Agree with both Jenny and drhort. I don't live quite so high (6th floor), and I'm in the west (Denver), but my balcony has the same orientation as Jenny's. No buildings to compete, and the one tree that's finally tall enough to give me a squirrel problem (first time this year -- Ponderosa pine), still make my normally zone 5a between 5b and 6 due to the microclimate. Also, the plants placed along the brick wall have a warmer environment than the ones along the railing, so that's where I put my cold sensitive plants. All spring and summer flowering bulbs get planted in October and lined up against the wall, together with perennials in pots that don't give the kind of insulation I'd like. I may have to wrap them in bubble wrap and/or burlap, but I can grow anything here that's labeled zone 5, even 6. As for wind, that is a problem, can't deny it. It sometimes blows things around, but I've planted wind-resistant plants at the west end where the wind is more severe. My western exposure is open to winds coming from the mountains, no obstruction to slow them down, and we have winds in the winter at ground level of up to 65 mph. So up here they're even stronger. That's why I wrap some of the perennials in winter. My two cents, so take it for what it's worth. I'll be interested to see what you actually do. Judith

Hi Pixie, When you posted about Little House on the Prairie I looked some things up and was planning to post but just haven't found the time! I'm glad you explained why you wanted to do the plains! At least now it makes sense! After you posted I looked up DeSmet on google Earth--to get the "lay of the land," and I think your daughter would be really disappointed with the "plains" we have out here compared to the terrain you'll find in eastern SD. The link I posted to a pic of "our" plains up above really is pretty accurate--there is simply nothing out there! If you do DeSmet I doubt that she'll actually be looking at "the land" very much when you do it, and she'll have all the Little House things, which is what she actually thinks of when she's reading the books. (Love it when kids are reading books!) So rather than taking her for a hot, dry, flat drive, and destroying her mental image of Little House, I now very definitely think you should skip the plains and enjoy the extra time in the hills! A couple things about the fishing if you're gonna stick that in. Wherever you do it you'll need a Colorado fishing license, so be sure you plan ahead for that so you're not disappointed. And if you do decide to go to the Poma Ranch near Pagosa Springs, you'd really need to stay there two nites to have time for fishing. Checkin is at 3:00, so that wouldn't leave much time on the day you arrive, and checkout is at 10:00, so there wouldn't be time on the day you were leaving. The Weminuche River that runs thru the ranch flows very gently and it could easily be fished wading or from the bank. Check out their Fishing page at the link below, and there's more fishing info on their FAQs page, including that they rent "basic" and "kids" fishing gear at the ranch. I don't really know anything about fishing so I'm not sure what all that would include, but if you're seriously considering it and have any questions, call the ranch and ask for Karen! Also, since the river flows gently--and is shallow (a "river" out here is not the same as a "river" in the midwest or east!) your daughter might enjoy wading around in it (probably with a pair of cotton tennis shoes or at least flip flops since the bottom will be "rocky")! But she probably wouldn't stay in too long since water in the mountains is COLD--it's melted snow--and the ranch is at 8,000'! Also, if you're seriously considering staying there, PM me and I'd be glad to send you some more pictures of the inside (and outside) of the Hideaway cabin! I've stayed there three times now so I have pics of the outsides of the other cabins too. This is a favorite pic! I couldn't help but smile the first time I drove in there and saw the Welcome Home sign! I immediately knew I was gonna love the place! (The sign is on the back side of the "bathhouse" building that has the "waterfall showers!") And before I got to the welcome home sign (on the small building on the right) I ran into this roadblock on the drive in! (If it looks gloomy, that's because it was raining on and off on the drive from Pagosa to the ranch the first year I stayed there! Then, right after I got there, the sun came out just in time for sunset!) This was a view heading out of Pagosa toward the ranch that year! The ranch is in them thar hills! I also highly recommend the "Cozy House" at Dolores for the Cortez part of your trip, and would be glad to send you a bunch of pics of that place too to help you decide if you're interested. One more thing since Zinnia brought up Dinosaur Ridge! Just a little further down the road, in Morrison, is a place called Tiny Town! Perhaps in lieu of Little House your daughter would like to see some "little houses"---and other buildings! I don't have time to live link these pages, but here's a copy/paste link to their site, and if you google for images of Tiny Town you'll come up with lots of pics of the buildings with people standing by them so you can get the scale. I haven't been out to this place since the late 70's when it was a run down (tiny) ghost town all overgrown with weeds, but it's been all spiffied up and is back in business, and this could be a real fun Kid Thing! You could plan your whole last day to do Red Rocks, the dinosaurs, and Tiny Town, and then head to the airport for your last nite's lodging! http://tinytownrailroad.com/ Out of time for tonite! I can't wait to find out what all you finally decide to do! Skybird Here is a link that might be useful: Fishing on the V. A. Poma Ranch!

The canyon where this was taken is about 60 or 70 miles as the crow flies from the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. That area was dated at about 1300 or 1400 using dendrochronology from the wooden beams in the ceiling. It is also about the same distance from the Mimbres River Valley that produced a lot of pottery in that same time period. The petroglyphs are in a VERY remote area and I think only a handful of people know that they exist. I stumbled upon them by accident one day and could barely believe what I had found. Ron

I know, I don't think either of the CafePress designs are as nice as your old ones. I still think something similar must be out there, somewhere... I think the Mimbres collection at the Western NM University in Silver City is the largest one in existence. On our last visit, they told us they rotate different pieces through the display routinely (too many items to display all at once.) It's just fabulous, so if you get back out this way, maybe pencil that in! I had to get comfy with bats in my last home, because they lived in the attic of our old detached rock garage. That building also housed our washer and dryer. I will admit there were a few evenings I did a U-turn with the laundry basket, when I saw a bat flitting around the light bulb over the washer. I don't mind them, but don't really want them flying around my head! But they never gave me any trouble. Interesting little critters.