Mountain Shadows Neighbors
“At this point, it’s Merry Christmas and 4th of July,” giggled Rhonda Wittwer, who along with her husband, Timothy, are the Mountain Shadows homeowners. They are responsible for the gorgeous green Christmas tree on the hilltop they own above Lanagan Street and Flying W Ranch Road and for the huge 12-foot patriotic flag that flies on the 4th of July.
“Friends are always encouraging us to commemorate other holidays such as Memorial Day or Veterans Day, and I had thought about putting a giant Christmas star on the side of the hill as I love Christmas, but we always have to keep in mind the winds that roar down our mountains,” stated Rhonda in an interview this week.
Starting five years ago, Rhonda, a virtual project manager for Ariba, and her husband Timothy , an engineer and computer specialist for Fluke Networks, decided to test his engineering knowledge and their creativity while doing something special for the community. Little did they realize that their creative desires would have to fight Mother Nature. “It took Timothy three different designs to erect a pole that would withstand the winds and the winter weather. He got into shape as he had to lug bags of cement to the top of the hill. We don’t have a direct path to the top of the mountain. We hired an electrician to run two electrical lines and Timothy finally designed a pole we could winch down and lay on the ground when the winds are too strong or when it is not in use. It was a labor of love for us,” she stated with a laugh.
Rhonda explained they wanted a “green tree” this year, but to get strings of green LED lights is almost impossible. To accomplish their goal, Rhonda commented, “Timothy and I bought 36 boxes of LED lights and I sat there watching TV while taking the green ones out and putting them on the light strings we have for the tree. I quickly became an expert at assembly line work!”
Continuing her conversation, she showed Ryan Schneider—the intrepid photographer who hiked up to the top to take pictures of the tree—the ornaments she and Timothy created for the tree. Three 9-inch large round plastic balls were covered in red, blue, white and green lights. To keep the wind from destroying the lights, Timothy cut the plastic rounds in half and then soldered holes into the outsides to melt the plastic so he could plug in the red, blue, green and white lights to cover the outside of the ornaments. He then glued them back together. “We would have had them on the tree this year but the snow came so we might have to wait until next year,”Rhonda explained.
Rhonda and Timothy don’t limit their creativity and desire to help the community with just the flag display on the 4th and the tree at Christmas. Timothy is also a founder of the Haunted Mines activity that runs on Halloween at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry located just off the interstate on Glen Eagle Drive. Due to their efforts, over a quarter million dollars has been raised for this educational center. Rhonda invites all Mountain Shadows residents to attend the tours and activities at the center and to learn about Colorado’s early mines and history. For further information call, 719-488-0880. Rhonda says a $1.00 discount coupon is available at their website http://www.wmmi.org/index.html.
Mountain Shadows appreciates the efforts of the Wittwer family. We can look out our windows and view the light shining over the mountain tops while being thankful for the holiday season and the right to celebrate it!
Thanks Rhonda and Timothy!
Article by: Helen Sabin 719-375-8791 hsabin1@yahoo.com