The Ides of March... one day late

The Ides of March one day late.

With a nice warm day behind us I can reflect on how we spend our spring days.  With my Hill City neighbors to encourage me (make me feel guilty) I now have our small yard raked, the part we mow anyway.  I am not about to start raking the upper back part of the yard as it is natural forest.  I am envisioning the green grass and warm wind of summer.  My green thumb starting to throb so I built my free, no work and simple to build compost pile  http://www.blackhillsgarden.com/index.php?p=1_7_Composting-in-tire-towers.  This will make a nice, easy  place for the Hill City Home renters to put compost material (food scraps, coffee grounds with filters, etc.).  The more soil I can make the better our garden will be in addition to the less we put in the landfill the more we benefit.

Winter Wanderings

     Winter has turned around.  The days are getting longer and warmer.  Hard to believe mid January but it is true.  The cabins are locked up and tucked away for the winter.  The Log Cabin and Boxcar Cabin emerge from their cold depths periodically as guests visit us to enjoy the quietness of the winter.  This is the time we evaluate what we want to change, reorganize or get done.  Spring comes upon us so quickly it catches me unawares.  Before I know it I will be telling Tally that we need to turn the water on and start our deep cleanings.  He always states "so soon?".
     

Stewart Gulch Hike

Another hike with friends and family.    We were driven to the starting point of the gate over the top of Stewart Gulch.  From here it is a 2 mile hike to Rapid Creek and a 2 mile walk down the creek to Happy Trails (our house).  It was a girls hike so Tally had to drive back home.

 The Juneberries (serviceberries, sarviceberries) are having a bumper year and of course we found some.

 Coming upon Rapid Creek

 We are all wet to our knees from the tall grasses and the morning dew.

 Mama Mountain Goat and her baby on the hillside.

                                  Looking downstream Rapid Creek.

                                               Just a squirrel.

It was nice to walk the trails, usually I am on a mountain bike and travel faster.  Slowing down and walking was a nice perspective.

Peddlers Path

Great time of year to take a break and enjoy the Black Hills with friends and family.  We started in Mystic and walked the shortcut "Peddlers Path" to Slate Creek to trail #40 back home to Silver City.  Met friends in the woods, go figure, only in South Dakota can you go back into the woods and meet up with someone you know.  The following pictures say more than I ever can.

Peddlers Path

Blue Bells

Looking down on Rapid Creek

Slate Creek at Trail #40

Trail #40

Horse Talis

  

 

Bridges across Rapid Creek

 

Summer

     We are in the midst of our summer hosting.  Can't believe we are geting ready to celebrate the 4th of July already.  Lots of parades and fireworks around the Black Hills.  We prefer the Belle Fourche Parade.  It is a bit of a drive but well worth it.  It is a great full fledged parade with candy, politicians, horses and a water fight going on throughout with the culmination of wetness occuring when the fire departments go by.
     Our grandchildren were here last week.  Yes, their parents were here too.  We did the full Silver City experience - inner tubing, ATV riding, fishing, hiking, mountain biking on trail #40.  The fishing was great with all fish caught eaten for dinner.  For one grandson that was the highlight as he even used a knife for the first time to gut the fish, great yuck factor.
     The garden, as usual, gets a bit out of control and all control freaks are welcome to visit it and whip it into shape.  It is fun to spend time down there with the hummingbirds whipping around.

Wonderful snow

Yes, we received some wonderful snow, 20" in Silver City and 14" in Hill City.  We opened the Boxcar Cabin and Cottage for guests during the great warm weather.  Now we hope the heaters are on high enough and nothing freezes.  Taxes are done and I am waiting for the snow to melt and weather to warm so I can start on the cabin laundry and hang it outside on the clothesline.  
Snow time was spent finishing the updating of the Hill City Home master bedroom.  We repainted and put new carpet down.  It sure looks cozy and inviting.  I even painted the closet, a house built in 1885 sure has some wonderful character and a huge history of changes.  
On a more personal note, the move tothe big city was not a great move for the grey cat.  She found a boyfriend, after having her for 3 years - she came as a stray- we thought she was taken care of.  She had 1 kitten in the midst of the blizzard.  Our daughter named her stir fry, I think it should be munch mouth,  she is well taken care of my momma cat.  I think she may already have a home but let me know if anyone is interested.  We are looking forward to the summer and meeting new guests, welcoming our return guests and especially seeing our good friends and neighbors return to Silver City from their winter lives.

It is the time of year to revamp our web site  We tried to get it done earlier but Tally (the IT guy) has to relearn HTML when it has been awhile since last used.  He decided to give the page a fresher look and with our Hill City home we needed to add cabins to our list.  Feel free to give us advice.

I am trying to update the bog more often.  We are excited about the 2013 season.  Reservations are coming in and managing a few additional cabins help round out what we can offer our vacationers.  We do not have chickens any more but I already have ideas for the garden am planning what to put in and where.  The soil is not consistent, there is a definite dry patch in the middle that is ideal for onions and squash.  We try to amend it every year and it is slowly improving.  Gardening is ideal for cultivation patience and hope.

Start of 2013

       The new year has started.  Of course we have resolutions.  I had a short interview with the local Hill City Prevailer newspaper, I was asked if I made resolutions and what it was for 2013.  My goal is to listen more.  With that in mind, feel free to remind me this summer if I talk too much.

     We are determined this year to finish some of the projects we started years ago.  We also hope to get some of the upgrades done that we have longed to do.  The past few years of county politics have put us a bit behind both financially and industriously.  Thank goodness it is all behind us now.
      We are in winter mode.  The Boxcar Cabin is being rented monthly by our neighbors contractor.  He is getting a cabin remodel done.  We hope to have the Boxcar Cabin available nightly by the end of January.  I have been reminding Tally to get updates into the computer and website.  We now offer a home in Hill City for summer rentals.  We will be using photos from last summer but have already painted rooms and changed them around.  Updated photos will probably not get done until next spring.

     I took some nice photos of South Dakota as we traveled across it over Christmas.  Hope you enjoy them.

Summer in review

         As usual it was a wonderful summer of meeting new guests and renewing fiendships with past guests.  Thank you all for staying with us and then wanting to come back.   My only regret is that, with the  fire ban, we did not have any quality fire/marshmallow roasting time.  Hopefully we'll get some rain and good snow this winter and be able to resume the fire pit next year.  As there were some large fires all over the country and we are so dry, it definitely is better to be safe than sorry.
       We applauded the passing of a new Vacation Home Rental Ordinance for Pennington County, this happened in May 2012.  Vacation home rentals that came into existance post 1994 can now get a permit through this new ordinance and covers such things as quiet hours, occupancy, garbage service, etc..  Everything that makes for a perfect neighbor.  We are also happy to confirm that our Log Cabin and our Boxcar Cabin are now permitted by the County.  They were licensed by the state in early 2011.
        With this all behind us, we are scurrying to get some projects finished by the time the snow flies.  The wood pile is all split and just waiting for my busy hands to pile it into nice stacks that fall over part way through winter.  Tally is gathering tools and nagging me to stain some boards to finish the siding on the Boxcar Cabin.  The squirrel is wanting to move in and so we need to button up the siding.
       We did get the shed at the Log Cabin moved.  What a day that was.  It took so much time to prepare that the half hour it took to move was almost anti-climatic.  It pays to be thorough and the move went smooth.

We are still open and guests are still arriving and enjoying the Silver City area.  The leaves are in full color and we always swear that the Silver City Road beats out Spearfish Canyon for beauty.

We are on the final cabin for deep spring cleaning.  The Bullion cabin is the last in the line.  We seem to rotate the order of cleaning each year based on when they get rented.  We get asked which cabin is our favorite.  While I am cleaning I look each cabin over and I still can't seem to choose a favorite as they all have their special charm and character.
The Boxcar Cabin siding is not completely done but the cabins are almost cleaned.  We do have our priorities.
This years mothers day we hiked Harney Peak with my extensive extended family.  My 73 year old mother (who rarely hikes) almost made it.  My 79 year old father would have made it but turned around with mom (it ws her day).  We had a great time and the weather was warm and perfect.  Wonderful snack at the top and much appreciated lunch at the bottom.  Always take food and water with you.  It is a bit harder and longer than you think.

Spring progress

I will officially update the cabin progress.
Bullion Cabin now has linoleum in the kitchen.  The owners have wanted that done for ages.  We put an egress window in the bedroom with the twin beds and as Tally had the tools in the cabin, and we had the time, the carpet got torn out of the kitchen.  It will be easier to clean and maintain.  When you walk into the cabin you now see straight through the dining room and living room to the view out the egress window.  Small changes make such a difference.

The Log Cabin now has screen doors on both the front and back door.  One can have a nice cross breeze on a warm summer evening.  I won't say hot as our nights always cool down.  At 4600' we almost always need blankets at tnight.  They now have the signature wood door slam - I will try and rectify that by summer.

Our regular guests will understand this update.
The back side of the Boxcar Cabin is getting new siding.  The whole cabin will now match.  We have the large wall done and are working on the alcove part.  Tally also put trim boards around the windows.  We had a bit of rain yesterday so we are slowed down on the project but we had a nice day off from the outside work.  I sat and worked on paperwork at my desk, made a pie and cooked a delicious dinner.  Pictures to be posted at a later date.

Spring at Happy Trails Cabins

Can't believe it has been so long since I last wrote.
We have accomplished so much.  The ordinance passed.  It is overly regulated but nothing out of line.  Our guests are so nice that there will be no problems enforcing such things as quiet time.   We are in the process of getting our conditional use permit but hopefully we shouild have that in hand by mid June.  There were actually residents of Pennington County that opposed vacation home rentals.  Here we are in the prime tourist county (Pennington County is the home of Mount Rushmore) and there was an actual statement that tourists and residents next to each other is a "lose lose situation".  Our job is to make up for that lack of hospitality.  Tally and I have always believed in making others welcome in our home and our community.  I will post more on our current projects later.

What we are doing now.

We still are fortunate to get some late fall guests.  We even had the good fortune to have an old friend visit us last week.  It was fun to catch up on 24 years of absence.  He is currently living in Germany so now we have a fun connection in Europe.

The vacation home rental ordinance draft is finished.  We had a public meeting last week where it was officially presented to the public.  Our first public hearing is December 12 in front of the County Planning Commission.  Of course we are nervous.  It has been a long 6 months and we are getting tired.   To any past guests that have been reading this, any comments to the county are welcome.  The following are 2 links to send any comments.  Hopefully we will get the ordinance passed.  If it is passed as currently written, we will need to apply for a conditional use permit and a variance.  I personally feel that input from guests is fine as they have a vested interest in keeping their home away from home available to them for the future.
plz@co.pennington.sd.us
commissioners@co.pennington.sd.us

This has actually been very stressful.  It has shown us who we can depend on, who our true friends are.  It has been fun to debate with people and find out the points of dissent.  Education is always important and I sure have been learning a lot about county government, ordinances, development covenants, etc..  Actually we know way more than we ever wanted.

Fall

The leaves are starting to change and we have had a few light frosts.  The sumac is beautiful and is usually the first to change, poisen ivy is a pretty red right now too.

Finally the garden is winding down.  The final tally, not including those eaten, was 25 gallons of raspberries.  I will get a squash count in a few weeks.  Want to keep those guys on the vine a bit longer.  I was impressed that 21 edemame plants produced a large ice cream bucket (5 quarts) of beans.  They are nicely blanched and safely in the freezer.  Between jelly and pickles I am running out of pint jars and smaller.  Luckily I just have applesauce and a small batch of jalepeno jelly left to make.  We still have the beets, carrots, onions, squash, parsnips in the ground.  We'll let them sweeten up a bit more then spend a day in the garden cleaning it up and putting it to sleep fort he winter.  To stay true to form we should wait until the ground starts to freeze and we get a snow.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

 Tally is out of town for a few days and of course I have high hopes of getting a lot of things done.  Reality is a bit different than the high hopes.  He has been gone 4 days and I have barely touched the house projects I have planned to get done during his absense.

Weekends are still full of guests with weekdays a bit sparse.  As long as the weather holds, people will still come.  It is a great time of year to visit the hills.

Raspberry update

We are up to 20 gallons and still counting.  They are still ripening and more to come.  One doesn't even need to bend over to pick ( great for backs).  The jelly is all made for next year, I just keep making more.  The leaves are drying and soon they will be turning.  This year in addition to tilling I think we will put in some fertilizer.  Nothing better than a sun warmed raspberry freshly picked.

The season is winding down.  We have a few more long weeks and we will be getting the more last minute rentals.

The ordinance committee is going to go through the first rough draft at the next meeting.

Finally

Finally updating our post.

First order of business.... the raspberries are doing great.  They are as tall as I am and this year they are extremely fat and juicy.  We have had to call in the recruits to help pick.  Not counting what has been eaten, we have picked 15 gallons and still counting.  The jam is all made for next years guests, if I ever forget to put a jar in a cabin please come over and ask for one.  It is our special treat for guests.  The bees are close to the berry patch and I am hoping that is why they are so successful.

The ordinance is now in the drafting stage.  The draft puts everything on the table and the next order of business is to go through it and add and cut as the committee recommends.  It has been fun yet exasperating to be a part of the process but it will also be nice to be done and have a working ordinance for the county to enforce.  I also personally think it has been a conflict for our committee of 7 to have a mother and son appointed.  I feel they have the same interest and are actually one person when it comes to a vote.  They have already shown that they do not think independantly.  Maybe some of you out there can comment on that.

The chickens are molting but still laying.  Production is down when they molt and they look ugly.  They have had to stay within the fence this summer.  I know there are a lot of guests that enjoyed them wandering around, you can still visit them and throw any food into their pen, remember, they eat almost anything.

Our guests this year, as usual, are a treat to meet.  One guest commented that he was glad they did the inner tubing as the last activity during their stay.  If they had tubed sooner it is all they would have been doing.

Spring in Custer State Park/Mothers Day

What a wonderful Mothers Day.  We touristed in the Southern Hills.  The family and extended family started by caravanning to Hot Springs.  The first destination was the Mammoth Site.  It was very cool.  The amount of bones is amazing www.mammothsite.com.    

We took our time and as we had 11 in our group we took up almost half of the tour group.  It was fun to stay after and take it all in at a slower pace.  It was such a nice warm day that we decided to take advantage of our proximity to Cascade Falls.  The water was mild, the day was hot so the kids went in.  We found a cray fish, enjoyed the sound of the creek, kids playing and the beautiful scenery.


Of course on such a warm day ice cream is necessary to cool us all off.  The Dairy Queen was perfect and what a nice surprise to have free Sunday's for all mothers.  Off we then went to Wind Cave Park.  The Buffalo were serene nibbling on the grass and rolling in the dirt.  I was hoping to see some new calves and we were not disappointed.   They were so cute staying close to mama.  Autumn was loving the Prairie Dogs.  The only thing we did not see were elk.  It was fun stopping in the Needles and climbing on the rocks.  We made so many stops, that was what made it fun.  We would all pile out of the cars like a fire drill.  The final stop of the day was Sugar Shack for a big juicy burger.  We were all tired and hungry.


Perfect day for a MOM.

County Ordinance and spring

The work we have been doing for the past 5 months is paying off.  We officially have a committee formed and blessed by the Pennington County Commissioners.  The task of this committee is to formulate a vacation home rental ordinance to address the current overly prohibitive ordinance.
Government wheels turn slow, our first informal meeting - not to be confused with public meetings - is Monday, May 16 at 2:00 pm in the courthouse.  All other meeting will be public and public input is welcome and encouraged.
It will be nice to have our Log Cabin and Boxcar Cabin compliant with county regulations.  Keep tuned for the latest.
On another note.  Spring is here!!  Dandelions are in the yard and the chickens are happy.  Six eggs from six chicks.  The cat is getting fatter and the dog is happily following Tally to the burn pile as he gets pine needles cleaned up from the yards.  I am almost finished with the Cottage spring cleaning.  I have the kitchen floor, table and lower cabinets left.  We finally got the microwave up on a shelf.  It looks great and feels good to take care of our babies (cabins).
Our daughter took up golf this spring and is on the team at her school.  She loves it and is actually improving.  Time for me to get back to work.

April 27, 2011

We started the deep spring cleaning today.  The Cottage is first this year.
We are taking a rest from the kitchen remodel.  The walls are painted, the floor is installed and the cabinets are ordered. Not much to do except enjoy it.  We are loving the dining room.
We had rain off and on all day.  Guess April showers bring May flowers.  The Pasque flowers are coming on strong in the woods and the crocus in our garden are showing their colors.

On another note, the Pennington County Commissioners have started the ball rolling on our ordinance amendment.  The committee has been formed and will be officially designated at their next meeting.  We need to address vacation home rentals in this county in a proactive manner.  The extremely limiting current ordinance just begs to be ignored and it is.  We could not believe how many vacation home rentals within Pennington County are registered with the state of South Dakota.  It will be interesting to see the direction this goes at the first meeting.

March 29, 2011 still cold

We had gentle snow all day yesterday but nothing on the ground.   Thank goodness the ice is melting and green grass is finally showing though, there is still snow where the ground is shaded.  Squirrels are chasing each other in the trees and hiding nuts, rabbits are gathering and the sounds of birds are everywhere.

Tally is sanding the drywall and I should be texturing tomorrow or even this afternoon.  The ordinance amendment we are working on is progressing.   These things take a lot of time but are all worth it in the end.    Short post.