When we set out to take up chicken keeping, we knew that our mountain environment would require some extra work to be successful. A lot of folks have asked me about our setup, so I thought I’d share what we did to predator-proof and make our chickens comfortable in their high-altitude environment! We have virtually every predator in Colorado in our backyard. We’ve seen black bears, coyotes, foxes and even mountain lion tracks. We also have a pair of nesting…
A while ago, I wrote a blog about our first experience raising chickens! We got seven chickens to start with, of several different breeds (Australorpe, Orpington, Wyandotte, Amerucauna), built a chicken coop from scratch and started collecting eggs! Our chickens are now 2 years old, so we’ve been at it long enough to learn a few things! Here’s the top 8 things I’ve learned as a first time chicken owner: 1. Plan to lose a few. Chicks are pretty fragile…
Holy shit… I'm a mom. … I never thought I would ever say those words. Since becoming a mom, I've been adapting to a new "normal." I've been surprised at how simple this has felt in some ways, as I've gotten used to my daily routine. On the other hand, I've also been surprised at how challenging this has been in other ways: resigning from my job, getting used to the loneliness (yet never being alone) that goes along with…
My last blog (a while ago… sorry!) addressed the massive suckage that is pregnancy. Well, my little bundle of joy, named River, *FINALLY* arrived. That whole birth thing was pretty brutal, but I had a wonderful, supportive husband at my side and a really kick-ass nursing staff to help me through it at the hospital. I was induced, so labor took forever… 28 hours to be exact. (You can bet your ass that I’m going to hold that over my…
What makes a place feel like home? I’ve been watching Tiny House on HGTV and reading blogs about living in your bus, or a van and I often ponder this question. These folks that travel so much and wander for a living… What does “home” mean anyways? I just returned to Portland, OR for my fourth Wild Canyon Games (which was awesome by the way…) and part of me felt a little homesick. Brian finds this entertaining, because he…
After much persuasion and convincing, Brian finally relented and let me get chickens! He was kind enough to pick up a few for me on a work trip to Denver. I picked up a couple more at our local feed shop and suddenly, we have a little flock of baby chicks! We are now hard at work, building a coop for them to move into when the snow lets up in a few weeks. We decided to name our chickens…
I’ve been in a funk lately. I have been tired and sleeping a lot. I’ve been grumpy more often than not. I don’t want to hike or be outside, much less blog about the outdoors. The couch has a permanent indentation from my ass, as I’ve sulked away the hours. Let’s be real here… I’ve been letting the stress of moving to a new home and the pressures of a new job get to me this last month. I’ve been…
I haven’t posted in a while… we bought a house! And moved! And I started a new job!! Holy Crap! It’s been bananas, but we are finally starting to get settled in. 🙂 Thanks for bearing with me. Now that we are past the move, we find the seasons changing. Just like in my favorite show, Game of Thrones, “Winter is Coming” in the high country!! I’m excited because winter is one of my favorite seasons. We’ve already had 3 days…
Brian and I just bought a beautiful home in the country, north of Silverthorne, CO. We are next door (literally) to a trailhead, a creek and have a mountain range in our front yard. It’s an older home, but we are all set to turn it into the ski lodge of our dreams. Truly, we bought the place for the stunning views of the Gore Range and the Williams Fork Range. It’s an amazing place, both inside and out. With…
As I sat outside, alone by the fire this evening, my dog sat with his ears perked up, staring off into the darkness. He was probably just listening to a squirrel or something, but it freaked me out that a moose was going to pop out of the bushes. When you are alone, you tend to “hear” things you wouldn’t normally. Which got me thinking back to some of the best creepy backcountry tales that friends have shared with me…