Sara and Jim Wilson Homestead Cottage

 

I just saw this wildflower blooming outside the cottage. Look close to see the little stars in the center of the flower. 

  

This old stove heated the cottage for its first overnight quest in over one half a century.

One night when I was accidently locked out of my house I used the Christmas lights I had in the car to light up the cottage so I could see. It gave it a very romantic glow so I am looking to use them more in the future. Right now there is good electric to the outside of the cottage but none actually inside the cottage. Leaving it without electricity would be more authentic but electricity could be fun in the cottage. I think future guest might like it better that way. My husband, Ragan, fixed the double window in the picture. it was a hole in the wall with an old door over it when he started. It is helping to let in enough sunshine that a few plants can live inside with a grow light. Ragan was asked the other day if someone was living in the cottage. He said, "Yes, my wife's plants are living there."

The lights in the window did make the cottage seem to come alive. I am surprised how many people drive by and tell me about what they see.

The window was made from windows found in the attic and given by friends.

These are some of the plants that I am trying to keep alive. When it got to 10 below outside many of the plants froze but some are still trying to hang on for next summer. A grow light loaned by a friend added just enough heat that the ones closest to it survived the temperatures near 20 degrees inside.

I am thankful to have this photo as this is one of the plants I tried to keep. They were two for $10 at Kings Soopers. They may only be an annual but I am not sure so I tried to keep them.

Near the cottage is an old stump that I am using to feed birds. I was trying to figure out how to get bird feed in the budget when a friend unknowingly answered my unspoken prayers and dropped by several bags of bird feed.

I really like sweet potatoe and clolieus as colorful greenery for hanging baskets.

The photo below is a living Christmas tree that I splurged on when we were thinking about moving from the ranch. I had so much fun lighting it up with solar lights where I had no electricity at the ranch. They lasted until after I moved them in July.  I was not sure where to plant it so I put it in an old galvanized tub with a hole in the bottom of it. I was planting some seeds one day and thought maybe a few would grow underneath the pine tree shaded from the hot dessert sun at the Lazy Tree ranch. Sure enough they grew so much better than expected. I put them near the cottage in front of the main house of the Sara and Jim Wilson Homestead. They became a center piece of the yard. The moss roses cascaded over the edge with blooms along with the snap dragons and pansies grew well in the shade of the Canadian Blue Spruce pine tree.

 Jeep lovers will notice some of my husband's jeeps in the background. More about them on other blogs.

 

Above is the view from the back door of the cottage.

This would chop up fire wood great for the cottage if the tractor would start that makes it run. We used it often at the Lazy Tree cabin. It would be fun if I could share the videos of it running.

The roof in the cottage was falling down so I have taken it down so that I could put up drywall unless I find some grant money to actually replaster it.

This is the temporary back wall after 90,000 honey bees were removed to a safer location by our bee keeping friends.  

Tumble weeds grew well after the flooding of the Fountain Creek area in 2013. The water did not even come up to level of the trees in the distance. July 25 th week of 2014 brought another high water mark  that brought the water up to water the roots of the Cottonwoods and elms in the background of the photo.