Roaring Fork MAY 2016
RoaringForkLifestyle.com
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How Green
Grows Our Valley
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Lifestyle Letter
Planting Seeds for the Harvest M
MAY 2016 publisher
Rick French | RFrench@LifestylePubs.com
y boss, publisher Rick French and I strive to make this publication truly reflect the communities that make up the Roaring Fork Valley. As editor, I’m particularly glad to receive editorial suggestions, even though I can’t follow up on them all. Awhile back, a reader—I’ll call her Myrtle—asked if I would assign “one of the staff photographers” to cover a fundraising gala. Myrtle probably imagined our offices looking something like those of the Daily Planet, where mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, aka Superman, worked.
In truth, our “offices” consist of my small home study and Rick’s new, shoebox-sized-butout-of-his-house office in Glenwood Springs. Our “staff” includes the two of us. Half a dozen very talented but-very-modestly paid freelance writers contribute stories. (The writers are described later in this issue.)
editor
Nicolette Toussaint | NToussaint@LifestylePubs.com copy editor
Mason Ingram contributing writers
Seth Brown, Christina Butt, Caitlin Causey, Lynn Dwyer, Bridget Grey, Bill Kight, Melinda Myers, Nicolette Toussaint, Geneviève Joëlle Villamizar contributing photographers
Caitlin Causey, Melinda Myers, Renee Ramge, Kendall Reiley, Rebecca Signorini
CORPORATE TEAM | Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
While Rick could be mistaken for an ad-selling Superman, I wear the hats of both editor-in-chief Perry White and reporter Lois Lane. Because we have no Jimmy Olsen, I have to jump into a phone booth, whisk off my jacket and transform into a staff photographer if photos need to be shot on location. Since I’m awfully busy changing my hats, time limitations often force me to turn down invitations like Myrtle’s. Similarly, while I might like to write about the seven new restaurants that have opened recently between Carbondale and Glenwood—another reader’s suggestion—neither my schedule nor the magazine’s budget would stretch that far. That, dear readers, is where you come in. Three sections of this publication are open to your news, within the limits of available space and editorial policy. Send your submissions to me not later than the 5th of the month prior to the date on the cover. (As you’re reading this May issue, June issue is at press and we’re planning the July issue.) Here’s what we publish: • Good Times—event and party photos; six to 12 high-resolution color photos plus one or two sentences describing the event. • Around Town—news notes of about 150 words plus a photo if possible • Calendar—We use 12-15 events a month and need 25- to 50-word descriptions that include date, time, place, cost, sponsor and contact information. This issue, called “How Green Grows the Valley” is about spring gardening, environmental projects and growing community. Here’s to hoping that you will be planting some seeds that will grow into better coverage of our communities in the months to come. Keep those emails coming to ntoussaint@lifestylepubs.com.
RoaringForkLifestyle.com Nicolette Toussaint, Editor
4
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
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P.O. Box 12608 Overland Park, KS 66282-3214 Proverbs 3:5-6 Roaring Fork Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of Roaring Fork’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Roaring Fork Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.
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(970) 945-6610 | www.avbydesignllc.com | info@avbydesignllc.com May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
5
May 2016
Departments
22
8
Publisher’s Letter
10
Good Times
12
Around Town
15
Our Contributors
16
Renovate & Refine
17
Page Turners
28
Locally Owned
32
Local’s Choice
34
Tech Savvy
16 Ready, Set, Garden!
36
Lifestyle Calendar
42
Parting Thoughts
Lynn Dwyer Shares Safe Planting Dates
22 Get Your Green Thumb Here...
CRMS Plant Sale is a Rite of Spring
28 Right-Size Your Solar Panels
Steps to Energy Independence from Green Tech Electrical
16
20
28
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Publisher’s Letter
Of Gardening, Greens and Golf W
ith May, it’s finally spring. So it may—or may not—be time for summer projects to begin. I have already picked up the broken branches, raked up left-over leaves and removed dead grass from the lawn. I have rearranged the garage, cleaned our stored lawn furniture and taken down the deer fencing from around our shrubs. I even fertilized the lawn! That’s enough for this month, wouldn’t you think? But last weekend, my wife was quick to ask what new summer projects I had in mind. I just stared at her as if to say, “Really!?” I had already started building a new section of privacy fence that needed staining. I also bought a new power washer. I hadn’t even fired it up yet, but I was planning to blast a winter’s worth of grime from off the garage f loor. After I mentioned all this, Linda said, “OK, so what are you planning next weekend after those small jobs are finished? You have to understand my wife. She thinks that idle hands mean a lazy husband, and she has no intention of letting me be a lazy husband. My wife is also a big fan of “Pinterest”, a website that’s popular with ladies looking for new home design ideas. They can “pin” photos of things that catch their attention, keeping them readily accessible
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with the click of a mouse. There the photos remain, ready forever— ideas ready to keep idle hands busy throughout the whole summer. Linda showed me photos of several different styles of raised planter beds that are perfect for vegetables. It should only take two or three weekends for me to build the beds, so they can ready for planting by last frost. Soon I may—or may not—be building planter beds to grow our summer greens. Who knows? It might snow. The flakes can fly as late as June around here, and that makes May an iffy kind of month. The other day, my wife caught me in the garage going through my golf bag, cleaning my clubs. I’m sure you can imagine how the conversation went! Linda’s sweet request was, “when you’re finished with your golf clubs, please come into the house. I have some Pinterest photos I want you to see. They're pictures of things I have always wanted to do. You’re going to love them…” I may, and then again, I may not. May is an iffy month around here.
Rick French, Publisher
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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
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The Sports Shop is now the Shop We’ve changed our name because we’re going back to what made us unique—the largest year-round selection of swimwear on the Western Slope. We also carry accessories and top-name resort wear for all seasons, all year. So whatever your winter plans are, the Shop will get you there in style.
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9
Good Times
Civic Planning at Basalt Elementary School
Ms. Reiley's second-grade class at Basalt Elementary spent February and March researching and writing opinions about Basalt's vacant, downtown riverside land. Basalt Mayor Jacquie Whitsitt, councilmen Rick Stevens and Rob Leavitt and architect Nick Aceto came to view the students' plans and ask questions! PHOTOS BY KENDALL REILEY.
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11
Around Town
AROUND TOWN
Glenwood Springs Center for Arts is helping to market the summit and to prepare for guests. Christina Brusig, the Center's executive director said, "We're working on getting the downtown beautiful even during the bridge construction process." She noted that many murals, including a collage-based children's mural, are being planned to help beautify the construction area. As Lifestyle was going to press, plans were still being made and Brusig encouraged those wanting to contribute to email her: christina@glenwoodarts.org.
JUNE ART WALK TO PREMIER NEW CARBONDALE HOSTS OUTDOOR SCULPTURES CREATIVE SUMMIT The Carbondale Public Arts Commission will show off its 2016-17 MAY 4 AND 5 sculptures on a June 2 walking The Colorado Creative Industries’
tour featuring talks by the artists.
summit is coming to Carbondale.
The newly-selected artists are
About two years ago, under the
Andrew Arvanetes of DeKalb,
guidance of the
Carbondale
Illinois; Joan Benefiel of Brooklyn,
Council for Arts & Humanities
New York; James Burnes of Santa
(CCAH), Carbondale was accepted
Fe; Steven Darrow of Fruitland,
as a candidate for the state’s cer-
Maryland; Matthew Duffy of
tified creative district program, an
Washington D.C.; Francis Fox
incubator program that provides
of Boise and Joe Sackett of
economic development guidance
Albuquerque. The Colorado art-
geared toward creative businesses.
ists selected are Steven Cramer of Fort Collins, Tim DeShong of Denver,
New sculpture by James Burnes of Santa Fe will soon grace Carbondale.
entitled
Dimitry Domani of Durango, Yul Jorgensen of Walsenburg, Ted Schaal
“Culture of Possibilities,” begins
of Loveland, Daniel Romano of Colorado Springs and John Hoffman of
May 5 and will bring in 300 visitors
Carbondale. A total of 14 sculptures were selected from entries submitted
to hear more than 30 panelists
by 75 artists across the U.S. The Best of Show artist is awarded $1,000.
The
conference,
and speakers from Colorado and beyond. On the night of May 4, Main Street traffic will be shut
ROARING FORK LEADERSHIP SEEKS CLASS OF 2017
down for the summit’s open-
Roaring Fork Leadership, the Valley’s foremost leadership
ing festivities. On Friday May 6, a Governor’s Creative Leadership
and professional development program, is seeking applicatants
Awards luncheon will be held; among the awardees will be Francisco
for this year's program. The program takes 40 community mem-
Nevarez-Burgueño, director of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
bers through more than 100 hours of training, and participants take
Salina, Kansas
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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
CONTINUED >
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13
Around Town
(CON TI N UED)
on civic projects as a laboratory for practicing new ways of being a leader. Graduates leave with newfound confidence and the skills needed to solve personal, professional and civic challenges. All sessions are held in the Roaring Fork Valley; they meet monthly from August to May and are presented by dynamic leadership development educators. Apply at RFLeadership.org.
WEBCAM CAPTURES OSPREY HOME LIFE If you have wondered about that enormous nest perched atop a
I can’t wait to
power pole along the Emma Trail in Basalt, it’s an osprey nest. Also known as fish hawks, ospreys typically mate for life and live 15 to 20 years. These raptors migrate during the winter, but for several years, our birds have returned to the huge nest, which been seen from Highway 82. You can more intimately view the osprey’s home life via a live webcam at PitkinCounty.com/Osprey. Pitkin County Open Space and Trails teamed with Holy Cross Energy and other partners to install the remotely-controlled camera on a separate, nearby power pole last fall.
LOCAL CRMS STUDENT SUES FEDS OVER CLIMATE CHANGE Jaime Butler, a member of the student class due to graduate in 2019 from the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, is one of 21 youth plaintiffs who have joined climate scientist Dr. James Hansen in a lawsuit over climate change. Their lawsuit alleges that government policy is violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property by taking actions that permit, encourage and enable continued exploitation, production and combustion of fossil fuels. The suit asks the federal government to end practices that promote fossil fuel extraction and consumption, and to instead develop and implement a science-based climate recovery plan.
Troops are forming now! girlscoutsofcolorado.org 970-242-4461
WILD WEST RODEO STARTS JUNE 2 The 2016 Wild West Rodeo season starts in June and will run every Thursday through August 18th. Held at the Gus Darien rodeo rink on Catherine Store road, the 12th rodeo season will feature 13 entertaining weekly events ranging from a children’s calf scramble and mutton busting to macho bull riding and bronco busting. Rodeo President Mike Kennedy notes that the nonprofit-run rodeo is always looking for sponsors and volunteers. “If you’ve got livestock experience, it’s a plus, but it’s not necessary,” he says. Look for rodeo details at CarbondaleRodeo.com. Rodeo tickets—$10 each or a book of six for $50, for a savings of $2 per ticket—can be purchased at the gate or in advance at the Roaring Fork Valley Co-Op. (The newly remodeled Co-Op is worth a visit. It’s celebrating a Grand Opening May 13 through 15 with a children's bounce house and give-aways that include gift certificates
and
Country
Jam tickets. See Lifestyle calendar for details.) 14
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
Our Contributors
The Talent in These Pages ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
While the list of talented writers and photographers who have contributed to Roaring Fork Lifestyle's 18 issues would run quite long, we would like to give a shout-out to some of our more-frequent contributors.
CAITLIN CAUSEY, WRITER
ANDREA PALM-PORTER, WRITER
Originally from small-town Georgia,
Andrea Palm-Porter is an outdoor
Caitlin Causey lived in Atlanta and
adventurist, the mother of four, a leadership
New York City before relocating to
trainer and executive director of the Roaring
Colorado in 2012. When not writing,
Fork Center for Community Leadership.
this Glenwood Springs resident enjoys
She enjoys writing outdoor adventure and
cooking, reading and working on the
community interest stories that will inspire
Victorian
readers. Originally from Wisconsin, she
fixer-upper
she
recently
bought with her husband, Hunter.
says that living in Colorado is like a dream come true for her.
Caitlin has written for a variety of local and regional publications,
Andrea has written Roaring Fork Lifestyle stories about locavore eating,
but especially loves telling the stories of Roaring Fork Valley resi-
climate change, hut tripping, stand-up paddle boarding, fly fishing and fat
dents. Winner of Roaring Fork Lifestyle’s Most Valuable Writer for
biking. As a former publisher of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent,
2015 award, over the past year she has written about the Wishing
she's always had a passion for writing and contributing to others.
Tree on the Doc Holliday trail, the Heeling Partner dogs, Dia de los Muertos and the Valley’s young poets.
RENEE RAMGE, PHOTOGRAPHER
This issue's fabulous "Green is the New Black "photos were taken by Renee Ramge,
LYNN DWYER, WRITER
As a wildlife biologist, Lynn Dwyer spent
who lives in Redstone. This magazine has
every spare moment (and dime) pursuing
been pleased to also feature Ramge’s pho-
her gardening hobby. Now the co-owner
tos of Mountain Fair, of vacuum-cleaning
of Dwyer Greens & Gardens, Lynn teaches
dancers and various local bands.
classes, writes articles and mentors garden-
Renee says, “I’m a Midwestern farmer's
ers. Her story about local safe-planting dates
daughter who moved to the mountains of Colorado to raise her chil-
appears in this issue.
dren in place where I felt people understand what the word 'commu-
Lynn met and married her husband Pat Dwyer in Alaska. They
nity' really means. Here in the mountains, I discovered my passion
moved to Eagle after starting a family in the late 80’s, and in 1997,
for all things natural and beautiful and took up photography more
were able to build their dream home in New Castle. The Dwyers
seriously as a way to capture what I was seeing and share it with oth-
began growing local organic produce, but quickly realized their tal-
ers.” Ramge is best known for capturing live music and events. More
ents lay in garden design and installations.
of her work can be seen at ReneeRamge.com and on Facebook.
GENEVIÈVE JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR, WRITER
Landscape designer Geneviève Joëlle Villamizar
has
been
writing
CAROLYN WATT WILLIAMS, WRITER
Carolyn Watt Williams moved to the
about
Roaring Fork Valley in 1999 to teach at the
nature, design and adventure for almost
Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS).
20 years. These days, she relishes
She later became the college counselor at
the research and discovery of writing
CRMS, and in 2007, she launched a private
on topics of which she knows little.
consulting practice to give students the
Freelance writing gives her “hall pass"
individualized attention they need to make
to meet dynamic, driven, soulful people making good.
the most of the college admission process.
Winner of Roaring Fork Lifestyle’s 2015 Best New Writer Award,
Carolyn writes about schools and has worked in education for over 20
Villamizar wrote about Bob Bailey's bees for this issue. In past
years, establishing programs and designing curricula at Basalt High and
issues, she has written about Chi Gong, the spirituality of hunt-
CRMS. She served as Mt. Sopris Montessori School's board president and
ing, glass artist Shannon Muse, green practices at Aspen Skiing
as a board member of the Ross Montessori School. An avid road biker,
Company and the training regime of the U.S. Paralympic Team.
trail runner, Nordic and alpine skier, yoga practitioner and climber, Carolyn
She lives in Carbondale.
lives in Carbondale with her husband, Greg, and children Sage and Luke. May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
15
Renovate & Refine
Is It Safe Yet? When Can I Plant? ARTICLE LYNN DWYER
E
AVERAGE SAFE PLANTING DATES FOR THE VALLEY
• Rifle, New Castle – May 15 • Glenwood Springs – May 30 • Carbondale, El Jebel, Basalt – June 1 • Snowmass, Aspen – June 15
very spring in Colorado, the “Is it safe yet?” question comes up—and every spring brings a different answer. Springtime has always been variable, and as the climate changes, so does the safe planting date. But here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine when the time is right: Has the snow melted? Is the ground dried out enough that you can walk across your property without sinking in? Working in wet soil is never a good idea since you can compact it, reducing its ability to transfer water and nutrients to the plant roots. If you can form a soil ball that sticks together when you handle it, it is too wet to work. Once the ground is workable, get the weeds out! Spring cleaning in the garden is time-consuming, but so important. Rake up the leaves and any fallen twigs or branches. Tidy up your perennials; they are often happy to spread, and they may want to take over an area. Don’t be afraid to dig them up, divide or compost the extras and then replant them. The smaller the perennial, the easier it is to move it, so do this early in the spring before they start a growth spurt. It is also a good idea to add compost early in the spring because the coming rain will help to leach nutrients down from the compost into the plant roots. As soon as the ground is workable in the spring—as soon as you see flowers peaking up out of the ground—it is safe to plant new perennials. Perennials are adapted to cold nights but those coming right out of a greenhouse are tender and could freeze at temperatures below 30 degrees. It is best to buy plants that have been outside all winter or for a few weeks, not in the greenhouse. It is a good idea to ask about this when purchasing plants in the early spring. At Dwyer Greens & Flowers, we purchase young liners and bare root perennials in late February and early March and then grow them in the greenhouse for four to six weeks, giving them a chance to root into their containers. Then we kick them outside to “harden off” in an unheated, protected area. If you purchase perennials that have not been hardened off it may be necessary to set them in a protected area for a week or two. This can be under an eave or any other roof or covering. If you use cloth for protection, be careful as the cloth must not touch the plants. Once they are hardened off, they will withstand the cold. Annuals are another matter. They should not be planted until the weather “settles”, and some annuals are hardier than others. Pansies like it cool and once they are hardened off, they are fine in temperatures as low as 25 degrees. Other annuals—zinnias, marigolds, basil and tomatoes—won’t withstand anything below 32; they really need warmer nights. In the lower Roaring Fork Valley, it is usually safe to set hanging baskets and other annuals out around mid-May. But I caution everyone to watch the weather as it may be necessary to protect them some nights. (You can see month-long forecasts for individual towns online at AccuWeather.com) Safe planting dates vary by elevation, and at Dwyer Greens, we never deliver pots or plant annuals at higher elevations until mid-June. Author Lynn Dwyer, co-owner of Dwyer Greens & Flowers, teaches classes and workshops and mentors gardeners. Learn more at DwyerGreens.com.
16
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
Page Turners
The Forest Garden
e s u o h n Gree g A Guide to Year-Round Growin in the Roaring Fork Valley
ARTICLE CRISTINA BUTT | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY CRMPI
F
or roughly 200 years, greenhouses have been a mainstay of the market garden and nursery trades. But the possibilities of these indoor gardens to transform our homes and our lives remain largely unrealized. In this ground-breaking book, Jerome Osentowski, a Roaring Fork Valley local and one of North America’s most accomplished permaculture designers, shows how to bring a forest garden indoors, even on unlikely terrain and in cold climates, using nearnet-zero technology. The Forest Garden Greenhouse advocates a unique approach to indoor agriculture using permaculture design concepts that take season extension into new and important territory, whether you’re growing food or medicinals for your family or commercially. “I think it will be a great resource for anyone in the valley, or in other similar climates who want to grow food all year-round,” says Ostentowski. Osentowski lives in a passive solar home he built at 7,200 feet above Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. Director and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute and a permaculture designer for thirty years, he has built five greenhouses for himself and scores of others for private clients and public schools in the Rockies and beyond. Osentowski makes his living from an intensively cultivated one acre of indoor and outdoor forest garden and plant nursery, which he uses as a backdrop for intensive permaculture and greenhouse design courses. Osentowski, who farms on a steep, rocky hillside near Basalt (along with architect and design partner Michael Thompson), has been designing and building revolutionary greenhouses that utilize passive and active solar heat storage technologies via a
revolutionary energy-cycling technology called the “climate battery.” This subterranean air-circulation system pushes hot, moist, ambient air from the greenhouse during the day through a network of buried perforated tubes, storing heat and humidity in the soil, to be retrieved again during cold nights. This remarkable technology creates tropical and Mediterranean climates at high altitudes and in cold climates (and everywhere else). In addition to learning how to create their own climate battery, readers will receive in-depth information about: • The fundamentals of design and construction of greenhouses of various sizes; • Capturing energy and ventilation; • Bed layout and soil-building techniques; • The secrets of successful companion planting; • The use of microclimates within and around the greenhouse, and more. The Forest Garden Greenhouse includes case studies of the greenhouses in operation at CRMPI—designed specifically for the do-it-yourself builder—as well as other studies that highlight larger and more ambitious greenhouses built on the same principles. Whether the reader’s goal is simply to extend the growing season by a few weeks or to build a year-round tropical greenhouse, this book’s detailed drawings, photos and profiles of successful greenhouse projects on all scales will fundamentally change the conversation about growing food indoors. For more information about the book, see Chelsea Green Publications at
ChelseaGreen.com. May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
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Flowers Without Fuss Back to Basics – Low Maintenance Flower Garden Care ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA MYERS
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row a beautiful flower garden with minimal care by investing do this? Then remove the flowers on every other plant or every other a bit of time at the start of the season to reduce ongoing care. row. Then a week or two later, remove the flowers on the remaining Always match flowers to the growing conditions and the care you plants. You will soon be rewarded with full compact plants that will are willing to provide. Low-maintenance plants need produce more flowers throughout the season. minimal or no deadheading and staking. This means Pinch back long and leggy transplants. Use you’ll be growing good-looking plants with a hard pinch to remove the tip and several little effort, and if the plants are suited to inches of stem. Use your pruners or fingers the growing conditions and resistant to to remove stems just above a set of leaves. common pests, you’ll be doing less work The remaining plant will still look good managing insect and disease problems. while you wait for new leaves and stems Further reduce your workload by to grow and produce new blooms. selecting self-cleaning or free-flowerEncourage branching on sining annuals and perennials and those gle-stemmed plants with a soft pinch. bred for long bloom and compact Remove just the uppermost portion of the stem where the leaves and tip are growth. You’ll enjoy more colorful flowers with less pruning and grooming. starting to develop. Soon you will have Ageratum, angelonia, calibrochoa and a well-branched plant and more blossoms. many of the newer petunia cultivars are just Improve plant posture and reduce the need a few of the annuals that do not need regular for staking with early season pruning. Keep deadheading for continual bloom. mums and asters compact by pinching Include perennials like willow amsothem back to six inches throughout nia, bugbane, Solomon seal, turJune to encourage compact growth. Gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of tlehead and sedum Autumn Joy for Eliminate floppy growth and the horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening lower maintenance and big results. need for staking on late-bloomers books, including Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Prepare the soil and provide like Boltonia, Autumn Joy sedum, Gardener’s Handbook. She is also columnist and contributproper fertilization before planting. Russian sage and Heliopsis. ing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and spokesperson for Work several inches of compost or Revive catmint and perennial salMilorganite. Myers’ website is MelindaMyers.com. other organic matter into the top via that flop open in the center with eight to 12 inches of soil to improve pruning. Cut flopping plants back drainage and water holding ability. Incorporate a low nitrogen organic halfway once or twice a season as needed. fertilizer like Milorganite at the same time. The slow-release forAnd don’t forget to mulch! Covering the soil surface with an inch or mulation provides needed nutrients throughout most, if not all, of two of shredded leaves, evergreen needles/pine straw or other organic the season. Plus, the formulation promotes slow steady growth that material will conserve moisture, suppress weeds and improve the soil won’t interfere with flowering, is less susceptible to pests and is more as they decompose. Always water new plantings often enough to keep the top few drought tolerant. Properly space the plants, making sure they have sufficient room inches of soil moist. Once established water thoroughly and only as to reach their full size. Overcrowding means you will be thinning or needed. This encourages drought-tolerant roots, so you’ll need to do dividing plants more often or battling disease problems instead of less watering in the future. enjoying the full beauty the plants provide. With proper planning, plant selection and soil preparation you can Consider removing flowers on annuals at planting. This allows plants keep your ongoing care to a minimum. That means more time to relax to focus energy on establishing roots instead of flowers. Can’t bear to and enjoy your beautiful garden.
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Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
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, s e e B g n i v Sa Caring for Community Live and Learn with the Bees
ARTICLE GENEVIÈVE JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
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ob Bailey means to set the Roaring Fork Valley abuzz with a message: The bees need our help. Thanks to his zeal, spots all around Carbondale—from the rooftops at the Marble Distillery and Town Restaurant to gardens at Delaney Park and Ross Montessori School—will soon become homes for hives. For the last seven years, Bailey’s life has revolved around a creature smaller than his pinky fingernail—the honeybee. This sweet affinity is touching. After Roaring Fork Lifestyle Magazine got wind of Bailey’s beehive rescues and his placing of community hives, we wanted to know more and connected over coffee. Well over six feet tall, Robert Bailey is broad shouldered, long limbed; his presence takes up a lot of space. His hands are large, calloused and clean. In a plaid shirt and a ball cap, he looks like a sun-baked farm kid. He’s a builder who creates with both his mind and his hands. A breadth of life experiences, stories and thoughts roll out of him like the earth murmuring, deep and slow. Bailey considers himself a bee guardian rather than a beekeeper because he recognizes that the survival of humans and bees is interconnected. “I don’t keep bees because of the honey; the bees are keeping me,” he explains. “If the bees go, we go. One third of what we put in our mouths is directly a result of them.” The bees need more people like Bailey. Why bees? After seven years, Bailey has become intimate with the social machinations of the hive. “I’m into them just for who they are and what they do,” he states. Bee colonies function in a framework of mutual support. When every bee does its job,
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the community thrives. This amazes Bailey—each individual giving and contributing, and no one acting in greed or malice. Listening to Bailey wax on, it’s easy to believe that hives are nirvana. He does admit, however, that in “doing their part” queens kill queens, dispatch worker bees and boot obsolete drones out of the nest. It’s for the good of all though, versus the self-interest of few. Bailey’s grandfather made it clear to him: “I take care of myself first and then you. If I don’t take care of myself first, I can’t take care of you.” Bailey chuckles as he confesses, “That was a hard lesson. As a young kid, I struggled with that.” With our world in turmoil, Bailey feels that we could learn from the bees and reap a huge reward in doing so. Saving the world, pretty much. While backpacking Thailand and Malaysia last year, Bailey sought out local beekeepers. Observing them work wild hives in the forests and mountains, he saw an attitude and behavior similar to his own. “You had to meet [the bees] where they were at. If the guardian bees were all up in your face, you knew, ‘Okay. I’ll come back later.’” Neither Bailey nor the Asian beekeepers he met wore the white armor and netting ubiquitous to western beekeeping. They simply operate on presence, awareness and respect. In cooperation with Ginger and Robb Janssen, of Basalt Mountain Gardens, Bailey relocates honeybees that have moved into people’s homes, rather than destroying them. He encourages people who discover problem honeybees on their property to find his Google-plus page and call him. “I’ll have hives anywhere people will let me have them,” he declares, noting that he requires hosts who adopt relocated hives to make a commitment to care for them. Agribusinesses are taking a global toll on bees, starving them by displacing plant diversity and pollen sources. They also use pesticides that gets tracked back into the hive where the bees feed their young. “I’ve never believed in pesticides,” Bailey declares. “ I’ve always cared about the environment and gardening at an organic level. Even if you spray when the bees aren’t active, the chemicals are on the pollen. The bees carry this toxic pollen back to the hive where they feed it to the young.” Knowing that the average worker bee may live for a just few weeks over the summer, flying more than 500 miles in that short lifespan,
Bailey tends the bees to save them, not to take from them. He wants to make sure that keepers leave enough honey in the hive to allow the bees to survive the winter, and he wants the hives— each one holding 20,000 to 60,000 hungry bees—to live on. That means making sure that our local bees have enough to eat and safe places to live. “If I see a lawn with no dandelions, it’s not good, ”Bailey proclaims. “At least leave your dandelions until they go to seed. It’s the first thing to come on in the spring. Pollen is protein. The bees need it after a six-month winter.” Simple things like that can be mean the difference between destruction and harmony, between warfare and community, between a bee dying or living. Downtown areas offer a diversity of pollen, ranging from street trees to area gardens. To Bailey, city rooftops seem to offer a wide-open opportunity—a safe haven for bees. Connie Baker, the master distiller at the Marble Brewery, recently told Bailey that her husband had given her a hive for her birthday. “The words barely left my mouth about rooftop bees when she said ‘I’m in!’” Bailey reported. Mark Fischer of Town restaurant welcomes hives too. Carbondale Town Trustee Allyn Harvey connected Bailey to Town Manager Jay Harrington who gave Bailey the go-ahead at Delaney Nature Park. The new fruit orchard and berry patch there will get receive the cross-pollination needed for fruit set thanks to Bailey’s bees.
Bailey is also building hives for Ross Montessori School’s new educational vegetable garden. Children will paint the new hives and bees will go on the curriculum. The outdoor classroom will be wrapped in a huge pollinator garden and Bailey is specifying a seed mix that will enable the kids to grow pollen- and nectar-rich species. Noting that children are the future, Bailey comments, “From kindergarten to fourth or fifth grade, they’re really passionate about it!” Bailey’s pollinator hives are a gift to the valley—and they carry a message. “From this conversation, the word goes out to the school and rooftops. From there it goes on somewhere else.” he muses. “We, right here, are a small community out of almost eight billion people. We have to keep trying.” “Why don’t humans try to support each other in the same way bees do?” With a wry smile, he laments “I could go off the deep end on this one. We spend so much on defense rather than giving… If we could act more like bees, what a great world this would be.”
Top right: A swarm of bees; they do this when they are looking for a new home. Bottom right: Bob Bailey with bees.
PLANTS THAT HELP THE BEES
• Dandelions • Sunflowers • Borage • Catmint • Stonecrop • Borage • Pussy Willow
May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
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Left to right: Program Director Heather McDermott with CRSM students Mary O'Sullivan and Lily Saubestre.
An Annual Tradition:
The CRMS Plant Sale Growing Annuals, Perennials and Gardeners
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY CAITLIN CAUSEY
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randywine and celebrity tomatoes, lemon cucumbers and pimiento peppers, zinnias, cosmos, hollyhocks and nasturtiums: when it comes to procuring the very best seedlings, savvy home gardeners in the lower Roaring Fork Valley have a secret up their sleeves. That secret? The Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) annual plant sale, held every May for over a decade at the school’s organic garden learning center in Carbondale. Featuring plants specially selected to thrive in our local environment, the sale boasts roughly 300 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowering annuals and perennials. With local gardeners often regarding Mother’s Day as the marker to safely plant outdoors, the sale is always right on time—and for many it has come to signify the unofficial beginning of sweet, sweet summertime. “The plant sale is a huge fundraiser for us every year,” says Heather McDermott, CRMS garden program director. “All of the proceeds go back to helping the program. The team of students and I have been working for months to prepare.” McDermott brings a wealth of experience and know-how to her position. After studying agriculture at Green Mountain College in Vermont and running a farm there for 10 years, McDermott and her
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husband Jared relocated to Colorado to work at Osage Gardens in New Castle. After five years with Osage, McDermott seized the opportunity to head up the esteemed CRMS garden program in December 2015. “Since then, I’ve just been preparing for the upcoming growing season,” she says. “I’ve got about 12 kids helping this quarter, and they come to work in the garden in small groups throughout the week. A lot of our work has been focused around the plant sale— seeding, transplanting, and potting.” Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s garden program began in the 1990s, and today it’s stronger and more vital than ever. Students have a choice of joining “service crews” each quarter—doing service that ranges from gardening or recycling to ranching or even helping in the on-campus bike shop—so the garden program is just one area where they are able to gain real-world experience after classes have ended for the day. Senior CRMS student Mary O’Sullivan is working in the garden for a second quarter this year. “I’m from Chicago, where I lived in a townhouse,” she says. “We had a few flowers outside at home, but nothing close to this. I had always been interested in gardening but had never really done it before coming to school here.”
roughly one third of the produce utilized in the school’s kitchen. For CRMS, the trendy farm-to-table movement has been a way of life for decades; every autumn, students and staff harvest vegetables and fruits from the school’s 1.75-acre garden that they bring inside and could be eating within a matter of hours. “Storage crops like onions, carrots, winter squash, potatoes, plus fresh early-season vegetables like salad greens, asparagus and radishes—all of these things are grown here, plus so much more,” she says. “All of it goes right to the school’s kitchen.” It’s no wonder that local gardeners flock to the CRMS plant sale every spring. The school has demonstrated an inspiring commitment to high-quality homegrown produce for years— and the sale is an extension of that promise. This year local gardeners can look forward to choosing from 50 varieties of tomatoes, 40 different herbs, over 100 types of flowers, and more than 80 vegetable plants, from arugula to zucchini. Arrive early — the secret might just now be out.
Freshman Lily Saubestre, a Carbondale resident, is working in the garden program for the first time this spring. “I have always loved plants and gardening—and right now I’m thinking I might want to go into botany someday. Plus it’s just a good life skill to have,” she says. “CRMS is founded on the idea that building a strong work ethic helps build stronger personalities,” McDermott notes. “In turn this helps create a better community for all.” McDermott reports that in addition to providing invaluable learning experiences for the students, the garden program also supplies
The CRMS plant sale will start Saturday, May 14 at 9 a.m. and continue Sunday May 15. Watch for updates at Facebook.com/CRMSOysters
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According to Jennifer Krill, executive director of Earthworks, a Washington advocacy group, more than 40 percent of watersheds in the Western U.S. are contaminated with pollutants from hardrock mines.
New Hope FOR OLD MINE TAILINGS
Of Bark Beetles, Burnt Offerings and Biochar Ronald R. Hewitt Cohen, an environmental engineer at the Colorado School of Mines, estimates that 4,650 abandoned mines in Colorado are currently leaking toxic waste. Reclamation is especially complicated because their original owners died long ago.
ARTICLE GENEVIÈVE JOËLLE VILLAMIZAR & NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT
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layed out. It’s a term that can describe an empty mine, or soil so depleted that nothing can grow in it. By the 1940’s, the Hope Mine, near Aspen, was played out in both senses. The mine was founded in 1911 and reported no production between 1916 and 1920, or in 1929, 1931 or 1934. Although it did produce some silver, Hope never really panned out. It was left squatting in all of its polluted squalor at an elevation of 8,740 feet along the banks of Castle Creek—Aspen’s water source. Tests by the national Forest Service, which by 2003 owned the site, revealed the presence of heavy metals: arsenic, lead and trace amounts of zinc. The poison hadn’t reached the river, but on a 30-degree slope laden with toxins that prevented plants from taking hold and stabilizing the tailings, catastrophe was just one rainstorm away. Drenching rain could send heavy metals cascading into the creek, shutting down Aspen’s source water for up to two years. For decades, Hope had been abandoned, one of 23,000 played-out mines that pepper Colorado’s evergreen forests. Along with gray swaths of beetle-killed pine, those toxic orange or gray tailings are among the most prominent eyesores in an otherwise beautiful landscape. 24
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Can burnt offerings and bark beetles become part of the solution for reclaiming played-out mines?
But in 2010, a Carbondale not-for-profit, the Flux Farm Foundation, partnered with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Aspen Center for Environment Studies (ACES) to conduct a privately funded re-vegetation project that holds hope for abandoned mine tailings and the played-out soils around them. Flux Farm is a scientific think-tank whose mission is to sustain “the lifestyle, livelihood and ecological future of the West through agricultural innovation.” One of those innovations is the use of “biochar” to improve depleted soils both for agriculture and mine reclamation. Aspen’s Hope Mine—a site belching tailings and contaminated soils—was the first whole mine to undergo reclamation through the use of biochar. What the heck is biochar? The concept of biochar has around for centuries. From tribal subsistence farmers to modern-day horticulturalists, growers have long burned fields to improve soil vitality and productivity. With the seasonal conversion of residual organic field matter to carbon, soils flourish; microbes, mycorrhizae, fungi, nutrient availability and moisture retention all increase as carbon is incorporated into the soil. Biochar is simply that idea on steroids. Large volumes of matter are slowly burned under low-oxygen conditions, in a container, pretty much. In a process called “pyrolysis”, organic matter is dehydrated to become coal. The result is a granulated charcoal product that will retain soil moisture, increase soil biodiversity and bond with heavy metals. The addition of biochar enables seedlings to establish themselves and thrive on formerly degraded soils. Heavy metals, held in the sponge of biochar, have time to break down naturally before leaching and draining into waterways. The standard mine reclamation process costs over one million dollars per mine, at minimum. But beginning in October 2010, the USFS, ACES and the Flux Farm Foundation conducted a pilot project on the use of biochar at the Hope Mine for less than 20 percent of that cost. Thousands of pounds of biochar were mixed with compost and native grass seedlings in different proportions, then spread over 42 test plots around the Hope Mine site. After one year, the 60-year-old wasteland
was lush with native grasses. The biochar test plots grew dramatically green in comparison to the untreated gray tailings. The biochar used at Hope was sourced from beetle-kill pine. Could one forest problem—decaying trees contributing carbon to the atmosphere and posing a fire hazard—be used to address another forest problem: the thousands of toxic mine tailings that scar Colorado's forests? While biochar seems new to most of us, it’s a centuries-old idea, and one that has been under intensive ecological study for almost a decade. Scientists believe that biochar is “carbon-negative”, meaning that it sequesters carbon. But that and many other aspects of biochar are not fully understood: How long is it stable in the soil? Does the initial carbon sequestration pan out over the lifecycle of the product? Will business models hold integrity, limiting biochar sources to manures, field wastes and dead trees, or will forests need to be clear-cut to provide fuel? As with many innovations that seem wonderful at first, it will be interesting to see how biochar plays out. Can burnt offerings and bark beetles become part of the solution for reclaiming played-out mines? Time—and research—will tell. In the past decade, more than 1.5 million pines in Colorado have been killed by the Rocky Mountain bark beetle.
May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
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But I Work From Home? You can calculate your own carbon footprint at Terrapass.com.
ARTICLE SETH BROWN
Confessions of a Carbon Sinner
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work from home. As I commute up the stairs to my home office, I confess to a certain smugness. Steaming coffee in hand, I think of those poor souls and their wasteful commutes, trudging out into the snow to scrape windshields, or commuting from suburb to big city. But my smugness extends beyond time savings. I’ve always assumed that not using a car to get to work—not even owning a second car—put me squarely atop the moral high ground. I believe that online communication tools and techniques will eventually enable all knowledge workers to work some or all of their days from home. And, together, we’ll save winter. In the Roaring Fork Valley, the closest thing to my employer, Lullabot, is Blue Tent Marketing, an El Jebel-based web marketing company of about 40 people. On any given day, more than half of Blue Tent’s staff telecommutes, says Chief Technology Officer Ned Lucks, and several, like account manager Jack Scherrer, bicycle commute. Scherrer bikes from Glenwood to El Jebel and back. Lullabot, a 50-person digital marketing company, doesn’t even have an office. We call ourselves a “distributed” company. It allows me to work with New York and Los Angeles clients while “living the dream” in the Roaring Fork Valley. And unlike my Los Angeles and New York clients, I’m saving the environment. Or not. It turns out that my zip code, Carbondale 81623, comes in way above the already-astronomical U.S. carbon footprint for total energy usage. Because of the Valley’s low population density and the relative wealth of lifestyle destinations, Carbondale residents average an annual carbon footprint of 57.8 metric tons of CO2, compared to the American household average of 48 metric tons of CO2. So while four percent of the U.S. workforce telecommutes and while that number is rapidly growing, many of us do so from wealthier areas 26
Author Seth Brown
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
with lower population density. I decided to dig into the details to see whether I was carbon saint or sinner. I called my friend Lisa Altieri, president of GoCO2Free, a Palo Alto-based company that is working with the California cities of Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Fremont to reduce the carbon footprint of local households. Lisa walked me through the math, giving me a few key constants to quantify my own impact. Burning one pound of gasoline produces about 19.4 pounds of CO2. What? Burning a very dense hydrocarbon—like the octane (C8H18) in gasoline—yields eight molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nine molecules of water (H2O). To do this we add a lot of oxygen. (Remember combustion is just really, really fast oxidation.) Turns out that oxygen weighs a lot. But 19.4 pounds isn’t the extent of CO2 burned. We also have to factor in the energy used to extract the crude oil, transport it, refine it and then transport it again. Taking this “embodied energy” into account, Altieri gave me the constant of 28.3 pounds of CO2 per gallon of gasoline. So, back to math. According to the Turns out flying most recent U.S. census data, the is the cardinal average U.S. worker commutes for carbon sin of 50 minutes a day over an average modern life. of 32 miles, roughly the distance between Carbondale and Aspen. A typical American probably works 235 days per year. If we multiply that by our average commute, we get 7,520 miles. You can calculate
your own carbon footprint, taking into account your model of car, energy usage, etc., by using the calculator at Terrapass.com. Assuming an average 25 miles per gallon, I’m saving about 300.8 gallons of gasoline by not commuting. Or, by using our constant, I’m preventing about 8,513 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Burning 128 gallons of gasoline produces enough CO2 to fill the Washington Monument, and I’m saving more than twice that! I’m feeling pretty smug about saving all that smog. But hold on… To work from home, I have to stay warm in the winter by heating my 1,484-square-foot home with our 1974 stainless steel boiler. That’s a little less efficient than working in an office with many people in a small space are kept comfortable with modern central heating and cooling. Altieri instructed me to subtract the total “therms” from my July Source Gas bill from the total on my January bill to get the extra therms I use just for heating. What the heck is a therm? Apparently it’s enough for English majors like me to just grab these handy numbers from our bill and then multiply by the constant 17.4 pounds of CO2 per therm. So I multiply the 90 therms I use to heat in each winter month by five cold months, times 17.4 pounds of CO2 per therm. That yields 7,830 pounds of CO2. But, I’d have to heat my house anyway in the winter, right? But let’s say I’m parsimonious and turn down the heat during the day. The average worker is away from home about 50 hours a week, taking into account commuting, lunch and working hours. That’s about 30 percent of the time. So claiming 30 percent of that 7,830 as my carbon footprint, I use 2,349 pounds of CO2. So I’m still feeling good about myself for telecommuting with a net savings of—8,513 (no commute) minus 2,349 (extra heat)—6,164 pounds of CO2. What about air miles, Altieri asked me? Ruh roh! Turns out flying is the cardinal carbon sin of modern life. For every mile of air travel, figure about .58 pounds of CO2, says Altieri. I go to four retreats per year to work together with my distributed colleagues. Assuming the pattern of two retreats on the West Coast, one East Coast and one central retreat, I’m probably traveling around 10,000 air
miles per year. Plus, shorter flights, like my favorite Aspen-to-Denver trip, result in greater emissions per mile because a larger portion of the trip is spent in the energy-intensive takeoff and landing. Suddenly, I’ve got another 5,800 pounds of carbon footprint to worry about. “Sounds like it’s time to purchase some offsets,” says Altieri, referring me back to Terrapass. While planting trees is great, the best offset programs make direct investments in reducing carbon while also generating energy. Terrapass charges $5.95 per 1,000 pounds or about $35 worth to erase my flights. Terrapass uses the money to do things like buy anaerobic digesters for animal waste, capture landfill gas, or to derive clean energy from wind power. Altieri also suggested that I could cut my impact by looking up my local utility provider to see if they have a local renewable energy pool. Holy Cross does. They offer both the Wind Power Pioneers Program and the Local Renewable Energy Pool. These may increase your electric bill a bit, but it’s likely the single most effective way to reduce carbon footprint short of buying in a plug-in electric car, or switching to an efficient electric heat pump for the house. Perhaps a Tesla Model 3 will absolve my sins? Seth Brown is the Chief Operating Officer of Lullabot and a Carbondale resident.
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“E
Green Tech
Electrical's fficiency is like broccoli… Ener10.26kW solar gy efficiency is not sexy.” That’s PV system, what Wisconsin researchers Bill located in Basalt. Schutten and Kathy Kuntz concluded in a 2010 paper they wrote for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Solar panels, by contrast, are sexy. They’re so attractive that homeowners tend to gorge on them like chocolates, installing more than they need. Ria Langheim, a research analyst at the Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego, discovered than despite a California law requiring solar installers to look at energy efficiency upgrades before installing solar panels, in many cases, that wasn’t done. As a result, more than 50 percent of the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems Langheim reviewed were oversized. In such cases, greening the home’s electrical systems did not put as much green back into the owners’ pockets as it should have. The disconnect between controlling a home’s electrical needs and producing electricity to serve them results largely from solar installers and energy efficiency contractors being different people, in different businesses with different skill sets. “One of the best ways to save money on monthly utility bills is to make sure you’re not wasting electricity,” advises Jordan Arnhold. “Most solar installers are certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), but they’re clueless when it comes to electrical code and theory. They usually sub-contract the electrical portion of the install to a licensed electrician.” Arnhold, a NABCEP-certified solar PV installer, is also a master electrician. His experience includes working with Colorado Mountain College students and with the Garfield County Libraries to install 60kW of solar power on the Silt, New Castle and Carbondale Libraries. A local who grew up in Grand Junction and studied business at CU in Boulder, Arnhold started his own company, Green-Tech Electrical, in Glenwood Springs in 2009. He says his firm differs from most electrical companies in that it takes a “whole spectrum approach to declaring energy independence,” integrating green technologies such as solar power with highly efficient lighting systems and sophisticated timers 28
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
and controls. As a result, when he gets calls for installing solar PV systems, he “always pitches other upgrades first. There are many ways to take electrical usage down before sizing the solar panels: LED lighting, timers, motion detectors and lighting controls…” to name a few. The best practice for installing solar PV panels is to first prepare the home’s “building envelope” by insulating, by weather stripping and by replacing drafty, old-fashioned windows. This ensures that the heat produced by panels on the roof doesn’t leak out through the windows, roof and foundation. The next steps are to replace old-style Edison bulbs with efficient lighting and to reduce “plug-load” with efficient appliances and controls that ensure that electricity is being provided only when it’s needed. These energy-efficiency steps are so important that utility companies, nonprofits and government provide rebates to help entice consumers to eat their energy efficiency broccoli before popping panels on the roof like so many chocolate truffles. Even so, because the rebate process involves considerable paperwork, some consumers fail to get the rebates—or skip the broccoli entirely, heading directly for the truffles. Arnhold, whose company has secured nearly $100,000 in rebates for customers who have undertaken LED retrofits and solar PV installations, says, “We find that it’s most helpful to offer a full spectrum of green electrical services. That’s why we do everything from analyzing the home’s electrical usage and recommending needed energy upgrades to filling out all the rebate forms. We also cover the recycling of the old fixtures in our service. We can do all the electrical work and install the solar.” Arnhold says that for years, most of the solar power systems he has installed have been retrofits, panels installed on existing homes. But now, “we’re seeing solar in the plans for new houses. They’re not an afterthought.” Arnhold, the father of two daughters, is pleased to see that trend. He says, “One of my goals is to use my hard-earned electrical knowledge and expertise to create a cleaner, healthier world for the next generations.”
RECENTLY SOLD PROPERTIES OVER $400,000 NEIGHBORHOOD
BASALT
Red Rock Southside Park Modern Willits River Meadows Park Modern Ruedi Willits
CARBONDALE
River Valley Ranch River Valley Ranch River Valley Ranch Shadow rock Blue Lake TwnSteCa Lightner
GLENWOOD SPRINGS
4 Mile Ranch Canyon Creek Pinyon Mesa Westbank Mesa Park East Riverway Glenwood Park
My new listings:
ORIGINAL LIST
SOLD PRICE
%SOLD/ ORIGINAL
DOM
BEDS
$2,995,000 $1,495,000 $876,600 $887,000 $1,050,000 $781,375 $599,000 $465,000
$2,500,000 $1,300,000 $876,600 $870,000 $865,555 $781,375 $581,000 $449,000
83% 87% 100% 100% 82% 100% 97% 97%
193 205 439 67 581 446 159 72
5 4 3 4 3 2 3 3
$1,050,000 $870,000 $860,000 $707,500 $480,000 $525,000 $417,000
$1,040,000 $870,000 $827,000 $752,200 $480,000 $420,000 $400,000
99% 100% 96% 106% 100% 80% 96%
387 0 735 477 73 307 225
$749,000 $848,000 $645,000 $659,000 $498,000 $535,000 $449,000
$729,000 $680,000 $635,000 $599,000 $495,000 $490,000 $450,450
97% 80% 98% 91% 99% 92% 100%
231 659 154 151 42 226 47
FULL BTH
HALF BTH
3/4 BTH
SOLD PRICE/ SQ. FT
4 4 3 2 2 2 3 3
1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
518.78 420.98 464.06 266.63 288.33 475 230.79 344.33
5 4 4 4 3 3 3
5 4 3 3 2 2 2
1 1 0 1 1 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
184.4 222.96 306.3 289.31 288.81 301.72 200
3 4 3 4 4 4 3
2 3 2 3 3 3 2
1 1 1 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
285.66 149.75 249.9 211.89 222.07 182.7 227.96
(This data is a sampling of sold properties from 3/1/16 to 3/31/16, Source: Aspen Glenwood MLS)
GLENWOOD sunlight view II | Beds: 4, Baths: 4 $699,000 WebId#: RF143463
GLENWOOD Four Mile Ranch | Beds: 6, Baths: 6 $985,000 WebId#: RF143172
GLENWOOD Oak Meadows Ranch Beds: 3, Baths: 3 | $599,000 WebId#: RF143157
Voted 2015 Glenwood Springs Realtor of the Year! I can take the stress out of buying or selling your home. My goal is To EXCEED the expectations of every client I come in contact with. Real estate sales are trending upwards. Interest rates are still low, so the time to buy is now. Contact me if you are looking to sell your home or buy a new one.
Becky Ciani - Broker Associate
970.309.1027 cell or becky@masonmorse.com
thesource
0290 Hwy 133, Carbondale | www.masonmorse.com
it’s all right here. Build Your Dream Home at Ironbridge
Build your dream home and enjoy all of the amenities at Ironbridge including world class golf, swimming, fitness center, tennis, gold medal fishing and the fantastic Ironbridge Grill.
CUSTOM HOMES
Prices starting at $449,000. Contact Sue for more details.
HERON CROSSING HOMESITES
Choose your builder in this premier neighborhood with lots starting at $70,000. Contact Leslie or Roshni.
Sue Ramsey
Custom Homes 970.618.9604
Leslie Newbury Heron Crossing 970.379.6556
Roshni Slali
Heron Crossing 970.379.6580
430 Ironbridge Drive, Glenwood Springs www.ironbridgenewhomes.com | www.masonmorse.com
CARBONDALE Situated on 385 feet of Crystal River frontage, this 3.9 acre idyllic setting is easily accessed via a private drive way easement through Forest Service land. Conveniently located between Carbondale and Redstone, this masterfully designed 3,793 square foot open floorplan offers all the quality upgrades one expects in a top of the line custom built home. From halogen lighting, energy efficient appliances, walnut flooring, custom cabinetry, radiant heat to perennial gardens and complete privacy, the list of features that this property offers covers every aspect of carefree efficient living – including a 5KW solar electric system which eliminates most of your utility costs. $2,400,000 Call Bill for more information.
BILL BLANTON
970.704.3229 or 970.963.1061 bblanton@masonmorse.com
MISSOURI HEIGHTS Discover your own private sanctuary at the end of the road and less than 10 minutes to Catherine Store. Relax in the heavily treed outdoor living area amongst abundant wildlife and incredible views. Enjoy a main floor master, en-suite guest rooms, oversized heated garage, office which can be easily converted to fourth bedroom, storage shed, and so many more features that make this home easy to love. $1,450,000 Web Id#: RF143205
ROSHNI SLALI
970.379.6580 roshni@masonmorse.com
LESLIE NEWBURY
970.379.6556 leslie@masonmorse.com
BASALT - 970.927.3000 | CARBONDALE - 970.963.3300 REDSTONE - 970.963.1061 | IRONBRIDGE - 970.384.5021 GLENWOOD SPRINGS - 970.928.9000
the source for real estate in the roaring fork valley
GREEN
Local’s Choice
FASHIONS FROM n March, the annual Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza sold out to a cheering, stomping crowd for two nights. The show starred dancers, aerial artists, a mime and 70 volunteer models who rehearsed for six weeks to show off fashions from dozens of designers from all across the U.S. Among this year's up-cycled creations were a sparkling samurai fashioned from used CDs and a puffy poodle skirt cooked up from used coffee filters. Since the first show was held in the street eight years ago, this multi-media fashion extravaganza has strutted miles of runways and covered a lot of creative territory. Amy Kimberly, executive director of the Carbondale Council for Arts and Humanities, is the show’s creator. She chose the Green is the New Black name. “It was designed to bring an environmental bent to the show,” she explains. “Back at the start, I saw a creative tribe of people forming here. They were making wearable arts and interested in environment, and we wanted to highlight sustainable fashions." This year’s "Transformation" theme was played out in performance and videography as well as in fashions. “We were traveling the life cycle from birth to death,” Kimberly, shown below in gold, notes. “That’s how we could best show transformation and how our environment can affect us.” “I want to thank the models who transform through our experience together; the designers who make environmental choices in their art and lead the way in helping to protect our earth; the dancers who rehearse for months to create movement that makes us think; the artists who create images that inspire us,” said Kimberly. “The creative tribe in the Roaring Fork Valley is strong.”
ARTICLE NICOLETTE TOUSSAINT | PHOTOGRAPHY RENEE RAMGE
I
IS THE NEW BLACK WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN AND OH-SO UPCYCLED
C.J. Jensen of Zen Cowgirl Studios focuses on natural fibers of hemp, wool and flax.
Petalouda hand-knits by Laura Stover of Carbondale.
Choreographed by Deborah Colley, dancers Emily Fifer, Katie Bauer, Meagan Londy Shapiro, Cristina Malkhasian Ayers and Brianne Newcomb performed.
Sally Converse of Slixgrfx uses upcycling, computer printing and unusual fabrics to produce her theatrical pieces. 32
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
Twenty-first Century Diagnostics Close to Home The NewTom Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scanner will give you and your veterinarian powerful information regarding a variety of conditions which may be affecting your pet. Each Boarded Radiologist reviewed study takes just 18 seconds to produce. Ask your veterinarian if your pet can benefit from the Advanced Computed Tomography technology now available from Willits Veterinary Hospital. Effective diagnosis is a powerful tool. By referral only, have your veterinarian call today!
Conveniently located near Whole Foods in Willits Town Center (351 Robinson St #1014, Basalt, CO)
970.510.5436
willitsvet.com May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
33
Tech Savvy
AV by Design installation in a local home.
The Ins and Outs of Outdoor Media Systems SOUND ADVICE FROM LOCAL EXPERTS AT AV BY DESIGN ARTICLE BRIDGET GREY | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
O
utdoor living rooms have become popular in our valley. Roaring Fork Lifestyle recently spoke to two expert A/V designers about how make the most of this trend with an outdoor theatre or sound system. Tom Hiles started a home alarm business in Saint Louis in 1982, gradually adding home audio/videos system, CCTV and phone systems to the mix. He moved to Colorado in 2003 and co-founded AV by Design with David Oyler in 2009. Oyler, who was first trained in electronics by the U.S. Navy, has background in professional stage lighting, custom car audio installation and creating many SPL and Sound Quality award winning systems. The two hold a list of electronics licenses and certifications that would run for pages; a shortened list appears on the AV by Design website at AVbyDesignLLC.com. LIFESTYLE: Where have you installed outdoor systems? DAVID: Our installations range from simple patios to elaborate landscape scenes! We have mounted traditional speakers under the eaves and placed nearly invisible “rock” speakers in flower gardens or garden landscapes. We have installed satellite speakers disguised as landscape accent lights and buried outdoor subwoofers so that only a small, paintable, weatherproof vent cap is visible. LIFESTYLE: What does it cost to have an audio system installed on a deck? TOM: Cost is determined by whether this will be a separate, dedicated system or whether it’s extension of an existing indoor audio system. If it’s an extension, it means you’re adding another speaker zone, and the cost varies depending on whether speaker wires are already in place or have to be retrofit. There are also wireless speaker systems, but the worthwhile ones are quite expensive and are considered “portable”— only because they have handles! Freestanding units are actually quite heavy. The sources available, the size of the coverage area and the amount of sound you want also affect pricing. The thing about outdoor audio is that you are, in fact, serenading the great outdoors. That takes substantial 34
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
power! That being said, a pair of quality outdoor speakers would start at around $350 plus installation. A landscape speaker system can easily exceed $2,000 without the source devices. You could expect to pay anywhere from $350 for a pre-amp streaming source that connects to an existing system to $500 for one with a built-in amplifier running a single pair of speakers. Lifestyle: If you’re connecting outdoor speakers to an indoor system, is it better to run speaker wires or to use a Bluetooth connection? DAVID: It’s always better to hardwire speakers. Bluetooth speakers are very limited in range. That’s why they’re typically relegated to the smaller “personal speaker” category. On a side note: whenever possible, speakers should be oriented so they are pointing towards your house so you don’t un-necessarily serenade your neighbors. LIFESTYLE: Can outdoor systems include TV components? TOM: There are companies that provide outdoor TVs for truly bigscreen outdoor entertainment. Those TVs range from 32 to 75 inches. They’re somewhat weather-resistant, and even though they’re able to handle incidental water contact, they should be protected from the elements. They’re rather expensive, ranging from $1,250 to $9,000. DAVID: Another option is a retractable projection screen. They come in many sizes, but because you also need a projection system, that means an even greater investment. One of the primary considerations involves screen orientation; you must protect the screen from the sun for early evening viewing. And that earlier side-note applies: you need to consider how receptive your neighbors are to having an outdoor movie venue next door! LIFESTYLE: On a different topic, most of us have learned, sadly, that a universal remote does not even remotely come close to controlling the universe! Most of us are plagued by way too many remote controls… TOM: The sad truth is that there are way too many poorly programmed universal remotes out there, and most of them function mainly as a source of frustration. Here’s the reality: a properly programmed, entry-level universal remote control will run rings around a poorly programmed high-end remote control. That’s why you really do need an experienced AV programmer to create a viable control solution. That expertise is really cost-effective! On some of our integrated theater or media system projects, we have actually reduced costs in other areas so that we may provide the proper remote control and still stay within budget. That’s how vital it is to the system. An easy to use remote is definitely a worthwhile investment.
Spring is the time for plans and projects!
Let Aspen Grove Property Services help you enhance your outdoor space.
F U L L S E R V I C E L A N D S C A P E D E S I G N , I N S TA L L A N D M A I N T E N A N C E
HOT TUBS
HEAL
THE HOT TUB EXPERTS 1197 Main Street, Carbondale | CrystalRiverSpas.com | 963.2100 May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
35
May Lifestyle Calendar
MAY 6 GONG MEDITATION WITH BARRY CHAPMAN TRUE NATURE HEALING ARTS Recharge, rejuvenate and restore with sound-healing instruments. Gong meditation is led by Barry Chapman in the beautiful space at True Nature Healing Arts in Carbondale. $18. For details, see True Nature’s website: TrueNatureHealingArts.com.
MAY 7 BETTER LIVING THROUGH TRAILS CLASS NEW CASTLE COMMUNITY CENTER The trail care crew of the International Mountain Bicycling Association will offer three hours of class followed by about four hours of hands-on trail work and field inspection. Organized by New Castle Trails and Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association with support from the Town of New Castle and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers. Free lunch. RSVP highly recommended: 970.948.3486 or RFMBA.org.
EVERY MONDAY: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
MAY 7
AFRICAN DANCE CLASS
CONTAINER GARDENING WORKSHOP
CARBONDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
DWYER GREENS & FLOWERS
Come dance to live drumming! All ages and levels welcome. We learn danc-
Come to Dwyer Greens' beautiful facility in New Castle and let Lynn
es from various countries: Guinea, Ghana, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe and
Dwyer help you design and plant your container garden. Colorado
places reached by the African diaspora including the Caribbean and Brazil.
Mountain College (CMC) registration cost: $30. An additional $35
From 6-7:30 p.m. $12 per class. For more information call 303.828.7940.
supplies fee goes to the nursery and covers potting mix, time-re-
MAY 2 WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MUSTANG
lease fertilizers, water-absorbing crystals and five 3.5” annuals of your choice. Sign up on CMC's website: ColoradoMtn.edu.
BASALT REGIONAL LIBRARY
MAY 8
Terri Farley is the best-selling author of the Phantom Stallion series for
MOTHER'S DAY MILE
young readers and has been honored by the Nevada Writers Hall of
GLENWOOD SPRINGS COMMUNITY CENTER
Fame. An advocate for the West's wild horses, Farley will talk about
Join us for the 17th Annual Mother's Day Mile and this year’s
saving them. Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting
new 5K All-Terrain Race. Both races are open to women, men
to Save Them is her first work of non-fiction. Event is free.
36
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
CONTINUED >
COMMERCIAL SHOP SPACE - RETAIL OR OFFICE SPACE
DON’T WAIT!
You can pick your configuration, one or two story units, 12’ overhead doors, end units, upstairs office suites with incredible views of the valley and Mt. Sopris! Glenwood Commercial Center is on the South Side of Glenwood Springs just within the City Limits and close to Walmart and fronting Hwy. 82. Perfect location for the Up Valley Tradesman!
Call Plan B Real Estate or your favorite Broker and come have a look!
970-366-6000
Prices start at $129,500.00 for a 1200 sq.ft. unit.
970-366-6000 I WWW.PLANBREALESTATE.COM
Roaring Fork Valley Co-Op Contractors -Builders-Landscapers We’ve got what you need for your next job! Oscillating Tool Blades - Jigsaw Blades - Rebar and Accessories Grout- Concrete Block- Ramset - Rooong Nails to Anchor Bolts
Open to the Public
If we don’t have it we’ll get it! Free Coffee All Day Charge Accounts Available with Year End Dividends! Everyday! Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 6:30 pm Saturday 7:00am - 4:00pm Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm
970 963-2220
760 Highway 133 Carbondale
Looking for Boots Come Check out our HUGE Selction
Roaringforkvalleycoop.com May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
37
Lifestyle Calendar
(CON TI N U ED)
and families and are fundraisers for Advocate Safehouse Project.
MAY 13
Everyone gets a cupcake and a chance to win awards. Pre-reg-
EVOLUTION OF A DREAM OPENING
istered participants receive an eco-friendly bag with goodies.
THE ART BASE
Pre-register at EventBrite.com. More info: call 970.928.2070 or
Evolution of a Dream by Wewer Keohane, demonstrates how a dream
email julie@advocatesafehouse.org.
created from collected ephemera can inspire an evolving series that
MAY 10 ROARING FORK CHARITY CLASSIC ROARING FORK CLUB IN BASALT
moves from the dream's symbolism to minimalism to abstraction. Keohane's love of paper translates into a unique body of work with graphic boldness and deep meaning. Opening at 5-7; art talk 5:30.
The Roaring Fork Charity Classic golf tournament raises tens of thou-
MAY 14
sands of dollars for the designated beneficiaries. This year proceeds
MS WALK AND RUN
will be split between Basalt Education Foundation and The Art Base
GLENWOOD SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
(formerly the Wyly Art Center). If you’d like to play in or sponsor this
The multiple sclerosis walk/run takes place on the paved Glenwood
fun charity golf event at the Roaring Fork Club, please contact Mike
Springs River Trail System. A 1.5 mile, 3-mile and 5-mile route will
Scanlon at mike.scanlon@basalt.net.
be available. There will be music, a silent auction and a $5 pancake
MAY 12 TOPICS AT TWELVE
breakfast. 5K Run begins at 8 a.m.; walk begins at 9. For details email: suzie.reel@nmss.org or call 970.263.4393.
BASALT REGIONAL LIBRARY
MAY 21
This Education Series is designed to provide current information,
NEW CASTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE
tools and resources to Basalt Chamber of Commerce member busi-
ALL OVER NEW CASTLE
nesses and their employees. Networking starts starts at 11:30; pre-
The Town of New Castle and the New Castle Chamber of Commerce
sentation starts at noon. A light lunch will be provided. Members:
will be having a community garage sale all over town on May 21. Each
$15. Non-members: $20. RSVP to info@basaltchamber.com. Call
homeowner will have their participating garage sale site marked with
970.927.4031for event and membership information.
balloons on their garbage cans throughout New Castle. There is no
MAY 13, 14 & 15
cost, except when you find the next “treasure” you want to buy!
GRAND OPENING AT THE CO-OP
MAY 27
ROARING FORK VALLEY CO-OP
MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN KICKOFF
You're invited to the Co-Op's Grand Opening Celebration May
GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK
13th,14th and 15th. Bravo Fine Catering will serve delicious food all
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park kicks off the eighth year of its
three days. Enjoy a Bounce House for the Kids and giveways of
mountain-top benefit concert series with Doctor Robert. This Beat-
Country Jam tickets and store gift certificates! Live entertainment.
les tribute band brings a modern sound to the Fab Four’s classics.
Live Broadcast with KMTS radio on Friday and with KQSE Saturday
Guests can ride the tram and enjoy the concert free with the donation
on La Nueva with Axel Contreras.
of a canned food item for the LIFT-UP food pantry beginning at 4 p.m.
Is your body limiting you? What if healing didn’t have to be hard? What have you concluded you can’t change?
THIS IS NOT YOUR REGULA R D AY S P A M A S S A G E . . . We’re the home of dynamic massage therapy using techniques to empower you. Is now the time to create a different reality with your body? We’re a massage clinic that actualizes change so you can be your best.
2425 South Grand Ave. Suite 108 Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601 | 970.379.8217 | www.cardifftherapy.com 38
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
MAY IS FOR... Planning This Year’s Garden Projects Planting Annuals and Warm Season Veggies (like Geraniums and Tomatoes) Once the Danger of Frost is Past Planting Any Trees, Shrubs and Perennials Preparing Garden Beds with Added Compost And Getting Inspired by a Visit to Eagle Crest!
We assist you in creating the garden of your dreams. Eagle Crest Nursery...the Gardener’s choice. P Garden Supplies P Annual & Perennial Flowers
P Vegetable Plants & Seeds P Trees and Shrubs
400 Gillespie Drive El Jebel, Colorado 81623 I 970-963-1173 I EagleCrestNursery.com
970-945-1306 5403 Cty Rd. 154 Unit 3 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-925-2016 307 AABC Unit D Aspen, CO 81611
WE WORK WITH ANY INSURANCE COMPANY LIFETIME WARRANTY AND FREE ESTIMATES FREE PICK UP AND DELIVERY TWO LOCATIONS TO BETTER SERVE YOU
OUR FRIENDLY STAFF IS HERE TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR INSURANCE CLAIM & COLLISION REPAIRS WE ARE CERTIFIED TO WORK ON ALL VEHICLES, YEAR, MAKE AND MODELS. May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
39
business directory COMMUNITY EVENTS HOME BUILDERS & & ORGANIZATIONS REMODELERS Girl Scouts of Colorado (303) 607-4838 girlscoutsofcolorado.org
DENTISTS & ORTHODONTICS Jack B. Hilty (970) 945-1185 hiltyortho.com
Murray Dental Group (970) 945-5112 murraydg.com
FINANCIAL SERVICES & PLANNING Bay Equity Home Loans (970) 309-2911 bayequityhomeloans.com/glenwood-springs
HEALTH & WELLNESS Burn Fitness Studio (970) 379-7403 burnfitnessstudio.com Cardiff Therapy (970) 379-8217 cardifftherapy.com Crystal River Spas (970) 963-2100 Hot Springs Pool & Spa (970) 945-6571 hotspringspool.com Midland Fitness (970) 945-4440 midland-fitness.com True Nature Healing Arts (970) 963-9900 truenatureheals.com
40
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
3 G Construction (970) 984-7046
Ace Roofing & Sheetmetal (970) 945-5366 aceroof.co B & H General Contractors (970) 945-0102 bandhgeneralcontractors.com
HOME DESIGN & FURNISHINGS Chamberlains Closets & Cupboards (970) 945-1209
Down Valley Design Center (970) 625-1589
HOME SERVICES
Tom Roach Hardwood Floors (970) 274-0944 tomroachfloors.com
LANDSCAPING
Aspen Grove Property Services (970) 279-5530 agps.biz
LEGAL
Balcomb & Green P.C. (970) 945-6546 balcombgreen.com Brown & Brown, P.C (970) 945-1241 brownandbrownpc.com The Noone Law Firm PC (970) 945-4500 noonelaw.com
LUXURY AUTOMOTIVE Audi Glenwood Springs (970) 945-5200 audiglenwoodsprings.com
Midvalley Auto Body (970) 366-0793 midvalley-auto-body.com
The Fireplace Company (970) 963-3598 thefpco.com
MEDICAL CLINICS & FACILITIES
The Glass Guru (970) 456-6832 theglassguruofglenwoodsprings.com
Mountain Family Health Centers (970) 945-2840 mountainfamily.org
Win Health Institute (970) 279-4099 winhealthinstitute.com
OTHER
AV by Design (970) 945-6610 avbydesignllc.com Dwyer Greens & Flowers (970) 984-0967 dwyergreens.com Eagle Crest Nursery (970) 963-1173 eaglecrestnursery.com Gianinetti Spring Creek Ranch (970) 379-0809
The Hotel Denver (970) 945-6565 thehoteldenver.com
PET CARE
Alpine Animal Hospital (970) 963-2371 alpinehospital.com Willits Veterinary Hospital (970) 510-5436 willitsvet.com
REAL ESTATE
Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Real Estate (970) 963-3300 masonmorse.com RAD Development Glenwood, LLC (970) 309-1540
Green Tech Electrical (970) 618-2163 green-techelectrical.com
SPECIALTY SHOPS
Midland Shoe (970) 927-0902 midlandshoe.com
Framing Expressions (970) 230-9193 framingexpressions.com
Network Interiors (970) 984-9100 Roaring Fork Valley COOP (970) 963-2220 Spring Creek Land & Waterscapes (970) 963-9195 springcreeklandandwaterscapes.com
Bleu Door Boutique (970) 945-3070
Cabinetry Designed to Fit Your Personality....Customized to Fit Your Needs Economy to Custom • Residential to Commercial
Sopris Kitchens & Baths Carbondale, CO 970-963-9195 “For 30 years I have continuously offered a personalized level of design and service to my clients in the Roaring Fork Valley. Give me a call.”
-Denise Gianinetti
Cabinetry • Countertops • Appliances • Eco Friendly
Frame your milestones.
Express your style with creative framing! 2114C Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs (across from Starbucks)
INFO@FRAMINGEXPRESSIONS.COM • 970-230-9193 May 2016 | Roaring Fork Lifestyle
41
Parting Thoughts
Down-to-Earth Lessons Learned on the Farm Author Bill Kight
WORDS BILL KIGHT
F
or a snot-nosed kid like me, my Grandfather’s farm was a magical place. Shutting my eyes, I can still see him plowing that rich Oklahoma dirt with his mule. While pulling the plow up and around for the next row, he flicked the reins with a master’s deftness. His hardworking life filled me with wild-eyed wonder. When the first raindrops strike the earth as I’m hiking in the wilds, alone and away from civilization’s distractions, the primal smell of the soil still brings flashbacks in short video segments. The scent of upturned earth connects me in a way that cannot be severed by the passing of time. With each flashback comes memories of life experienced in the simple, direct, powerful ways of childhood: There was my first time picking raspberries. Proudly placing a full bucket on the kitchen counter as mason jars rattled in the boiling water on the old combination woodand-gas stove. Time seemed to slow as I watched Grandmother canning raspberry jam. Then there was slopping the hogs—not my favorite chore because of the stink that rose from the half-fermented kitchen scraps that I poured from the slop bucket into the trough. And because escaping through the gate before the pigs ate me made my heart pound. My attempt to milk Bessie the cow provided a week’s worth of humor for Grandpa. Although I finally learned how to pull the tit between thumb and index finger to start the milk flowing, it was always a race to make it from the barn back to the house. A drake named Donald always chased me, and it was hard to run without spilling the milk. Learning to adapt to nature’s unmerciful ways was part of farm reality. To feed ourselves, we spent time and money feeding chickens. It wasn’t too hard to steal some of their eggs for the dinner table. But learning to wring their necks did not come easy. You have to do it quickly, then pour boiling water over the carcass. That makes plucking the feathers go faster. Digging up potatoes was fun. At first I was impatient and cut into the spuds with my spade. Grandpa rebuked me. Once he showed me how he did it, everything fell into place. I got down and dirty pulling the huge clods of earth apart with my hands. It was like finding treasure. 42
Roaring Fork Lifestyle | May 2016
One hot summer night, while we were seeking relief in a cool, outdoor evening breeze, a blood-curdling scream came out of the dark woods beyond the farm. In the west, we know them as mountain lions or cougars, but in the south they are called panthers. It was then I realized that wildness is ever our neighbor. My grandfather’s bees made the strongest impressions upon my young mind. I was amazed to see how thousands of them coexisted. Grandfather never wore protective clothing. By carefully observing the bee’s behavior, he knew if they were agitated and he did one of two things: He might use his smoker. Lighting the piece of cloth inside and working the bellows around the hives, the smoker would provide, at best, a temporary quick-fix. The other option was to simply back off and wait. The bees might calm down and get used to your presence. Or, you might have to go away and came back another time. The backing-off technique worked best. Because I watched and learned to emulate my Grandfather’s behavior, I was never stung, even when taking the honey. The hives taught me an important life lesson: If the people you are working with get agitated, you can put up a smoke screen. That’s a quick-fix, a sweet-spot attempt to gain cooperation. Or, you can back off and wait until the time is right for true connection. After all, it’s about connections. The ones we make in our snot-nosed years may be the most valuable. Those bonds with the earth, and with my grandparents’ wisdom, have served me well. I have learned that it’s up to each of us to find our own alignments. If we nurture those connections, make new ones, and in some cases re-connect with down-to-earth values, they will ground us and help when needed most. Bill Kight recently retired after 38 years of managing America's public
lands. He writes a monthly column, "Common Ground," for the Sopris Sun. He also hosts "For Land's Sake," a KDNK public affairs program that is livestreamed at 4:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month.
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