Kids have more opportunities for involvement."

According to Eagle, there is a cowboy atmosphere in Aguilar and there isn't much crime; however, there are some strange relationships because there aren't enough people to have one with. Because most of the land is family-owned, many generations of a family are living in the same household.

Concerns coming up in the community bring the residents together for a solution. They are willing to help out their neighbor. Eagle offered help to Ringo.

"Let me make you a website [to sell your sausage]; you could be making a lot of money," Eagle said.

After our visit with Eagle, we made our way down to the Sunset Tavern to visit Scuzzaro and to mingle with the people hanging out. We picked a good day to visit the town"Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. Succazro had a live band that night and many people came out to celebrate.

My friend and I had one of the best times we've ever had. We found that the small town people have huge hearts (we felt like any one of them would have adopted us in a heartbeat). We felt like we made a connection-the one you have to have in order to get into the town--family.

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Southern Colorado Magazine -- Summer 2003