Human Lifestyle

Another late morning which was good... I like these late mornings!

Once again a fairly productive day but relaxed enough. Gill took our youngest to the aquarium shop which is part of Wyvale Garden Centre near Poppleton... Gill and I both call it Challises as we both worked at Challis of York, although at different times. But it changed hands although is still a garden centre. With a fishy-pet shop. They came back with two tiny fish... apparently 'leopard fish' although they look nothing like leopards! Also some pondweed and a wooden aquarium decoration.

I was on Facebook and one of our friends round the corner came on so I messaged her and asked if her son was doing anything, as our eldest was at a loose end... so at 3pm, both Maria and her son came round which was good, as then both boys had their loose ends tied up, and Maria could tell me all the ins and outs of her new job teaching. It sounds tough.

I prepared some more grapes, blanched them and put them to dry. Did some pears and mangoes too. Did some baked potatoes for the boys, and warmed the red soup which is what I had for tea.

I had a meeting at 7.30 with Jess from York in Transition, about accessibility and inclusion. Both of us feel this is absolutely vital to a Transition Initiative. Jess had a couple of her friends there, Tom and Emily, an artist and a writer, both also keen on inclusivity and equal opportunities. We had some interesting if rather rambling discussions, but Jess took notes and I think we will have got something concrete out of the meeting. They all enjoyed the dried fruit I took, and I hope to meet the new couple again... I like creative types.

Came home via a logpile and brought a massive tree stump home... it only just fitted on my trailer; I had to take the box out of the frame and just put the log in/on the frame and the plastic box on my rack. A good haul although I reckon it'll be a sod to cut up!

A late late evening, Gill and I had a real game of Scrabble and Gill won. I was very pleased for her... and of course, with real games on a board, we have no 'stats' recorded, so losing a game doesn't ruin my stats. On Facebook though, things are different... I really like to keep my stats looking good. (So far I've won 82% of 73 games) But it still doesn't matter too much if I lose a game sometimes. A few days ago, one of my Scrabble partners and I reached a stalemate but she had one more point than me so I conceded the game. Never had to do that before!

A good evening, watched a film with Gill.

Another slow start to the day. Didn't do much before lunch apart from cycling round to Thomas the Baker to get bread and do assorted paperwork, sending off a cheque, ringing Good Energy to find out our annual bill for green electricity for next year, based on this year's consumption (it's £285, and this year we've used 1421 units, or 3.89 units per day). At midday lit the stove and jarred up a load of dried mango and pears, leaving the racks empty for the next batch... and right on cue, Raj rang and invited me to come and collect some 'resources'. When I did eventually get down there, the sack of stuff he gave me, sorry, sold me for a penny, contained lots of apples. How timely is that? He was also in a very jolly mood, methinks business is brisk!

Also popped along to Country Fresh, and Shirley was working but still came away with a few kilos of recyclables, saved from certain landfill.... So as it was getting dark I put another load in the Compostumbler and then came in to heat up the red red red soup on the woodstove, as Gill prepared pasta and broccoli using gas (although the water was initially heated in the kettle on the stove). I had a bowl of soup followed by a bowl of pasta n veg with some soup on top.

So a quiet and fairly productive day.

(On the Left: This is a squence of photos from Rocky Mountain National Park. They are ordered in time.) Colorado has gone to the dogs and I don’t mean rover! The Coyote (Canis latrans subsp.), a member of the dog genus is ubiquitous around the state and throughout North America for that matter. Unlike other species, which have felt the pinch of encroaching humans, the Coyote has adapted and expanded its range. It now roams from Oregon to New Jersey. They thrive in the burbs as well as the wilds.

Coyotes are carnivores. Their primary diet consists of small mammals like rabbits, mice, and Prairie Dogs. They will eat carrion but prefer a fresh kill. There is a great deal of controversy over how much livestock and domestic pets are affected by the coyote. Whether myth or fact, just the idea makes the Coyote the target of ranchers and farmers. Interestingly, Coyotes are afraid of Mountain Lions and some communities have learned to keep Coyotes away by projecting the sounds of Lion.




I have lost track of the Coyote sightings I have had. What is unique about his sequence is that there were three Coyotes traveling together. I have only seen them solo despite the fact that they do usually hunt in pairs. I observed this group in Rocky Mountain National Park the day after Christmas. I only had a 200mm lens, so the photos are distant but the sequence does give you an idea of their color and behavior. Coyotes usually have a hunting circuit three to four miles long. The tracks you can see in the photos imply these three had cruised this ground before.



Coyotes can interbreed with domestic dogs. Sometimes I wonder if my new puppy is not part Coyote. She is a trickster for sure, just like prevalent Native American myths. Next time you see a Coyote or hear its lonesome song, take a moment to appreciate the rare success story of a species that is actually thriving.

A nice late morning. Boys in good cheer. Generally a lazy day.

However during the afternoon Lorna popped in on the way back from her sister's and I went for a short walk with her, getting back at 5, and she then drove home to the Midlands. I expect we'll see her later this month, as she's visiting her sister again then.

I popped round to our neighbour Debbie who's back from visiting her brother in Windsor. She's had an unusual Christmas and is glad to be in her own house again.

The whole family watched a programme on ITV with a shrunk Nigel Marvin exploring his back garden and saying "Help! I'm no bigger than a bug" which was relatively good but not brilliant.

Soup for tea... I'd made the reddest soup possible, with tomatoes, red peppers and beetroot, and it was lovely. Had this with a pastie, and a cabbage and cashew nut thing which Gill made, plus some left over baked beans. Tasty!

Fairly quiet evening.... watched some telly, played Scrabble and answered composting questions on Facebook. Bed by 2am.

This herd was located across the street from the visitor's center snuggled down in between a bunch of houses.
Welcome to the herd! Think we “advanced” primates are above such behavior? Try taking an intercontinental flight one of these days and you will change your tune. I can hear the cattle braying as the line winds around and around the tape at the security checkpoint. All I see are backsides and I shuffle ignominiously onto the plane. Ever been to a professional football game? Doesn’t that remind you of the annual rut in which thousands of Elk gather in Rocky Mountain National Park’s two large meadows and congregate around the largest and loudest Bull with the showiest physic. Herd indeed!


I confess that I am immune to the charms of the Elk. It is sheer ennui brought on by too much familiarity. Visit the Estes Park and you will see them…everywhere. They are on the golf course, huddled around the large bronze Elk statue at the edge of town, or wandering around the meadows of the park itself. In contrast, last summer I ran into a herd of Mountain Goats and practically had an epileptic fit. Isn’t it amazing that you can live in a place where such amazing animals are as common as the tourists who clog the roads to ogle them?

(On the left: This young bull was watching us closely as we got too close to the gals.) I have another confession…whenever I see an Elk I also think of dinner. I like the taste of it and wish I could get some hunter to bag one for me. I don’t think I could ever get up the nerve to do it myself. I like my protein dressed and sauced on my plate. Hypocritical in the extreme I know but not an uncommon attitude. Since the days when we could hire out our husbandry, the human species has become sensitized to all the carnage.

Elk are Colorado’s largest species of deer. They can be seven to nine feet long and over four and half feet high. The antlers of the Bull Elk are impressive indeed. These antlers grow in the spring and can weigh up to 40 pounds. They can grow up to an inch a day, protected by velvet, a soft skin that is scraped off on trees by summer. By early winter, the antlers are shed. Interestingly, the number of points on the antlers has nothing to do with the age of animal.

Elk are vegetarian browsers. Their diet consists primarily of grass but in winter will augment this with the bark of trees. Much of the scaring on Aspen trees is from Elk.

Finally, experts are trying to get us to use the term Wapiti for Elk because in Europe the term Elk refers to what we would call a Moose. Somehow, I don’t think Wapiti is going to catch on. The herd may just have a mind of its own.

A good day today... boys happy on Wii, me busy in the kitchen as well as Gill making a trifle for this afternoon's visit. I went for some bread... as no 'Yesterbake' got the full-price stuff for the first time in ages. Also found a new line in the Co-op, a nice apple juice drink in a glass bottle (easy recycling!) made with English apples, so got some of that, again for Alison's party.

I washed and blanched a job-lot of grapes and put them to dry before cycling off to Chapelfields, the other side of York, for Alison's party. Gill and the boys went on two buses... I'd been there half an hour when Gill rang (she has got a mobile phone, 21st Century Girl!) and said she had got off where Alison said, so I went to collect them, just 5 minutes walk from Alison's.

The gathering was really good. Alison's sister Cheryl from Sheffield, and Cheryl's daughter Grace, who was really good with the boys. Our friends Melody and Simon with their two offspring, one of who is great friends with our two, and Simon's Mum MaryLou from London. And really good to meet up with my Green Festival buddy Randall and his wife Annie. Rand is a garden designer and has done a lovely job on Alison's garden, making a little patio and some raised beds.

Alison had requested that people didn't bring anything which none of us had heard, understood or obeyed, so there were some excellent foody bits and lots of dwinkabuls and we all had a jolly time. Including garden tours and memories of what it used to look like with a photo collection. The boys played boisterously and had a good time too. We left soon after 6, and as Gill got a taxi home she got in first. I picked up a sack of compostables from Country Fresh and a large pile of unsold mistletoe... with loads of berries which I'll try to plant into my Bramley Apples... might work!

So, a happy evening followed with not very much washing up to do, hooray!

A nice start to the day, with a phone call from Lorna who's up in Yorkshire visiting her sister and asked if she could visit us all this evening. I came down and lit the stove as it's cold, and breakfasted.

Gill went out with our eldest to go and look for a Nintendo Wii, as he's been saving up for one for ages, after enjoying using one at a friend's house earlier this year.

I went on my computer and our youngest played on Spore on the other computer.

The others came back, they'd walked into town, got a good deal on a Wii and walked back. They'd got a basic Wii Sport with added games, steering wheel, extra user remote and probably other stuff... for an all inclusive price which was quite a bit cheaper than all the bits if bought separately. So what's going to happen is that he'll have the basic stuff he's saved up for, and keep earning and saving so he can buy the extra stuff off Gill.

We had a late lunch of the last of the leek and potato soup, and I did a small amount of work outside, pruning out this year's brambles, some chainsawing (just 10 minutes) and splitting.

Lorna dropped in after tea (which was tomato soup, home-made of course!) and watched the boys and Gill setting up the Wii whilst I filled up the aquarium that our youngest got for his main present. Lorna had never seen a Wii before so was just as amused as we were to watch our eldest having a virtual boxing match, very entertaining and fun.

Lorna left at about 9 and I set to and made another batch of tomato soup on the woodstove. This is what you do with a glut of tomatoes: chop two onions and a stick of celery, and fry in the biggest heaviest pan you have. Add a job lot of chopped tomatoes, followed by a couple of chopped beetroot and two red peppers. Stew for a couple of hours with the lid on and then let it go cold overnight without taking the lid off. Tomorrow morning I'll add some herbs and bouillon, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Then whizz with the hand-held blender and bring it up to heat again... it will be delicious!

Whilst this was bubbling, I watched Nine Months, a rather rubbish American film, and played Scrabble with my various Facebook friends.

Well, I justabout survived the day.

Up early as we had quite a bit to do before I went to work. The boys enjoyed opening their presents, our youngest pleased with lego and eldest pleased with money instead so he can go and buy a 'Wii'. Gill had found an unused table football game (quite a big one, about 3 feet long) in a charity shop for only £5, and they were pleased with that. They unwrapped the legs first and were just a bit bemused as to what they were for. Gill was pleased with her new frying pan (she'd dropped enough hints) and I was tempted to go and fill up my chainsaw's oil port immediately but just resisted! Probably the best gift was Simon's home-made pestle and mortar, created from sheets of reclaimed birch ply, glued together into a sturdy block and then turned and carved and sanded down. The pestle is made in the same way. We already have a pestle and mortar... it rarely gets used and it's small enough to fit in the back of the cutlery drawer. As for Simon's, it's massive and beautiful and I'm not sure where it will go or whether we'll use it... but it is lovely and home-made presents are definitely the best!

Gill made my sandwiches and I packed my bike trailer, and I set off for the Novotel to go and perform an hour of Fiddlesticks and then unknown amount of Father Christmas, a role I really dislike as it's not me..... Professor Fiddlesticks is more the real me than I can be when being just John, if that makes sense, whereas Daddy Xmus is acting and very hard work. David was just getting ready so I signed his 'release form' which allows him to use the images, and started unicycling round, devilsticking and making balloon animals. Several people recognised me from last year and were very friendly, kids excited and keen to do the various circussy activities. The hour went very quickly and I went for lunch in a bedroom, got changed and came down for 1.30, walking very slowly, making sure my beard and cushion didn't slip, and doing a variety of deep Ho Ho Ho's and assorted other merry greetings. I'm sure I pulled it off pretty well, but it was hard work! I only had about 10 presents to deliver, this taking only 15 minutes... and I was finished, Hooray!

I got changed back into John and packed all my gear into the trailer and panniers and came home via Freshways who were open, and I bought some Halva as a treat.

Found out no-one else likes it, apparently.

Gill had made a lovely Christmas tea... the boys wanted noodles, I had the rems of nutloaf, all with roast veggies and a tomato and leek sauce. Lovely and completely non traditional!

We watched the Wallace and Gromit 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit' film together but I drifted in and out of sleep until the news after which I escaped from the Dr. Who Christmas special and went upstairs with my laptop and did assorted things, including watching two extremely moving YouTube videos:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mrOwvNnTeD4&NR=1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Z7rV7kKnI&NR=1
after which I joined the Aaron Fotheringham fan page on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38047288049&ref=ts
as he's someone I really admire. Totally inspirational!

Came back down for a family viewing of the new Wallace and Gromit, 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' which was ok. The boys eventually went to bed and I prepared a big pile of waste mangoes for drying. Each one has a one or two small bruises or bad patches, with the rest of the mango being very tasty and lovely. Did about 15 of them... Two cake-racks loaded with mango slices, balanced precariously on top of the 6 gallon pan on the stove...

Woke late.. well, after 9, with a certain child screaming at the top of his voice and rushed downstairs as I thought he'd been injured. He hadn't... he'd forgotten his password for a card-making website (or something like that) and was having a full-blown paddy. Really over the top... but obviously it mattered to him.

Anyway, it got me up. I emailed David who's a photographer and I've asked to take some pics for some new publicity material for me, and he wants to come to the hotel I'm working in tomorrow and get some pics of Professor Fiddlesticks. I always visit the venue beforehand to check how things are and remind them of my needs, health and safety-wise etc, so I invited David to come with me and see the venue. So went down just before lunch and met Stewart the manager, and found the whole place had been rebuilt and I have a new position to do my work in.

Home for a late lunch and a fairly lazy day... just some housework and a bit of work outside. Took the boys up the road to deliver a card to one of their friends, they walked back and I went on to Country Fresh with a little gift for Richard for his year-long generosity and friendship... he just loves the dried fruit and as he's the supplier of much of it, it's good that some goes back to him! Home via Freshways where there was a sad lack of compostables but they were very friendly and nice.

A relaxed evening, watched Willy Wonka the 1971 version with the children which was lovely! Gill had made some soup, leek and potato, which we had with bread rolls. Delicious.

Simon popped in later on in the evening to deliver his presents and collect what we've got for them. Had a glass of Pauline's Port and a good natter.

Then onto present wrapping, and a bath to tidy up for tomorrow's work.

Another relaxed day... woke after 9 and soon went into town to pay in a cheque and get a cheque out to pay Cozmic Balloons for a recent delivery of 1500 modelling balloons.

Also visited Pauline who had her usual festive gift for me... a bottle of Port, which is a kind of swap for several potato sacks of logs for her Clearview Pioneer smokefree woodstove. We had a good chat about her volunteering with the St Clement's Hall project and various other subjects over a coffee. Always lovely to spend time with her, and put the World to rights!

Then headed for Barnitts which has got to be York's best shop, and got several items which I will give as gifts at Christmas... including 5 litres of chainsaw lubricating oil which I hope someone will give to me! Hahahaha, always good to receive useful stuff!

Home via Country Fresh where Richard was in a jolly mood and was happy to help load me up with lots more compostables... and some stuff to dry including six bags of red seedless grapes... And then to Freshways where Raj was jolly too. Everybody's happy today!

A late lunch. After lunch I took the compostables down to the Compostumbler and then at about 4 came in to make a nutloaf for tea. I made two lots of nutloaf mix... one with grated raw beetroot in, and the resultant loaf was in two layers, one a lovely red colour.

Jonathan arrived at 6.30 and we all ate together, Jonathan very impressed by the nutloaf, and happy with his present of dried bananas too! He had to scoot off fairly quickly as he was meeting his girlfriend to go and see a film.

Gill had spent some of the afternoon learning how to make something on Spore and I was curious to see some of the assorted creatures and buildings the rest of the family had made, although I have no desire to join in... I'd rather play Scrabble or build a carefully constructed logpile! Spore is clever, though, and I can see how much fun it is!

A very quiet day, hardly anything to report other than I got up at a pretty normal time, before 9am as our youngest came upstairs reporting that there was a postman at the door with a parcel.

I rang my parents who are back from the Antipodes and it was a good chat... we'll see them between Christmas and New Year, hopefully.

Gill went out later in the morning and the boys played on the computer for a bit.

I did some logpile building and a bit of compost heap management... so nothing new there!

So probably one of the least interesting days I've had for quite a while... kinda relaxed and nice, really.

A work day... so, up quite early to get ready to get to the station for the 10.22 to Northallerton, getting some cash out first as I was so low on the readies a day or two ago that I had to ask my son to lend me £20 (he's brilliant at not spending and is saving up for a Nintendo Wii).

I managed to write most of a letter on the train back to my friend Kate in Leeds who's sent me a nice 'Christmas Wishes' note; she doesn't have a computer and therefore regular easy communication takes a little bit more effort.

So, Northallerton came quickly and I waited just a couple of minutes for the Coopers Dales & AAA Taxi to come (excellent service in the Bedale and Northallerton area 01609 772295) who took me to Masham and (gently) dumped me in the car park of the Black Sheep Brewery.

I was in plenty of time to have a coffee and chats to my employer Sue D, then get changed and ready to be my usual boisterous colourful self, twiddling my stick (careful, John!) and making balloon models for excited children and plenty of giggling adults too. With children I just play it 'straight' and am funny just by being dressed up and clever doing what I do, but with adults I have a range of suggestive comments and puns which only grown-ups 'get' and this atmosphere, with the ale flowing, is the perfect environment for that kind of humour, so I had a lovely day (well three and a half hours with a 10 minute break actually).

Father Christmas was his usual popular self and everybody had a good time, with good food, even better beer and appropriate entertainment. A kind gentleman who comes every year bought me a pint, which I accepted towards the end of the event once I'd stopped juggling, as even a few mouthfuls of alcoholic drink slows my reactions enough for me to become noticeably rubbish at devilsticking, as it requires needs lightening reactions and, for me, complete abstinence from alcohol.

I was surprised how quickly the end came as I was enjoying myself so much, and got changed and paid, and as I got to the car park the taxi drew up to deliver me safely back to Northallerton. I met an interesting old couple in the station waiting room, who were heading off to the Black Forest for a week. They responded to my frank approach to conversation with some very private and personal information about their marriage, which was really interesting. They said if the rest of their holiday was as interesting as their 20 minutes in Northallerton Station waiting room, they'd have had a good holiday! I do love being me! (most of the time anyway...)

I came home via Country Fresh, arriving just in time to collect a box of recyclables which went onto my bike rack, and was home by 5.15. Gill had had a good day with the boys, with no difficulties (she'd let them spend most of the day on the computer) and a relatively peaceful evening ensued.

Distance: 4 miles RT
Elevation: 5,645 ft – 6, 300 ft
Elevation Gain: 655 ft


Looking northeast from atop the Homestead Plateau
With yet another storm raging in the high country we once again set our sights on a lower hike along the Front Range. This loop travels up the Homestead Trail for 1.1 miles, heads west along the Towhee Trail for 0.4 miles, then jogs 0.3 miles on Shadow Canyon before finishing up with 2.0 miles along the Mesa Trail. The map at the bottom of this post gives a rough idea of the route for those interested. There is a web of trails at the southern end of the Mesa Trail, and hikers can choose many different options.


The Homestead and Towhee Trails start off to the left, Flatirons in the distance
The Homestead Trail is nice because it is a steeper and more strenuous ascent. It will get your heart rate going as you climb the many steps leading up to a broad plateau. From the top, there are views of the distant plains as well as the ever-approaching flatirons.

(On the left: Heading up the Homestead Trail). On this route, the trail descends back down the north side of the plateau to intersect with the Towhee Trail, which comes up the gully from the right. This side of the plateau was still snow encrusted and very slick. The Towhee Trail has the disadvantage of being a leash only, which is another good reason to start out on the Homestead Trail if you have dogs that need to run free.

From the Towhee Trail, the loop heads east on Shadow Canyon for just 0.4 miles. There are nice views of some rock formations near this intersection and nice views of the plains a few yards up the trail.

(On the right: Heading down the Homestead Trail. Rock formations in view). The Mesa Trail stretches 6 miles south to north, and at the intersection of Shadow Canyon and the Mesa Trail the hiker has the choice of heading north for another 4 miles or heading south directly. We decided to head north and upwards but were turned around by very slick conditions within a quarter of a mile. Just past the ruins of an old cabin, we turned around and headed back to the trailhead.


Towhee Trail


View from Shadow Canyon Trail


Heading up the Mesa Trail. While there were folks out trail running, we were being pulled by a dog on a leash and the slick conditions and steepness of the road had us turn around about 0.2 miles from this point.

The southern portion of the Mesa Trail is a broad. It windy gracefully downwards with sweeping views of the plains. The willows along the trail are filled with birds in the spring and summer.



Heading down the Mesa Trail


About half-way down


Trailhead is in view. In the distance is the Dowdy Plateau. That area is filled with hikes as well.


The Dowdy-Debacker-Dunn Homestead, or what is left of it


Detail of the rock construction
At the apex of the Homestead and Mesa Trails are the remains of the Dowdy-DeBacker-Dunn Homestead. Built in 1858, all that remains is the stone section, unique for its mult-sized slab construction. In its day, an irrigation canal ran through it, providing fresh running water…of a sort. It seems hard to imagine this popular trailhead as the deep frontier but long before Boulder was founded, hearty stock had been settling in what was then Arapaho Indian country. For some it was gold but for others if was land for both farming and ranching. The original settler, Dowdy, ran a gristmill.


Crossing the creek. The trailhead is only a few feet away.
Colorado is filled with history and many of its trails are strewn with mining relics, the ruins of old cabins, and the ghosts of pioneers. Half the time we overlook these doorways into the past. Glued to our ipods and focused on cardiovascular performance, they simply fade from view. So, next time you hit the southern Mesa Trailhead, take a moment to examine what is left of the homestead and look around. Imagine living there over 100 years ago.


Map of the route

A little bit of a lie-in as the children were busy and quiet so I actually stayed in bed til 10am.

The children were given the opportunity to come to town with me, to get something for Gill for Christmas, despite her saying she doesn't want anything except a happy peaceful family

I went to get bread and hummus just before lunch, and afterwards went to the allotment. I chopped back loads of brambles and chopped them int shorter bits for composting, and dug up quite a few artichokes which I planted several years ago (3 types) and have been spreading freely ever since... Lovely and peaceful, stayed til about 4pm, when it was getting dark.

I came back via Freshways who had quite a lot of stuff for me to recycle, and when there, was met by my friend Sue who had agreed to meet me, at home, at 4ish, to help her with her studies.
So I went back home and she followed, and she explained her mission. She's already trained as a masseur, and can do several different types, and is now training as an 'iridologist' which is someone who looks into peoples' eyes in order to diagnose illnesses or problems. So Sue first looked into each eye using a magnifying glass with bright LED lights, and then took a series of photographs of each eye, which she'll use to practise diagnosing stuff... I like Sue and have known her for years, but think this is definitely 'yoghurt weaving', and I'll contact my buddy Stu who's writing about this subject. He has the blog (above) and a Facebook page (for those with a Facebook profile) which has even spawned an application where people can give virtual yoghurty gifts to each other.

During the evening I peeled a load of pears and put them to dry... one of my favourites!

Quite a relaxed day in many ways... although due to a family visit we did have some tidying up to do. I took our youngest into school and came back to help sort stuff out... I found a large sack of bananas which I was able to salvage and lay out on the cake-racks on the stove, and also helped with vacuuming, ready for Gill's sister Jane and hubby Mike to visit, due at 2.30.

About lunchtime I was rung up by the local free magazine 'Local Link' who are going to do a feature on composting, and they wanted a how and why conversation to form an article, so spent an hour chatting through allsorts of stuff, being careful to differentiate between the York Rotters advice and things which I did, which I'm supposed to try to keep separate from Rotters stuff. For instance, with my Rotters hat on, I'm supposed to not go on about composting roadkill... so I am going to be sent the article before publication so I can check I'm not going to get into trouble, and that the facts are correct!

Jane and Mike had come to visit several folks in York, drop off presents and pick up presents for their family gathering, as they have offspring and grandchildren visiting them over the holidays. They arrived slightly early and we had a good chat before our eldest came home and then I cycled down to school to pick up our youngest. They stayed a bit later than planned, to see the children who were on best behaviour, fortunately!

I left for town as soon as they went, to deliver paperwork for the council, the Planning Panel stuff, and to post parcels to Taunton and Shrewsbury and a small pile of letters/cards to lots of other places. I also picked up two sacks of orange halves and coffee grounds from Millers Yard, and a sack and a box from Country Fresh. Home by 5pm.

I had the leftover macaroni cheese and cauliflower from yesterday plus dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) which are one of my favourite things, quite a treat as they aren't cheap, even buying in bulk from Suma. A good evening with the children, we watched a bit of telly and I got a cuddle... not something I often get from my eldest!

A warm and cosy evening turning logs rapidly back into the carbon dioxide the trees sucked up not so long ago, releasing their stored sunshine into our living room and into the water to enable us to wash our pans and plates, and driving moisture off waste bananas to preserve them for future muesli... I love our Clearview Stoves!!!

Went early to the station so to get the 8 something train to Sheffield so I could get to see Ali before her meeting. I got the tram to her house and was there for just after 10 and had a nice chat with her son who was most civil and pleasant... made me a cuppa before he went out.

The meeting went well and went on for 2 hours, after which I went to the local Co-op and did some shopping for her... and our lunch which she hadn't got in!

Ali's carer came and we soon went to pick up Ali's daughter from school.. and she was delighted to see me, and I was just as happy to see her! She and the carer went to buy some Christmas presents for Mum, whilst Mum and I went to a supermarket to get a load of stuff to help their Christmas be 'traditional'... presents for neighbours who help her, for her carers, relatives, both her children and even something for my boys!

When we got back to Ali's house I gave her 5 year old her wrapped present, to put under the tree (which isn't up yet) and the Flipside Vision Climate Change Calendar to Ali. Then I went to get the tram down to the station.

My brother lives very close to the station so I walked up to his place where he was expecting me, and I joined their family meal of nutloaf, red cabbage and parsnips... lovely!

Then I dished out their presents and another 3 calendars, one for my bro and family, one for my sis and her hubby and another for my folks, when they get back from their globetrotting. After cuddles with their three kiddies and a short but good chat, I went back down to the station and got a train to Doncaster (good chats to a pair of Christian youth workers) and eventually, a train back to York, getting in just before 10. A long day.

Gill had put up our usual Christmas tree, which is an old 'artificial' tree which Gill's Mum first bought in the early 1960s... and it's been reused nearly every year. On some years we've got a branch of a tree and done a 'pagan style' decorated non-Christmas tree, and I think once I was given a mis-shaped 'real' tree which I was happy to use before shredding and composting it. But we like our really old well-re-used plastic jobbie... very eco-friendly!

I did the school run, or should that be school ride or school cycle? Then I got out the electrics and did a bit of chainsawing and splitting, til about 10.30 when came in for a coffee and started to prepare to write last weekend's Community Care blog which has got a tad late... but got distracted reading about the latest Climate Camp meeting and a couple of other email newsletters that I receive.. But, hey, it's all really interesting stuff and some of the stuff I get makes its way into my CC blog...

I did manage to do my blog.... eventually! Did it on the church in Bradford I visited on Sunday.

Also had a phone call from Blue Peter about the Green Thumbs Gang 'Mission Nutrition' Bring and Buy plus Assembly... they are looking for things to film. They wanted to speak to someone in the school, so I suggested ringing the Head. I cycled into school very excited and happy with the small possibliity of our project being filmed for Blue Peter...

Had a good chat with Ali late on and offered to go over tomorrow to support her during an interview she has to have... it will also give me the chance to deliver assorted Xmas presents to family over there.

I got our youngest to school, and whilst coming back picked up loads of beer cans which had been thrown into the hedge bottom on Windmill Lane, nearly all aluminium and therefore worth collecting for cash.

When home, attacked a big pile of paperwork and spent most of the day sorting out stuff, some of which has sat for several weeks, naughty John tut tut. But, tis done now!

Just before Lunch, Damian and David popped in and chatted, and as Gill had planned to go into town (on the bus) they took her in their car. So I had a quiet lunch and then continued doing an invoice for Monk's Cross and a variety of other paperworky stuff.

I collected our youngest and came back and needed a little bit of fresh air so cut up a small load of sticks which someone had dumped, sorry, donated (me grateful!) in the front garden/wooding area. They were apple, mainly about 3 to 7 cm thick, and cut to a length which meant that they needed one or two cuts to get them to stacking length. I tend to cut these in a bit of an unusual way... when you think of cutting wood, you imagine someone drawing the bowsaw over the stick with the saw pretty horizontal. Well, with small sticks like these, holding them still is quite difficult and an easier way to cut them is to put your foot on the base of the bowsaw with the blade vertical and the bow propped up against leg or legs, and take the stick to be cut in both hands and pass it up and down the blade... this is a really quick and easy way of cutting thinner sticks to length. The only drawback is that you have to lean over and that can give some of us backache... I first saw this being done by Girl Guides at a camp I was doing a circus workshop at... and it's an excellent method.

I was disturbed by a chap who introduced himself as Jamie from round the corner... he's been building and living on boats for a while and knows about stoves on boats... but is now a landlubber but wants a woodstove in his house, and was interested in who supplied ours and about the flue. So I chatted, took him inside to see the 8Kw Clearview in action, and as he was talking about foodplant gardening, I gave him a tour of the garden. He was most impressed with our walnut tree.

Gill asked me to go and get goats milk, chocolate chips and frozen peas from Scummerfield and I chatted up one of the workers, Debbie, as she was very friendly with me...

I didn't have any tea at home as I was due to have food at the St Nicks Volunteers Party. However, I had a Hull Road Ward Planning Panel meeting first, in the Tang Hall Community Centre, and Carolyn was waiting for me when I arrived at 6.30. We took just over 30 minutes to agree the responses to the various planning applications and I then went to the nearby St Nicks for the party.

This was excellent... lots of folks to chat with, some old friends including Carole whom I've known for nearly 20 years and assorted other Green, Transition and Rotters people. Drank lots of Westons Organic Still Cider and ate apple crumble and pumpkin muffins... lovely!

Left at 10.30 and visited the newly discovered logpile twice to restore the number of unprocessed logs resplendent in our front garden.... I'll have to get busy with the chainsaw again!
Lovely to see Gill who was doing some sewing, turnups on kids trousers, and had a good chat with Ali who has free evening calls somehow....

Both boys OK to go to school which was good... I took our youngest but also my 'compost mate' tool as I knew that the school compost bin would be full and in need of management.

So once the children had gone in, I turned the third bin, taking out sticks and putting them aside. Then I took the material out of the second bin with the compost mate and put it into the third, again removing uncomposted stuff like some paper and card, plus sticks, and the inevitable few plastic bags, twist ties and chocolate wrappers. Then transferred most of the material from bin one to bin two, adding layers of sticks and paper removed from the older compost. This took about an hour but left the first compost bin empty for the next batch of fruit skins and partly eaten apples.... the whole object of the exercise...

Home and straight out again at Gill's request to get bread, and picked up a huge bag of sad bananas from Freshways.

Lunch was civilised and enjoyable and all too soon it was 3pm and time for me to go and pick up the little one.

When I got back, Gill had received a phone call from Catherine at York Rotters asking if I'd visit a lady just a little further up Hull Road who has a compost bin which was allegedly too full for anything else to put in. I rang the lady, Betty, and she was happy for me to visit immediately. So I got back on the bike and took the Compost Mate and visited her... and her 220 litre 'dalek' bin. This was not completely full, but her son in Law had put a load of soil into it, which I took out so she could use it to put on her raised beds. I turned the rest very thoroughly with the Compost Mate and there was then enough space for her to put her specially saved-up bags of peelings into it... a result! She was a very grateful 83 year old... invited me for a cup of tea but I said I'd better get back, but gave her my number so she could call me sometime in January when I said I'd check her compost again, possibly do some more sorting, AND have a cuppa...

Back home via a newly found logpile (it's that time of year again... tree-pruning time!) and back into our cosy but untidy house. Ate tea alone though as I wanted to watch the news but the rest of the family didn't... and at 7.30 set out for the York Green Festival 08 Review and 09 Planning Meeting at Pivo Bar, which I chaired in a fairly disorganised way (ie no formal agenda, Bob started chairing at one stage, etc!)

This was an excellent meeting, and we came to the decision that we'd have a greener York Green Festival next year, with less noise pollution! And we'd stay with Rowntree Park.

Had a really good chat with Bob afterwards, which was most welcome as I don't have that many male friends and I think Bob could be quite a good buddy... we have quite a lot in common.

This morning it is -10 degrees out, very unusual, but over the Thanksgiving weekend it was much nicer and while the sudden snow prevented us from climbing Mt. Galbraith, we enjoyed a back up outing walking along Clear Creek in Golden.

Golden is home to Coors Brewery, but don’t be fooled by Coors’ advertising. Those jagged mountain peaks you see in the ads are actually Mt. Wilson (14,246 ft), which is located on the other side of the state. Golden is a Front Range town. Golden has a unique flat top mesa, which you can hike via the LuBahn Trail, and it tries to cultivate an old west ambiance. It only partially succeeds. Still, it has some decent restaurants and a nice bike path.

On this snowy day, we walked a couple of miles along the Clear Creek Bike Path. It passes numerous bronze sculptures as well as the Clear Creek History Park. This eclectic group of buildings was gathered from all over the area and compiled into a living history museum right along the path. The old building made for a nice winter backdrop.

Heading west, the trail ends at a spectacular new bridge. While we did cross the bridge, the trail peters out shortly thereafter.

We have ridden this trail towards the east for many miles. It parallels Hwy 58 for most of the way.

Historic Park	Wagon Wheel
Looking west	Reeds
Musical Sculpture	Bear sculpture

Fish sculpture
So Denverites...how many of you have never been to Golden? It is an easy day trip. You can check out the American Mountaineering Museum and lunch at the Table Mountain Inn. If after viewing photos of death defying escapes at dizzying heights plus a few margaritas, you can take a tour of Coors Brewery itself.

An early start this morning as working in Bradford.

I'd bought my tickets yesterday so arrived at the station with just 5 minutes to spare, and got the 8.40 to Leeds. I was due to get the 9.32 to Bradford Forster Square and be collected there at 10ish, but that train had been cancelled. I immediately went to the Leeds Station Office and asked if there was another train to Bradford, and was advised the 9.23 to Bradford Interchange, and I tried to ring my contact at the gig, but she wasn't picking up...

Went to get the 9.23 but it wouldn't start! The driver rang the Station Office to see if another train could be held for 2 mins to allow the passengers to get that but it went, just as I got to that platform.... so I decided to visit the Station Office once more, try to ring my contact again, and see what to do then. Fortunately, she picked up this time and told me the road name for the venue, and I went to get a taxi from outside Leeds Station, and helped the taxi driver put the road name into his TomTom guide thingy which he proceeded to ignore until he reached the centre of Bradford, when it directed us to the venue pretty well. This extra journey cost me £20, which I will try to claim back from the rail people (I'm not expecting this to work, but if you don't try, you don't get, so it's worth a polite letter!)

So, work today was at the Abundant Life Ministries, a Christian church based in an enormous warehouse and other buildings nearby. They have a congregation of two thousand or so, and plenty of activities for children and teenagers. It reminded me of some of the huge American churches in it's scale and approach. My role was to provide the Christmas party entertainment... a one-hour show for the 4 year olds to young teens, followed by a half hour show with the 1 to 3 year olds in a different venue. These both went well and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves... including me, as usual! I was given a lift back to the Interchange and got a train to Leeds and then one back to York, getting home just before 3pm.

Had a quick coffee and then finished off building the logpile to the right of the door, looking out.

The boys were engrossed in Spore and Gill, who's quite a bit better, went to the shops briefly.

Tea was soup followed by remains of pizza for me with baked beans and mushrooms, the boys had soup and cheese toasties with beans and mushrooms.

The boys went to bed without a hitch and I sliced apples and filled another rack for drying, then washed and graded 5 bags of grapes, blanched them and put them on a non-stick tray on top of one of the lids of the cans of water on the stove, so that within maybe three days, they'll be raisins.

The tree plaza at NCAR has the most incredible views and this time of year I am there for both sunrise and sunset.


Sunrise. The colors were more muted. The small rectangles along the horizon are the high rises of Denver.


Sunset. Looking south. The clouds lately along the Flatirons have been very dramatic.

Not an easy day, as someone was in a mood and took offence at even the slightest parental suggestion, ie, at midday, asking him to go and get dressed, was met with a response "why should I?" and when I answered quite reasonably "because I want you to" he came up with a string of excuses why he shouldn't and then got exceedingly angry when I said that I would make him lunch once he'd got dressed, and accused me of cruelty and threatening to starve him! I had actually asked him to get out of his pyjamas and into a teeshirt and trousers... that's all...

So, unfortunately, this blew up out of all proportion, partly because I am unable, or perhaps unwilling to be told to 'Shut up' by my child and to just not respond. Something in me makes me answer 'Please don't speak to me like that, it's rude' or similar. Anyway, Gill had to intervene and tell me to just turn away and not continue the situation, even though I feel that if I back down and let him have the last (rude) word, I am not doing my duty as a Father.

So after lunch, which I did make them (I made them eggy bread for breakfast too, as Gill is still very poorly) I went to Salisbury's and the station... to get tomorrow's train ticket to Bradford and a ticket for a trip to London in January, to meet up with other speakers from the Climate Speakers Network. Popped into Salisbury's too, for one of their most excellent loaves and some medicines.

Also popped in to Country Fresh and Freshways, came back home drenched and glad to potter around the house and dry off...

Gill made pizza dough, amazingly, as the aspirin I got seemed to have helped, and using the tomato thing I made the other day, she made a good pizza which the boys loved, as usual.

I had the remains of the lasagna and a slice of pizza, before going out to the LETS Christmas Party at Helen's. This was a cosy event, with just Francis and Rakesh, Marian, David and Liz (plus Helen and myself) and lots of chat, helped by a party game where we all took a coin from a pot and looked at the date on it, and said something that had stood out about that year. I hadn't seen Marian for some time and it was good to catch up and hear about her latest business exploits, which are veering towards the website and sales side of things. So, animated conversation. A good little gathering, and I left some time after midnight and cycled back in the falling snow...

Distance: 4 miles roundtrip
Elevation: 10,230-11,430 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft

Mt. Evans (14,264 ft) Massif viewed from the summit of Squaw Mountain
When the wind is blowing at Brainard Lake and when the traffic to Summit County is just unbearable, check out the trails near Mt. Evans. Several of these, including Squaw Mountain (11,430 ft), are located up Highway 103 out of Evergreen. Squaw Mountain is not a pristine wilderness experience. Its three summits are filled with radio antennas, buildings, and propane tanks. Still, given the conditions I mentioned in my first sentence, these detractors can be easily overlooked.

The start of the trail

Squaw Mountain from the trail
The trail up Squaw Mountain is a wide service road. On this trip it was a hike and not a snowshoe. We brought snowshoes but started out in Yak Traks instead. Halfway up, we took these off too because there was not a stitch of snow on the ground.

First switchback
From Highway 103, the trail heads moderately upwards. A view of the summit is briefly visible with the first half mile. At 0.4 miles, the trail crosses Old Squaw Pass Road, another good snowshoe in the area. Another third of a mile beyond this and you reach the first switch back. Once you have that pattern in your mind, you have the essence of the Squaw Pass trail…long stretch, then switchback, long stretch, then switchback. The pattern breaks down near the top when the fire watchtower comes into view.

Looking up at the watchtower
Antennas on the summit
The watchtower is a small rock shelter located on the right-most summit. A road leads directly to this area. There is not much shelter there though, and a luncheon next to its wall can be brisk if the wind is blowing.

Road to the watchtower

Wider view
Squaw Mountain three summits are all sharp piles of nearly vertical skree. The exception is the tower upon which the watchtower is built. It is a little broader. On this trip I climbed up near the top of the middle pile. The actual top of this summit is an angled knife-edge that would probably be easy in summer but was not worth the effort in winter.

Propane tanks between the left-most summits. Chief Mountain (11,709 ft) is to the left.

Between the left-most summits (when viewed coming up the road), is another building and a large set of towers. We ate lunch here on this trip. There are stellar views of the Mt. Evan’s Massif from this location and it is slightly more sheltered.

Heading towards the summit
The one note of caution I have about this trail is that parking is very limited and is primarily tucked in next to the Hwy 103 itself. It is also difficult to identify. There are no named signs, just a small forest service sign that says 1921 on it. You can’t see this sign coming from Evergreen. Our guidebook says the trailhead is 12.8 miles from the junction of Hwy 103 and Hwy 74 (Evergreen Parkway), but our odometer read less than 12 miles.

Standing in between the rock piles on the middle summit. The watchtower is visible in the distance.

On this trip we ended up running over a sharp object in the snow along the road, which ripped out our tire. Fortunately, there is cell service there where it is otherwise lacking lower down in the canyon.