Who's writing this blog?

After 16 years of living in the forest at an elevation of 8600 feet, we found ourselves searching for a place away from encroaching traffic, light, noise.

Early in our family life we were blessed to have wise elders who showed us by example the value of simple living--what we now know as the Leave No Trace ethic. Our commitment to that view of ourselves in the world has only deepened, through 50+ years now of marriage, children, grandchildren. It's a work in process--there's always more we can do to shrink our footprint on this beautiful earth. And we've discovered the deep joys of leaving the world a better place for having been here. Planting trees, for instance.

Captured.
When I try to write about the beauty of this part of Larimer County I'm unable to find words that aren't trite cliches. It all comes out sounding like a Hallmark greeting card. If you're reading this, you probably know what I'm saying. So there's this: we fell in love with it. Maybe this blog is a love letter.

A little research showed us the rich and fascinating history of this little corner. And some time spent with the founding documents of Glacier View Meadows convinced me (Claudia's not so keen on studying Master Covenants) that we could find a true home here, a place dedicated to

...maintain[ing] a style and nature of building design that is architecturally harmonious with the physical character of the area, including quality of workmanship, type of materials and harmony of external design.

We're pretty comfortable in rural and mountain living, and this ethic spoke directly to our core values. But choosing to live that way ourselves is different than being told we have to comply with someone else's definition of exactly what that means

First challenge.
We'd never lived in an HOA, and had heard plenty of horror stories. Is this a place run by a bunch of HOA nazis? In the end of our research we decided that the pluses of settling here far outweighed the risks of been stuck in a toxic community. The weekend of the April 2017 36" snowstorm, we moved to Gate 9.

Our apprehensions have proven to have been totally unnecessary. We love this community. We truly appreciate what we've come to realize as the importance and value in living in a well-managed homeowner's association.

It has required some adjustment from us in learning to navigate such a local government. We learned early on that deep in the DNA of Glacier View Meadows is a profound respect for the nature of people who choose to call this home: residents who prefer self-sufficiency, but are aware of the need for neighborliness and commonly agreed upon rules. In every way, we have seen and experienced a light and respectful hand in the development and administration of regulations. We've found responsive, helpful, and generous support when we've had questions or concerns. And our participation in the organization has been encouraged and welcomed.

Why this blog.
With this part of Colorado showing no sign of losing its appeal for new residents, we look forward to new neighbors who share with us the importance of living in harmony with the land. In this spirit, I write this blog, a journal of my discoveries.

I'd hope that the ideas here might provide a few thoughts and inspirations for you about what this part of the world is. Maybe what I share here will be one of the places you turn to when you're wondering how to make Glacier View Meadows more fully your home.

We continue learning about the place and getting to know the people. Writing about it is one way I have of figuring things out for myself. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments, so you can be part of my education.

Where'd I come from?
I'm a man of the American West. I spent my early life in the San Francisco bay area, my university years in Utah. After raising a family in the Nebraska prairieland, I've found my home in the mountains of Colorado.

Want to know more about me?

If you google my name, you may find some references to my work with communities and with historical geography. You may even stumble across some of the other online writing I do.

Want to know more? Read some random pages of the blog here. Check out the Facebook page I administer, which I consider a sister to this blog. Or drop me a line, at moneill[dot]gvm[at]msn[dot]com. I love to share a good cup of coffee.

The fine print.
Truth in Advertising: I feel strongly enough about some of these ideas that I volunteer my time and skills, such as they are, with the HOA. I serve these days as chair of the Architectural Review Committee, which reports to the Road & Recreation Board of Directors. With that in mind, here's a specific disclaimer.

A brief disclaimer.

This blog, like the Facebook page, is a personal project. These are expressions of my way of being in community.

I consider myself fortunate to live in this place in the mountains, but I'm not promoting it and am not reluctant to admit its human frailties. I provide contact information for the HOA, but the work on these sites is not formally associated in any way with the Homeowners Association. I speak for myself.

I won't "monetize" what I'm doing here, and don't do it for any particular benefit for me or my family. Sooner or later, I expect it will have served its purposes and will become some sort of historical reference point. I'm not here forever.

Michael.