december 1, 2012 - the fourteeners san snow

straw bale house in the distance

on the lot - t-shirt weather at 7000 foot elevation

 chauk cliffs forefront and mt princeton (14,000+) on the background

 looking towards brown's canyon vegetation extremely dry

 winter time colors

blazing skies over colorado

another spectacular sunset

changing skies over colorado

last night's blazing sunset

deep blue sky

clouds moving over a lovely pasture

mist engulfing the aspen trees

on the road to aspen to view the autumn colors

fall comes early up in the mountains. although the fires from the west dulled the skies, the changing colors of the aspen trees gave a spectacular show!

half way to aspen we stopped and looked south. the higher we climbed, the aspens gave way to a blanket of evergreens dominating  the landscape to timberline which at this latitude is at 11,400 foot elevation.

above timberline, the top of the mountains appear barren with only sparse ground cover. down below the golden aspens are barely visible.

riparian splendor

 the river at dusk evokes a serene moment to contemplate the beauty of it all.

bright yellow wild flowers on the bank of the river.

the metamorphosis of this beautiful wild flower.

a fun day up in the mountains with great friends

mighty minnie!

the boys - linky and ozzy!

the river as it snakes down the mountain

the rafters launching for a thrilling ride!

old ruins of railroad bridge's granite abutments.

wildflowers in bloom at 7500 foot elevation.

great friends, fun canines, old ruins, fresh mountain air, beautiful flowers, fantastic views, overcast sky - all made for a wonderful day up in the mountains.

up in the mountains the crabapples are blooming

just for a fleeting moment the beauty of the crabapples!

elegant bathroom diy makeover for under $1000!

imagine a bathroom makeover with a 7 foot long floating vanity with double vessel sinks, a solid surface counter top and french doors for under $1000. with the design help of a friend, and using off the shelf items from the big box stores and reclaimed material, i did just that.

cost of materials:
sinks 168  - faucets 140 - vanity doors 70  - counter top 35  - knobs 2 - sconces 40  - mirror (reclaimed) - paint (free) - backsplash 20 - floor tiles 35 sq ft 70 - underlayment and grout 50 - french doors 350
total cost $943.00

prairie dogs and more prairie dogs!

Back on the lot my first sighting of the squatters - prairie dogs!!! What to do with these cute little furry creatures? They are fun to observe but unfortunately some of them in Colorado carry the plague. How to evict them without harming them - any suggestions? 

single wide mobile home transformation!

From a beastly ugly dump ... to a charming small house.Using basic building materials and salvaged fixtures, I completed this project under budget. 

the straw bale house journey has begun …

Borrowing enough money to buy an affordable parcel of land in a small mountain town, I commence a process that, working on a shoe string budget, will enable me to build a straw bale house. My goal is to build this house for under $20.00 a square foot. Let the fun begin!

On the road to the property, a touch of Rocky Mountain High ... As I was driving along I quickly snapped this photo of the northern end of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the meadows turning green, the trees leafing out and the cows lazily hanging around.  

As I enter Chaffee County I catch my first glimpse of the Collegiate Peaks. A classic red barn and the art deco county building are amazing examples of the fine architecture found in this small mountain community.

No trees on my lot but … fantastic view of the Sagauche range and Mt. Princeton. The ample top soil (thanks to its previous use as farmland) will be great for growing my own veggies. Oh and not to forget the flat building site easing the foundation work and a little relief on the budget.

One of the lots with trees ... too steep a price for my small budget.

Unobstructed south facing views on my lot are perfect for passive solar orientation! These mountains are the northern most end of the Sangre de Cristo range.

My nosy neighbors to the south east.