Hey there, NOCO Crew!

Fall is in full swing across Northern Colorado. The leaves are turning, the mornings are crisp, and there’s an envelope from the county clerk that might be hiding in your mail pile. Here’s what’s in this issue:

Your Voice, Your Vote. Ballots are out, and Election Day is November 3. We’re not here to tell you how to vote (NOCO Word is proudly non-partisan). We’re just here to make sure you do! Inside you’ll find key deadlines, why local races matter more than you might think, and a list of drop boxes across Larimer and Weld counties.

Leave the Leaves! Good news for your aching back: that rake might get to stay in the garage this year. We’ll explain why fallen leaves are free fertilizer, and we’ll also cover when you really should rake.

Get Lost (On Purpose!). Looking for a classic fall outing? We’re headed to Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle for a brand-new corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin cannon (yes, really), and a haunted cornfield for the brave. We’ve got everything you need to know before you go.

Oh; and we also explore a ‘quaint’ log ‘cabin’ in Loveland…

So grab a warm drink, and let’s dig in!

– David

Tuesday around Fort Collins: Partly sunny and noticeably cooler, with a high near 62°F and a 40% chance of showers after 3 p.m. Check the forecast before a mountain trip, since conditions at the trailheads can be very different from town.

Sunrise is about 7:10 a.m., sunset about 6:23 p.m., and we have about 11 hours, 13 minutes of daylight. The moon is a waxing crescent.

Local sunrise and sunset
Current National Weather Service forecast

First Things First

NOCO Word is non-partisan. We’re not here to tell you who or what to vote for. We’re here to remind us all that we get a say in what happens in our community.

You Should Have Your Ballot

Colorado’s general election is Tuesday, November 3, and mail ballots went out to active registered voters in early October. So if there’s an envelope from the county clerk sitting under a pile of pizza coupons on your counter, now’s a great time to dig it out.

Why It Matters, Especially Close To Home

National races get most of the headlines, but some of the decisions that affect your daily life the most are much closer to home. Think school boards, county commissioners, city councils, and local ballot measures. These are the folks and decisions that shape our roads, schools, water, and property taxes.

Local races are also often decided by very small margins. Turnout for these ‘down-ballot’ races is usually lower, so every single ballot carries more weight.

Colorado Makes Voting Easy

Do Your Homework

Being an informed voter doesn’t mean you have to read every word of the ‘Blue Book’(Colorado’s Ballot Information Booklet) in one sitting — we salute you if you do. Look over your ballot early, read about the measures, check out candidate forums, and talk things over with your neighbors, even the ones you disagree with — especially those ones, actually. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.

Bottom Line

Whatever your views, your vote is your voice. It takes us all to make a chorus that reflects the harmony we want in our communities. Make sure you contribute. Fill out your ballot, sign that envelope, and get it turned in on time. Then, wear your “I Voted” sticker with pride.

Get Ready To Vote

Every fall, the trees drop their leaves, and we haul out the rakes, leaf blowers, and line up the yard waste bags. But here’s some good news for your aching back — many of those leaves are worth keeping right where they landed.

Free Fertilizer

Leaves are packed with nutrients the tree pulled out of the soil all summer. When they break down, they give those nutrients and organic matter back to the soil. That’s a big deal here, since a lot of NOCO yards are stuck with heavy clay or thin soil that could really use the help. Basically, your trees are handing you free compost. Bagging it up and sending it away seems like a waste!

On The Lawn: Mow, Don’t Rake

Before you get too excited, there’s one catch. A thick, soggy pile of whole leaves can smother your grass and invite mold if left this way. So, skip the rake and grab the mower: run over the leaves a couple of times to chop them into small bits. Those pieces settle down between the grass blades and break down over the winter, feeding your lawn. If you can still see plenty of grass through the leaf bits, you’re good to go. If you can’t, mow again or move some of the extra leaves to your flower beds.

In Flower Beds: Nature’s Blanket

Here’s where leaves really shine. A layer of leaves in your flower beds and around your shrubs works like a cozy winter blanket:

Tip: As we discussed with lawn-leaf-leavings, shred the leaves before putting them in the flower beds by running them over with the mower. Shredded leaves are less likely to blow away in a Colorado windstorm, and they break down faster, too.

A Winter Hotel For The Good Guys

This might be the coolest part of lazy lawn care. Lots of helpful critters spend the winter tucked in leaf litter. Plenty of butterflies, moths, native bees, and other beneficial insects ride out the cold as eggs, caterpillars (they actually enter a state of suspended development called diapause), or cocoons hidden among fallen leaves. Birds count on those insects for food, especially when they’re feeding their hatchlings in the spring. When we bag up all the leaves, we bag up those little guys, too. Leaving some leaves behind is one of the easiest ways to help the ecosystem in your own backyard.

When To Rake

Leaving the leaves isn’t a hard rule, and there are some exceptions:

Bottom Line

Fall cleanup doesn’t have to mean bag after bag of yard waste. Mow the leaves into your lawn, tuck them into your flower beds, and let nature do the rest. Your soil, your plants, and your backyard wildlife will thank you. And you’ll get to spend a few more fall afternoons enjoying the season instead of raking.

There’s something about fall in Northern Colorado that makes you want to wander through a cornfield, pick out the perfect pumpkin, and eat something deep-fried. If that sounds like your kind of weekend, Fritzler Farm Park out in LaSalle is worth checking out.

A Local Tradition Since 2000

The Fritzler family has been welcoming visitors to their farm since 2000. They’re best known for their corn maze, which gets a brand-new design every year. So even if you’ve been before, it’s sure to be a brand-new experience.

So much more than a maze

Once you’ve found your way out of the corn (or given up and followed the nearest kid), there’s a whole farm full of fun waiting for you. Here are some of the highlights:

Some extras cost a little more, like the pumpkin cannon (yes, you get to launch pumpkins), the petting zoo, and the Orbeez shooting gallery. And you’ll find festival food, desserts, and a beer garden for the grown-ups (21+, with ID, of course).

Not For The Faint Of Heart

After dark, the farm gets a lot spookier. Scream Acres is the farm’s haunted attraction, and it opens around dusk. It requires its own ticket, so check out the Scream Acres website before you go. And maybe leave the little ones at home…

Why It’s A Great Pick For Locals

Before You Go

Bottom Line

Fall in Colorado goes by fast. Grab the family, a few friends, or that special someone, and go get lost in a cornfield for an afternoon. Bring home a pumpkin, a few great photos, and maybe even some hay in your hair. That’s how you know you did fall right!

Plan Your Visit

We all have that daydream: a cozy log cabin tucked into the pines, a crackling fire, mountain views, and nothing but quiet for miles. Well, someone near Loveland took that daydream and turned the dial up to eleven.

Meet The ‘Cabin’

This log home sits on 35 acres in the gated Sedona Hills community, about 10 miles outside downtown Loveland. Tall pines surround it, and the views take in the mountains and Carter Lake. It’s a cabin the way a cruise ship is a canoe. The home has five bedrooms and more than 6,500 square feet of living space. So, you know, plenty of room for a weekend getaway. And the rest of your extended family. And possibly their neighbors.

Those Logs, Though…

Let’s talk about the logs, because they’re the star of the show. They average about 30 inches in diameter. That’s not a log cabin, that’s a log statement. You can practically picture a crew of lumberjacks standing back and nodding in approval.

Inside, the living room has soaring ceilings, big windows that let in all that Colorado sunshine, and a stone fireplace that’s just begging for a mug of cocoa and a good book. And if one fireplace isn’t enough (who are we kidding, it never is), there are more. One is in the family room downstairs, and another is in the primary suite, which also has its own private deck. Imagine waking up, stepping outside with your coffee, and saying good morning to the mountains. Not a bad way to start a Tuesday.

A Basement Fit For A Lodge

The walk-out basement keeps the cozy vibes going with a wet bar, another stone fireplace, surround sound, and three bedrooms with doors right to the outdoors. It’s basically a ski lodge without the ski lift ticket prices.

Wait, A What???

Here’s our favorite detail: there’s an elevated concrete patio with views of the city skyline that, according to the listing, could double as a helipad. Because nothing says “rustic cabin getaway” like arriving by helicopter. We’ll be honest, we spent way too long imagining dropping in for a weekend like we’re a villain in an action movie.

Dreaming Big

Let’s be real. For most of us, a ‘cabin’ means a rented A-frame with a wobbly card table and a mystery smell; but, it’s fun to let your imagination wander. Picture the trails for hiking and horseback riding, all that acreage, and the stars on a clear Colorado night with no streetlights for miles. Maybe you’d add a barn and a few horses. Maybe you’d just finally have room for all of your camping gear.

Bottom line

Whether or not a 35-acre log estate is in your future (ours is looking a little less-than-likely), homes like this are a fun reminder of how stunning our corner of Colorado is. The pines, the lakes, and the mountains all belong to everyone who lives here. So go take a drive west of Loveland this fall, enjoy the views, and dream a little. It’s free!

2915 Sedona Hills Dr, Loveland, CO 80537

Riding up the canyon. Standing at a workbench. Walking the dog. Pain can keep us from enjoying the little things in life that make life, well… life.

Sam Fischer and the team at Choice City Physical Therapy offer one-on-one care in Fort Collins.

40-minute appointments with a licensed physical therapist. Treatment built around you, and the activities you want to get back to enjoying in life.

3938 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Unit 11E · Fort Collins
970-460-8544

Meet the team and book an assessment →

Every contribution keeps us out in the field, digging into local history, and showing up for the towns we cover. We're grateful for every bit of support. Thanks for being part of this.

— Megan & David

👉 MAKE A CONTRIBUTION