My comments this time are going to cover a range of topics, including the weather, Fall chores, the election, ATV rides, and our house hunt.
Weather:
I must say that Colorado’s October weather, and so far November, has been excellent. Although a few mornings have seen frost on some surfaces, the daytime temps have been in the 60s with no snow so far. This has made our weekends very pleasant. The soil is getting pretty dry, though, and could use some moisture.
Fall chores:
The leaf season is nearly over; what remains are a few straggling leaves that persist in clinging to their branches. While there may be another weekend or two requiring some raking, the bulk of the season is completed. This is OK with me; while I enjoy outside work, raking leaves gets a little boring after a while. Fortunately I have the leaf vac/mulcher (which got a new catch bag this year) that helps the cleaning process a great deal.
The Election:
Kind-of sums up our attitude.
ATV rides:
The weather has been so pleasant that I have been able to get in a few more local ATV rides. Nothing special; I ride west out of De Beque into the Wild Horse Mesa area. However, on my last ride I found a gated trail, previously locked, is now open for public use. Apparently the Forest Service came to an agreement with a private landowner to allow access across a small portion (.1 mile) of the landowner’s property. This agreement opens a huge area for future riding and exploration.
On my last trip I took these photos:
Moon rise over a promontory
De Beque Canyon / Colorado River overlook
As long as the weather remains fairly warm I’ll keep riding.
House Hunt:
Last weekend we did a drive-by of several houses in the Cedaredge area. Of the 4 we looked at, one may have possibilities. Located on 3+ acres and with a stream going through, the lot is appealing. The house is a two-story plus basement, which means steps, but it does have bedrooms and a bath on the main floor. Drawbacks: coal boiler for the hot water heating system, a cistern for water, and no garage. (There is a pad poured for a garage or shed.) For us, the water is the biggest issue; we would have to put in a well or see if city water was available as an option. The coal boiler would have to be replaced with a natural gas or propane boiler. Eventually a garage or carport would be needed. Right now we are waiting for our realtor to get us a plat map of the property. If we find another house or two in Cedaredge with possibilities, we’ll arrange to see the inside of this one too. No rush.
Kizer Creek home
Footbridge over Kizer Creek
Jerry checks out deck
While the creek is not large it produces a lovely sound of water falling over rocks. The property itself is the biggest draw of this place; it remains to be seen if the inside would be suitable for us, now and into the future.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth:
Blondie’s surgery on Election Day went well — not a cancerous lump, although a fairly large mass was removed, and a steady recovery. Now the oldest cat, London, is ailing. A trip to the vet next week for him may need to be scheduled. Our animals are in the process of “aging out.” It makes me sad.
New house hunt areas to research include the Dolores area outside of Cortez, CO and Cascade/Green Mountain Falls outside of Colorado Springs. The retirement house hunt has lasted a year already; good thing we started early.
Happy Trails.
Leave a Reply