Progress On the Studio Build

It’s a process with everything we do here. It seems like we’ve been at it a long time. We’re coming to the final stages of building everything and having it finished. I couldn’t be more happy. We’re kind of burned out, it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of money to make this stuff happen. I know in the end it will be worth it.

Until you do something like this for yourself, words fail about what it’s like. You have to do it to understand it. I can tell you it’s not for everyone. That’s why there are cities and suburbs, you go look and you pick something that someone else designed and selected where it would be built. That is so limiting, but completely understandable.

Our goal, and it’s a BIG one, is to have the studio building up, the greenhouse finished, and the deck built by July 1, 2021. The greenhouse will be the first project finished and the deck and building will be finished after that.

The footings are 90% up. This is looking southwest toward Cover Mountain.

Our “guest” accommodations. East access to the studio/darkroom building.

The view to the west from the studio - you can see Witcher Mountain and the 39 Mile valley.

The Climapod Greenhouse

We’ve had the greenhouse for about a month. But because you need very calm weather (no wind) to put it up, we’ve had to wait. Now, the weather has made a major turn (we’re 75F/23C today) we can really move on this. We hope to be finished in a week.

I have to prepare for a final inspection of the house (Monday) so I can get the permits for our deck and studio building (20x30). There is a lot going on and things are getting very expensive. I think inflation has hit us pretty hard now. It’s already difficult enough to get people up here to work. The materials are 20-40% more expensive and labor is the same if you can get people to come up!

June 2021 - Walking and Hiking Our Land

Jeanne and I had to fix a leak in the skylight of the pump house today and decided afterward we’d hike up the rock outcropping to see what we could see.

This land is so beautiful and inviting. Watching nature do its thing is amazing to see. The color, the smells, wildlife, the quiet and the peace. I am so grateful to be here. To be able to do this and live like this - it’s truly beyond words. We hope you can find what gives you meaning in life. To be at peace and be happy. Nature helps you do that.

Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.

Our little “Stonehenge”

This is shot from the lower rock outcropping. Elevation about 8700 feet above sea level (2.700 meters). Pump house on the left and you can see the house through the trees.

Always have to watch out for Mountain Lions and Bears this time of year. Look close, are those lairs?

HIGH ALTITUDE LIVING (8,000 ft and above - 2.450 meters)

Living at high altitude reduces risk of dying from heart disease: Low oxygen may spur genes to create blood vessels. Summary: Researchers have found that people living at higher altitudes have a lower chance of dying from heart disease and live longer.

Jeanne and I live at 8,400 feet (2.560 meters). We were talking about visitors coming (for workshops, friends, etc.) and if you are coming from a low elevation what you need to be aware of. There is a thing called Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). It's real and can be very disabling for some people.

The best defense is to start at 5,000 feet and stay there for 3 days, drinking water like crazy and resting. Then, come up to the higher elevation and give yourself a day or two to adjust. That usually works.

Beyond the AMS, there is the sun! The sun up here will fry you fast! The UV is very very high up here and we have 300 days of sun every year. It's difficult NOT to be out in it. Water, clothing that covers your arms, legs, etc., and a hat. This is the best way to protect yourself from burning up. You will dehydrate and get very sick.

There's a lot to think about when we are considering having people visit.

Quinn and Jeanne’s house sitting at 8,400 feet on top of a mountain.

Rocky Mountain Sheep - Summer is Coming!

A sure sign of summer arriving is seeing the Rocky Mountain Sheep at 10,000 feet (3.050 meters) above sea level having lunch. The warm weather has arrived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado!

photo by Jeanne Jacobson

Progress On the Greenhouse and Update

Everything has been new for us. We’ve been on a 16-month journey moving from Denver/Aurora to the mountains of Teller County, Colorado. It’s easy to write that but very difficult in execution. So many things I didn’t know about. I came into this project with a pretty good skill set, it wasn’t good enough. That’s okay. I’m a life-long learner and have enjoyed the challenges!

In reality, we started five years ago (September 2016) when we purchased the land. We have just over 12 acres here. Every year we put infrastructure on the property. We started with the driveway and drilled our water well in 2017. Then the excavation of the pad and the septic system, and power in 2018, 2019, 2020. In 2020, we designed and had the house built. It arrived in October of 2020.

From last fall to now, we have been doing everything we can between the bouts of bad weather. The projects we have now are the deck (12’ x 10’ on the back of the house), free-standing wood-burning stove, our greenhouse (see below), and the 20’ x 30’ metal building (coming Thursday the 20th).

After June, we should be finished (heavy lifting) and ready to start settling in - it’s been a journey for sure. I regret nothing and I’ve learned so much!!

If you ever want to build a house in the mountains of Colorado, give me a shout, I can help you avoid some major pitfalls! #coloradomountainlife

This is the front gable of our greenhouse. It’s a ClimaPod Greenhouse - 9’ x 21’ - we are almost ready to stand the gable ends and connect the ribs and body!!

This is the rear gable of our greenhouse. It’s a ClimaPod Greenhouse - 9’ x 21’ - it comes as a kit, assembly required. Put on your thinking caps!!

The Studio Q Show - May 22, 2021 - Special Guest Dr. Sheldon Solomon

I hope this finds you well and healthy. I just got word that Sheldon Solomon will be my guest this Saturday on my show. This is very special because, for several years now, I’ve been a little preoccupied with Ernest Becker and his book, “The Denial of Death” (1973).

The book deals with our knowledge of our mortality (that we are going to die). It clearly defines what the theories are based on and makes a solid case for the truth of the theories.

Sheldon and his cohorts, came along some 10 years later and decided to put Becker’s theories to the test - will they stand up to the rigorous lab and field tests? Yes, they do. This is what Sheldon and his team lay out very clearly in his book. “The Worm at the Core - On the Role of Death in Life”.

Join me Saturday, May 22, 2021, at 1000 MST on my YouTube channel or on Stream Yard. Sheldon will discuss his studies on death anxiety and terror management theory (TMT) as it relates to artists.

Our Backyard This Morning...

Good morning! Stunning light and content!!

Looking West-Southwest from our kitchen.

Looking West from our kitchen.

Looking West-Northwest from our kitchen.

Colorado Red Fox

We’ve been battling a bit of weather up here - a little cold and snowy, on and off. I think after today, we’ll be back in the Spring has sprung mode!

We’re still working on the greenhouse! I like the design, but it is pure hell trying to put it together. We’ve assembled and disassembled the rear gable three or four times now. The tolerances are tight on all of it!

Jeanne and I were chilling out at the kitchen counter yesterday and she said, “Look! What is that?” I said, “That’s a red fox!” I didn’t grab my phone right away, we watched her for a few minutes. She actually caught some kind of rodent and then attempted to bury it on our dirt hump. She didn’t get it buried. She eventually ran up the meadow into the rock outcropping where I think she had some pups.

Greenhouse Foundation - April 2021

We are meeting our monthly goals for our projects. The greenhouse is a big one for us. This year will be an experimental year for growing. Our seed bank is big and we’re ready to experiment to see what will grow well at 8,500 feet (2.600 meters) and a lot of UV light!

Our greenhouse is facing directly south. There will be a massive amount of light every day from May to September. And it will be close enough to the house to make it convenient to walk to and haul food from! We have a composting bin (large) near it too. Our plan is to use all of our kitchen scraps and any “composting” type of waste in the bin. We already have about 500 cubic feet of organic living soil (OLS) that I started in 2017. That will be the basis of our composting bin. This will be split into two areas. One “composting” and one “composted” for use.

Our greenhouse arrives this week from Climapod. We’re excited! We have the pad, foundation, vapor barrier, and stone in place. Today, we will add concrete to the floor (edges) for rigidity and stability. We don’t have really extreme weather up here, but it can get windy at times and there is snow in the winter! This design and construction will be more than enough to withstand whatever the Rockies want to throw at it.

The 9’ x 21’ (2,7 x 6,4 meters) Passion Climapod Greenhouse.

Our goal next month is to start on the 20’ x 30’ Studio/Darkroom building. We are looking forward to having everything completed in June. The greenhouse, the Studio/Darkroom building, and the forge/shop. We’ll be tired, broke, and happy. Let’s see if we can do it!