We were in Phoenix last weekend for an early Christmas with Derek and his girlfriend, Becca. Derek only has this one week off from school and no time off from his job…so, we took Christmas to him. We took some presents, filled their pantry from the nearby grocer and took them out to dinner. As students and workers, there is little extra money for fancy dinners, so we supplied that as a treat for us all. The trip to Phoenix was delightful; clear weather and beautiful scenery (see the pics taken by Lara out the window of the truck). We were afraid that we’d have to come home via the southern route to avoid bad weather in Flagstaff, but the weather held and we got home last Sunday night. One thing I won’t miss about our mountain home in New Mexico – the temperature in the house was 21 degrees when we walked in the door from Phoenix and it took time to get the fire going in the wood stove (our sole source of heat in this house) and the cold out of here.
One of the hopes we express all the time these days is that this is the last winter we have to spend…anywhere. Our hope is to be able to spend the cold winter months in FL aboard the boat – not having to worry about the snow or cold, whether we can get the truck into 4 wheel drive, whether the propane guy can get his truck into the yard in the snow, whether we will run out of firewood before we have enough money to buy more…all the fun things about living in these glorious mountains just east of Albuquerque.
With Dylan now out of the Army (yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!) and living in the Keys, we are blessed to have two of our favorite people living close to each other (Dylan and Bradley; Bean as Lara affectionately calls him). I can’t think of two better people to be watching each other’s backs. We’ll give them a call later to see how their Christmas is going in the land of warmth and sunshine. Our hope is to be able to spend next Christmas with them, and Catie, with Christmas dinner served in the cockpit of the boat. Catie insists on naked cabana boys and rum, so we’ll have to arrange her after-dinner entertainment.
Lara’s mom and Ray are due here on December 29, on their way to Palm Springs. The weather along I-40 has been crazy so far this year. They may end up having to go the southern route from Abilene (where Lara’s grandmother lives) to SoCal.
They are calling for 6” of snow here today and tonight; 2 FEET of snow in the northern mountains of New Mexico and southern Colorado. Beautiful…but, I won’t miss it.
Well, its time to go and start calling friends with Christmas greetings. Here’s hoping that all of you reading this missive will have a wonderful Christmas day and will get yourselves ready for a spectacular new year with family and friends. We’re already looking forward to seeing friends at music festivals in 2009, and other friends who wander through New Mexico on their way to someplace else. Be safe, my friends, and love those around you with your whole heart.
P.S. All Lara wants to talk about these days is how soon we’ll be back aboard the Eye Quit. 21 days, Darlin!
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