Big Changes Ahead

Time for an update on our plans. As many of you know we have been here in Texas for going on three months now and had planned on spending the next month and a half or so traveling westward through the state to Big Bend, Marfa, etc. And as many of you know... our plans are usually about as reliable as 1980 Yugo with water in it's gas tank.

I have been nosing around on craigslist and in the Santa Fe newspapers for a month or so watching for upcoming rentals that we may be able to make work for us. Ultimately I wanted to find something starting around March 1st that was just outside of town, on acreage which would allow us to park the Airstream on site and continue to use it as a studio and that had a fenced in yard for our grubby little d.o.g. We want to spend 8 months or so in Santa Fe and figured we may as well rent a place to make the stay more comfortable. We have been in the Airstream full time for almost a year now and I thrill at the idea of a whole, real bathroom of my very own for a little while.

We were scheduled to leave this part of Texas at the end of this month to head west to Big Bend. In short... I found a guest house rental in town (Santa Fe) which is a few blocks off the plaza and we rented it. For January 23rd. Oops. There goes Big Bend. Which actually really stinks because we were supposed to meet up with my cousin Chelsea who is working there this winter. This is like the third time a change of plans has kept us from hooking up with her in one national park or another. She will probably never believe me again if I tell her we are coming to see her. She does not have much reason to believe me at this point. I am openly making a public apology... I am a bad cousin and I am sorry Chelsea!

One exciting development and another reason for our extended stay in Santa Fe is that my best friend Michelle is moving there at the end of January. She currently lives in Roanoke, Virginia and is peeling out of that state to relocate to The Land of Enchantment on the very same day we arrive in Santa Fe. It's going to be big fun.

We are getting ready to start packing up for our drive north. We don't even have winter coats on board with us so arriving in northern NM where it is currently pretty danged cold is going to be interesting. Rudy will experience snow for the first time. I will be laid up for a week with mild altitude sickness (almost always gets me upon arriving there) and we will once again be living with a bath tub and a full sized refrigerator. At least for awhile. Not that I am gunning to get out of the trailer... it will just be like a mini vacation from it. Fun.

Today I have a big assed pot of homemade soup cooking on the stove and we are just hanging out soaking up these last few days of warm Texas weather. Rudy is stationed outside guarding the homestead with his ferocious, tough guy appearance. Guarding it against squirrels and blackbirds that is.



And I am stationed at the door guarding the bean soup with my ferocious clown like appearance. As far as who comes off as being more frightening... I think I may be winning that contest hands down.



I think it's safe to say I am the only gal in Texas sporting rainbow striped knit pants and a polka dot balloon shirt. It keeps the banditos away.