Because There's More to Life Than Gardening

Last weekend we went camping at Highland Lakes. We were at 8000ft, give or take, just below Ebbett's Pass. It was a relaxing time, and the views were incredible, but there were a few too many people at the campground. (Note to ourselves: no campgrounds until after Labor Day) We did a lot of exploring, though, and found several places faraway from the campground where we can camp by ourselves with a Wilderness Permit and still have easy access to the lakes. We'll go back for sure. It was beautiful!

Fish fear him...

We took a hike along a cattle trail above the lakes...

Jason thought this looked like a Moonscape


Cheesy picture of us hiking back up the drainage...

Looking down at the lakes. Campground is in the grove of trees in the bottom left corner...

Garden Update

We've had a challenging gardening year, but these are a few of the highlights despite the ongoing war with gophers, moles, mice, chicarees, squirrels, chipmunks, and quail. (not to mention late snow and mild summer temperatures!) The first few photos are from earlier this summer when the clematis and native columbine were at their peak.

Annie contemplating world peace (or maybe a bug) in her backyard sanctuary...

Views of the front border. Yes, there are a couple of mullein in the garden. We know they are an invasive weed, but we think they're pretty, so we let them flower, and then we cut off their heads before they set seed!



What we affectionately call the "Hart" Bed...it's literally in the shape of a heart, although it's not very apparent in this photo.

Close-up of the Hart Bed beauties...

The veggie garden has been ground zero in the Critter War of '09. The peppers and cucumber plants have been replaced three times, so what is left standing is not going to amount to much this late in the game...

We've actually managed to eke out a decent crop of tomatoes, but not like last year's harvest.

Our first crop of hops! Out of the two varieties we planted, "The Nugget" was the success story. We're guessing we have maybe an ounce of hops...just enough for one batch of homebrew!

Communicating in the Modern World

Hello everyone! I've decided to give blogging a try, if for no better reason than to stay in touch with family and friends. Not so long ago, my favorite mode of communication was just a step above smoke signals, so I've come a long way in a few years!

I've been inspired (and maybe slightly cajoled) by Angela and Matt's blog. They're doing a fine job of sharing the story of their fast evolving farm and sustainable lifestyle, and although Jason and I have yet to claim our dream property and start living off the fatta-da-land, we're having a good time in the place we call home at the moment. I thought this would be a fun way to keep everyone up to date on our latest happenings, misadventures, and the simple things that we enjoy. So, here we go...Photos and new posts coming soon!