First Weeks "At Home"

We've been at our house for six weeks! What’s it like? It’s a load of projects that we’re itching to get done, but will be accomplished over time. It’s days rising with the sun at 5:30 and ending with a late dinner, worn out. We take a break in the hottest part of the afternoon, and I actually often take a little nap. I've never napped! Chuck has amazing stamina, he works while I doze. Incredible!

 

After working about three days, we go shopping. Home Depot and thrift shops are the favorites. And, we joined Costco. After all, we've a place to store the toilet paper, supersize packages and frozen goods.

We make discoveries. Many things need repairs, from the old aluminum garden shed to the electric box and water heater leak damage. We won’t get to the large things till fall or winter. I love to work in the yard! Is it a yard if there's no grass? 


The wildlife is very entertaining, mainly small animals and birds. We watched a coyote dash up the wash that crosses the property!



There are surprises, too, like sudden blooms on a tree I’d thought dying. What looked like dead branches were flower buds on the smoke trees. There are 10 or more, several are large.

We've had overnight company! And welcome more. RV hookups are in, and there's a bed (still wrapped in plastic) in the house. Check to be sure we're here, though. Our home is still the trailer, and will be till we’ve new siding and windows. Inside now, there's also a rocker, bookcase, large table for the craft room-guest room and a glass patio table with four folding chairs that is our living room strategy center. Chuck’s already installed a HAM radio and antennae, so the basics are done.

Next week we'll head for Bastrop, TX, to empty our storage locker and tote back all of our souvenirs and miscellany, a pile that's been growing since we sailed away from San Francisco in 1989.

What About a Home Base?

During our sailing years and now while RV’ing, we’d occasionally lounge in the cockpit, or look at each other across the cat snoozing on the truck seat and ask...do we want some sort of home base? Were would it be? What would it be like?
And now, WE’VE DONE IT!  

On March 8, just three and a half weeks after driving our 5^th wheel home into Tucson, we turned a key and entered the door to a house – OUR house! Guided by a friend who is a mighty fine realtor, we acquired an acre of land with an older double-wide manufactured home.

Our property is in the northern region of the Sonoran desert, which covers large parts of Arizona and California, Northwest Sonora Mexico and the length of Baja California. We’re happy that the home place has native vegetation, including a few saguaros, the cactus most commonly associated with the Sonora desert and Tucson. Two of them are really big. Healthy? We're not sure, but they are big. And they have residents!

The house needs work; including new siding that will be impervious to woodpeckers (there are existing holes!), double pane windows, and gradual remodeling of what is already a nice layout for us. The center is a large kitchen/dining/living room open space, and there's a bedroom at each end. One will be a radio shack/hobby area. The front porch will one day be enclosed as an “Arizona Room.” Chuck will build a shop building. I will help the cactus and native plants along, and plan a cactus walk.  

The work will be interspersed with our travels, which will continue. Just think of those hot desert summers!
    

We had three days to measure, patch walls, change locks and water cactus…then we drove away to visit Chuck’s brother and family in Los Angeles. It's raining in LA now, and we hope that the storm delivers some moisture to Arizona, which needs it!

The future cactus path, where young ones grow sheltered under bushes:

A large barrel cactus, tiny saguaro, and dove eggs.

We’re 16 miles west of northern Tucson, not far from the Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum. To see the neighborhood, Google West Orange Grove Road, Picture Rocks, AZ.

January Flight from Austin Cold

So, what’s been going on lately!!?? Lots, but let me first step back to early in the year.

We left Austin in cold early January to find out why the Rio Grande Valley is so popular with RV’ers. Chuck was wearing a bandage after nose Mohs surgery. Honestly, it was ugly at first, but with daily peroxide and Vaseline, seven weeks later we removed the bandage. It’s as beautiful as ever! I had a bit of a scraping procedure, myself, and hope the scar will fade.

We rendezvoused with Mexico camping pals Russ & Ruth Ann at the Anglers' Nest in Los Indios, not far from the border fence. Though cold fronts go through occasionally, it was downright tropical compared to Austin and San Antonio. Campgrounds, businesses and events all cater to the huge winter senior population. Rather trippy, going to the zoo with an audience that is 95% seniors - OK, like us! There's lots of history here, and it's fine for birding.

This part of Texas has a cross-cultural, rural atmosphere. I did my walking 'round the fields. We crossed the border on foot to Progresso for lunch and shopping. Cute flowered bag, Ruth Ann! I bought one too, in blue.

Several campground residents visited one of dozens of Ropa (clothes)warehouses that sort and pack used clothing into bales that are shipped abroad by the ton. This is the source of American clothes we saw and bought at outdoor bazaars in Mexico and Latin America! Clothing here sells cheap by the pound, and seniors go wild while dodging the forklifts. We, and R and RA, did NOT climb on the piles. I frankly prefer to pay more for clothes sorted on racks, but grabbed a great purse for 35 cents that I'd lusted for in retail shops. Chuck bought t-shirts for cleaning rags.

At Anglers' Nest, residents entertain themselves: A crafty camper guided us in making “redneck wine glasses” from Dollar Store candle holders and canning jars. The jar lid is handy for strolling potlucks. Hint: use sandpaper and strong glue.

We spent quality time with other Mexico campers, too. Dave and Sara’s Mission campground is like a mini birdwatcher site and offers watercolor and other classes. Gene and Dana’s condo in South Padre Island is lovely, as are his watercolors that line the walls. About half of our Mexico camping pals did go south this year, but the rest of us stayed in the states and talk about how we miss the southern stomping grounds.

Yikes!

Since my last posting, Google's pushed me into a new blog interface.

It's different.

Can't place or format images.

I hope it won't take too long to figure out.

The help section is not helpful.

I'll be back...

Christmas 2011

Happy Holidays and Warmest Season’s Wishes from the Taylor home, still on wheels. Greetings and hugs to our family and friends! And welcome to our other visitors, too!

We’ve added another year to our personal chronicle, and wonder…How could it have flown so quickly, yet given us so many new experiences and memories? We’re now having a bit of cool weather and welcome rain here in Austin. It’s perfect for a good hot soup and sharing a few 2011 tales.

2011 Main Stomping Ground: Arizona – far enough north to touch the Utah border on the way to Monument Valley; and New Mexico – four passes through, including a hop north to Rico, CO. In Texas, we were east to Bastrop and south to Port Mansfield. That’s a sport fishermen’s town on the Gulf, where our previous boat home for 21 years is now at the dock. She’s no longer called La Mouette, but she may travel again!

Number of 2011 Campsites: Thirty-one. This includes brief stops and longer, but we rarely rush off before we’re ready. We’ve been tethered to Austin for medical biz and follow-ups, three visits. 

Here are a few 2011 superlatives.

Good Friends: We shared our time this year with many we visited on our travels. It’s always wonderful to connect with family, with sailing, radio and camping friends, and even one of Gigi’s college roomies. Happily, they’re to be found all over the country, especially in the southwest. We track them down. Too many to embarrass them all with their pictures here!

Favorite Campsite: El Morro RV, Ramah, NM. In August the woods, ground cover and flowers were fragrant, campsite casual, hiking handy and sights nearby include Morro Rock, Zuni Pueblo, Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, Art Gallery, more. This busy crowd was always there – at our two feeders! 

Zuni Pueblo: At the Old Zuni Mission, men are buried to the left and women to the right. Traditionally, men are responsible for the spirit and ceremonial; women for the home. These craftsmen sell light switch covers.

Spirit Wolf Sanctuary: Sadly, many  people want to own a wolf-dog mix, so people do breed them. Most end up in shelters or in sanctuaries. Here there are full-blooded wolves, too, like this white one (typical big feet).  Some come from small zoos that go under or can’t handle them.

Produce market at Ramah: Held weekly outside the community historic museum. Yum.

Favorite Place Revisited: We were heading south to Gallup through the Navajo reservation and meant to pass by until we saw the sign. Our wheels turned down the road to Historic Toadlena Trading Post, where owners sell daily goods as they celebrate and support the weaver’s art through exhibitions and more. We arrived in time to join a collectors’ tour of the current exhibition, and to view the owner’s residence and special pieces.

Best Parade: In Gallup, NM, the annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial parade included Native American tribes from the US and Mexico. We’ve seen it before, and enjoyed it again. Later in the day, the Rodeo and dances were pretty much rained out!

Most welcome departure: At the Tijeras, NM campground east of Albuquerque, we had snow…but had to stay two more days because, well, we were paid up!

Easiest Park to photograph: Monument Valley, where you cannot take a bad photograph! Eons ago, this land was beneath the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

Awesome-est Place: Canyon de Chelly National Monument. It was also the toughest park to photograph. It’s just too grand to express through the limiting lens. But I tried. And tried. Left pix: There are ruins in the low dark alcove. Right: Spider Rock below, 800 feet high.

If you go, take a tour of the Canyon! The road in is also the river bed. 

 

We chose Antelope Tours, and saw several ruins and many pictographs. Ben, our guide, took us to his family home, located next to Antelope ruins. Maybe because we liked his stories so much, he did a u-turn to give us an extra view of Standing Rock, located in a family pasture lined with old apple trees that the bears love. Here, a small Navajo group fought to successfully escape the Long Walk, the most terrible part of the tribe’s history and a shameful tactic by US troops that led to the death of thousands.

Thinking of Christmas:

Nice potential gift for her (silver hair ornament):

Nice gift for him (pick one only) Belen, NM:

Happy New Year!!!