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Author Archives: Andrea Jones
Pesky Wildlife
“…Rural development encroaches on the traditional habitat of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, bears, mosquitoes and other animals that can be dangerous and you need to know how to deal with them.” from “Code of the West,” created … Continue reading
Posted in birds, spring, wildlife encounters
Tagged Colorado wildlife, country living, mountain bluebirds, Sialia currucoides
10 Comments
Hope Springs: An Epilogue
I had been pinning my vague sense of unease and discouragement these past weeks on the weather: on the dry and the wind and the swinging of temperatures from too warm to too cold. But when I saw clusters of … Continue reading
Posted in change of seasons, spring, wildflowers
Tagged pasqueflower, pulsatilla patens, Rocky Mountain wildflowers, spring
2 Comments
Hope Springs
Every year it’s the same: as temperatures start creeping up, offering reassurance that winter is winding down, I start obsessing over color. This is a spring thing for many of us living in the world’s temperate zones, I suppose, but … Continue reading
Posted in change of seasons, color, gardening, spring
Tagged Colorado weather, drought, high fire danger, spring snow
6 Comments
Jake
My little red horse Moondo has delicate skin, which makes him an attractive target for flies and parasites. This winter, he fell victim to a double-barren infestation: lice and ticks (technical term: Yuck and Double Yuck). The lice have proven … Continue reading
“First Signs,” and an Opportunity
“Spring arrives in the high country differently than in other places. Where the land has a strong vertical dimension, the change of seasons is bound to elevation, not distance from the equator. Shades of green swirl up the flanks of … Continue reading
Best Tip for Getting Out of Your Head
After weeks of grinding away on a recalcitrant chapter for my book project, I am dazed, cranky, frustrated, and thoroughly sick of being in the same room with myself. Deciding that it’s time to get out of my own head, … Continue reading
Object of Attention
One of the things I’ve missed most in this dry and largely snowless winter has been seeing animal tracks. The clean surface of a light snowfall is like a tightly-stretched painter’s canvas, ready to receive marks that reveal ongoing bustle … Continue reading
Posted in wildlife encounters
Tagged animal tracks, Colorado wildlife, mountain lions, predator-prey relationships
4 Comments
Colorado Book Festival
If you’re in the Denver area, don’t miss the Colorado Book Festival on Saturday. This free event runs from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., March 3, at the Denver Public Library. Peter Heller and Patricia Limerick will deliver keynotes and … Continue reading
Posted in books, reading
2 Comments
Winter Companions
On a February afternoon, I have company on the way back from a walk down the road. About two dozen dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) are foraging for seeds on the shoulder of the gravel road. They’re bouncy little gray birds, … Continue reading
Posted in birds, wildlife encounters, winter
Tagged Colorado birds, dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis
8 Comments
Kindling the Fire
As chores go, I quite like chopping kindling. So many household tasks are unpleasant to do, even if they’re wonderful to have done. The actual chopping of kindling verges on the pleasurable, though…provided I’m not fulfilling the duty on a … Continue reading
Posted in winter
Tagged chopping kindling, Colorado winter, keep the home fire burning, woodburning fireplace
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