Debt Free!!!

 

WOW!!!

 

I can't believe the day has finally arrived!

Jim and I had our sights set on being debt free by 2017.

With much planning, frugality and financial diligence we have achieved our goal three years earlier than planned. 

 

Today, February 7, 2014 we made our final payments on all that loomed over our heads.

No more mortgage, no more student loans, no more credit cards!!

 

We have our sights set on maintaining a debt free future.

What good is $150,000 in a retirement account if you owe $300,000 in debt?

Why slave away day in and day out at a job only to pay a bank for the use of your house?

Yes, I said "use".  No, don't fool yourself by believing that you own your house because if you currently have a mortgage the bank owns it.  Just look at the past economy and the foreclosures that took place.  Not to be a negative ninny about people using the credit system to purchase items, I am just opting to use cash for items.  If we can't pay cash, we won't buy it - plain and simple.

Thus, reducing any chances of losing our possessions to banks.

Unfortunately, I know people who "lived" high on the hog during the heydays of bank loans and easy credit a few years back.  Now, after losing their houses, vehicles and recreational toys they are left with nothing but bad credit and monthly rental payments.

 

We are choosing to say "NO!" to the American lifestyle of credit cards and bank loans.

 

So, let today be our Independance Day!

Let us move forward with a lighter step unburdened by the clouds of debt!

 

 

 

 

 

 



crazy pet pics

Crazy Pet Pics

 

Going through some old files I found a few pictures to share.

Enjoy!

 

 Aspen

Happy 7th Birthday (Feb 2013)

 

 Doug the Devil Dog

(why it posted sideways I will never know & I could not rotate it..arrgh!)

 

"Why is there there a chicken in my dog kennel?," Aspen wonders aloud.

"Pretty sweet coop ya got here dawg," Cocoa Bean comments.

"Ok, yeah, thanks.  Just please don't peck my eye out," Aspen replies.

 

 Looky what I found under a bag of soil last summer!

What a surprise in my arid southwestern yard.

 



 Ok, so not officially a pet but I did name him before I carefully relocated him to another safer area in the yard. 

Meet Sammy the Salamander.

 

Hope all the critters you love are doing well.

 

 

ColoradoTrail Series

Colorado Trail Series
 Day 2

First camp to Celebration Lake (almost)
 

Hiked:12.75 miles

Camp: 11,090 elevation

(As always click to enlarge pictures - it's worth it!)

 

Starting out on Day 2 and looking back toward the valley we slept in the night before.  The trail is well used and easy to follow.

But, when in doubt look for posts or triangle CT markers or both.

 



It's nice that most of the intersections have good signage.

 

Love was everywhere along the trail.

 

 (may have to enlarge to see Pika sitting on the rock)

 

After our first big climb over Rolling Pass (12,520), we descended and were greeted by a Pika.  She was totally friendly and came running up for snacks.  However, we do not feed wild life and so she proceeded to try to chew on my shoe.  

 

 

Views at every turn.

 

 Near the head waters of Cascade creek.

 

 

The last decent toward Celebration Lake.

Frost had already come in the mountains as you can see the colors changing.

 

 

Dusk was coming fast.

I hustled to find a campsite and get dinner going before night fall.

 

Deer came into our camp all night long.

Like the Pika, they too were probably looking for hand outs.

 

Day 2 was a long haul.  There was a steep climb in the morning over Rollings Pass and another long drawn out climb up from Cascade creek (5 + miles).  I don't do well with climbs.  I'm just slow.  Jim doesn't do well with descents.  His knees don't like them.  So with today's ups and downs we were both exhausted.  The trail approaching Celebration Lake joins up with an abandoned jeep trail, then a recreational dirt road, then back to the woods, then back to a road..... and so forth.  With the light fading and the need set up camp, to find and filter water and cook and eat, I rushed ahead and found what I thought was the lake.  Jim set camp while I filtered water from one of the few pockets in a dry marshy area.  Considering the drought of the summer, we thought perhaps the lake was drying up.  Neither of us had ever been there so we didn't know what to expect. 

 

Completely exhausted we fell into our tent as the night fell around us.  As we drifted off to sleep we heard a dog barking in the distance.  Really?! I thought we escaped that!  As we would discover the next morning we had stopped about a quarter of a mile short of Celebration Lake.  Which was full of water.  However, there was also a family in a Jeep with a barking dog.  So it was a blessing in disguise that we camped where we did or otherwise the dogs might have met it's fate a bit early.  (Yes, I was that cranky about the barking.)

 

Sleep where you can!

 

......stay tuned for Day 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

GREETINGS 2014 FROM THE SLOPES!!

 

 

If "selfies" are all the rage, I need some practice.

 

 

 

Jim and Stown proving they are a bit faster than me by hopping on the chair in front.

 

Finally! 

A nice picture of all of us at the top of the mountain.

Thanks, kind Texan tourist.

 

 

Hope 2014 brings you many smiles and you are surrounded by those you love!!

Turkey Day

Happy Turkey Day!!

Jim and I had an unusual start to our Thanksgiving festivities this year - We actually killed our dinner!  We were introduced to a local farmer at a fundraiser back in October and reserved two heritage turkeys for the holidays.  We were invited to participate in the humane killing and preparation of the birds.  So on the snowy, wind blowy Sunday before Thanksgiving we went out to the farm for a lesson in Turkey Killing.  On our way we picked up another person in town to help, so there was five of us that day on the farm. (including the farmer)

Me & Jenny

I caught our first bird with ease.  "Jenny" (yes, I named her) was content in my arms to go for a walk.  I thanked her in advance for the delicious meal she would later provide for us.

Me & Jim

We hung the birds upside down.  This rushs the blood to their heads and they become very calm.

Farmer Ed 

After we pithed their brains, which numbs them by poking their brain through the roof of their mouth, we slit their throats and let them bleed out.  Then it was into a hot water bath and a "combing" of their feathers against the grain.  This loosens them for easier plucking.

 

We plucked and gutted outside with freezing hands.  Then I moved inside for the final rinsing and cleaning as instructed by the farmer's wife.

 

Our gracious farmer's wife had a delicious lunch of turkey vegetable soup with homemade bread and cookies waiting for us at noon.  True farmer style, feed the help!

 

He sells his birds to many locals who do not care to partake in the processing, so we helped him put up a total of seven turkeys that blustery day.  He said that was the farm record!  Usually, it is only him and his wife doing all the work.  He was grateful for the help.

 

The best turkey we ever tasted and it was nice to be involved from start to finish.  Someday we hope to expand the process even further by raising our own turkeys.

 

After a week and about a dozen failed picture uploads (sideways, upside down, lost connections, etc.) I decided to just post this story as is.  My guess is that it is the universe doesn't want pictures of us actually plucking, gutting or anything else that might be considered gross by some people.

 

Hope you had a memorable Thanksgiving!

Sixth Anniversary

I am a bit traditional when it comes to some things.  Wedding anniversaries is one of them.  So when our Sixth was approaching I did a little research and found out the traditional and modern gift options.

Traditional: Candy

Modern: Wood or Iron

So I set about planning and creating a gift that would combine all of these elements and have sentimental value as well.  I choose a very old (and large, draft horse maybe?) horseshoe which was dug up on the property where we will build our new home next year.  I gathered pine needles from the yard of our current house.  Then with the help of an Internet savvy friend ordered Jim's favorite candy.  Who knew that Peach Jolly Ranchers were so hard to find? ( I actually did not know this was his candy dish candy of choice until we were on our hike.)

I started assembling the candy dish on the anniversary of the day Jim proposed.  I carried it along and worked on it during our great Colorado Trail hike - which despite the weight of our packs anyway Jim teased me about bringing along a horseshoe.  I told him when he wasn't looking I was going to sneak it into his pack!  He watched me work on it and was unaware it was to become his.  I finished it just in time to fill it with candy and present it to him on the night of our anniversary. 

It turned out better than I imagined, despite a frustrating start trying to attach the pine needles to the horseshoe.  I struggled due to the lack of holes in which to stitch through.  There are patterns of 6 repeated through out the design.  He loved it.  (as always double click to enlarge pictures)

 

looking down into the basket

the bottom view

 

 

 

from the side

 

 

The candy is since gone but Jim uses it to hold his keys and wallet.  

problems......

     My apologies to all the family and friends who check in on my blog for fun stories and pictures.  Lately it seems to take FOOOORREEVEEERRR to upload pictures to the blog.  I don't know if it is a Blogger Host problem or an Internet connection issue.  So my many of my upcoming posts are in progress and I simply have to wait for the pictures.  There are times that I "upload" photos and walk away for over an hour in hopes of seeing a picture when I return.  As you can imagine this is a painfully slow process.  But, avidly I am trying to keep plugging forward.  Keep checking in - I will succeed with something soon!

Love to all!