Normality

"We have normality. I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem."- Douglas Adams
Well back to "normal person" hours workin' in the ski shop. It's a weight off the shoulders to only be responsible for running a $30 waxing iron as opposed to a $300,000 snow cat.
We went snowboarding on Christmas eve day. Here we are at Rendezvous. There was about a foot of new snow for us to play in. Powder day!!! A little on the chilly side though, -8F ,90% humidity, and 20mph wind.We cooked a nice Christmas dinner together. Turkey.Potatoes
Rolls
Apple Pie. Have a wonderful new year everyone!

Oh Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree.

Long nights

These longest nights of the year are even longer when your out a workin' in um. Here we are feeling the burn around 6:00 a.m. at the end of a twelve hour shift. Just gotta unload that 2000 feet of frozen hose and ten ratnick snowguns and we can go home.
Usually get home just in time to see the sun rise, then off to bed to sleep the day away. Sure am glad I've only three more graves to pull for the season.

sustainability

Sacred geometry of social responsibility and sustainability. All points must be addressed to complete the circle. "Fear or Love. Fear and attachment are a mind-based contraction response to challenging situations, to challenging times. Love, acceptance and surrender are the path to personal and societal evolution. It is with Love and compassion that the myth of the 'End-time' can be met directly, with a firm resolve to meet our highest potential. This is the core of the subject of sustainability. It is nothing more, or less, than a fundamental spiritual question. Each of us must face it squarely - there is no other way. "-VARADAAN

Will wonders never cease

Cold

"Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north."-Job. Another frigid night last night. The vw won't start below zero, so lots of shuttling going on. We've already burned through at least a cord of wood. Got about a foot of snow outta this last storm, 'twas just too cold to produce more. Dang El Nino.

Thanksgiving

Here's our thanksgiving feast. 100% from scratch.
Whole Wheat rolls.

Green bean casserole.
Potatoes au graten.
Scalloped corn.
Gravy.

Dressing.Turkey.


Whole wheat sourdough bread.Cranberry sauce.

Pumpkin pie.Chocolate cheesecake bars.

Today's headline

"Obama accepts peace prize, defends war.

Hope!

Pass this along.

How To Take CO2 Out of the Sky, Timothy J LaSalle from CA Climate and Agriculture on Vimeo.

Your consumer choices and subsequent dollars determine market demand and thus all future production. 100% ORGANIC IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD. Please Please Please demand and buy only local organic food. It will save your life; body and soul, and maybe even the world.

The first step

Big week here at the barn. Tilled up 'bout half of the north pasture for next summers market garden. Were really excited!
Here's before. This field got aged manure spread an' drug in the spring after the horses got moved to the upper meadow. The sod is real thick on the east side.
Rented a skid steer and tiller for a day and just got after it. Went east west first.
Then north south on the second pass. It's looking pretty good after two passes but we may just have ta till again in the spring if the grasses are real persistent. The soil looks and smells and tastes just fabulous but we're gonna test anyhow just to know. But from the looks of it we shouldn't need to amend it much. Thank the lord for indian summer.

A winters worth of heat

"Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned." Well got all our wood brought down an' split up. About seven or so cords. Won't know just how much we got till it's all stacked.
After splitin' by hand my whole life, usin' a machine seems like cheatin'. But it sure is nice to knock it all out in two days.

Falliness

Things'r windin' down in the garden. all that left to harvest is some carrots and broccoli. Just trying to put things to bed.
It's been snowing on an off for the last couple of weeks. not more than an inch in town and it melts off 'fore noon.
the fall colors peaked last week. The mountain was really aglow.
Picked up a new valley car. '97 impreza sport outback. 2.2 liter. 135,000 mi. From a little old lady down the street.

We drove down to the Fruita Fall Fest last weekend. Some good bluegrass and lots of vendors selling stuff you don't need. This was a really cool steampower exibit.

sights

California fires made for some hazy sunsets. 8-31-09
Frosty morning grazing. 9-15-09
Snow on the summit 9-20-09

only in steamboat

Watch for falling rock

"On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him." -Buddha. Here's a classic trail crew sign. Look out.
So far we've put away four cases of tomatoes. That's 100 pounds in 24 quart jars. Hopefully we can get 70-100 quarts put up before winter.
The zucchini bonanza is on! Just keeping up with harvest is a challenge. We picked two dozen squash this week.
Dill is blooming.
Late Broccoli is in.
Borage is going off.
Their called Mammoth Gray Stripe for a reason.
Bread seed Poppies.
The gardener's best friend hard at work.

Shelling

"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness." -Confucius. Took a little vay-k to Wisconsin to see family. Man do they have some good food up that-a-way. This is a picture of Mom's new pad complete with garage, shed, three acres, and apple trees! So happy for y'all.Three varieties were all producing lots of fruit. yum.
When we got back we were greeted by this, nine foot tall sunflowers!
Got a lot of catching up to do harvest wise.

Harvested two bushels of shelling peas this weekend. They then had to be shelled, blanched and frozen. Looks like we can count on about two bushels a week for the next four or five weeks.So we'll be spending a lot of time doing this.We'll be putting away a bushel of snow peas that I just picked tonight.
Squash world is a jungle right now. The pumpkin vines are about ten feet long with fist size fruit. Got about a half dozen fist size acorn squash going and the summer squash are starting to yield. The temperature got down to 37 last night. Yikes! Hopefully we get a few more weeks before it drops much lower!