Follow Up Friday

Follow Up Friday: Week One in "Green Acres/Redux"


With the first week of life in the mountains of Colorado almost under our belts, I have this nagging feeling that we are settling into a mountain version of the 60s TV show "Green Acres".  There's a bit of "Northern Exposure" and "Twin Peaks" thrown in for good measure, too.  (Although fortunately we haven't had a mysterious murder and hopefully won't.)  We are definitely the fish out of water but we are learning to breathe on land, never-the-less.  (Challenge No. 20, Move!)

The view from the front door.

The two peaks are the Twin Sisters.

(Or, as my neighbor calls them, the "Twisted Sisters".)

There is beauty everywhere and the closeness of nature overwhelms me with its greatness but there is also frustration at every turn. 

The poor little H3 is still at the dealership in Pueblo awaiting diagnostics and an insurance claims adjustor. It has been there for four full days now, shouldn't someone be taking an interest?? (And Note to Self: ALWAYS get the insurance coverage for the car rental. In my flurry of last minute organizing I neglected to add that to the H3 coverage. Guess who is paying out of pocket for a car rental now?)

The power of lightning playing havoc with my budget and patience. 

The girls are registered for school. That was the most amazingly easy part of the whole week. I had received the paperwork over the summer and only had to turn it in and present the girls to the counselor in order to schedule their classes. What a difference from Fort Bend schools which require :

• birth certificate or its equivalent (for students younger than age 12)
• most recent report card or grade transcript,
• immunization records,
• proof of residence, including a deed, lease or mortgage agreement, a recent utility bill (water, gas, electric),
• a student's social security card (will be requested) or state assigned ID number, and
• a government issued photo ID of the student’s parent or guardian, which provides their FBISD address (TX Driver’s License/ID Card)

I think I gave the school my Texas driver's license but otherwise no other form of ID,  no birth certificate was requested, no proof that we live in the school district required. (A good thing considering we DON'T live in the school district- but no one seems to care. Try that in Fort Bend and you will be arrested.)

Salida High School

A lovely new facility- only one year old. 

When I commented on how easy the registration was the counselor replied "Well, we are the public school. It should be easy to get into."  Um, yes, it should. Thank you.

But with school comes school work and we need better internet. Our internet service comes via satellite- there must be a direct line of sight to the tower. Unfortunately over the years our trees have grown and they are interfering. A morning spent with the Internet service guy garnered us new equipment and instructions to buy a new Router and trim the pines. Service is greatly improved with the new equipment but still at only two-thirds power. Again, nature is asserting herself.


And then there's the wildlife.

Carlos has found a favorite spot in the upstairs window where he can watch the comings and goings of the local deer.  This morning he came bounding to my bedside with his best "Come on! Get up! Come see what's out here!" expression. I swear that dog communicates so well, he does not need words. His body language says it all.
Bedded down in the front yard were a doe and a buck. I tried to grab the camera and quietly/quickly snap their pics but Carlos was a bit too rambunctious. Those deer have pretty good hearing.

 The buck - half hidden behind the 

prison-camp flower beds that were here when we bought the place.

Unfortunately, nothing has survived in those beds except 

one sickly rose and a never-blooming peony.

Maybe I can change that.

And that camera needs to become a constant companion. Yesterday we missed the photo of the two wild turkey mamas with teenage and baby poults. 

This morning was a five foot rattlesnake doing his best photovoltaic cell impression by sprawling across the road in the sun, slowly gathering energy to do whatever snakes do.
And this evening I snapped this "Where's the Bunny" pic with my iPhone while Carlos and I walked. I saw him but Carlos never did. Great camouflage. Can you find him?

"Where's Waldo? The Nature Edition"

We haven't seen the bears this time but the game camera assures me they are out there. 

One of the resident bears. He can visit at night all he wants.

There are signs everywhere that they are around. Broken limbs on the trees, bear scat around the property. This pic was taken last month but I have no doubt Mr. Bear is still close by. I confess it creeps me out a bit that I have to look before opening the front door to go out.

So week one is almost done and we are still alive. 

I consider that a win.