Distinctive Jewelry Always

I live in a very remote area of Wyoming, called the Red Desert Basin, part of the Great Divide Basin. This area is surrounded by mountains, where the Rocky Mountain Ranges divide, forming an “island”. All of the precipitation falls within this basin, and goes to neither the Pacific or the Atlantic oceans. It is an alpine desert, with the only trees being those that have been planted by modern pioneers. It is home to antelope, wild horses, deer, badgers, coyotes, fox, and quite a few of the raptor type of birds.

What strikes people the most when they spend any time in this area, is the wide-open vistas, the silence, the lack of modernization and the wildlife. It is also a harsh environment, with lots of snow in the winter, but beautiful summer weather. Even in summer, because of the altitude, the temperatures will drop 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit, from the highs in the daytime to the lows in the nighttime.

As far as the winter is concerned, some winters we barely get any snow, other winters we’ll get up to a 4 foot base with drifts to 12 feet. We have been snowed in up to 5-½ months, with the only way in or out being by snowmobile, cross-country skis, or snowshoes. This can be a problem, because the nearest town is 30 miles away. In case you’re wondering, yes, all of our children were homeschooled and have gone on to college. Several have attained graduate degrees, and one is working on a bachelor’s.

There is no commercial power available here. We generate all our own electricity, with 95% being “green” energy; solar and wind being our primary sources of energy. We live in an energy-efficient home, which is earth-sheltered and set into a hillside. We find we can make do without many amenities others consider to be important, because our needs are met and our wants are few. It isn’t a lifestyle most want, but it suits us, and a few other hardy souls.