#mostly cus the wildlife are totally over them

[ghostlyfoliage]

If anyone has any suggestions of drought resistant perennials that wildlife like to browse, I'm still insane and hoping to plant some things for them.

The plan is to make a fenced section with things for the deer/rabbits etc and let it spread out naturally and eventually remove the fence, so I need things that will either firmly root themselves (so they can't be pulled out very easy, tulips are an example, I think chicory might be an option) or will self-seed enough that it doesn't matter (I'm thinking clover esp for this, might be a fuck and plant some purslane... cus I like munching on it too).

I was gonna do a field of wildflowers in the front yard but right now I'm honestly thinking get some perennials established, fill in with annuals and things the wildlife won't eat, and attempt to maintain a little something-something for the animals... stick a massive bird bath in the middle... hope no more animals collapse in the heat of summer in my front yard. 🙃

[gallusrostromegalus]

i'm moving to boulder either this coming fall or the year after for grad school. what should an eastern seaboard girl know about colorado? (note: the first thing i found out was how big it is. apparently durango is a 7 hr drive from boulder? if i drive for 7 hrs up the atlantic coast, i've crossed 6 fucking states.)

What You Need to Know About Colorado, In No Particular Order:

AIR: You’re going to feel excessively tired, achy, cranky and dizzy for the first week you’re here.  That’s the altitude.  Your body is having to learn to cope with much less oxygen than it’s used to.  Some people handle it better than others, but it takes about a month to acutally adjust.  Take it easy for a bit, and Drink Your Water.

WATER: Most people who come here from humid climates have to double the amount of water they drink.  Your milage may vary based on individual health, but in addition to thier being less Oxygen, there’s also less ambient water vapor and you’ll feel the thirst.  Listen to it.

SUNSCREEN: Did you know the UV scale goes up to 14 out here?  it does!  if you’re going to be putside for more than an hour, wearing a 50+ SPF sunscreen is a really good idea.  It’ll also help your skin not flake off and die like a lizard shedding it’s skin.  Moisturizing is an actual health concern out here- putting lotion on prevents you from getting skin infections, skin-splits and makes life about 500% more comfortable.

FIRE: Boulder in particular is kind of fucked this year when it comes to wildfires.  We’ve just had a very dry winter and since Boulder decided to do the shitty thing and make it illegal for Homeless people to sleep/camp in city limits, they’re doing it in the surrounding forest and accidental fires are way up this year.  You will, at some point this fall or next summer, walk outside and start coughing becuase the smoke is so intense.  A fire within city limits proper is unlikely, but smoke inhalation is a serious concnern, esp if you have athsma or other respiratory issues.  If you’re up on the CU Campus, there is a chance you might be evacuated on short notice, so have an emergency kit/Bug-Out-Bag ready.

FLOODING: if you’re living in Boulder proper, this is actually the more serious concern come springtime and late summer when heavy rains come in.  Boulder creek frequently floods it’s banks and parts of campus have been closed/evacuated before.  Do not try to ford/drive through the water, it can bee much deeper than you think or be moving dangerously fast.

DRUGS: If you are an adult over the age of 21 in the state of CO you may purchase mairjuana at liscenced retail stores. If you intend to do this, please familiarize yourself with the local laws becuase the residents are AMAZINGLY poorly informed and will tell you all kinds of things are legal that totally aren’t, and we want to be as safe as possible doing this.  If you choose to consume, please be considerate and consume where you will not expose anyone else (if you smoke in your apartment you WILL expose your neighbors, no matter how many towels you stuff around the doors and windows) and shower/change clothes before going out in public so you don’t trigger people with allergies/respiratory problems.

WILDLIFE:  All year round, CU Boulder has got aggro raccoons, nervy foxes and the fattest, boldest squirrels you’ve ever met.  They’re really cute, but DO NOT FEED THEM.  They will remember you, and mug you for your lunch all year.  You should definitely take pictures of them being fat and silly (at a distance) and post them.In fall, Bears, elk and sometimes Moose will come into City Limits looking to get fat and/or laid before winter.  They’re mostly there for shubbery and your trash, so be careful walking at night and mind all ordinances regarding garbage disposal.  Do not try to take selfies with them. Please. People do that, please don’t be that person

...okay, now that I’ve made it sound like you’re moving to the apocalypse, here’s some happy things about CO and Boulder in particular:

CU Boulder has a LOVELY miniature natural history museum on campus, tucked away kind of near the quad with the fountains in it.  Ask some of the faculty in one of the science departments where it is.

CO is a weirdly well-run state in terms of internal affairs.  If you’re broke an a resident, definitely enroll in state Medicaid.  They cover way more than I would have guessed and you can do everything you need with them via email.

Also, if you decide to be a resident while you’re here, we vote by mail.  It’s really simple and you can vote weeks ahead of the election if you like.  Please Vote.

If you can ride a bike, most of Boulder is VERY bike-friendly and it’s a much better way to get around than by car, even in the middle of winter.

It DOES take about... eight, nine hours to get from one side of the state to the other but you spend most of that Actually Moving, instead of sitting in traffic.  Unless you’re on I-25 or US 36 during daylight hours.  Learning the county roads and smaller state highways will help you explore the front range more efficiently.  

That said, in Boulder you’re withing half an hour of nearly all the services you’ll need, and an hour from the most beautful state parks on the continent.  

Definitely explore as much of the outdoors as you can while out here, it’s like nowhere else on earth.

Also, Invest in a GOOD pair of sneakers/hiking boots becuase even just walking around campus/the city is hiking proper- most of boulder is unreasonably steep and fairly spread out.

There’s also a ton of art galleries, theater, community events, concerts etc that are LOTS of fun- people tend to be very easygoing and chatty out here.

Boulder is a big stoner town, but that does come with the nice side effect of a wide variety of tasty food places that are open late at night.

I noticed from your blog that you’re Jewish, and the good news is that the front range does have a fairly large and active Jewish community.  

I will very probably be living in Westminster, which is like... 40 minutes away so if you need someone to come get you in an emergency or just want to pet a dog just hit me up.