15 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours

Need I say more...?

Brantly wearing a hat I crocheted for my brother

Now if that just isn't the CUTEST thing, then check out this....

Life in the "Bachelor Pad"

Here is a picture of the Buckarooster and Monty in their new home. They seem to be getting along fine with the ducks and geese. They want hens, of course, but you know what they say-- "you can't always get what you want...."

Wiccus watching the puppies play at the Cottonwood Inn

Many thanks to Graham's Grille in Taos for helping the hungry!

As many of our guests know, we've been taking in quite a few rescue birds this past year. As the number of beaks have grown, so has the demand for items like fresh greens and tasty snacks (especially when it's minus 9 outside). We are so fortunate to have found a friend in Leslie Fay, owner and chef of Graham's Grille here in Taos. Not only does Graham's continue to offer fabulous fare to their human guests, they now have generously donated their scraps to the hens (and toms and roos and ganders) of the Cottonwood Inn.

We are so happy to be able to give our birds something fresh and healthy to eat-- and something so different from the usual old scratch. Collecting and saving and storing leftovers for our birds is quite a commitment to make. We are so grateful that the folks at Graham's have given their time to helping out our hungry birds. Not only do the birds make out like bandits, but the local landfill benefits as well.

If you're in town and hungry for the best green chili cheese burger or decadent dessert that Taos has to offer, don't drive by the Taos Plaza without paying Graham's Grille a visit.

Here are a couple of photos of our birds enjoying their food-- Ms. Squawkers, Za Za and Wilhelmina have a bit of something green, and Wiccus, our Midget White tom with evidence of his snack still on his beak.

Whoops!

Wow, just realized that people have posted comments on this blog. I didn't know people could do that. Yes, yes, yes. I know it's very sad. To all you folks who've commented since 2009, very sorry to have (inadvertently) ignored you. I'll do better in the future, I promise. Now, if only Barney Sharp Talons would drop me a line....

Today is the second day for the "Rooster Bachelor Pad" experiment. As I've continued to take in random strays I've realized that that the majority of the unwanted birds out there are roosters. This year alone I've added 3 to the flock(Bernard, our head Roo, doesn't seem to mind, actually).

Since the barn is sitting huge, vacant, and insulated, we've decided to try a bachelor pad. Over in The Bach Pad right now are The Buckarooster and Montgomery (Monty, for short. Monty started out life as Monique. Surprise, surprise.)

People say (I've already heard it) "Why do you want a bunch of roosters??" Well, I don't particularly WANT a bunch of roosters, but I do love chickens and these guys play a really tough role in the current backyard chicken trend-- nobody wants them and the rules say you can't have them within most city limits. When they are sans hens roosters are actually quite calm (I can hear all the comments from here). Inside the Taj Mahal (read: barn) with its foot-thick walls is the perfect place to keep potentially noisy critters. Let's put it this way-- The Buckarooster can crow his brains out at 3 a.m. and nobody can hear him. Except for his unfortunate housemates, of course.

The above is a picture of The Buckarooster.

Notes from our time away from the Cottonwood Inn

In addition to not writing blog entries for the last 6 months Brantly and I also went on our first vacation in two years. We took a leisurely drive from Taos to the Oregon Coast-- we drove my Father's VW Eurovan, which he left here last Spring. On the way, we left a vehicle in Denver so we could take the Amtrak back from Oregon.

The drive across country was absolutely stunning-- highlights were Yellowstone (we nipped through on the second to last open day of the year) Coeur d'Alene (BIG summer houses with NOBODY there!), the Washington Cascades, and Port Townsend. Port Townsend is CUTE!

Along the way we were able to stay at a variety of different types of places. From the truly great bargain in Walden, Colorado (the North Park Inn) clean as a whistle, outrageously cheap, and in the perfect place in our time of need (after 11 pm, freezing cold, and we were exhausted) to the over-priced and underwhelming Denver boutique hotel that charged for everything except the oxygen in the building-- extra $$ for WIFI, parking, breakfast (holy cow-- $9.00 for a cup of yogurt with granola), no in-room coffee/tea/refrigerator, not enough shampoo in the dinky bottles for 2 people to wash their hair, and most unbelievable only one nightstand per bed??!)

Did I mention $259/night and only one nightstand??

Maybe this won't bother most people, but as readers, we were a bit nonplussed to have to put our drinks (purchased from the in-room wetbar-- a soda for $4 can), books, and reading glasses on the floor.

I was also eager to try out the much-lauded Frette bedding. I have to say I wasn't impressed (much to Brantly's relief, as he didn't want to have to buy bedding sets for 1K plus). It might be that the harsh chemicals and laundering they go through in a commercial laundry take away from the softness, but they merely felt thin and scratchy.

Of course my conclusion is that the smaller places offered much more for the money.

Lot's of great bird watching both on the way and in Oregon. Mass Canada Goose migration was a fantastic event to behold. Also a HUGE flock of Trumpeter Swans occupying a pasture in the middle of nowhere just outside of the Washington Cascades.

Back at the homestead we've got lots of bird-watching opportunities, ourselves. Wiccus, our White Midget tom turkey, has figured out that we live behind the windows he sees each day. He has begun to lurk around outside our bedroom window, peering in and making contemplative clucking noises. Truly a Peeping Tom....

Today we had a good 5 inches of fresh snow on the ground, a first for several of the younger hens. Our hen Lavinia refused to come out of the coop, instead standing a few inches inside the door and screeching disbelievingly at the snow. She is usually the first one out in the morning and is very good at flying out of the coop and ranging the entire property at will. Welcome to winter in Taos, Lavinia.

There is more snow on the way, hopefully a good 5-10 inches for us and more up at the Taos Ski Valley.