The Dawning of a New Season

It's 12 a.m. Lying in bed, the warmth of the electric blanket keeps the coldness of the room at bay, the fire in the wood burner has long since died out, and the chill of the night tries to overtake. The only light comes from the laptop as I clack away at the keys. I type, erase and type again, wondering if any of this will make sense in the morning. The room is pitch black in contrast to the bright monitor, the laptop sitting on the woven tapestry comforter tucked tightly in the dark wooden sleigh bed. I feel warm, safe and settled in for the night. A myriad of thoughts run through my mind as I drift in and out of sleep. The chicks in the adjacent bathroom chirp, bringing me back to consciousness, the faint sounds from the TV upstairs occasionally interrupt as well.

Its been a long winter, but thankfully for many reasons, not as long as past years. I am however feeling ready for spring. Tomato plants in the living room await the warmth of a new season as well as the fifty-five chicks housed in the garage and ten in the bathroom. Hopefully I didn't jump the gun on that. 32 eggs in the incubator and several kindergarten classrooms already lined up to hatch chicks for me, the prospect of a productive flock this year is looking good.

The garden is nearly ready for planting, I wish old man winter would agree. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. He holds on with a tight grip, but at some point must let go and allow spring to roll on in. A new as yet unnamed calf in the barnyard, adds to the feeling that spring is not far off.

Steve is still job hunting, another season I am ready to see come to an end. However in spite of all the past 10 months have held, I cannot overlook the faithfulness of my God in it all. He continues to provide in ways that astound me. Ways that catch me off guard. Ways that remind me of His great love for us all. In the small and the big I see His hand, His provision, His grace. Just as winter prepares the way for spring, so this season of our lives is preparing the way for the next. I don't know the whens or hows, but I know that He has great things in store for those who love Him. As I drift off to sweet sleep, I await with great anticipation the next season.

Rocks, Rain and Reflection

A chill hung in the air last night as I busied myself with the evening chores. I pulled the zipper up just a bit more on my chore coat and reflected on the day. After a morning of rock collecting for a friend's backyard pond, I felt a push to get the rest of the laundry done before the impending weather change. It was a windy morning, and I've come to understand that means a change is on the way. I feel a bit of tension and apprehension as I wonder how cold, how windy it will be and how soon the weather will be changing. I savored the sunny warmth of the day, a lingering warmth, a warmth that came from the inside as much as from the sun.

Friday was Mom's birthday, how quickly 72 years has slipped by. We Skyped her and were wishing her a wonderful day as our company arrived to collect rocks. My "Amish friend" Becca referred to him as she glanced out the door....it must have been the black suspenders of his lifting belt against the background of his white shirt. I chuckled at her random thought as I turned back to the stove and my conversation with mom. After a breakfast shared in the warmth and comfort of the kitchen, shared across states, shared amidst laughter and much bantering, I reluctantly bid mom goodbye and shortly thereafter we got to work.

As we hunted rocks, Josh was busy at the wood splitter. A total of five cords amassed, we have two more to go to meet the season's need. Well ahead of where we were last year, I am pleased with his hard work. The day was off to a good start.

Two hours later we had a truck and trailer loaded with stratified moss rock and decomposing pink granite, each piece picked with the project in mind. The practical, no-nonsense side of me hoped it was enough for the project, while the light-hearted, adventurous side enjoyed the morning's excursion and hoped that maybe we'd have to collect rocks just one more time.

Our friend bid farewell with iced coffee and a fresh lemon poppy seed muffin in hand. Sad to see our time come to an end, I turned my attention to the tasks of the day. It was still early, giving me sufficient time to get 6 loads washed and on the line. I love looking up the hill to the north of the house and watching the laundry wave on the line. The wind made quick work of drying it all and I had it folded and hung before the afternoon was over. Two years without, I have yet to miss my dryer.

I fumbled in the dark as I locked up the calves and walked back toward the light of the house. The clacking of the boots against my pant legs brought my mind back to the present. Was all taken care of before the rain set in? I could smell it in the air and knew by morning everything left out would be wet. After a quick assessment, I resigned myself to being ok with things and opened the sliding door. The warmth of the house enveloped me as I slipped off my coat and boots. A piece of rhubarb cake called my name. I soon found myself in bed drifting off to sleep, it had been a great day, a day of celebration, a day of friendship, a day full of accomplishment. I was ready for the rain and what the morning would hold.


Josh hard at work splitting firewood.

A new Post

Could it be so? A new blog post...my mother will fall off her chair when she sees I've posted. Won't you mom? :)

So well, I've had a lot on my plate this year and just had to drop the blogging for a season. Not sure I'm back yet, but the chill in the fall air just put that old blogging feeling in me.

The calves have grown a bunch this summer. Ben is a good 700 lbs or so and Jerry is not far behind him, being a mere 4 inches shorter. Chance is so sweet and adorable, I can't wait till we have our own milk cow. I know it's a good 2 years off still, but I can see it coming to pass after 23 years of waiting. Ben will go in the freezer next summer or fall. I'm trying hard to not get attached, so far so good.

Thanks to Craigslist, I've added some Cuckoo Marans to the flock. They lay dark chocolate brown eggs. I've only got 3 roosters, but plan to breed them with my Araucanas till eventually I have hens that are predominately Marans as well. I've had my heart set on getting some Copper Marans. They are beautiful, but more rare, I'll settle for the Cuckoo's for now.

I've taken up cycling again this summer. When we lived in Tulsa I rode quite a bit along the Arkansas River trail, but have taken it to the next level here. I got my time for the 100 mile ride down to 5 hrs and 16 minutes...not too bad for an old lady. My favorite part of riding is smoking past the 20, 30 and 40 year old guys...I love it! I pretty much always want to shout out that they just got smoked by a girl...an old one at that! But I keep that to myself and just get a nice smile out of it. I swear it's like a shark after blood, I just can't help myself when I see a rider in the distance. It becomes my life mission to smoke em, which usually isn't too hard. Last Monday, even with my banged up leg, I had a guy chase after me once I blew past him but he finally gave up after about 5 miles of trying to catch up...the ultimate compliment! I did ride along side him for a time and chat before I left him in the dust....at least I was nice about it.

I've been putting in around 250 miles a week most of the summer and have dropped some weight as a result. I have taken a few spills now and then and am currently recovering from a doozy! No broken bones, just some really good road rash and a black eye. But, mostly my pride was dented...I stopped traffic it was so bad...way embarrassing!

Steve is still job hunting. I'm hoping he finds something soon. We are doing okay for now and have had a great time reconnecting after his hundred plus trips to China, Canada, and miscellaneous states over the past 4 or 5 years. Its been really nice to get to know him again....turns out he is a nice guy, who knew? lol. It's amazing how God works in the tough times. We've had the opportunity to work on and strengthen our marriage during his down time, I wouldn't trade that for anything...its been a very good summer.

God has changed some things in a major way in our lives this year. Bigger changes than we've experienced in a really long time. Stretching is not always fun, but its so good to know we are growing in the things God has for us and moving in a direction that puts us on track to do and be who he has designed us from before the foundation of the world to walk in and become. And, He has used some really amazing people to make that happen...one in particular I am extremely grateful for...if you ever read this Bill....thanks a million, we can never repay you for your kindness. I thank God for you and Pam and love you for showing me the love of God as you've laid your life down to help me go to the next level. You are a rare person in this journey called life and I am privileged to call you friend.

So, maybe It will be the start of blogging again for me...but don't hold your breath. I've got chickens to butcher, fences to mend, trails to conquer and myself to challenge. But I hope to do a bit of reconnecting with all of you once again as well. Thanks for reading. I hope to update you a bit more often now that fall is in the air.

Lions, Tigers and Bears...oh My!!

Its been a busy few weeks getting ready for Josh's graduation. Lots of preparations including making a cake, smoking pork roasts for pulled pork sandwiches, making salads, cleaning house, chopping wood..... Today he graduated, its official, I have two out of school and one high schooler. Wow how time flies! They were just babies is seems.

Mom & Dad are in town as well as Steve's folks, such a nice time being able to visit and see everyone...and not to be the ones traveling for a change. Dad brought the swing he made, its a replica of the one he made with his dad back when he was a young boy. I even bought some model-T tire chains off eBay to make it just like the one I spent many an hour swinging on and talking out life's questions with mom & dad. I can't wait to get it up on the front porch and swing to my hearts content!

Thursday evening I went out late to put the animals away and heard a couple of twigs snapping in the ravine just north of the house. I swung my flashlight around but saw nothing. Chasing the calves down from the pasture behind the chicken house they seemed a bit skittish but were pretty easy to get in. I heard a squawk and some rustling practically under my feet. I jumped and turned the flashlight toward my feet. The dim beam of the flashlight revealed a chicken flopping around on the ground, blood pouring from its mouth. Further examination revealed no major visible injuries, I suspect one of the cows stepped on it in the dark, a fatal step. I gathered it up for Hershey, locked the animals up and headed back down to the comfort and security of the house. The animals seemed a bit spooked and I picked up on it too, I felt uneasy, anxious to get back inside. Mom stood at the top of the ravine with her flashlight, she heard the cracking of twigs too and was lending the help of her light to direct my path as well.

Friday, I got up around 5 and headed out to do chores. As I approached the ravine, I noticed a young buck, a yearling, partially devoured and lying just feet from where we had both passed just hours earlier. One leg completely torn off and several ribs strewn around along with tufts of coarse fawn colored hair. The realization hit me, the twigs cracking was due to the mountain lions. I probably scared them off when I went up to do chores. Had I only known, I wouldn't have lingered over the chicken, examining it thoroughly.

The hind quarters were still intact, mostly just the innards had been devoured and some of the ribs. I harvested the meat...it is a few steps above road kill. Some nice roasts and hamburger meat for the freezer. Josh took the quad and a rope and drug the carcass over the hill for the coyotes and lions to finish off. I didn't want them returning to finish the feast and didn't want the stench and fly problems either. We were later told by a neighbor that they were probably sitting up on a ridge somewhere watching over their kill, waiting for dusk to come back and partake. Hope they saw us drag it away from the house...far, far away from the house.

So, my Friday graduation preparations were interrupted by a a quick butcher job. Unexpected, but the meat was welcomed.


Hershey seemed very excited to see what the big kitties had brought her. She was so proud, as if she had caught it herself.


A little too close to the house for my comfort!


Skinning it out, getting ready to harvest the hind quarters as Josh and Steve look on.


There was a nice amount of meat left behind by the big cats.


picking hairs form the meat and trying to figure out how to cut up some roasts and such.

Could it be that spring has finally sprung?

I'm not quite ready to wholeheartedly believe that spring is here, but it sure feels like it lately. As I went out this morning to do chores I noticed that Blue Mountain still has some snowy patches toward the top, but the weather down in the flat lands has been absolutely beautiful.

I met josh at the bike trail for a ride yesterday. I put in 45 min before he got there then road an additional while with him in tow. It was a windy day, making the ride easy in spots and quite difficult in others.

The river was high due to the recent snow melting and the grass in spots was almost a foot tall, so lush and green, a color I have missed seeing for the past 6 months. Some of the shrubs are 3/4 leaved out already and I noticed several plum thickets in bloom.

I'm starting to think I need to get the garden tilled and planted. I should have started seeds earlier, but I think I can catch up. Wonder what treasures will surface this year from the old mining shack that occupied my garden spot.


Josh on the trail. Such a nice backdrop!


Josh & me. I've gotten a bit fluffy over the past few years...time to work it off!

The Big Thaw

Saturday brought a slow, steady, cold rain rather than snow, thankfully. The temperature hovered right above freezing and it stayed a dreary, sunless day. I have several buckets and water troughs around that ended up with around 4 inches of water when all was said and done. If that had been the powder we normally get here, we'd be looking at 4 feet of snow. At that, I count my blessings! This is the wettest snow we've seen in our two years here. Normally the snow falls as such a dry powder, that one could potentially "shovel" the driveway with a leaf blower. But this snow was a beautiful, large-flake snow, the kind I love to watch.

As darkness settled in, I finished up chores and headed toward the warmth of the house. I stood quietly in the darkness and listened to the run off; a new sound, the sound of babbling steams filled the air. Soothing, it immediately carried me off to my childhood and the creek I played in as a kid. Catching crawdads, finding buffalo bones and arrowheads, and sifting fine gravel sure I would find gold or something equally exciting. I'm brought back to reality by the gentle mooing of Chance as she settles into her rest in the barn. The voice of the water makes me wonder if all of Blue Mountain isn't running down across my land.

Today as we headed to church we noticed some of the weather's effects. Like a voracious lion on a wildebeest, the run off has eaten deep ruts into the roads, in some places as much as 6-8 inches deep as it gathered its momentum. With incredible timing the road association had already scheduled road blading for today and the grader was busy at work by the time we headed for home. Hopefully the run off has slowed enough that the work will not be undone, as the dues that are collected only equal enough to blade it twice a year.

The sun has decided to come out after being hidden for two days...unusual for us. The snow continues to melt and I am happy that the retention areas are full enough that I don't have to haul water to the calves for at least a few days. With temps scheduled to be in the 70's for most of next week I think things will really green up by next week end. At times I have to remind myself that the storms in life are what bring future growth and abundance. I guess I'm happy for the snow after all.

We've rarely have water in here unless we've had a heavey rain. Its about 3 ft deep at the deepest. As of this afternoon, about 80% of Friday's snow has melted.

Another retention area at the south east end of the pasture. We've never seen water in here in the 2 years we've been here. Its a good 5 ft deep at the center. We're still in process on the fence. We've got all strands strung, but only the bottom two tightened. It looks a bit sloppy because of it.

Ben, Jerry and Chance enjoying a bale of alfalfa. I alternate between hay and alfalfa on days the grass isn't visible.

Snow, snow and more snow!

I'm beginning to wonder if this will be the year with out a spring. Are we going to just straight from winter to summer? Are we going to have winter year round? Will it ever stop snowing? Why again did I move to Colorado????? Someone please come out here and smack me up side the head for that decision. I don't like cold and snow and yet I find myself at almost 7000 ft, sitting in the shadow of the Rockies.

We've had some nice days this year so far, but every time I finally allow myself to accept the fact that spring has arrived we get a monumental snowfall. Today, as I sit and type, mind you its mid April, we are in a winter storm warning with 15-22 inches predicted. I can't see the end of the drive, the wind is whipping the snow around like a child with a rag doll and the district did not call off school. I wonder if the kids will be able to make it back up the mountain this afternoon. If not, I guess they will spend the next night or two at Becca's apartment in town.

We decided to turn the furnace off this winter and burn only wood. I thought we had made it through the season, but as of today its cold and I'm out of wood for the wood burner. Due to the snow Steve is working from home. It's 56 in here, he is chilly and pestering me. He has stooped to suggesting I start on the furniture, log steps or perhaps even try to burn chicken eggs. I may have to resort to turning the furnace on.

One one nice day I hiked up the hill to the rock I call "the Altar" to sit, pray and think. I took the camera along and got a couple of nice pictures.



A cactus on the hill


After I've been sitting for a while, the birds start to come around again.



A view to the west from The Altar. The snow caps look so beautiful.


Another view, this time to the south


A nice hot fire in the wood burner


I think the birds are ready for spring too!


we live on the mountain in the middle of the picture about 3/4 of the way up.