On to Old Friends

After hanging out in Penetente Canyon for a couple days we headed north towards Boulder to visit Lori and Michael. I (dave) have always considered Lori as my second older sister so it was nice to see her and meet her husband, Michael. They live a little way west of Boulder in a small cabin with what most would consider few amenities (only cold running water, grey water septic, outhouse, no electricity, wood heat and wood cook stove). After visiting many people who are living a luxury lifestyle it was nice to get back to a way of life we were used to from our time in Fairbanks. We are realizing more and more each day how much this lifestyle suits us too. We spent a few days sight seeing, helping them with chores, learning to make cheese and sauerkraut from whole milk way, discussing sustainable living methods and having fun all the while.

The Gang

Lori and Michael’s Cabin

While they were showing us around they took us to a nearby town called Gold Hill. This place really reminded us of Ester, where we lived before moving into the van. When we first drove up it was almost eerie how much it looked like Ester. Then when a bunch of dogs came running down the street we almost fell over with deja-vu. The only thing they were missing was a local bar that sold $1 drafts!!

Gold Hill

Lori and Michael raise rabbits and chickens for meat. jody became enamored with the baby bunnies and I had to work hard to convince her that it wouldn’t be very practical to get a bunny at this point. In the end she reluctantly agreed.

Baby Bunny

The last night we went to Michael’s glass blowing shop. He sells some of his work at local craft shows and stores. He showed us some of the tricks of the trade. He was gracious enough to give us some nice souvenirs.

Blowing Glass

We ended the night with a very hot sauna at Michael’s mom’s house. He and his family built it when he was younger. As a result he has been saunaing most of his life and he likes it hot. The air temperature was around 40°F. The sauna was at 170°F and all the while Michael kept pouring more water on the heat. You could only stand it for so long. When it became unbearable we would crawl into the adjacent pond. The 130° difference in temperature kept us awake.

Sauna