One Month and 6 Days in NM

Go on, scroll to the end. I know you just want to see pictures. :)

We arrived yesterday from another 3-day venture to Durango. As we approached our destination there were dark clouds that looked threatening but didn't shed any rain. Breaks in the clouds displayed bright white fluffy linings with a perfect deep blue sky behind. Everything there right now is the vibrant yellow-green of spring. Google "spring", people of Los Angeles. It is a real season that exists in certain US locations and it is spectacular where we are headed. Lush green pastures with horses and/or cows stretch off into the hills of the nearer distance and the mountains further off. Lakes, rivers, streams, creeks - some different body of water seems to lie around every bend. I felt like a broken record for the 3 hour drive, oohing and aahing about how beautiful it was up there. I still can't believe it.

Things are looking good all around. We made friendly conversation with a couple who owns a nice vineyard and have a lovely wine tasting room in town (Brian and Michelle will be proud of our priorities). They just opened their Durango location in December so they offered lots of helpful advice on house and storefront hunting and Tim immediately went on his phone to see what craigslist had to offer. One 6 year old housing community consists of 30 green-built energy efficient houses in two sections of a 250 acre working organic farm. We drove up a dirt road past horses, llamas and incredible scenery. The 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1300 sq foot house was renting for $1395. The 1 bedroom apartment was $600. I actually just took a break and got totally distracted on craigslist again. We aren't going to have ANY trouble finding an awesome place to live. We also have some phone calls in to different commercial listings on Main St, one in particular that seemed to be a good size for us.

Turns out there are a lot of college students in Durango. Which kind of annoys me. Which I'm pretty sure means I'm getting old.

But, onward and upward...literally. Have I mentioned that the town of Durango is just over 6500 feet? Yeah. The good news is you can get a cardio workout just getting out of bed to pee in the middle of the night. I'm thankful for my 5800 foot Medanales interim time. It seems I needed the training of just standing up and sitting down in higher altitude. I think I'm pretty much used to it now until I work out. My stamina is getting better but I'm huffing and puffing like a 90 year old smoker after about 5 minutes of labor. Hey, at least I'm burning calories.

We are officially cozy enough in the guest house to be happy when we return. It's too remote to stay but I've become really attached to the serenity that open land brings. I think I just like feeling "home", wherever home happens to be at the time.

Separating ones self from a place one has called home for 35 years makes for some interesting inner dialog. At least it does if you're me. I've considered myself to be an individual and pretty independent lady for many years. But when the family and friends who have played a role in defining you aren't there all the time to remind you of who you are, you start to really feel the whole "on your own" thing. Beyond the moments of doubt which I think are perfectly normal in my situation, I thankfully seem to still be me.

A story to close: I've had a sharp eye out for the stupid violent dogs on the corner. Haven't seen them bark at a SINGLE car. Not one. Actually I've only seen them out once - a couple of days ago - and they were lying down in the yard looking harmless. I was just thinking it was a fluke when Wendy tells us that she saw those dogs walking through our back yard a few days after the near attack. DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! This, of course, immediately turns into a Cujo-style horror movie in my mind where these dogs are stalking us and waiting for the perfect moment when I'm alone and vulnerable. Can you see it? I'm outside watering my plants, quietly humming to myself, wind chimes softly tinkling....nobody else is home....cut to rabid dog's point of view panting in the bushes, watching me....the wind picks up and I think I hear something...I turn around slowly....cut to dog's point of view racing towards me, three other dogs in tow, lunging as I scream...aaannnnd cut! Don't worry. I kick all kinds of ass in my horror movies. I save the day. You know me. I'd never kill myself off in a story. But I'd kung fu kick the crap out of a few psycho dogs and maybe some stupid owners - oops, sorry. I'll let it go now.

Till next time, love you, miss you.

I took this from the passenger seat on our way home yesterday. There's not even any filters on it - this is really how it looked.

Here's a NM storm blowing through. I posted these pics in the order they were taken over the course of about half an hour. Pointed the camera all over the place because the 360 view is so totally different.

Tim in the gazebo looking at.....

a rainbow.

And here's a little game I like to play when Tim's in the arroyo. Where's Tim?

Recent local wildlife -

Phil the bullsnake says hello by hissing loudly and shaking his rattler. He is intimidating but not venemous. Seems to be living in a hole off the walkway by the big house. The parental Hassemers tell  us they've never seen a snake up here before. Guess they were waiting for us to get here. Phil is about 5 1/2 feet long. Yes, holy shit. I agree.

This was in the kitchen of the big house. I can't believe the cat hadn't gotten to it yet and I don't know which is luckier for that - the cat or the spider. Tim was sure this was part of the tarantula family but it turns out it's a type of wolf spider, of which there are numerous species in NM. There's a penny in the upper part of the frame but Tim ended up cropping most of it out so you could get a good look at the spider. It's body was a little longer the penny. Yes, holy shit. I totally agree.

Tim eating the bunny food that Wendy puts out. No, not really. Good pic though, huh?