Alison Godlewski

I am looking for advice on a beautiful tree to put near our entryway that can tolerate standing water in the spring.  We live in the Rocky Mountains at high elevation (Driggs ID- zone 3).  This spot has irrigation, so we can water it when needed, but it tends to collect some standing water during the spring (it sometimes dries out, but has some standing water about 1/2 the time).  It will get sun most of the day - just shaded in winter in the afternoon.  We would love a maple and know they generally do well here.  But would they do ok with the extra water in spring?  Or something else that would do better?  Chokecherry?  American Plum?  Other ideas?

I have tried everything, and finally ended up with a barn cat.  He has solved the problem.  He does not come in the house, but we put a doggie door on the shed and he is happy in there (we live in a very cold climate - high elevation in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho).  We cut a hole in the side of a cooler and lined it with straw and he is happy there.  We have fallen in love with him!

Seeking any and all advice for a barn cat.  We got a cat about a month ago from the animal shelter.  He is a little over a year old and we believe he has spent his entire life outside.  He seems to be a pretty good hunter.  I don't know a lot about caring for cats, and have done some research online.  But I'm looking for more info that is permies based.  How to sustainably take care of him.  Do I really need to take him to the vet once a year?  What is the best food to supplement his hunting that is healthy for him?  I'm guessing kibble is basically junk food....  Do cats really drink water??  (I've never once seen him drink from his water bowl).  What do I do about his pooping in the winter (he doesn't ever do this when I'm around.  I've put kitty litter in 2 places in the yard but he hasn't used it.  Maybe he doesn't know what it is?)   We've got a cat door into our shed for protection from the elements during the winter.  Do I need to worry about him going in there?  Other advice?  We live at 6200 feet in the mountains of Idaho.

We are thinking of getting a cat (or 2).  Strictly to stay outdoors.  Goal: to control voles and mice.  We have several friends who have an outdoor cat in our climate (cold - Rocky Mountains of Idaho at 6200 ft).  So we've learned about straw bedding in an insulated small box inside a shed; and a system to keep the water from freezing.  My question is food: what is the most sustainable food that we could give the cat? I don't like the idea of buying cheap catfood produced from big ag products.  Are any people food scraps good for them?
Any other advice on an outdoor cat?  How to find a cat that is good at hunting?  Is it a good idea to get two?  (I was thinking they could keep eachother warm).  
We have 2.5 acres and I don't want them pooing in my garden beds.  Should I place a sandbox near the shed?  

We are planning the landscape for our new house construction.  The excavator just offered us some big granite boulder rocks (about 3-4' in diameter) at a good price.  How should I use them in my landscape?  What is their value?  I live in a cold climate (zone 3) in the rocky mountains.  Too many voles and moles - will this just attract more?  Thoughts?  Ideas?

Progress!  Thanks everyone for hte advice.

I'm in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho at 6500 feet.  We just build a greenhouse attached to our house and put in 3' raised beds - direct contact with the earth.  The soil is bone dry in there right now and looks completely lifeless.   I've started to put snow and snowmelt in there and covered with cardboard to hold in some moisture.  I plan to add logs, sticks, soil, and finished compost to mimic Hugelkultur.  I've been collecting my kitchen scraps all winter in an Urban Composter using their Accelerator spray ("This organic spray breaks down and ferments the organic waste in the bucket")   When the indoor bucket fills up, I dump it in a bin that lives outside in the cold.  I don't know if that kills all the living organisms, or if they just go dormant.  I want to add this collection to the raised bed Hugelkultur mix too.  Questions:
1.  Should I add anything else to activate life in the soil?  Or will critters find their way in when it gets warm out?  (the concrete walls around the greenhouse are buried about 3')
2.  Should I add any mycorrhizae?
3.  What order would you layer all this?
4.  Other advice?

I'm looking for a dozen 55 gallon steel drums in my area.  Anyone know of a container reclaimer type business in Eastern ID (Idaho Falls area) or Western WY (Jackson WY area)?  Salt Lake is the closest I can find to me:  https://miscmaterials.com/collections/containers/products/55-gallon-steel-drums  
Or some sort of other business that I could call directly instead of going through a distributor?
I'm in Driggs, ID, so Salt Lake is closer than Boise.  
I'm planning to use these for thermal mass in my attached greenhouse.  

Has anyone built raised beds with galvanized steel?  Any idea on the lifespan?  These will be inside a greenhouse so a humid environment.  Any other suggestions for longevity?  Toxicity is a health concern also.