The Plains Conservation Center is an 1,100 acre nature preserve in Aurora, Colorado. There’s a nature center and hiking trails with views of the Rocky Mountains.
I visited back in August when my pal Johnna and I met for a whirlwind road-tripping adventure around the state. We stopped here for a walk on the way to the airport. It was exactly the right choice.
A red-tailed hawk played above us while prairie dogs scurried to avoid us on the ground.
There’s a homestead village with a handful of buildings and animals.
Happiness is a cute face! This little fellow is a resident of the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora, Colorado. We stopped there for a stretch of the legs after breakfast and before we parted ways to head home.
As the name suggests, it’s pretty flat but they have some interesting buildings, farm equipment and a handful of animals that are mostly friendly – probably because they hoped for food.
Regardless of his motivation, I was pleased to meet a new friend!
This image comes from my whirlwind trip to Ohio’s Amish Country this fall. The Farm At Walnut Creek is a working farm where you can see people farming, cooking and handling animals. Inside the house, the basement kitchen was a bustling place during my visit.
My nose led me inside to purchase warm loaves of homemade bread but I lingered a while to observe their activity. I enjoyed listening to the ladies speak to one another in their Pennsylvania Dutch and watched as they toiled about their work.
But the thing I liked best here was this wall of homemade canned goods.
Both of my grandmothers canned vegetables, fruits and meats – most of it stuff they raised themselves. This activity was common for their generation but it’s increasingly rare to hear people talk about canning today.
I’m all for the old ways but, if I can’t freeze it, I am not going to mess with it.
Yet, I have fond memories of green beans, homemade pickles and fresh grape juice canned to enjoy another day.
The mere sight of all those rows of canned goodies was enough to take me back to the sweltering kitchens of my childhood. It was here that food was prepared and giant pots of boiling water were used to vacuum seal dozens of lids on jars for another day.
It’s both a survival tool and an act optimism that you will indeed survive the seasons long enough to enjoy all that good food. I would love to announce that canning will be my next new hobby. But, as long as I have freezer space and a supply of ziplock bags, this will not be the case.
Instead, I’ll just enjoy the picture and the memories of green beans on a cold winter day.
Of all the paths you take in this life, make sure a few of them are country roads. I had to pass this one up but I’ll return another day – just to see where it goes.
Today isn’t the day, of course. It’s Monday and the workweek begins again.
Do you have a someday list? What’s on it? Travel? Hobbies? Books? Trying a new restaurant? Exploring a road like this? I’m always looking ahead to the next bit of free time – large chunks and small can be used to accomplish goals and try new things if you plan.
I have spent more time lately flying by the seat of my pants but my someday list is never far from thought. I hope you keep yours close too.
Yesterday’s gloom was a good excuse to stay home and feather my nest. Part of that involved simply straightening up the messes made last week when I was under the weather. Part of it was moving some furniture to accommodate a cabinet my parents gave me. I also tried to convince Scout that he wants to use the new larger litter box I bought for him. All of this plus a pot of potato soup for good measure!
It was a nice day.
The problem with a day like this is that it encourages me to notice things I want to change. My carpet is ugly and worn out and I have in mind a bedding look I would like for winter if I can find what I want. Then there’s the craft room/storage room that is a perpetual mess. I have a few fixes in mind but am honestly not sure how to proceed so paralyzed with indecision I will remain for at least a while longer. Then there’s the completely useless dining room I would like to transform into a library. Again, what to do with the furniture and which shelves should I buy?
The indecision regarding these rooms reminds me of the five year long saga that surrounded the need to replace my back door. Don’t ask. Just know it was excruciating.
While I wrestle with these and other issues, I will choose to be happy with this corner of my home.
Doesn’t it look inviting and cozy? It is pretty comfy.
Adventure season is not done but it is winding down. I have one big adventure and a few smaller ones planned throughout the holidays. Soon, though, I’ll be hunkering down at home and enjoying a no spend month or two. It’s good having a welcoming place and a refuge to return to at the end of a long adventure season.
We all deserve to have a place to call our own whether it be a corner, a room or an entire home. I hope you have a place like that for yourself.
I took a long stroll around Chillicothe’s Yoctangee Park one afternoon earlier this year. There had been a car show in town that day and there were a number of classics cruising through the downtown area.
Seeing them at a car show is terrific but spotting them out in the wind is amazing. So I was delighted see one pull up behind me at a traffic light. Just as I went to snap the picture in my review mirror — this happened!
Two classics of different eras in the rearview of my modern car! Perfect!
