Hell’s Half Acre

Oh, where to start? I might need to take this computer down to the beach with a cup (not a Dora cup this time, but a Talavera vaso I bought especially for my wine) of good red medicine. That sounds like just the ticket after a shrimp, pasta with faux alfredo [...]

It seems so wrong to break the stillness and quiet of this little fishing lake with a generator, even a quiet generator, but I need to work and there is something of a thrill watching the sun rise over a tiny lake, whisps of fog protecting the banks, fish popping to the surface and [...]

We ended up spending 3 nights in Lakin, Kansas. If ever there was a family that could meander about Kansas, we must be it. Jamie was certain that the fishing lake we stayed at just south of Lakin (which Don Wright’s book reported to be a “beautiful place”) would be the glory [...]

We’re in Kansas. Just about 30 or so miles into Kansas, but it is very flat, has no snow, no ice and is easy on the driver. I may be complaining about being bored out of my skull with the flatness in the future, but I doubt it. All day today [...]

I sure hope that what we found today was that which the Westy was warning us about. The tourist office in Chama told us that the passes were very dangerous; people were turning around, there was ice and snowpack (but strangely enough, the pass was open with no warnings). They said that [...]

So, i get an email from my good friend John in Pueblo CO (we are so close to CO that we drove there today) who tells me it was 80F there today. They are at 6000 feet. Chama is in the 7000’s. The signal strength on my satellite connection had been [...]

We will most likely be saying goodbye to Micheal in a month. He is unwilling and/or unable to put forth the effort to participate in our family. He would rather be homeless than put someone other than himself first. To say this is an enormous surprise and disappointment to Jamie and [...]

The Westy started up beautifully this morning; almost to say, “problem? what problem?” so we let it warm up, moved it around, turned it off and went into the gas station to say our good byes and thank yous. Jamie wanted to take the same dirt road as the Westy blew up [...]

So, the part came in today but it didn’t fix the Westy. Jamie was crestfallen as he returned to the library, where the kids and I were waiting, thinking that a valve or ring or cylinder was causing the problem. We arranged for towing to Santa Fe, interviewed a Westy mechanic on [...]

This is the most luxury we’ve had in about a week. On Tuesday, we pulled into the Lowe’s in Santa Fe to dry camp and take advantage of the hardware store to construct beds adjoining the big (relatively) bed in the bedroom. After spending too much on storage items at Target the [...]