Fall Greetings from a Colorado Cabin

It's the most beautiful time of the year here in the Rocky Mountains 

when the stately aspen trees quake in their golden finery 

and the marshy bushes snuggle under their bright orange blankets. 

You never know what you will wake up to here at our cabin at 11,265 feet.

The mountains may be dusted with snow one day 

and bathed in golden sunlight the next.

The mosquitos have moved on to warmer climes, 

students are back in school 

and families have wrapped up their summer vacations 

so it's quiet here at the cabin.

We hold our breath and listen for bugling elk. 

We've seen their signs but haven't heard any mating rituals yet

which can be pretty exciting. 

However we were thrilled to see a moose with her calf close up and personal.

(That post in the lower right corner is our front deck!)

It's perfect weather for being outdoors so we hike abut two hours, 

skirting an old 1897 silver mine

then returning to the cabin on a back road that winds through a ghost town.

If you look closely, you'll see stumps scattered on the hillside 

where trees have been chopped down for old miners' cabins or mine structures.

The mountain in the distance is one of Colorado's 14ers. 

As we walk through the woods, we occasionally view a giant mountain 

peeking through enormous green pine trees. 

This unusual formation is shaped like a horseshoe. 

Breathtaking. 

It gets dark early here in October and, with no electricity, 

it's darker and colder than you can imagine. 

The temperature overnight was twenty-four degrees. Brrr.

Roxy has claimed her favorite blanket to keep her warm.

So sweet. Her nose is usually buried in the blanket.

Soon the narrow road will be impassable with snow depths of eight feet or more. 

As total darkness overtakes our little cabin,

we turn on our battery lights and fire up the small propane stove. 

(Thank God for propane!)

 

A Giant Step Back in Time

What better way to welcome fall to the mountains than by taking a giant step back in time? 

Say to an 1880s mining town.

On the way to South Park City, the weather was absolutely perfect in the high 70s, 

with a brilliant blue sky and not a drop of rain in sight. 

It made the trip across the Continental Divide even more breathtaking 

as entire hillsides magically turned to gold.

We spent the day near our mountain cabin visiting a reconstructed "ghost town" 

that recalled the romance of a by-gone era.

The town has a fascinating history.
In 1957 more than 40 original historic buildings were moved to a common site 

where an authentic mining town now called South Park City was born.

More than 40,000 artifacts and furnishings were donated to the project by local residents 

and today these original buildings stand in tribute to that time.

After gold was discovered in this area, mining camps sprang up in every gulch and gully.
Soon the hills were dotted with towns with such colorful names as
Buckskin Joe, Eureka, and Horseshoe.

While there were various reconstructions such as saloons
(there were probably a LOT more than just this one) . . . 

 train stations . . . 

and mines, 

my favorites were the recreations of pioneer homes. 

I couldn't help but think about our own little cabin that had been moved from this area 

and how it might have been used back in the day.

Plus I discovered lots of ideas on how to decorate our cabin.
I love this idea of using old newspapers as wallpaper.
The miners used layers of newspaper as insulation in their cabins. 

Fairplay loves its burros, the patient and sure-footed animals that were
largely responsible for the success of the mining operations.

Besides its famous Brown Burro Cafe, Fairplay hosts an annual burro race,
running approximately 30 miles through the mountains. 

Even the high school mascot is called the Burros!
I just love that!

Besides loving burros, the town of Fairplay in the real South Park
was the inspiration for the South Park animated TV series.

And, of course, like anyone else who has enjoyed "South Park" on TV,

we just had to get our photos taken as those characters! 

Such a fun and educational day.
With wooden sidewalks and a wide dirt road down the middle of town, it felt so realistic.
I have to say this was the best historic recreation I've ever visited.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend a visit. 

Take Hwy. 285 south out of Denver to Fairplay. It's just under two hours' drive. 

Exit at Fairplay. Turn left off of Main Street to Front Street and go to the end of the paved street. 

Then take a giant step back in time.

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French Country: A Touch of Bleu in the Foyer

I still love my neutral palette of creams and whites, but when I discovered 

a chippy blue window frame in the alley, I decided to incorporate it into my foyer design.

Here's a "before" picture without the touch of blue.

What a difference that little bit of blue makes!

The window frame leaning against the wall 

makes a pretty backdrop for my straw-covered bottles.

And the bleu really pops!

In a sea of neutrals, blue draws the eye and amps up a space.

 This color makes me think of a beautiful blue sky or a soothing indigo ocean.

I scrounged around until I found the perfect old blue book -- 

"David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens to add to the grouping.

I think the rusty orange berries and the spicy orange candle are a nice contrast to the blue
(and they're Denver Bronco colors!).

Blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel,
making them striking complementary colors.

What does the color blue mean to you?
For me, blue inspires calmness and a sense of serenity.

It symbolizes freedom. optimism and new beginnings -- a perfect color
to incorporate into my foyer as we look forward to a new year of possibilities.

This blue-framed house blessing is a special greeting in the foyer.
I just love it.

In case you can't read it, it says:

Peace abide beneath thy rooftree
Cheer along its rafters ring,
Joy and mirth and laughter gather
Neath thy firelights flickering.
Hope illumine all the shadows
with a radiance divine,
And the arms of love forever
Shelter thee and thine.

I hear designers are proclaiming blue is having a moment now.
I guess that means the style gurus think it's the current must-have color.

I know it's always been one of my favorite colors even though I don't have a lot of it in my home.
But I do think a touch of bleu is just right.

Happy November everyone and let's remember
to honor our veterans on Veterans' Day, November 11th. ! 

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French Country Cottage

Return to the Country

A visit to the country is always a welcome relief from busy city life 

but it's especially nice when the country is my sister's farm in rural Ohio. 

Jan, Ron and their son Brad call it the Dead End Ranch.

I love farm animals and this goofy goat seemed to be saying "Welcome!"

The views on the farm were never ending

and I could feel my shoulders relaxing a bit more each day I was there.

One can't help but take a deep breath looking out over the fields.

You know you're in the country when you're awakened by a crow instead of an alarm clock.

As peaceful as the farm was I couldn't wait to explore the countryside a bit. 

The usual fall display of colors was sadly missing this October 

but the massive old barns dotting the rolling hills made up for it.

Along the way, we saw some charming old vine-covered buildings,

an old spring house along the road where people still fill their jugs, 

and an abandoned church with an old cemetery.

I couldn't get enough of these sweet funny farm animals and wanted to "play" with them all day.

Relunctantly we moved on as there was more awaiting us as we drove into Amish country.

Once you get away from the touristy main street, this area is magical.

I just loved the pristine farms. Everything was so clean and tidy . . .

even the furry cows looked like they'd just had a shampoo!

But the real treat was spotting an Amish horse and buggy. These horses were magnificent 

and the buggies made you feel like you'd stepped back into a simpler time.

The horses and buggies even had their own parking spots.

 I was careful not to photograph any of the Amish people as they prefer not to 

have their pictures taken. That didn't stop me from snapping the beautiful horses and buggies.

It made sense there would be buggy and carriage shops in this part of the state.

Wish I could have bought this sign!

We finally said goodbye to Amish country and headed back to the farm . . .

where my sister's peaceful farmhouse awaited our return.
The best part of this trip was, of course, spending time with family. 

It was good to be home.

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