Happy Wednesday, Scouts. Welcome to Edition XI of Scout & Tell.
I’m wrapping this week’s newsletter from Old Town Library in Fort Collins. I’ve got a giant window looking west, the leaves are turning and the temps are (finally) starting to drop.
It’s a good day.
This week’s edition is full of local goodness. I’ve got two different interviews with local businesses hoping to make their mark in northern Colorado and the usual adorable pets, a gorgeous home (who can afford these things, but they are fun to look at and dream), along with a full slate of events.
As always, if you’ve got a cool story to share, reply back. I’m always open to interviewing and broadcasting the weird, wild and downright batty.
I’ll see you out there,
Matt McConkey
Editor
Small Business Spotlight
Nathan Wheat, owner of Ember Coffee
First Call at the Forge
Ideas can show up anywhere. For Nathan Wheat, it was a knitting group.
Wheat had been describing the coffee shop he dreamed of running when the owner of Forge Publik House, who knits in the same group, asked him a question: “Would you like to run a coffee shop in my bar?”
“That’s exactly it,” he remembers answering. “Yes.”
That small spark caught. And yesterday, Ember Coffee officially opened its doors inside the Forge in Old Town Fort Collins.
The coffee shop occupies the second bar in the Forge and will be open Monday through Friday, from 9am to 2pm.
“I just wanted to do anything that’s community based. A third space like this, between work and home, where people can just be,” Wheat said.
And just be you can.
When you enter the space from the back porch, you’re instantly hit with a warm wood bar top, exposed brick and chill vibes. When it came to ideas for names, Wheat admits he really wanted the name, ‘Spark’ to work, but the word gave off too much energy.
The name fits the building. Wheat says. The Forge shares a structure with Firehouse Books and Happy Lucky's and this part of it once served as a stable for police and firefighter horses.
“Everything about Ember is meant to at least let other people be humans. Slow down, be together,” Wheat said.
When you don’t have to worry about a giant rent bill and costly build out, you get to focus on other aspects of the business to really let it shine. One of the really fun experiences Wheat explains was picking out the espresso machine.
The single-head machine came refurbished from a local supplier, as will the coffee beans and pastries they plan to serve.
“Me and my brother literally sat here for five hours just tasting coffee until the machines were all working and dialed in. And then we just picked the coffee that made us the happiest,” Wheat said.
When you’re working on a shoestring budget, you’ve got to get creative on all aspects of the start up phase.
He’s tapped friends to help with the logo and his sisters are helping run his Instagram account until he gets the hang of it. Instead of a sign, he’s got a chalkboard to sit out front.
Now that the space is officially open for business, stroll on back to 255 Old Firehouse Alley in Old Town. If you can find it, Wheat said you’ll love it.
“People either know about the Forge or they don’t. And when they know about it, they love the space,” Wheat said.
Follow Ember on Instagram: @emberfoco
Website: emberfoco.com
Nicole Wallace (back right) with her family. She is the owner of Halfway to Heaven Sourdough Cafe, based in Windsor, CO.
From Basement Bakery to Food Truck: Windsor Family Goes all in on Sourdough
Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. While that's not true for everyone, one northern Colorado resident can swear by its validity.
Nicole Wallace has been baking her whole life. What started as watching her mom bake as a child has spurred this Windsor, Colorado resident to take it to a whole new level. A new level with wheels.
Wallace and her family have gone all in on Halfway to Heaven Sourdough Cafe, a food truck trailer serving espresso, sourdough pastries and bread across northern Colorado for more than a year.
“I just always think, like, what happens when this doesn’t work? But it just keeps working. It keeps growing," Wallace said.
The idea started as a neighborhood bake sale in May of 2025. She wanted to share her love of baking with her neighbors and get their feedback.
“I decided to just, like, bake and see what would happen," Wallace said.
The reaction was overwhelming. Her loaves of sourdough would sell out constantly. Two months later, she was branding her business.
The name, Halfway to Heaven, came from her father. During her childhood, Wallace said her family drive up from Arizona to fish and camp in Colorado. Her dad always say, "You know Colorado is Halfway to Heaven".
"I did that in honor of my dad," Wallace said.
Now two commercial ovens sit in the family's basement bakery. Wallace is baking upwards of 300 loaves a week. Everything gets a 48-hour cold ferment with an active sourdough starter, including cookies, brownies and pie. Newcomers often say, "Wow, I've never had a sourdough cookie."
Wallace managed to balance this new onslaught of business while keeping her full time job in insurance. Then, in March, she decided to invest in a trailer. Two months later, she's leaving her job in insurance to go all in on the food truck.
This is truly becoming a family business.
Even her oldest son, Isaiah, is helping sling coffee drinks and dirty sodas. Her daughter is helping on the weekends and as of five days ago, her husband quit his corporate job to help with the business.
For Wallace, she wants to set an example for her children.
“I want them to know that you can work really hard and get to where you want," Wallace said.
Catch the trailer Saturdays in October at a Windsor pumpkin patch, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Windsor State Bank on Main Street.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/halfwaytoheavensourdough
Instagram - @halfway_to_heaven_sourdough
THE WEEKLY SCOUT
Stories Worth Reading, Trails Worth Following
🦇 Bat Nerds Take Over Fort Collins
Fort Collins is about to get very batty. Researchers are gathering at the Hilton Fort Collins Oct. 14-17 for the 54th annual North American Symposium for Bat Research. Hang upside down in solidarity.
🍅 CSU’s Student Garden Grew Up Fast
Year one of CSU’s one-acre garden produced about 2,000 pounds of produce. Volunteers can now harvest that much in a single day, and about 200 students are on track for 20,000 pounds this season, all headed to Rams Against Hunger.
🗳️ Vote a Loveland School Toward $1 Million
Mountain View High is one of 40 national finalists in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest. It has already won $25,000, and you can vote once a day through Oct. 25 for a shot at a $1 million field upgrade. The school hosts Berthoud on Oct. 23.
ON THE TRAIL
🥵 Crosier Mountain from Garden Gate is 5.1 miles and 2,786 feet to the summit. On a clear day you can see from Signal Mountain to Pikes Peak. Rattlesnakes, and no water the whole way. more here
🐍 Coyote Ridge is the best beginner hike near town. Two and a half miles, 300 feet of gain, wide open trail. No dogs. more here
HOME OF THE WEEK
Photos courtesy of listing photos on RedFin
A private dock on Lindenmeier Lake, a sauna, a wellness room and Old Town a bike ride away. This 6-bedroom Stonewater Sanctuary home trades in white oak, graceful arches and water views. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe the beauty of this home.
TLDR: 6 bed / 4.5 bath, 6,435 sqft, 0.43 acres, built 1994, $3,500,000. Contact: Christine Motschall & Kaitlyn Motschall, RE/MAX Alliance-Loveland, (970) 590-5276
This newsletter is built on your tips, pets and porches. We'd love to hear from you:
🐾 Submit your pet for Scout & Tail
🏡 Nominate a home with a story
🏪 Recommend a local business
📝 Suggest a story we should chase
📅 Submit an event
Drop us an email: [email protected]
SCOUT & TAIL
Photo courtesy of NoCo Humane
Violet Beauregarde, Age 4 - Domestic Shorthair
Meet Violet Beauregarde! All 4.4 pounds of her are sweet and affectionate, always ready for a cuddle, but she gets overstimulated with handling and does best in a home without kids under 12. She's eager to please and just looking for a calm, patient household to settle into.
Violet Beauregarde is available for adoption at the Greeley Adoption Campus, with a $45 adoption fee. Find out more about this good girl at the NoCo Humane website.
Shawty, We in the Club
Photo courtesy of the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society
All Aboard the 1919 Time Machine
Listen for the double chime. That's the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society's lovingly restored 1919-style streetcar, rolling through Old Town since 1984. The people behind it are volunteers who keep it running and rent it out for parties and weddings. Raise your hand and they'll probably put you to work.
Contact: fortcollinstrolley.org
What’s Happening
Thursday, Oct. 15
🔥 Wildfire Resilience: A Transcontinental Conversation: A free pop-up photo exhibit and speaker tour comparing wildfire and community resilience in Nigeria and the American West, 10 AM–7:30 PM at the University Center for the Arts. Details here
✍️ Drop-in SpeakOut! Writing Workshop: Poems, life stories, fiction or lyrics, with prompts and materials provided, 11 AM–noon at Old Town Library. Details here
🎨 Painting with a Twist: Take home your own canvas and get your first pint free, 6:30–8:30 PM at Stodgy Brewing. Details here
🤓 Nerd Nite Singles Night: Single, nerdy-ish and curious people meet over better conversations and way less pressure, 6:30 PM at Wolverine Farm Publick House. Details here
🎲 Bingo Bash at Looking Glass: Drag bingo with prizes, cocktails and host Krisa Gonna every third Thursday, 7 PM. Details here
🎸 The Takes w/ Drift Rd + Mystee: Portland folk-rock with earnest songwriting at Sound Bar, doors 7 PM. Details here
🎷 KR3TURE with Bloomurian and Sapling: A Santa Cruz multi-instrumentalist blends live and electronic sound at the Aggie Theatre, all ages, doors 7 PM. Details here
Friday, Oct. 16
🎃 Halloween Movie & Costume Workshop: Teens ages 12–18 work on costumes or make beaded spiders while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, 2–4 PM at Old Town Library. Registration required. Details here
⛷️ The Fort Collins Ski Swap: Score used ski and snowboard gear Friday 5:30–9 PM, and again Saturday 11 AM–4 PM, at The Ranch in Loveland. Details here
🎬 2026 Wild and Scenic Film Festival: Conservation films benefiting the Larimer County Conservation Corps, 7 PM at the Lory Student Center. Details here
🎤 Kansas: The classic rock band plays the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley, 7:30 PM. Details here
🤘 Fury in the Fort: Tunnel Jumper, Tightspot, Hard to Kill and Olivia Jane play a hardcore show at Sound Bar, doors 6 PM. Details here
🐸 Shrek Rave: The Aggie Theatre throws a Shrek-themed rave, 9 PM, ages 18 and up. Details here
Saturday, Oct. 17
🔤 Fort Collins Community Scrabble: All skill levels play from 9 to 11 AM in the Old Town Library’s small meeting room. Bring your board if you have one. Details here
📚 Hand Stitched Book Binding with Laurel: Make a book from new and repurposed papers, 9 AM–1 PM in Loveland, $35. Details here
🧼 Make Your Own Nontoxic Household Cleaners: Mix natural herbal sprays and scrubs to take home, 9 AM–1 PM in Loveland, $35. Details here
🚗 Rally at the Goat: Classic cars, live music, food trucks and games at Gilded Goat Brewing, 10 AM–2 PM. Details here
🐶 3rd Saturday Pug Play Group: Bring your pugs, pug mixes or pug friends to 5821 S. Lemay Ave, 10 AM. Details here
🖌️ Alcohol Ink Painting, Level I: A six-week class at the Greeley Creative Arts Center, Saturdays through November 21, 1:30–3:30 PM, $210 for all six sessions. Details here
🕸️ Howl-O-Ween Trick-or-Treat: Trick-or-treat at Greeley’s Centennial Village Museum, 2–6 PM Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and youth, and free for kids 6 and under. Details here
🏃 Blue Sky Marathon & Half: Trail runners take on Horsetooth Mountain Park, with the marathon on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. Details here
🏈 UNC Bears vs. Cal Poly: The Bears host Cal Poly at Nottingham Field in Greeley, 6 PM kickoff. Tickets run $7–$160. Details here
🪩 Old Town Library’s 50th Birthday Celebration: A 1970s-themed party with a time capsule opening and cake, 5:30–8 PM. Registration is required and 70s costumes are encouraged. Details here
👑 33rd Annual Celebrating Women Gala: Honoring six women of Weld County at the Aims Welcome Center in Greeley, 7:30–10 PM. Details here
💘 Fort Collins Halloween Singles Mixer: Costumes, cocktails and name tags, 7–9 PM. Details here
🎹 An Evening with Theo Katzman: The Vulfpeck member plays Washington’s, all ages, show at 8 PM. Details here
💚 Eternal Light: A two-stage rave at Sound Bar with an indoor stage and an outdoor stage, doors 7:30 PM. Details here
🌹 Shakedown Street: A Grateful Dead tribute band at the Aggie Theatre, all ages, free before 9 PM for 21+. Details here
Sunday, Oct. 18
🥕 Fort Collins Farmers Market: Shop local produce and goods 10 AM–2 PM at Harmony Rd and Lemay Ave. Details here
🚲 Open Streets 2026: Walk, bike or scooter a car-free stretch of Laurel Street between Mason and Shields, with live music, food trucks and hands-on art, 10 AM–3 PM, free. Details here
🍂 Ginger and Baker October Market: A fall makers’ market on the rooftop with handmade goods, art and jewelry, 9 AM–2 PM. Details here
🖨️ Intro to Lino Block Printmaking: A hands-on intro to relief printing with Mad Hare Press at Gardens on Spring Creek, 1–3 PM, $60 general or $54 for members. Details here
🌬️ Seven Arrows Breathwork: A ceremonial breathwork session at Manic Training, 3–5:30 PM, no experience needed. Details here
🎶 Joe Jordan with Nathaniel Riley: Heartfelt songwriting at the Aggie Theatre, all ages, doors 7 PM. Details here
🎧 Daw Days: A free producing challenge where you make a song in 60 minutes and play it on Sound Bar’s system, doors 5 PM. Details here
🍕 Mystic Pizza: The new 80s and 90s jukebox musical based on the Julia Roberts film at the Lincoln Center, with a captioned performance at 2 PM. Details here
