Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Organic Peddler, Del Norte, Colorado



Weeks of repairs, packing, repacking, driving, caregiving and settling in to a new routine will wear anyone down.. We decided it was time for a day trip. So we piggy-backed a little bit of fun onto a trip to pick up the central heating unit for the RV from the awesome repair lady, Debra at Holiday RV in South Fork, Colorado.

About 60 miles away from our current home base is the town of Del Norte, Colorado. It was early enough that we took the scenic route on the way, picking up State Highway 15 and winding through farms, ranches, homesteads, and the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, nestled at the base of the Sangre de Christo and San Juan Mountains. The road turned to dirt for a few miles, but we traversed it with ease, as the lack of recent snow and the abundance of sun had dried it out nicely. Around Monte Vista, we picked up Highway 160 and took that the rest of the way to Del Norte. We passed some huge cattle ranches and one charming group of horses, sharing their feeder with a very fat little burro.

We had several targets on our list. The first - a dairy farm where I hoped to get some raw milk, looked deserted, so we passed on. Our next stop made the whole trip worthwhile. Colorado, strangely, considering the amount of farms here, has a dearth of organic products in the grocery stores. Big cities like Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins have their Sprouts and Whole foods markets, but the nearest to us is 120 miles away in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In spring, there might be local produce stands, but until then? I've been soaking and scrubbing the produce in a vinegar solution and eating oatmeal.

So The Organic Peddler was a great find! I was delighted with the large selection of organic coffees, teas, spices and fresh produce. I was hoping for more bulk grains, as I have not had my fresh, homemade bread for awhile. I'll call ahead, when I get ready to tackle baking in the RV or trailer oven, and make sure I can get enough flour for a couple months. The savory aromas wafting in from the attached cafe were so inviting that we had to go in and have a little lunch. Besides, it was a warm escape from the 20 degree temps outside. 

The Peace of Art Cafe, built with cordwood and recycled bottles, serves a tasty portobello burger, homemade shakes and custom burritos, all made with organic, local ingredients when possible. Entrees range from $5.95 to $11.95 and an Espresso Bar and Juice and Smoothie Bar are also on site. There is so much more to The Organic Peddler that I have to recommend their website. Dine outdoors in the summer, then take a liesurely stroll along the dog walk/sanctuary by a small creek. The Great Divide Bicycle Route also passes by here.

Last on our list, was to check out the honey farm. Haefeli's Honey has a large store right downtown in Del Norte. Run by 5th generation beekeepers, I found their prices to be quite competitive, the availability of raw honey, a definite plus. Bee pollen, which I take regularly for its "bee" vitamins, is also available for a decent price. I found the price of their beeswax to be fair, as it is already cleaned (I currently clean my own). 

The result of our outing was a renewed sense of calm, a day of fun and found organic and raw honey resources. The change of scenery was pretty nice, too.


Thursday, January 2, 2014

First Stop - Ice Cubes

Our personal ice rink and ski trails
We finally made it to our first stop on the road. We have been celebrating the holidays with the grandparents in Colorado. There have been challenges with the RV plumbing and heating since the man of the place arrived here over 2 months ago. The plumbing is now repaired and hooked up to the water line and sewer dump. The central heat remains out of order. Not to fear, 2 small electric heaters are keeping us nice and toasty.


    
barn cat in training

 Now my trailer adventure begins. My propane heater is not working, so I intended to rely on electricity. However, with the RV already drawing quite a bit of electricity from the hookup, the addition of my plug blew the breaker. My trailer was frozen solid! As the man of the place worked to install a new breaker and an additional RV hookup, I was/am helping care for the grands, skiing and ice skating on the frozen river with Yak and organizing our stuff inside the trailer, as repairs took longer than expected and I didn't have time to do it before we left. God has mercy, though. We were all warm and cozy in the grands guest room over Christmas and by New Year's Eve, Yak and I were sleeping in the RV and coming in to help with the grands during the day. A small electric heater is keeping the trailer thawed and up to about 50 degrees - a bit too chilly for sleeping. 


Fortunately, the sun has warmed us up to the upper 30's the last few days, which, unfortunately, melted the snow too much for skiing and the ice too much for skating. Therefore, I don't have any cool skating or skiing pics to post right now.

The welcome mat's out
 I am also looking forward to joining the local Catholic church choir, starting Sunday. Apparently, I will not be the only part-timer in the choir, so I will be in good company.

Ranch dog enjoying life on the road
Hope your holidays were wonderful. Our first ones in our new full-time RVing life sure were! 

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