Fresh Start

Can it really have been five months since I last posted? Winter was long, busy and focused on regaining my health. The beautiful thing about my health protocal? It promotes clean eating. Hyper clean! No sugar, beans, grains, dairy, or potatoes. Between that and some serious supplements, I feel not just like my old self, but like a new person. Energetic, focused and clear headed, and committed to moving forward with my dreams. Doesn't get any better than that. Doesn't leave a lot of time for writing or musing either.


My other blog about regional farming continues to grow. I am working with a partner exploring business options to promote local food. I present at the next quarterly meeting of the Colorado Farm to School Task Force. And the biggest thing. J and I are contemplating what it will take to simplify our lives. Or better, to find a calling that pays the bills but also matches this simplicity. I continue to commute three to four hours a day to work in the city. Besides being insanely un-environmental, it is emotionally, physically and spiritually draining. It also takes hours out of my day that I could be in the dirt. Where my heart is.


The farm continues to grow as does the community around it. Sweat Lodge is every other Sunday, as long as the winds aren't too strong. We dug a five foot deep fire pit to accommodate most winds. But some days mother nature needs to let off some steam that our pit is no match for. Apparently neither are our roofs.The north side of the barn is again missing shingles. After we roofed the barn it was never hot enough to seal the shingles together on the north side. Where the wind comes from.

We'll fix that. And tear off the house roof to re-roof. We had someone roof it when we renovated the farm two years ago to move in. Apparently, being where we are in a wind tunnel, it is one of those jobs you really have to do yourself. Silver lining, I get my porch. We moved the culvert in the irrigation farther east on the property so we could move the driveway away from the house. That allows more freedom in the design and size. Since front porches are where most of your living happens, I feel it should be pretty roomy. I can already envision the flower gardens in front. The fire pit that we'll rock. This place becomes home more and more with each passing season.

Raised beds went in for the permanent vegetable, herb and fruit plants. We tilled a 30' by 100-150' garden bed. Irrigation will go in soon. But not tomorrow with snow in the forcast.


The chickens and guineas are doing well after a mishap with home ground mix from a local. Turkeys have entered the brood, and I added a hive to the orchard. I am in love with beekeeping. I could watch them for hours, if I wasn't intruding on their work. I love checking the hive when I fill their sugar water feeders. I get to be a vouyeur, if only for a few moments.


J has asked to get goats. I created a crazy beautiful monster. So, looks like fencing and building a goat house is in my future. I'm sure you would believe I am unhappy with that. (Thought with major sarcasm) Now to choose a milking variety. It's between Nigerian Dwarfs, for easy handling, and Alpines. We'll see.


For the rest of the day it is celebrating with friends. It's a good day.

Ringing in the New Year...

Happy New Year to everyone. May the year of the horse run strong and a little wild through your year.

J and I started our annual ritual this morning. We have a small journal where we review last years lists. Our accomplishments and gratitudes for the previous year, and a list of our goals, dreams for the coming year. Then we reflect on what we accomplished and our gratitudes and make a list for the year that is closing and a list of our goals and hopes for the coming year.

We are always amazed at how full our years are and how far we've come. This year we ended the year feeling like we worked a lot and didn't play hard. After the list, we realized we spent more time with friends and family, grew our community and had some really good trips. We reached around 50% of the goals we listed, and are on course to hit the others this year (our lists tend to be ambitious!). But, in the end, we love each other more and have found more peace with ourselves and the world. It's all good. My cup runneth over.

Community is at the center of our goals this year. We are looking at creating a community garden at the farm based on a barter system. I am putting it out to some of our friends and think we can achieve the garden we keep planning, but can never quite find the time for. J and I had a conversation this morning about not waiting for the "planets to align" before pursuing our dreams. I personally would love to work closer to home. Three + hours a day in a car to a job 75 miles away takes its toll. I am also grateful, as this job has provided for us tenfold and is one of the main contributing factors that allowed us to purchase the farm. My big dream. But I can't put off the farms evolution until I find work closer to home. I need to focus a percent of my energy on building the property and community I aspire to now.

Health is also a big focus this year. Having found wonderful practitioners who were able to determine what ailed me, has changed my perspective dramatically. And I have found the motivation to make the necessary changes toward obtaining good health and more importantly, maintaining it. These changes have also inspired J to make some changes and place some emphasis on better self care.

So while the winds blow, and the snow falls and the cold covers the pastures over these next few months, plans will be hatched and put into motion. Fencing, outbuildings, garden beds and seed and bee orders will be laid out with great care and intention. This is the year of balance and home, community and connection. I am looking forward to it.

Love to you all! May your year be filled with great care and intention!