In 1970 my family moved from Northwest Tennessee to Paonia. Moving to such a gorgeous place was nothing short of culture shock for a southern hillbilly farm boy. My family lineage is mostly farmers as far back as family history can be traced. In fact, the family farm in TN, where I was born, has been in the Austin family since 1786, it was a land grant given to Revolutionary War soldiers in payment for serving their country.
After graduating Paonia High School in 1980, I attended college in Oklahoma, graduated in 3 years, then settled in Colorado Springs. There I was a custom home builder, school teacher, volunteer wrestling coach, steel building designer, owned real estate services businesses, real estate investment businesses, and a heavy equipment refinishing business.
My friends said I couldn't hold a job. Ha!
Currently my parents own an organic farm and orchard across the valley on Pitkin Mesa. I work with them in the business side of their orchard operation, marketing fruit on the Front Range, hauling a load every week during season. My dad is a pioneer in soil health, pure food, organic fruit and clean farming.
I have 3 incredible kids. My youngest, Avery, is a junior at Dallas Baptist Univ. My middle son, William, just graduated from Colorado School of Mines with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. My oldest lives in Omaha with his wife and my 3 year old grandson. Taylor is a manager for Enterprise Rent a Car. My grandson loves driving the tractor, operating the backhoe and fishing with Grandpa.
And Grandpa loves it far more!
During my off-season I am a volunteer wrestling coach at PHS, I'm a volunteer EMT with the local ambulance service and I work on remodeling projects on the house. In addition, I am a published author, in the process of editing my 3rd book for publication.
I am not always around, but when I am you will often find me on the porch soaking in the views. Please feel free to join me.

The North Fork Valley is an incredible place to live and raise a family. The mountain views are mesmerizing. The hiking, fishing, hunting, 4-wheeling, snowmobiling, and biking are unequaled.
Every year Paonia hosts the Cherry Days Festival around July 4th. It is a small slice of Americana. Horses, antique cars, farm equipment, motorcycles, and mining equipment are but a few of the dozens of entries in the parade. Every 10 year class reunion has a float in the parade, all the way back to the 1938 class float which may only have a couple of darling little old ladies still smiling and waving their way along the parade route. Great traditions, live music, and festivities are enjoyed by thousands every year at Paonia's beautiful town park.
In addition, Paonia hosts a wine weekend, Fall Festival and has hosted the summer BMW motorcycle rally for a more than a couple decades.
Paonia's massive high school boasts nearly 135 kids total, that's somewhere near 37 kids per graduating class if you are doing the math. But a culture of excellence and achievement run deep in the community school. In sports the school has claimed over a dozen state championships over the last decade. In music PHS regularly sends kids to the state honor choir. Paonia High grads win coveted full-ride Daniels Fund and Boettcher scholarships with some regularity.
Some of the best literature, math, science and history teachers in the nation teach at this school, and the coaches are even better still.
The economic life blood of the North Fork Valley has traditionally been coal mining and ranching. NFV is home to a handful of Centennial Ranches, enterprises which have been operated by the same family for more than 100 years. The coal industry is on the wane in the valley as tourism is on the rise.
And my property sits in the middle of it all. Incredible view, wonderful people, fabulous food, great entertainment, and people from all over the world, Paonia is a true gem

Decades ago this property was one of the premium properties in the valley. But years of neglect and abuse left the structure in serious disrepair and the land unproductive and overgrown.
The minute the property was available I jumped at the chance. It was a true diamond in the rough. But the last 4 years have seen a whirlwind of clean-up, design, remodel, water system construction, building, setting of massive logs, and planning for the day guests could be invited to enjoy this little slice of heaven. The diamond is slowly emerging as the rough is polished away.
My favorite feature of the house is the log porch that faces the mountains. When I purchased the property the front deck was a mess, an architectural nightmare, a poorly planned, poorly constructed disaster. Resolving the structural issues required months of re-framing, metal columns, and house jacks. But much of the architectural and weather tightness issues were solved with the 16' x 70' porch and massive logs for the structure. Friends joke about how big the logs are, but I love them.
In the mornings I am often found sitting on the porch, PJ by my side, sipping morning mocha. Evenings are a rewind, as PJ and I relax in the cool shade sipping beer with a Mediterranean dinner, cheese, fruit, olives, tomato, onion, salami and crackers. (I do the beer sipping, not PJ)
The house is heated and cooled with a geothermal system. I was beyond elated the day all the repairs were finished the system was fired up. It works like a charm. Maintenance of the system is very simple. Heating and cooling costs are a fraction of what the house required initially, and the heat and cold both come from the earth. Incredible!
Those of you who enjoy fine cigars may find that my porch is the perfect place for embers in a fire pit, a splash of port or cognac on ice and a Cuban smoke. But please no smoking in the apartment.