“This fortress built by nature for herself…” Westcliffe…facing Coming Hard Times

A poem for a town that touches me deeply:

This high plateau, so peaceful & quiet

This earth of majesty, this seat of quietude

Cattle ranching and endless deep blue skies

So high in the mountains

In the shadow of the Sangres,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world

Three inches from Heaven

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, Westcliffe.

(Modified and adapted from shakespeare for Westcliffe)

I believe this and want to keep her pristine, during any coming scenario that would bring strife and struggle to Westcliffe and the valley.

“A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.”

(Martin Luther)

Remember the famous Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”  Like many, I hope tomorrow, the rest of 2011 and beyond, somehow will be better, more prosperous.  I do not like thinking of ‘hard times.’  Many just hope for the best as they sink further into despair and economic, then familial discord, along with their neighbors and the community.

But Westcliffe is special; or it can be, if it holds together before things do get worse.

“United wills make a fortress.” (Unknown author)

Fort, Fortress or Citadel?  Given the definitions below my signature, I am leaning away from Fort, denoting more military image, and toward Fortress or Citadel.

Today Fortress is my choice for a Survival Plan for Westcliffe.  (Suggested by a good friend…)

Here I have suggested “Fortress Westcliffe” as a means of “being prepared.”  If times get better, great, we lose nothing, but reality is harsh to those unwilling to see her clearly.

Who could deny that privacy is a jewel? It has always been the mark of privilege, the distinguishing feature of a truly urbane culture. Out of the cave, the tribal tepee, the pueblo, the community fortress, man emerged to build himself a house of his own with a shelter in it for himself and his diversions. Every age has seen it so. The poor might have to huddle together in cities for need’s sake, and the frontiersman cling to his neighbors for the sake of protection. But in each civilization, as it advanced, those who could afford it chose the luxury of a withdrawing-place. Phyllis McGinley

WuliRider

fort (fôrt, f rt) n. 1. A fortified place or position stationed with troops. 2. A permanent army post. [Middle English, strength, stronghold, from Old French, strong .

fort [ fawrt ]   

1. fortified position: a building or group of buildings with strong defenses, usually strategically located and guarded by troops
2. military compound: a permanent military post consisting of several buildings

Synonyms: fortification, fortress, stronghold, citadel, castle, garrison, fastness

Definitions of fortress (n)

for·tress [ fáwrtrəss ]   

1. military installation: a fortified place with a long-term military presence, often including a town
2. something impossible to get into: something that is impenetrable or acts as protection

Synonyms: stronghold, fort, citadel, fortification, bastion, castle

• noun 1. a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel. 2. any place of exceptional security; stronghold. Use fortress in a … 

  dictionary.reference.com/browse/fortress

• fortress – definition of fortress by the Free Online Dictionary …

  for·tress (fôr tr s) n. A fortified place, especially a large, permanent military stronghold that often includes a town. [Middle English forteress, from Old French …

  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fortress

• fortress – Definition of fortress at YourDictionary.com

  noun. a fortified place; fort: often used figuratively · transitive verb. to protect by or furnish with afortress

  http://www.yourdictionary.com/fortress

• Fortress – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster …

  Definition of FORTRESS: a fortified place : stronghold; especially: a large and permanent fortification

  cit·a·del [ síttəd’l ]   

  1. fortress: a fortress or strongly fortified building in or near a city, used as a place of refuge
  2. defending body: an organization or institution that strongly defends a particular way of life or principle

  Synonyms: fortress, stronghold, bastion, fort, castle, refuge, sanctuary

noun. a fortress on a commanding height for defense of a city; a fortified place; stronghold; a place of safety; refuge

• Citadel – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle The term derives from the same Latin root as the word “city”, civis, meaning citizen.

  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel

• Define citadel | Dictionary and Thesaurus

  citadel n : a stronghold into which people could go for shelter during a battle [syn: bastion · English · Pronunciation /ˈsɪtədəl/ · Etymology French citadelle ..