Caution

Seem to be getting a lot of spam on our blog again.  All anonymous wanting to direct readers to other web sites or blog sites.  I will try to filter all such attempts but if one slips by please don't assume we have approved of it.  You would be surprised how many various attempts are made to inflitrate our blog site.  We are getting some in Russian again but not the 80 + attempts per day.

Spring

Normally I publish my articles in Mother Earth News before I cross reference them here but Mother Earth News is upgrading their web site and this won't be published until the end of the week. So in the interest of those like us who are looking for Spring time, I hope this will encourage you to get ready as it is only a couple weeks away.  

To appear later this week in Mother:  When does spring finally arrive?  According to the “officially” set time it is on March 20, 2013. According to our time it may differ with that official time by a few days either way. As can be seen in the photo there is a prism contained in a cut glass pyramid hanging in our front window. For us that will indicate when spring will arrive at our mountain cabin. We bought that little gem from a vendor at a craft fair in Tallahassee, Florida, thirty years ago. At first we didn’t know what we really had but after a few years we discovered it could tell us when spring arrived here in the mountains. It hangs in our front triangular window where it is in direct alignment with the sun when spring arrives. We discovered this totally by accident but what a revelation to have finally made the connection. When it does happen I have an overwhelming desire to sing or play the song by the 5th Dimension, ‘The Age Of Aquarius‘. When the sun is just right and the earth is turned properly the sun will hit that prism and cast dozens of rainbows all over our living room. I try to contain myself from bursting out in song because that is one of those songs that when it gets in in your head it is hard to remove. It happens right around when spring first arrives and for us has been as accurate as the vernal equinox.

The vernal equinox signals the first day of spring when the day and night approximately equal each other. Also when the sun rises due East and sets due West. Our little prism takes all the guess work out of the “official” equation and in all the years we have lived here it has been a true indicator of when spring arrives at our house. When the rainbows start to appear on the ceiling, floor and walls it is simply stunning to sit and watch them float around the house as the air currents ever so slowly move the prism. The dozens of rainbows cross over objects but retain their brilliant colors. I can sit in my recliner with a cup of coffee and see the rainbows land on the dogs then slowly move on and watch them appear everywhere. It is a mesmerizing experience that only occurs for a short time each year.

We don’t need a lot of scientific equipment or even a calendar for that matter to tell us when spring arrives.  Our little prism will blast us with rainbows and dazzle us with its beauty and that is plenty accurate enough for us to celebrate spring. It is the kind of experience that will burn itself into your memory and you can hardly wait for next spring to occur to witness it all over again. I have tried to get photos of the rainbows but regretfully I am unskilled with my camera and the flash diminishes the brilliance of the colors. If I can figure out my camera I will take photos to share on our personal blog site this year which is www.brucecarolcabin.blogspot.com.  We never realized when we bought that little bauble so many years ago that it would provide us with all the beauty it has or that it was an accurate indicator of spring.  “Let the sunshine in, oh yeah, let the sunshine in”.

Computer Hackers

I tried to sign in to my email account and it said it was being used in some other place. I kept following the links and was able to sign all users off and I changed my pass word. If you use Google Chrome they reveal a lot of imformation. The hacker was using an apple computer, and accessed it through Mozilla 5.0 and a Windows program. They were also in our immediate vincinity in Colorado. Possibly in our immediate neighborhood. I am the only one who is an authorized user on my account.  If you see a window that your system is being used in another location don't ignore it because someone is into your system. Google Chrome is a very good program and they cut off the hacker as soon as I clicked a button to disconnect all users. I was told to change my password and that I did very quickly. 

My present password is a strong and I doubt they will get into my system again.  With all the political depravity going on in our community I have no doubt it was likely someone in our community trying to see if they could access our private emails.  They just recently published other private emails of board members that they had to accquire somehow.  Word of warning:  If you see a yellow message on your screen that your system is currently being used in another location don't ignore it. It is not a malfunction.  If you have Google Chrome it will take you through a series of windows that will disconnect the hacker and while it will not give you their name it will ID their computer and program. 

I had just shut my system down for the night and forgot to check something and booted it back up again and got the message as soon as I signed in.  Probably a good precaution would be shut your program off when you are not using it but I don't know that would keep them out of your account.  We also pay almost $500.00 per year for a computer security program and tomorrow I will call them and see if they can track down the hacker.  If they can one of our neighbors will be in jail. We had our email accounts and telephone calls hacked into before and enough is enough.   

more Monday morning photos

An Early Winter's Morning In Colorado

 This is always a beautiful sight to wake up too in the morning.  One foot of fresh snow sure helps with drought relief.  If you click on the photos they will enlarge.  Thought I might as well post these for your enjoyment while the block heater is warming up the engine block of the tractor.  It was 8 degrees when I took the photo's and has warmed up to 25 degrees now so in a few hours the tractor should be warm enough to start and then it will be two hours of intense snow clearing.  This is how beautiful it is before the snow is disturbed and why we love Colorado like we do.  Look at that blue sky through the trees and the streaks of sun light.  Simply beautiful.

A Life Of Ease - By Sakoieta'

We seldom realize that a life of peace and ease is right there within our grasp. All we have to do is let go of the anger, the hating, the disrespecting of people, events and things, and accept things have happened and can be dealt with in a good way if we are only willing to do so. A life of ease was granted to us when we came into this world. It is not so much meaning that life will be easy in all ways but that we have been given the correct mindset and spirit to deal with these events that will occur. So that if our minds and spirit are healthy we should be able to easily use the "tools" we have to deal with all these situations. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in these events with unhealthy thinking and spirit, our life of ease has been "dissed" and we enter into a state of "Dissed - ease" or disease.

cowboy breakfast, anyone??

 our home

looking down the driveway

the woodshed 

How We Hurt Those Closest To Us - By Sakoieta'

Tough work today. Putting on my counselor’s hat. One of the things many people fail to realize especially working with families and disputes that if at times when we are trying to heal relationships with family and wondering why certain relatives will hold alot of anger toward one person or parents or grandparents and continue the blame game is they are actually trying to figure out ways to deal with things that have happened or events that occurred. Most often that anger will be directed to the party that a person knows deep within themselves that there is a love and a caring there in that person that can handle and deal with the anger and blaming. By saying that I am saying that a person may not know how to deal with the emotions that are within themselves so they look for the most loving, caring, person they can find to unload their emotions on. By doing this with that person they realize even though they may not verbalize it, that person is a safe person for them to do that with, without having fear of being rejected. Often this is why Parents and children seems to be at odds in some cases, or siblings seem to be at odds with each other. The person who is hurting is looking for a safe person to unload their emotions on as they search for answers within themselves.

I Love You Mom

But dad's on my naughty list taking this photo with the flash on.  Do you know you can't see squat when that flash goes off in your eyes?

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure

As I sit here and write this the three dogs are in the same place as the photo above.  All three are rescue dogs that bless us far more than we bless them. What other people didn't want (even though they are living breathing animals) we have found great treasure in. Rescues across the country have many similar dogs waiting.  Shelters have tons of similar dogs waiting to be adopted or be destroyed if no one adopts them.  About this time of year shelters are taking in dogs that people assumed they wanted as puppies at Christmas but no longer want. This is a good time to visit a shelter for anything from a mutt to a breed dog.  Beware: if you do you can't have them all and their plight will break your heart.  You can't save them all but you can make a difference in one or two dogs lives.

What we derive from what someone else didn't want can't possibly be measured in the dollars we paid to adopt them. They provide us more love and loyalty than we as humans could ever muster or imagine. We sold our camper to a young family day before yesterday that had a 13 month old baby.  While they were deliberating whether to buy the camper or not Carol took the baby and took him up to meet our canine family members. These three were super gentle, and very respectful to that tiny boy. Three unwanted dogs who with proper care, love and training turned into our greatest assets. Any of the three would give their life for either of us and they greet and treat our friends with respect and gentleness. Each of the three weighed 4 times more than that baby and were so very gentle with him it defies description.

Three totally unwanted dogs that have made our life so rich that all the benefits couldn't be listed in this blog. From snuggling with us in bed to total devotion and loyalty. If you have never adopted a previously unwanted dog either a  breed or mixed breed you wouldn't understand who really is the beneficiary.  Our personal preference is German Shepherds but we love all dogs.

Bozwell who is almost 6 years old now was neglected by his first owner and opened the chain link gate and set himself free.  He lived on the streets for a while and then ended up at a shelter with multiple medical issues. He was at the shelter over a month when he was taken by a rescue and we adopted him as soon as he arrived at the rescue. His previous owner never even made an effort to look for him until we had him several weeks and then it was to late for them to reclaim him. Some of his medical issues continue to this day and need on going treatment.

Next came Sarah who will be nine in a few months. She was a farm dog who cornered the farmer's calf in a fence.  For that he was going to shoot her and her sister. Thanks to the farmer's wife she was rescued at the very last minute and we adopted her.  She had multiple fears and self esteem problems and we have slowly cured her of those over the years.  She is just a delightful family member as is Bozwell.

And last there is Echo whom we believe to be around 3-4 years old.  He was a stray that found his way to a farm where he was fed but liked to chase the farmers chickens.  He was turned over to a shelter where he remained for many weeks/months. He was finally sent to a rescue where he remained un-adopted for several more weeks.  We adopted him and are so very glad we did.  He is amazing and rounds out our pack to be the perfect canine family. He also has medical issues and is what our vet considers a high maintenance boy.

All three provide us more than mere words can describe and make our lives complete.  If you have never considered or don't think you can adopt a discarded dog I can tell you that they will provide you far more than you can give them. If you can provide for an adopted dog it will be one small investment for a lifetime of pure joy. The benefits you will  receive far outweigh the adoption fee and effort you put forth. So whether is is a pure bred breed or mutt, now is the time to help a shelter out with a contribution or as an adopter.  It is something you will never ever regret. Will someone else's trash be your treasure?  Our canine family members far exceed any human expectations and we enjoy spoiling them rotten. WARNING: It seems every time I publish something about our dogs we get a scam attempt or extortion attempt.  So for those of you who may be so inclined read this and  beware - we will not tolerate any such attempt.  Go adopt your own pet and let them turn your life around.

Little Bird

Be sure to keep an eye out for my next blog about what can be learned from something as small as a mountain chickadee.  It should be published on Mother Earth News tonight or first thing tomorrow.  There are very valuable life lessons to be learned from the smallest of creatures.Instead of looking past them or taking them for granted, taking the time to observe them carefully and they will teach valuable lessons that will help us to better accept each other plus get along better.
I'll post the link on here when it is published.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY:

Here is the link to the post:  http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/being-educated-by-wildlife-birds.aspx#axzz2KuhbubaR

Copy and paste it in your brouser or click on the green button and that should take you to my last post.

Carrying A Grudge? By Sakoieta

I remember one guy saying one time he was too lazy to carry a grudge. I laughed like crazy when i heard this but after thinking about it realized how many of us really do wear ourselves down by carrying grudges towards people who have done things that either offended us or left us feeling hurt, abused or betrayed. So many times I, myself have had to really work to be able to treat people with the respect that all humans deserve and it was hard. I didn:t like their behaviors that had caused them to do what they did and was open to addressing that with them if they were willing to deal with it. If not then I was more than happy with myself for being mature enough to at least show them respect when I met them. I wouldn’t get involved with them to any degree again until some type of healing of the relationship had taken place but I was happy that I could be satisfied with my behavior. It made me that much more aware of how I have to watch how I treat people as well and be willing to have people address my behavior if I unknowingly hurt them.

Photos Of Our Mountain Range

 This is the view seen today on the way home from Alamosa driving across the San Luis Valley.

photo by Leland Dirks

Forgiving By Sakoieta'

Another bit of wisdom from Sakoieta' to help live a peaceful life.


Being able to live peaceably has to come from within. It is often the result of having faced past mistakes that we made as well as others and realizing we have two choices. We can either accept that all people make mistakes, look at what happened, deal with it so we can lay it to rest and move on, or we can still froth at the bit over what we can no longer change, blame everyone and everything and carry it until we get sick and also end up making everyone pay for what happened so long ago. We have to realize that on this earth we don’t have control over anyone and sometimes not even ourselves. So if forgiveness is going to be our tool to find peace, we also have to be able to forgive ourselves in the process.

Trail Camera

Photo from last fall.  Time out for a photo op.

Abuse Of Power - By Sakioeta'

One of my favorite shows is Dragon’s Den. I enjoy seeing what different people have created and are trying to make successful businesses from their creation. One part that really bothers me though is, with the Dragons, the people they have to see to try to get them to fund their idea, is the abusive nature that some of the Dragons have because they are multi millionaires. They verbally abuse people at times with little or no thoughts of respect for the person or their efforts. That is a type of power that I detest, an abomination, trying to over power anything defenseless. It isn’t power at all but really abuse. I personally believe abuse of anything or anyone is the act of a coward. People can try to paint it anyway they like but when it gets down to the basics it is abuse short and simple. Most people really believe that power comes from the world. But truthfully something that seems powerful in one moment can come crashing down in the next. Looking to the natural world, a single drop of water seems totally powerless and it travels the path of least resistance, but joined to all the other drops it becomes a formidable force that has tremednous power. One person may seem small and insignificant but joined with others like the drop of water they become a very formidable force and can change anything.

Have Stress - Go Fishing

This is a somewhat modified version of what I published earlier on stress relief.  This posting is more generalized to reach a more wide spread and world wide readership.  I hope it helps others with the stress and tension they may have.  To read the blog you can click on the green "I blog for Mother Earth News" button above or by pasting the following link into your browser: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/fishing-as-a-stress-reliever.aspx#axzz2KKeIo41j

Proper Giving - By Sakoieta'

One thing I have learned is despite liking to give to people and help people out, we have to be wise in our giving and particularly wise in what we withold, because it may be what we withhold that would have helped the most. Help of any kind must be wanted and recognized before it can do any good. Too much help where it is not wanted or appreciated can make even a good person helpless. We need to remember always the certain circumstances are not ours to alter. We make the most of it and then go on. We can only be examples and never controllers of other people’s lives, other people’s children, other people’s circumstances. I always hear that if we choose not to get involved that some how we have contributed to harsh events by doing nothing. I do not believe that. I believe some of our best work, some of the deepest caring and doing is not physically done or evident in the beginning. We watch and pay attention so that the gifts we have to give will be used in the best way possible for all concerned and all involved.

A Closer Look Into Pet Adoption

Check out my latest blog on Mother Earth News about features of pet adoption from rescues that is rarely spoken.  The psychological and medical problems that sometimes are associated with prior unwanted pets and how they need to be dealt with.  Go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/adopting-a-rescue-pet.aspx#axzz2K24UFcYb

Oh Fudge!

This business is operated by a friend of ours in Fort Garland....good stuff!!

For the month of February, you can order fudge from www.fiddlesticksfudge.com at last year's prices and at last year's shipping rates.  This is a savings of nearly $3 a pound.  People often  forget about fudge, so here is a friendly reminder.  Orders received by 2/8 will ship on 2/11 - should be in time for Valentine's Day.

Fishing VS Catching

I heard someone this morning tell how Mark Twain loved going fishing but hated catching fish so he did not use a hook on his line. Catching fish interfered with his relaxation time, since he had to take the fish off the hook and do something with it.  When he wanted to relax and do nothing people thought he was lazy so he took his pole and bobber down to the river and people thought he was fishing and left him alone. He would throw his line in the river tied to the bobber and people would not bother him because he ’was fishing’ and he was able to relax as much as he wanted.

That got me to thinking about when I first started to fish as a boy.  It wasn’t so much catching a fish as much as a chance to be alone without being pelted with questions or frivolous discussion. Since I was just a boy no one expected me to catch a fish anyway. I could spend hours sitting on a dock or by a river and came home fishless but very relaxed.  Then as I grew older and went fishing I was more or less expected to catch fish and then later joined the bass clubs where it was very competitive. It was fun but often the stress encountered was the very reason I started fishing to begin with - to relieve the stress and be separated from my routine. No demanding paper route customers, no family, school demands etc. When fishing I could relax and be removed from my responsibilities. Fishing fulfills my four R’s of mental health. Relax, reflect, rejuvenate and recover.

So it's not about the fish after all, at least not with me. It is a time to meditate on problems, search for peace and relax. Pleasure fishing has no pressure, no adverse consequences unless you self inflict them for not catching fish and no effort is required.  My computer has an application that defragments my hard drive, sorts my files and puts them in order to make it run more efficiently. I find it sad that we don’t have a quick fix for people like clicking on a program to defrag our inner selves. Fishing fills the need for humans who clutter our lives with all the garbage that is spewed out each day on television, our work place, internet, and news sources. So it is not about catching fish, it is about the act of fishing and relaxation.

I have written numerous times about taking time out to go down to our swing with a beverage and feeling the breeze in my face, hear the soft sounds of the woods and the spring (in the photo above) gurgle. It is a quiet and relaxing time when I do that. There are no fish in that spring but I don’t care, I’m fishing, and the therapy and healing going on within my inner being make it worthwhile. Things are happening inside that you can’t observe from the outside. When I’m wetting a line waiting for that fish to come along I rejuvenate myself and relax. The slow current, the breeze, the expectation, and the concentration on the bobber compel forced relaxation.

Stop and consider for a moment how many places you can go now days just be alone to think and refresh your soul. I don’t think most people can get away like that. They may not know what they are missing but take it from this old mountain man, fishing can restore you in a way nothing else can. So before you judge me for fishing in our spring during the dead of winter; you can only see what is outside but the real work is being done internally. It is a chance to restore your inner self and help your overall health in the process. It is a well recognized rule that when a person is fishing you do not disturb them. Take time and a pole and bobber and go fishing. Not catching but fishing just like Mark Twain used to do. Or I guess you could pay a therapist $200.00 an hour.  Your choice of course but for me I just like the peace and quiet of fishing and to relax.

  

Very Wise Comment Of The Day - Sakoieta'

I have found that sensible people do not really get ruffled easily and are known to be reliable in a crisis. We need those people as friends and team players with us when we have to face tough times. We remember those who are part of that as well as those who sadly often chose not to be. Whatever common sense is, the heart has it, not the head. Things have often been about knowing what is truly important, having the right priorities, and then giving as much or more than what we have received. Things like patience, love, and loyalty are things that are definitely important but are scarcely seen anymore.

Living Remote Does Have It's Occasional Problems

Check out my latest blog for Mother Earth News about remote living and some inherent problems with doing so.  It is the mountain man's law that if you start a plumbing repair regardless of how thoroughly plan the project you will need a part or washer that you do not have on hand.  Or if you undertake a vehicle repair or small engine repair you will drop and lose a critical bolt that you need to complete the job.  It can be checked out at: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/when-unexpected-mistakes-happen-living-remotely.aspx

It never fails that you will assemble all the parts you need and inventory them 3-4 times and still come up short one critical piece.  What is it they say: There are two signs of aging. The first is you forget things and I can never remember the second.   

On to the next challenge or project, as soon as I remember what it was..

Monday On Litter And My Amplification

I 

In no way do I appreciate those who litter and pollute.  In fact I hate to see the degradation of our environment. I don't contribute to the problem but feel powerless to stop those who do.  We are leaving a terrible legacy for those who will follow us. I see litter everywhere, along streams, lakes, reservoirs, roads and in the gutters of cities. Since I have had two days to consider my rant against those who litter I realized that I did see one stream that had no litter along it two years ago when I was prospecting in the area.  It reminded me of Racquet Lake in the Adirondacks in New York. While Carol was in a wood carving class I was paddling a canoe around the lake. It was a beautiful area and I was enjoying the quiet and beauty.  As I paddled around the lake I noticed how clear the water was and how I didn't see any fish rising on the lake.  As I looked closer I noted that there were no signs of aquatic life either.  I asked the caretakers of this lodge and was told that acid rain and pollution killed all the life in the lake.  I turned over a few rocks and there was no sign of life and my heart sank. The lake was devoid of all life but it looked  otherwise normal. 

We are destroying our planet. I prospected around a beautiful stream about a two hours drive from us.  It was below an EPA super fund clean up from improper mining practices.  The stream looked pretty normal but the rocks had a white coating on them and there was not a single form of life in the stream. No aquatic life, no vegetation, nothing...   Even the birds and insects avoided the water. A pretty little stream but not a single sign of life. The water was crystal clear.  The EPA has been working on this stream for years and say it is safe but they still have a large filtering plant to finish to begin the full  restoration.  We are destroying our planet!. The good part if there is a good part is that there was no litter along the stream. Clearly people had been to the area frequently but no litter.  I now realize that the acid and toxins in the stream had dissolved the litter.  I don't believe this is a viable solution to litter however.  

I did a little prospecting along another creek by the ghost town of Bonanza.  It looked just like the other one I had visited at the super fund clean up.  No life in it, rocks had an orange color on them and it too was dead. Not a sign of life anywhere. 

My point is that in my lifetime I should not find one stream that is totally dead - let alone three.  I don't like this trend.  If I as a casual prospector and fisherman have found three the obvious question is did I happen to  find the only bad area's?  I suspect that there are many more out there we don't know about. Many more...  If we don't stop this trend we can kiss our planet goodbye and the life that depends on a healthy planet. What will it take to wake people up to the problem?  Surely others must care too.  

Faith - By Sakoieta'

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations. Letting our faith do it’s work has always allowed our faith to validate itself and take us into experiences that can only be described as allowing our faith to extend itself into our daily life and continuing to extend itself into the outer world. But when we try to describe or prescribe what work we will allow faith to do and how we will accept it showing itself in our lives, it is often then that we have set up boundaries that actually stop our faith from validating itself in a natural manner or being able to extend itself as it should have. Until those boundaries are removed we can never expect the faith we need in life, the natural world, our people, our culture, or our customs to achieve its boundless abilities in the way it will affect us.

A Mountain Man's Saturday Rant

I read recently that there is not a stream, river, pond or lake in the world that is not polluted or littered.  I believe that is true because as I hike to remote areas, walk up streams to fish when I think no one has gone there before I find cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, candy wrappers and such.  Carol used to go with me and bring a plastic bag and collect the litter as we went.  We would end up with a bag full of litter from hard to reach area's.  One of our favorite fishing spots at the end of the season is littered with empty Power Bait bottles, pre-made cellophane  leader wrappers and enough fishing line to probably stretch around the perimeter of the State of Colorado, all with hooks and lead weights still attached.  People would also catch 30-40 trout when the daily limit is 4, which is why we no longer go there. 

I wonder why people leave their trash out in the wild for others to deal with.  Do they think there is a trash fairy that comes along at night and collects their garbage?  How would they like it if we came to their house and tossed our trash in their living room?  Every year we pick up trash along our road that people just toss out the window because they are too lazy to dispose of it properly.

I am afraid that we have become so accustom to seeing trash along the roads, in streams and lakes that we have come to accept it as normal. We now look right by the trash without actually seeing it.  It doesn't matter much how far into the wild you go it is still there.  Those candy wrappers will go into a pouch of your backpack or fishing vest to be disposed of properly.  Those aluminum cans can be stomped on and carried out to a proper container.  Those zip lock bags will hold other trash until you can deposit them in a proper receptacle. Cigarette butts can be carried out - the world is not your personal ash tray.  Clearly people don't listen when told not to leave their garbage in the woods, water or wilderness. That is my rant and I'm sticking to it.  If everyone left the area they use clean for the next person when they wanted to use it again it would be nice and tidy for them too. they wouldn't get acclimated to always seeing trash..  

What's Up

 I'm no longer a skeptic that is a hard sell on global warning.  Here we are at the end of January and we normally have from 150" to 165" of snow by now. We only have a total of 42" so far which is 1/4th of normal.  I have to go out and start up the tractor just to keep the battery charged up instead of putting the snow thrower to use.  The snows we have received so far have been just a few inches that really didn't require using the snow thrower.  I have maybe used it two times just to keep in practice.  I don't even need to plug the block heater in to start the tractor because as I write this it is 49 degrees out. Ball cap and sweatshirt weather.

 Snow has melted off the roads as shown in the two photo's and sledding is out of the question because the snow on the driveway has melted down to where the gravel is sticking up.  To sled before I had to shovel snow onto the driveway. Can't do that now as it is that granular snow which  is like cane sugar. Other places in the country are getting the cold and snow but not here.  That means that it is going to be a high hazard for a wildfire occurrence. Last time in 2006 it was like this we had a serious wildfire just a few miles from us. Always a scary time when it is so dry that a wildfire hazard is present. Only 14 weeks of winter left so it needs to get going if we are to get any accumulation.  

Even if it snowed 10" a week that is only 140 inches, which added to our current 42" is 182" total.  That is 83" less than average. So what's up with the lack of snow anyway?  Maybe this will be another year that I get to plant my garden on April 1st, and enjoy a longer growing season.  It is not like we don't want the snow, we need the snow.  This is more like spring weather we are having now but I don't think I'll put our winter clothes away quite yet.  Ski resorts are seriously hurting this year too. Just checked the weather forecast for then next week and only a very slight chance of snow is predicted.  Of course here in the mountains that could mean anywhere from 1/2" to 4'. We are ready one way or the other, bring it on....

Thought For The Day - By Sakoieta'

Living a life of peace is really an inside job. It is a place where we cultivate the development of our own spirits before we look to the outside and our surroundings for strength, support and sustenance.The heart and soul of a person who lives peace, loves peace, wants peace and searches for appropriate ways to pass the peace to others will never miss the mark of being an excellent person in mind, body and spirit.

Only In America

Please check out my new blog on Mother Earth News about having a dream, following the path to achieve that dream and keeping your focus. It seems common place today for people to other people and then tell them to "get over it - move on".  That is part of keeping your focus on your dream.  Are you following that dream for others or yourself?  Also, that it is also better to look back in order to maintain your forward direction.  Unless you deal with life's challenges of the past you end up moving on with heavy baggage that thwarts your focus on your intended path.
It is about how dreams can be reached if you stay the course and keep your focus - only in America.  Hope you will enjoy the entire article at: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/only-in-america.aspx

Misters As Possible Wildfire Mitigation

I did an earlier blog on this topic but it was  brief and mostly a reference to another site I thought I would revisit the subject.  When we had a wildfire audit done a few months ago the Forester left me with a suggestion. He had retired from the US Forest Service as a trainer and crew leader.  He working part time for the Colorado Forest Service doing wildfire audits. After a couple minutes I realized he had a tremendous wealth of information and one of his suggestions was to use a drip or mist system for exposed area's that were difficult to protect. He had seen it done in other parts of the country and considered a reasonable option for protection.

I did some research after he left and I have to agree with him.  Decks and exterior exposed wood are hard to protect from flying embers than can travel up to 1/4 mile.  If one lands on an exposed deck and sets it on fire the fire will travel to your home. I didn't think that the drip system would work as well as the mister.  If a mist line is run under the eves it could keep the entire area under it wet and less prone to catch fire. The only down side I can find would be if the power company cut power for some reason and you couldn't pump water from your well.  The good side is misters only take a little water so if you are on a well system using them won't drain your well and you should have plenty of water for the system to run for several days.

I consider this system as a good option to round out a home that has already done good wildfire protection.  I think it is a worthy consideration.  The company I researched has misting kits from $40-120.00 depending on length.  25 feet would be the $40.00 kit and $120.00 for the 50 foot system.  If you covered a 50 X 50 foot house it would cost $480.00 total which is pretty reasonable to protect your home.  It sets up in minutes and hook up to a garden hose.  Worth considering in my opinion.

Fun In The Mountains

Check out our latest blog as we snow shoe down our road today with 6 degrees of temperature.  It is a fun activity and we try to do it often but not when the temperature is only 6 degrees outside.  The entire article is on Mother Earth News at: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/mountain-fun.aspx

Sometime ago I joined the Booksneeze organization. After my application was approved, I was allowed to read books for free as long as I would post my "review" here on our blog as well as on another site such as www.amazon.com. If you are interested in becoming part of this group, click on the link to the right! Here is my latest review!

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When I read the brief description of THE RESPECT DARE, I thought it sounded like an interesting book. Ladies, fill in the blank. “Of course I respect my husband. We have been married ____ years.” Pick up this book for a good read. In the forward it says “…a woman’s greatest need in a marriage is love, and a man’s greatest need is respect.” You may love your husband but do you respect him?

The book includes 40 “lessons”….experiences shared by other women with questions/challenges at the end of each lesson.  Whether you have been married for a short time or for many years, you will glean some valuable information from this book. Be prepared to be enlightened!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through www.BookSneeze.com.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 Took Echo to the emergency vet today and the vet had to open the clinic.  Inside there were two cats that are clinic cats. When Echo was tested initially regarding tolerance toward cats he about jerked the woman clean off her feet at the shelter and drug her across the floor going after a cat.  When I took him in to be checked out today and saw the two cats I braced myself but he looked at them and then ignored the cats.  One even walked up to about three feet from him and he showed interest but made no aggressive move toward the cat.  I was stunned over his tolerance with these cats. 

The vet said one was not a very smart cat as it walked up to a Great Dane and swatted in on the nose.  It apparently didn't learn much from that encounter as it walked up to Echo several times taunting him.  He finally barked at the cat and it ran and hid behind the dog food counter.  I was very impressed at how well he conducted himself today even with being taunted by the cat.  He was a cooperative patient for his X-Ray, anal exam and multiple prodding and poking. Actually he was much better than I would have been under the same circumstances.  

I hope he is done with the visits to the vet for awhile.  Surgery on a cyst, ears cleaned out and treated for infection, kidney infection and now wry neck.  Appears he is going to be okay but has more medication to take.  All this in the last 120 days.   

Nice Day In The Mountains

Just came back from a nice walk down the road.  Snow is crunchy, air is crisp, no wind and a blinding blue sky. Let the dogs out last night to go potty and Sarah got cold feet and after a couple minutes just stood in the back of the yard lifting on foot and then the other.  Her feet were to cold to run to the house so I carried her inside and we massaged her feet and warmed her up.  None of the dogs want to go out to go potty except Bozwell who seems to love the cold.  Forecast for tonight is lower temperatures than last night. Good day to stay inside and watch the Bronco's play the Ravens. That is going to hurt when those guys hit the ground or each other. Cold crisp air and frozen ground - ouch.
Go Bronco's...

Let Me Introduce Jry and Joie

Can you tell that these two are enthralled in each other?  That is Jry on the left and Joie on the right.  Jry is now a calendar star and Joie is his largest fan.

Had you seen Jry before he was adopted from the rescue which I volunteer for you would never recognize.him now.  He was so emaciated that he could not stand without assistance. He was less than half his normal weight and had lost muscle mass. When he was rescued he was near death from starvation and it took a long time for his rehabilitation. Some nervous moments during his recovery but his care was exceptional plus he had a desire to survive.  As you can see he is now a happy boy who adores his new sister. His new parents couldn't be better.  The depth of their love for these two exceeds anything I have witnessed.  These are their "kids" and there is no amount of pampering they do not receive.  Once in every great while we find adopters that exceed even our expectations (which are very high)  and Jry and Joie have found their way to the best home I have known.

So meet Jry and Joie the two of the most deserving 'kids' possible. We have remained in contact with Jry and Joie's parents since they were adopted even though Joie had came from another rescue. I have come to know them well and a friendship has developed that Jry and his miserable circumstances made possible. Thanks Jry; you deserve every bit of spoiled life possible. You are a very handsome boy and your sister is one beautiful lady.  You gained two outstanding - loving parents and we gained two friends.  Thanks...      

Want To Learn More? Ask Sakoieta'

"I continue to find it still humorous as well as alarming at how many non-Native people still know little or nothing about our people and spew forth their ignorance at every chance they get. Ask them about hockey stats and they can tell you the stats for years past as well as individual player stats every time, or ask them about baseball or football and you get the same responses. But ask them any thing about Indigenous issues and you get the same old stereotypical verbal diaharrea about how we get every thing free and how Canadians are suffering because it is their taxpaying dollars that are funding us and all of us should just get off our lazy butts, get jobs and start paying taxes like everyone else. I have said it beofre and I’ll say it again. I have no problem with people who are ignorat of the issues and want to learn but I have a great deal of problem with people who are ignorant and want to stay that way. So to those out their who still continue to carry these outdated, BS beliefs about our people, if your going to still stay "idle" with your misinformed education about us, still singing that same old racist rant at least put it into a beat that we can dance too. LOL."

Sakoieta and Robert have taught me much about their culture.  If you have misconceptions and questions feel free to ask Sakoieta' as he gets automatic notification on all postings and comments on this blog site.  You may be surprised at just how his culture has influenced things like our constitution and legal process.  I share his angst over being stereotyped unjustly.  I had the good fortune of attending High School with an Iroquois girl who shared a lot of her history with me.  Sakoieta' is a patient and well versed educator so feel free to ask him questions.  You just might come away with a different perspective.   

Are You Friendly - By Sakoieta'

The earth is too small for people to have missed each other so completely. I am often amazed at how so many people will willingly refuse to look at people and nod in acknowledgement or even smile. I have stood in elevators where people stand with their backs to others and willingly ignore each other. So I made a pact awhile back when I see people to nod and smile to see who acknowledges my existence and when I go in elevators I face everyone and start talking. It amazes me how people will so quickly change once one person addresses them in a polite and respectful way. In an elevator, to face someone or all of them who are facing the front means you have a captive audience at least for a few minutes in which a person can share the gifts the Creator has given to us for that day. The gift of sharing friendliness and kindness. It’s no wonder there are so many lonely people walking in the world. I have often heard that sometimes the lonliest place in the world is in the middle of a crowd. Doesn’t have to be that way, people.

More Profound Wisdom From Sakoieta'

I'm happy to post my friend Sakoieta's topics here for us all to learn from.  He has a combination of wit, wisdom, experience and history that make his comments personal to all of us. There is much to be learned from his profound observations and wisdom. I hope readers from around the world enjoy and learn from what he has to say as much as I do.   Enjoy!

I remember awhile back having alot of trouble with a small group of people who were really out to try to discredit everything I did, and basically really just being nasty to the point where some of them even tried to cause a lot of damage to me and my family personally. I was really perplexed because it seemed that there was no way to really deal with these people in a good way that would resolve things, mainly because they didn’t want to resolve things. Finally after dealing with this and trying to resolve things anyway, I went to my uncle to talk with him about what I should do. He told me a story that has stuck with me to this day. He told me once he was invited to go to an event and he was all dressed up. Since he had no car at that time he decided to walk on what was a very muddy road to get to where he had to go. While walking on this road a car that passed him happened to splash mud on his pants. He refused to tey to rub the mud off knowing it would just make the mud go deeper into the fabric of the pants so he just kept walking and finally arriving to where he needed to go, he loooked at his clothes and saw the mud had dried. So he stopped and just gave his pants a shake and all the mud fell off. Unless someone looked really close he said, they would not be able to tell that he had been splashed at all. That is what he advised me to do. He told me to do the same. Ride this out until it is done and then just shake it off. Sooner or later they will quit and move onto more targets of their own choosing. By making the choice not to respond or react none of the things that have been said will stick with you or on you. This was probably the best advice I ever received for having to deal with situations like that.

Junior - Our Amazing Friend

Many have asked for the story about Junior our family deer.  The above photo makes it look like Junior is dead but he is just soundly sleeping from being out carousing for a few days with his girl friends.  That is how much he trusted us to sleep where we would keep an eye out for him. I could walk right by him and he would open an eye to see who it was and go right back to sleep. To read the entire story go to: http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/junior-the-buck-deer-story.aspx

Experts say that deer are dangerous when they are in the rut but one look at Junior here and you can see he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. If you have never been trusted as much as Junior trusted us as demonstrated by this picture where we were only a few feet away, you will just have to take my word that it is such a special kind of trust we are honored to be recipient of.  Junior was not tame but he adopted us as his friends and used our home as his sanctuary.

Junior will always be a special friend and not forgotten.  We were pretty limited previously as some would make having a friend like Junior a federal case when in fact Junior adopted us and not the other way around. Junior will always hold a part of my heart and I truly miss him.

White Ermine

We have twice seen this animal around our wood shed. It is a Colorado Ermine.  I saw it initially and then  Carol observed it again this morning.  The one we see has a much cleaner coat than this one does and they are beautiful.  They are carnivores so I hope this little guy will start to work on some of the rabbits around here. We have mice, voles and pack rats as well if he is not particular. We have plenty for them to eat with an  abundant  food source.  Bon Appetite little guy..Happy hunting...thin out our rabbit and rodent population.  

Day Two Sledding

 Woke up to 3 degrees today and had to wait until it warmed up to 17 to go sledding.  Still so cold it froze the tears in my eyes.  Spend over an hour outside shoveling snow BACK onto the drive so we would have enough snow on top of the gravel to sled.  Then warm up inside and head back out to make some runs down the driveway.

That is mostly the sum total of our day today - grooming the sled run, warming up and then zooming down the driveway to then have to make that long walk back up again.  The cold just takes my breath away so 2-4 runs down is about all I can handle. Time for a nice warm cup of tea and settle in and relax.  Did I mention that even with all the pre work involved it is a ton of fun...

If there are typing errors in here it is because my fingers are still numb from the cold.  Had to take my gloves off to take the photos of Carol.

A Good Suggestion

Check out my latest blog in Mother Earth News on using misters as wildfire mitigation along with a web site that sells them for a reasonable amount.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/the-happy-homesteader/mist-system-for-wildfire-mitigation.aspx

Yaaaaaaaa Hooo

 It's that time of year again when we can sled down the very best bob sled run in the area.  Had to have the tractor plugged in for over 8 hours to clear the driveway of the snow that had accumulated and made a couple runs down the speedy run.  Could only do two as it is 10 degrees outside and with the wind from sledding down the driveway it gets very cool.  Warming trend on the way so more fun ahead of us. Yaaaaaa Hooooe