Hello from Colorado!

[havasu]

We're glad to have you here!

 

[jazzy]

howdy from CO. welcome to the state, iim down in custer county more up in the mountains on a few acres homestead. glad you escaped CA, i got some family still there

 

[viking]

Yes on the Himalaya's being the worst, but we do have another kind, smaller leaves, canes and berries that have more flavor then the Himalayas, but still a pain to control. I have both growing in various places in my yard that I've battled for over 20 years we've lived here. I've considered explosives, but the neighbors would complain

The other type of wild blackberry is called Evergreen and they have kind of frilly leaves, they often have a very spicy taste, they are not nearly as prolific as the Himalayan. They are great to mix for a little spicy taste, both will extent vines out to 20 feet and often when they touch the ground that will root and from that point often develop two or more vines, both can grow in huge patches and in order to pick the biggest berries you need to lay a plank out on the vines. Over the years my dad has burned them, poisoned them (which never seems to work and is not good for the ground, in fact I'v seen some sprays double the growth of the canes. The only way I've ever seen these berry vines stopped is to dig up all the roots, I have heard that pigs will dig up the roots. I highly recommend that you do not try to grow these types of blackberries, get the commercials grown types, they are far easier to control, one other thing, Himalayan and Evergreen vines have wicked thorns that can leave nasty wounds. Another thing about these types is that they may not grow in higher altitudes, you really don't want to have them around anyway, trust me on that. However, if you are willing to spend a lot of time pruning them, it might work, my dad told me that his dad trellised the vines which I imagine was a lot of work as the vines probably grow many inches a day, they are just not fun to have around, in spite of how juicy, large and flavorful the berries are.

 

[jishinsjourney]

howdy from CO. welcome to the state, iim down in custer county more up in the mountains on a few acres homestead. glad you escaped CA, i got some family still there

Most of my family is still there; they came to California four generations ago. It isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure.

 

[jishinsjourney]

The other type of wild blackberry is called Evergreen and they have kind of frilly leaves, they often have a very spicy taste, they are not nearly as prolific as the Himalayan. They are great to mix for a little spicy taste, both will extent vines out to 20 feet and often when they touch the ground that will root and from that point often develop two or more vines, both can grow in huge patches and in order to pick the biggest berries you need to lay a plank out on the vines. Over the years my dad has burned them, poisoned them (which never seems to work and is not good for the ground, in fact I'v seen some sprays double the growth of the canes. The only way I've ever seen these berry vines stopped is to dig up all the roots, I have heard that pigs will dig up the roots. I highly recommend that you do not try to grow these types of blackberries, get the commercials grown types, they are far easier to control, one other thing, Himalayan and Evergreen vines have wicked thorns that can leave nasty wounds. Another thing about these types is that they may not grow in higher altitudes, you really don't want to have them around anyway, trust me on that. However, if you are willing to spend a lot of time pruning them, it might work, my dad told me that his dad trellised the vines which I imagine was a lot of work as the vines probably grow many inches a day, they are just not fun to have around, in spite of how juicy, large and flavorful the berries are.

Spicy sounds delicious but yeah, I’m not about trashing my relationship with my neighbors and my own land over some blackberries. (; Luckily my neighbors closest to the existing vines are very cool about me coming over and digging them up, and they really have not spread much.

The second time I planted boysenberries, I put them in a raised bed lined with landscape cloth and they still got out, though not nearly to the extent of the first time I planted them, so yeah, I know all about how invasive cane berries can be. I can only imagine it must be really rough where they are truly invasive and not just very well suited.

I’m debating if I want to try boysenberries here in CO. I‘m not sure they’ll be cold-hardy enough (and where will I get them? Man, I don’t know yet … ) but I love them and they are so satisfying to grow and eat.

 

[Haertig]

We live in southeast Aurora

Welcome from diagonally across the metro area - northwest Broomfield!

 

[jishinsjourney]

Welcome from diagonally across the metro area - northwest Broomfield!

Hiya neighbor! I’ve been up to Broomfield I think once, had to hunt for a Catholic bookstore for my nephew’s first Communion. Covid really put the kibosh on exploring for our first year here, and we’re still checking out the rest of the metro area, let alone the rest of the state. ^_^ Let me know if there’s anything cool up your way!

 

[Haertig]

Let me know if there’s anything cool up your way!

The "standard" attractions are in Denver. A good Zoo, a good Museum of Natural History, a good Botanic Gardens, and a good Aquarium. I recommend them all. There is a Museum of Art as well, but I'm not into art so not my cup of tea, but if you are - you may like it. The Symphony is good - they play in Denver at Boetcher Concert Hall. These are the places you take friends when they come to visit. But since you're new to the area, you will like them as well. I've been here over 40 years and still enjoy all these places. I make it to one or two of them every year, rotating between them. The "Zoo Lights" at Christmas time are magical. Definitely go to those.

Rocky Mountain Park, way north of you at Estes Park, is great. But don't go during the summer or you'll get trampled by the crowds. Wait until mid-Fall when the kids are back in school and the family vacations are over. Go hiking, and after the first 1/2 mile the Evian bottled water and sequined sandal folks will have dropped off in exhaustion and you may well have the place all to yourself past that.

Make the trip to Greeley, a town north and east of Denver and a bit of a drive for you (maybe a bit over an hour?), to see the Model Railroad Museum. Don't turn up your nose thinking "why would I want to go there?" You will probably walk out grinning like a carp. It's fun. Many of the ladies need a leash with a shock collar to drag their husbands and kids out of there at the end.

We have The Butterfly Pavillion here in Broomfield. It is small, but it's very relaxing to slowly stroll through the indoor arboretum mingling with the butterflys.

Many, if not all, local libraries around here have free passes to many of these attractions. You sign up for the free passes on their website. There are a limited number per day, but you can schedule ahead. I don't know what library district Aurora is in (probably "the Aurora District"!), but check it out. Also, many libraries in the area allow anyone who lives in Colorado to join - you don't have to be in their district. I am a member of nine different Colorado library districts myself (I don't usually physically visit all those libraries, but they are a great resource for checking out eBooks and getting free passes!)

For example, here is the link for the Denver Library showing you the free passes they have available: Museum and Cultural Passes

And here's the link for the city of Westminster libraries: Adventure Pass

Many libraries have passes for the same places, but there are a few different ones available at different libraries.

Tons of library districts in the area. Tons of places to get free passes (and eBooks). Generally, the various libraries will let you sign up and get instant access for a month or two or three, then you have to show up at one of the branches to validate your account and get a physical library card (that you will probably never use). But then, your online access goes on forever. I made a day of it a few years ago and drove all over the Denver metro area visiting libraries to validate my accounts. Now I sit back and can download eBooks from all over the place (so if one library has what you want checked out, try a different library).

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Welcome from Florida. Nice, sunny, warm Florida.
After my Army training, in the summer of 1968 I was stationed at Fort Carson, in Colorado Springs.
Colorado was beautiful, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs.

THEN winter came, and we would take the artillery out to the field for a week at a time, sleeping in tents in below zero weather. Like 20 below. The only weather event that would cancel a field mission was if 36 inches of snow fell in 24 hours.

Colorado ain't NO place for a Florida Boy. I actually volunteered for Vietnam to get out of there.
True story.

 

[Tirediron]

Welcome ,

 

[montanabill]

Welcome from 1000 miles due north on the eastern front range of the rockies here in montana. Lived in a old section of the city of denver in the 90's....gunfire every friday night. Ride the cog railway down from pikes peak to see what inspired "America the beautiful".

 

[jishinsjourney]

The "standard" attractions are in Denver. A good Zoo, a good Museum of Natural History, a good Botanic Gardens, and a good Aquarium. I recommend them all. There is a Museum of Art as well, but I'm not into art so not my cup of tea, but if you are - you may like it. The Symphony is good - they play in Denver at Boetcher Concert Hall. These are the places you take friends when they come to visit. But since you're new to the area, you will like them as well. I've been here over 40 years and still enjoy all these places. I make it to one or two of them every year, rotating between them. The "Zoo Lights" at Christmas time are magical. Definitely go to those.

Rocky Mountain Park, way north of you at Estes Park, is great. But don't go during the summer or you'll get trampled by the crowds. Wait until mid-Fall when the kids are back in school and the family vacations are over. Go hiking, and after the first 1/2 mile the Evian bottled water and sequined sandal folks will have dropped off in exhaustion and you may well have the place all to yourself past that.

Make the trip to Greeley, a town north and east of Denver and a bit of a drive for you (maybe a bit over an hour?), to see the Model Railroad Museum. Don't turn up your nose thinking "why would I want to go there?" You will probably walk out grinning like a carp. It's fun. Many of the ladies need a leash with a shock collar to drag their husbands and kids out of there at the end.

We have The Butterfly Pavillion here in Broomfield. It is small, but it's very relaxing to slowly stroll through the indoor arboretum mingling with the butterflys.

Many, if not all, local libraries around here have free passes to many of these attractions. You sign up for the free passes on their website. There are a limited number per day, but you can schedule ahead. I don't know what library district Aurora is in (probably "the Aurora District"!), but check it out. Also, many libraries in the area allow anyone who lives in Colorado to join - you don't have to be in their district. I am a member of nine different Colorado library districts myself (I don't usually physically visit all those libraries, but they are a great resource for checking out eBooks and getting free passes!)

For example, here is the link for the Denver Library showing you the free passes they have available: Museum and Cultural Passes

And here's the link for the city of Westminster libraries: Adventure Pass

Many libraries have passes for the same places, but there are a few different ones available at different libraries.

Tons of library districts in the area. Tons of places to get free passes (and eBooks). Generally, the various libraries will let you sign up and get instant access for a month or two or three, then you have to show up at one of the branches to validate your account and get a physical library card (that you will probably never use). But then, your online access goes on forever. I made a day of it a few years ago and drove all over the Denver metro area visiting libraries to validate my accounts. Now I sit back and can download eBooks from all over the place (so if one library has what you want checked out, try a different library).

Rocky Mountain National Park was actually what convinced us to move out here! We came out on a trip for our anniversary and fell in love with Colorado. It took a few years but we did finally make the move.

We’ve been to the aquarium — it’s cool — and the Botanic Gardens are spectacular. We haven’t been to the other botanic gardens out at Chatfield yet, though. We haven’t been to the zoo either, or the other museums, or the butterfly pavilion, but those all sound fun. I’m actually the one you’ll have to drag out of the model railroad museum with a shock collar. I love models and miniatures of all kinds, and so does he. I didn’t know there was one here and I can’t wait to go see it. We might do that next weekend! (If you’re ever in San Diego, there’s a terrific model railroad museum in Balboa Park. Highly recommend.)

Aurora’s got both county and city libraries and I’ve been slowly collecting cards too. I’ll have to look into the free passes. That’s a great idea, thank you!

 

[Haertig]

Below is one of the best miniature golf courses on the planet IMHO. Take a group of friends for dinner and golf. The Old Spaghetti Factory and Joe's Crab Shack are fun restaurants right near the miniature golf place.

https://www.adventuregolfandraceway.com/attractions/adventure-golf/
In Westminster, so about 45 minutes from you I'd guess (if no traffic). Play golf after dusk on a warm summer evening. Great fun wandering through the beautiful grounds.

 

[JustMe]

The other type of wild blackberry is called Evergreen and they have kind of frilly leaves, they often have a very spicy taste, they are not nearly as prolific as the Himalayan. They are great to mix for a little spicy taste, both will extent vines out to 20 feet and often when they touch the ground that will root and from that point often develop two or more vines, both can grow in huge patches and in order to pick the biggest berries you need to lay a plank out on the vines. Over the years my dad has burned them, poisoned them (which never seems to work and is not good for the ground, in fact I'v seen some sprays double the growth of the canes. The only way I've ever seen these berry vines stopped is to dig up all the roots, I have heard that pigs will dig up the roots. I highly recommend that you do not try to grow these types of blackberries, get the commercials grown types, they are far easier to control, one other thing, Himalayan and Evergreen vines have wicked thorns that can leave nasty wounds. Another thing about these types is that they may not grow in higher altitudes, you really don't want to have them around anyway, trust me on that. However, if you are willing to spend a lot of time pruning them, it might work, my dad told me that his dad trellised the vines which I imagine was a lot of work as the vines probably grow many inches a day, they are just not fun to have around, in spite of how juicy, large and flavorful the berries are.

Yep, they're both nasty to have around and I have the scars to prove it. With or without long sleeves working with them I still look like I was in a fight with a weed eater and lost. I keep trying to get rid of them and yes digging seems to be the best option but I also have a front hillside that the county/city water lines run so I'm afraid to dig too far, plus working on the slope is difficult. I am now thinking of altering the PH of the soil to get rid of them. From what I've read so far, they like acidic soil, so I'm thinking of buying some lime to sweeten it.

 

[viking]

Welcome from Florida. Nice, sunny, warm Florida.
After my Army training, in the summer of 1968 I was stationed at Fort Carson, in Colorado Springs.
Colorado was beautiful, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs.

THEN winter came, and we would take the artillery out to the field for a week at a time, sleeping in tents in below zero weather. Like 20 below. The only weather event that would cancel a field mission was if 36 inches of snow fell in 24 hours.

Colorado ain't NO place for a Florida Boy. I actually volunteered for Vietnam to get out of there.
True story.

The next year after my brother-in-law got his bull elk, not far from Tincup, I went by myself to the same area to hunt, slept in a sleeping bag on the ground at around 13,000 feet, woke up with a. white coating of frost all over the bag and my rifle, I had an army blanket rolled around me and still I felt the cold seeping in during the night, vowed to never do that again, especially when there were no elk to be found. We loved Colorado, the only problem was, so did everyone else, you could drive over 30 miles on nasty road and there would always be people around, here in Oregon you can drive out on some logging road and if you get stuck or your vehicle quits running, you better be prepared to walk out because you may not see anyone for a long time.

 

[Morgan101]

Welcome from Eastern Missouri. Good to have you with us.

 

[jishinsjourney]

Welcome from Florida. Nice, sunny, warm Florida.
After my Army training, in the summer of 1968 I was stationed at Fort Carson, in Colorado Springs.
Colorado was beautiful, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs.

THEN winter came, and we would take the artillery out to the field for a week at a time, sleeping in tents in below zero weather. Like 20 below. The only weather event that would cancel a field mission was if 36 inches of snow fell in 24 hours.

Colorado ain't NO place for a Florida Boy. I actually volunteered for Vietnam to get out of there.
True story.

Thank you for your service!

I have to admit that if I had to camp out in a tent in 0° for a week, I probably wouldn’t have wanted to live here either! Colorado’s scraping the edge of how much cold I enjoy with a nice fireplace and a well-insulated house. (;

I haven’t been to Florida since I was a wee thing, but man, I’m a desert kid. The humidity in Florida and Texas is murder!

 

[jishinsjourney]

Below is one of the best miniature golf courses on the planet IMHO. Take a group of friends for dinner and golf. The Old Spaghetti Factory and Joe's Crab Shack are fun restaurants right near the miniature golf place.

https://www.adventuregolfandraceway.com/attractions/adventure-golf/
In Westminster, so about 45 minutes from you I'd guess (if no traffic). Play golf after dusk on a warm summer evening. Great fun wandering through the beautiful grounds.

Ooo, mini golf. I haven’t been in ages. That’d be a fun little trek. Thanks!

 

[Swing]

Welcome to the forum You may want to experiment with solar power, or heat. When I lived in Littleton in the early 1980s we had both. Wind generators work out well also if you are on a high area.

Good on having those fruit trees and other foods. I hope you are not in a water restriction time and can grow them well.

 

[jishinsjourney]

Welcome to the forum You may want to experiment with solar power, or heat. When I lived in Littleton in the early 1980s we had both. Wind generators work out well also if you are on a high area.

Good on having those fruit trees and other foods. I hope you are not in a water restriction time and can grow them well.

Hi Angie!

We did look into solar but at the moment, it would cost us double our current energy bill to add it. It definitely is in our future, along with however many batteries we need to run the place, but isn’t cost-effective right now. So we’re saving and budgeting for it down the road. We had solar in California and it was a lifesaver — those $400/month energy bills in the summertime were no joke!

We are plumbed for natural gas so we’ve been considering getting a natural gas generator as a stopgap for power outages in the meantime. It’s a lot less expensive, but I’ve never dealt with a generator before, so I don’t know much about them.

Aurora’s water restrictions seem to be “water two days in the spring and fall and three days in the summer and limit yourself to 15 minutes at a time, multiple sessions is okay”. That’s very workable with what we’ve got, at least at the moment. We had plenty of fruit last year with that kind of watering, though we did also have two feet of snow at the end of March that we sure didn’t get this year.

 

[Haertig]

We are plumbed for natural gas so we’ve been considering getting a natural gas generator as a stopgap for power outages in the meantime.

I hate getting old and losing my mind. I read this completely wrong. I was thinking, "what the heck is a natural gas generator?" Sounds like a miracle device. (Or maybe your dinner guests after the chili cook-off.) Then I realized, "Oh! A natural gas powered generator!"

 

[SoJer]

Bienveneetoes from Lost Angeleez.. Have good friends in Loveland, Co. Springs and Ft. Collins.. and 'Ex's Family' out in GJ (still good friends w/ the Ex-BIL and SIL, tho.. Went to HS together..) Love it out there..

...Great flyfishing / hiking / camping and general exploring (the Mica Mines!! etc) and just a hop/skip to the Greatest-parts of UT..

jd

 

[jishinsjourney]

Bienveneetoes from Lost Angeleez.. Have good friends in Loveland, Co. Springs and Ft. Collins.. and 'Ex's Family' out in GJ (still good friends w/ the Ex-BIL and SIL, tho.. Went to HS together..) Love it out there..

...Great flyfishing / hiking / camping and general exploring (the Mica Mines!! etc) and just a hop/skip to the Greatest-parts of UT..

jd

Hi there! How’s things in the city of lost angels these days? You hear things vaguely out here and go “that sounds like California but ….” I kind of miss the year-round growing season but I sure don’t miss the traffic or the cost of water.

We haven’t been out to Grand Junction yet but have a road trip planned that includes it and also part of Utah, which I’m very much looking forward to.

Mica Mines? I haven’t heard of that! I’ll have to look it up, it sounds intriguing!

 

[goshengirl]

Welcome from southern Ohio!

Speaking of RMNP, I wonder if they still have the Highland Festival there every fall - late September, I think. I used to live in CO Springs (25-30 yrs ago) and drive up. In the evening when there's 100 or so bagpipes playing and you're surrounded by the mountains - I swear, if you have any Scottish blood in you, your DNA will ping with happiness (definitely a non-cerebral experience).

And in case you haven't been, there's a hiking trail above the treeline, right off the paved road that runs through the park - wish I could remember the name of it, but the trailhead is on the south side of that road. Doesn't look like much of a trail from the road, but hike a short distance around a bend and there's nothing man-made in your view, save the occasional stone cairn marking the trail. It is stunning, feels like you're touching the sky. It might have been the high altitude and lack of oxygen that was making me so euphoric, but I wanted to dance around and sing the Sound of Music. But that's the place I'd love for my husband and I to renew our vows some day.

Anyhow, welcome again.

 

[jishinsjourney]

Welcome from southern Ohio!

Speaking of RMNP, I wonder if they still have the Highland Festival there every fall - late September, I think. I used to live in CO Springs (25-30 yrs ago) and drive up. In the evening when there's 100 or so bagpipes playing and you're surrounded by the mountains - I swear, if you have any Scottish blood in you, your DNA will ping with happiness (definitely a non-cerebral experience).

And in case you haven't been, there's a hiking trail above the treeline, right off the paved road that runs through the park - wish I could remember the name of it, but the trailhead is on the south side of that road. Doesn't look like much of a trail from the road, but hike a short distance around a bend and there's nothing man-made in your view, save the occasional stone cairn marking the trail. It is stunning, feels like you're touching the sky. It might have been the high altitude and lack of oxygen that was making me so euphoric, but I wanted to dance around and sing the Sound of Music. But that's the place I'd love for my husband and I to renew our vows some day.

Anyhow, welcome again.

No idea if they have the festival. It sounds fun, even to someone who’s mostly Italian. I haven’t been to that trailhead yet, and it sounds great. I would love to go see that. Thanks for the info!