Sustainable Living Fair

Yesterday Kent, Kathy and I attended an event to which we'd all been looking forward. In fact, Kent took a personal day to be able to go.


While it was interesting, we were a little disappointed by:

1. A seeming lack of organization with regards to layout and finding tents and booths.
2. Parking was a huge hassle and seemed very disorganized. We ended up parking on a side street behind the fair and walking along some railroad tracks and through the woods to get to the entrance after failing to find any of their designated parking areas.
3. It really seemed geared to the people dwelling within the city of Ft. Collins. Perhaps we misunderstood the audience but I got the impression it would be a little more broad ranging and comprehensive.
4. Backwoods Home did not show up at the booth they were scheduled to have at the fair. Of course I wasn't expecting to see Jackie Clay, but I had hoped to meet at least one of the folks from BH.

On the plus side:

1. The talks I attended were well done and interesting even if they didn't provide me with a great deal of new information.
2. I got to spend the day with Kent and Kathy
3. There were some interesting vendors. I was very interested to talk to the yurt folks. I got information thinking it could be a distinct possibility of a cozy little place to live if we end up building our dreamhouse on our next property.

You can add plumbing


and a woodstove


For around $10,000 you can have a cozy little home that could serve as a guesthouse when you've built your dream. And there are yurts that folks have been living in for 20 years. Hmmmmm. Just has me thinking.



When we left our house early in the morning it was a warm day with clear blue skies. By the time we got to the junction of I-70 & 76, it was completely cloudy, chilly and threatening moisture. As we drove the two hours north it became downright cold (only in the 50's!), we needed the wipers for the incessent mist and I was regretting leaving my jacket and umbrella at home. I suggested that we look for a thrift store as soon as we got near Ft. Collins so that I could find something to keep from freezing. After getting a little lost getting into town, we happened upon the EcoThrift Shop. Turns out they had maps and info on the fair, so that was very helpful. And I found a really nice grey fleece turtleneck "poncho". I was so happy to put it on. I was already chilling through.


So here I am holding up my thrifty find and realizing I'm just a nifty thrifty girl. My top is a linen tunic that I picked up from a dry cleaners that went out of business and was selling unclaimed items. I get complimented on it all the time. And my skirt is a Ralph Lauren denim from ECHO Resale. I was tickled to realize that I reduce, reuse and recycle to an extent I don't even consciously realize!

If you are interested in learning more about the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association or the annual fair, you can visit here.