Spring returns, as do We

With longer days and warmer weather upon us, the time has come to reconnect with our life's latest and greatest project (other than children, of course). Motivation for such an undertaking comes in many forms, books being one of them. The colder months provided ample time to relax upon the hearth and learn from the wisdom of those who have succeeded before us.  Among Ryan's favorites are Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land by Gary Paul Nabhan and Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke. He is the practical one, putting all of that technical knowledge to use while I scrub floors and daydream.  Spinning my wild imagination into a tizzy is:

I found that little gem, written by the Beulah Historical Society, at the library. Published in 1979, she is full of photos, fact and fun times in days past.  My favorite chapter of course in titled, "But What Do You Do Out There?"! I certainly have an easy time fancying myself at the Dance Hall learning the  Heel and Toe Polka!  

Digging deeper, the ground has thawed, allowing us to plant this year's holiday trees across our creek along Pine Drive, hopefully creating a sound and visual barrier with time.  I have never seen someone so happy to see dirt.  Not your typical Colorado Front Range decomposed Pike's Peak (San Isabel) Granite, which was formed about 1.4 billion years ago when the even older schist and gneiss were again metamorphosed by invading molten activity.  Nope, this here "black gold" (as one neighbor referred it), rich in organic matter since it lays along the creek bed, carries the hopes and dreams of our small family orchard.

A Blue Spruce and Norwegian Spruce(?) find permanent homes.

Dark is the Dirt.

A local resident with a excavator (or is that a backhoe)helps to dig the earth to create the swales that hold the water to nourish the trees that grow fruit for our family. And make the world a more beautiful place.  Hee.  Each of the huge trenches holds the remains of nearly 5 full grown, yet dead trees that Ryan removed from our property.  Once recovered with soil and saturated with water, these "carbon sequester-ers" will hopefully retain and provide moisture in times of drought.  

Twiggy likes the dirt, too.

Spring break was most certainly a success!  The orchard zone was prepped (trees to arrive within the month)and the kids actually participated!

One of the best feelings in the world is to see two teen-aged girls working together to remove barbed wire fencing!

Another best feeling: two boys intensely discussing the camouflage of caddisfly larva between bursts of running and climbing all over tractor tires and trees.  

Thanks to those who helped us this week and who will be arriving soon to lend a hand!