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Date: 5/7/2012
Event Location: REI, Boulder
Event Fee: Free
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (MST)
Presenter: Phil Magistro and Apryle Craig

Description: Join husband and wife team Phil Magistro and Apryle Craig as they present photos and stories from their 29 day thru-hike of The Colorado Trail with an emphasis on how they traveled light.  The 486-mile trail starts in Denver and ends in Durango, passing through some of the most spectacular scenery in Colorado. In addition to photos and stories, Phil and Apryle will provide tips on packing light and planning food rations.  The Colorado Trail is right out our backdoor – whether you’re considering a weekend mountain biking trip, a month long hiking expedition, or volunteer trail work come see how you can take advantage of this amazing trail!

We harvested honey last Friday (Apr 27).  We’re trying to replace all our sugar with honey.  We have a top bar beehive.  Thanks to fellow homesteaders Marc and Diana for their courageous assistance.  It was a sticky mess and took days to process the honey.  Email us if you have any questions about top bar hives or honey gathering.

We’re doing a slideshow presentation at REI Boulder Friday at 6:30 pm. Photos, video, and an update on salmon farming along the Inside Passage. For more info visit http://www.rei.com/event/37431/session/47091

We’re having a community seed swap in Estes Park! Saving and sharing seed is a vital way to preserve and grow the biodiversity of our gardens and food. In a difficult climate like Estes Park, gardeners can greatly benefit from using locally adapted seeds. The Estes Park Community Seed Swap is a chance for local gardeners to meet, exchange seeds from plants that have been successful in local or similar high-altitude gardens, and learn from one another.

Attendees should come with seeds, root cuttings, or live plants packaged to share. Vegetables, flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees are all welcome. There is no cost to attend.

The event will be held at the Estes Valley Library, on Saturday March 3rd from 12pm-4pm. If you interested in attending, please sign up at http://www.evlcalendar.org/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=7600. If you are interested in sponsoring or helping out with the event, please send me an email (philip dot magistro at gmail dot com) and we can talk about details!

Hey, everyone! Happy holidays! Here are a bunch of photos of our house, our first Christmas Tree (a live blue spruce named Fat Albert!), and a bounty of gifts waiting to be opened. Thanks to everyone who thought of us this holiday season.

We had the good fortune this last week to take part as volunteers in Scott Rashid‘s Northern Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) banding project. There isn’t much known about these little owls, and Scott is the only bander here in Colorado. Exciting to be a part of that….and the owls are simply the most adorable creatures in the world.

Scott is looking for volunteers for the banding project – check out this article if you are interested!

Climbed a tree and picked apples. Made applesauce and apple pies. Got some local Palisade, CO peaches and canned those up. My boss gave me some cucumbers out of his brother’s garden; made some pickles. Baking lots of pies!! Put a coat of paint on our concrete stairs. Phil got pretty good tomatoes this year. You’ll also see pictures of the wheat crop.