I remember when..........

........I used to be a pretty good photographer and eagerly shared my efforts on the blog.    I carried the big camera on grueling uphill hikes, thru botanical gardens, focused on distant vistas and captured the grandkids in special moments.    Fast forward to present day......  My camera is rarely charged and my iPhone becomes the go-to short cut to capturing my world.    I think it reflects most everything about today's life.   The short attention spans and the inability to stop, look and listen as we seek instant gratification.      I must get better........Meanwhile, here's my snapshot views of the last couple of days.   

My  sisters came to AZ this week.    We gathered at Jeff and Jen's beautiful Scottsdale home and filled in the spaces since we last shared a bit of wine 18 mos ago.     They are funny, generous and very talented 'younger' sisters.     We also met up with a favorite cousin.    We laughed over all the childhood memories and found that the years hadn't diminished the stories.      From L to R    Sandy, Diane (the favorite cousin), the author of the world wide blog and Maureen.         It was a special time.

The next day, we loaded up the Jeep and headed north to Colorado.      Having only spent a couple of weeks in the new house, I am needing to get some things done and make arrangements for painting and some remodeling.     It's 550+ mi and doable in a days drive.    But, the mountains have been buried in snow so it was very slow going over Lizard Head Pass south of Telluride.    The views were breathtaking.    Maybe I could have captured the beauty with the other camera and the willingness to stop and step outside the car...... but we were anxious to get to lower levels before dark so the trusty phone had to be good enough.
 

After getting to a lower altitude and the setting sun, we had to deal with deer wandering the roads....very scary and this year, with the tremendous snows, the deer are leaving their safe areas to find food and the carnage on the roads has increased dramatically.    This morning, I read that they are setting up feeding stations to keep them off the roads.   

The undercarriage of the Jeep was heavy with chunky ice....this morning it cluttered up the floor.

It's good to be home !      ( for a week or so ).

Alive and mostly well.......

 After getting partially settled, we left the cold west and flew to the cold east on Dec 22nd.    Prior to departure, we received word that there were evil germs lurking in the body of this innocent and adorably cute kid.   However, we felt brave and invincible and armed with a store's supply of ColdEze and hand sanitizer, we forged ahead.

 On Christmas Day, this very tall 13 year old, who preferred not to be photographed, came down with the bug and spent the day prostrate on the couch with a 103 temp.   It was over for everyone by that time.   One by one, we succumbed.  

Despite all of the misery, it was a wonderful family gathering and almost worth every sneeze.

Feeling rather crummy, we took the plague with us and flew back to FL to retrieve the RV.    Despite a strong will, we had to say no to a neighborhood gathering that the Scott's so generously planned.  We will surely miss them and the good times we've shared.
We gave ourselves an extra day or two to try and heal ourselves but then we had to leave as there were no more reservations to be had.     We limped westward until we got to San Antonio where one of us finally gave in and admitted to being really sick.    Drugs became his friends.  

Eventually, we made it across Texas and into Arizona and finally settled into our spot  at Palm Creek Resort in Casa Grande.     

It's nice here....lots of activities, lots of very nice RV's, lots of small houses, lots of Pickleball and a golf course.   We haven't explored the surrounding area but don't think there's much to see except desert.    We have several CO friends about 30 min away and look forward to catching up with them on Saturday.   Jeff and Jen are about 90 min away and we will get up there when they are not so busy.

We would like to drive back up to the house ( a long day's drive) to get some things we neglected to bring.....hiking stuff, bikes..... But the roads throughout CO are inundated with snow and avalanche warnings and closings....we'll wait  for clear weather and venture forth.  

The weight of buying and selling and selling and moving and moving  has finally been lifted.   I can't wait to get back to the house and get settled.... probably not before late March or April.    Until then, we'll enjoy the sun...........

Making progress.....

My neighbor became  a new grandmother and I had picked up several of these kits awhile ago.   I knit one up quickly, amid packing boxes and found it to be just the cutest thing.    I made the small for a little tiny boy, Caleb.   I will probably donate the others when I finish them.   Great fun knit.  

 A view of the emptying home as it waited to be loaded on the van.   We tried to be organized but that wasn't always successful.     We look forward to the day when we are all reunited in one place.

And for those of you who have never visited, yes, that is a giraffe.   My dad carved carousel animals and all of his children and grandchildren each have at least one.    They are a wonderful heirloom and a conversation piece.   The movers pondered and measured and wrapped and wrapped and found a safe place for both the horse and the giraffe in the van.  

It took a full day to load everything.    The next day we cleaned  the house and loaded the RV.    We had planned a dinner out with friends but this old couple just plain wore out and ran out of time.    We moved the RV to a nearby RV park where we could plug it in to keep the refrigerator and freezer cold.   ( I had cooked up a boatload of food for our trip west).    Early Saturday morning, we caught a flight to Denver.    
We always enjoy our time in the big city with Mike and Jenna.    Alex was the only 'grand' at home but the dogs and birds filled in.  
On Monday, we headed west to Montrose.    There were chain restrictions in effect on I-70 for the truckers which meant snow and ice so we opted to head a bit south to 285/50.   I'm always in awe of the beauty of Colorado.    The fresh snows made it a Kodak moment everywhere we looked.

The house looked good and warmed up quickly .    The fireplace is a magical thing with a remote for all the different settings.   I'm used to just flicking a switch on the wall.  

The movers said they would be here on Fri or Sat at the latest.    I think they were  overly optimistic
 as we can track them on their website and they are not even close.   Maybe Monday ?   I was hoping for the maximum days to unpack before we leave again on the 20th.

It's cold here but pretty.    We had a nice coating of fresh snow and the man of the house was able to use a broom to clear the driveway ( no shovel in the garage yet ).    The air is so dry that we really don't get the snowman/snowball sticky snows.    Today we are taking a break and heading over to the iconic Victorian mountain town of Ouray for lunch and some wandering about.    With all their snow and Christmas decorations, it will look like a postcard.      Pictures soon..........

Done and done.......

I see a bit of snow at the end of the tunnel......and we're heading right into it.    Remind me again why we decided to move from summer to winter !  

Movers arrive in a day.   I will be very happy to see them cart all these boxes away.   Currently, every room has large boxes, a disarray of furniture,  a lack of livability and an occasional gecko running amok in it all.   (we've had the doors open and I've spotted 2 of them inside ).   They usually just dehydrate fairly quickly and end up a mere shell of their former creepy selves.)

The most daunting part of this is that I have to UNPACK it all in very short order.    We've thinned the detris quite a bit but also decided to take things to donate to Habitat resale store in Montrose.    Yes, we are PAYING to ship stuff so we can give it away.     We have donated some things here but the local  places don't need it as badly as our new community.

We've been saying our goodbye's and hoping we can encourage them to come for a visit and see why we left  "America's Friendliest Hometown"  .    We wined and dined on Thanksgiving with a very delicious traditional dinner prepared by Nina and Bob.    And then, the next day, after a mediocre round of golf, we went back and finished off some of the open wines and tasty leftovers.       And yes, we did eat it all, including the turkey......and our arteries didn't clog up and our stomachs behaved.  But we're back on the wagon and more comfortable.

In between it all, I have been reading....." The Underground Railroad" is unsettling and unforgettable and I highly recommend it.  "News of the World" was an easy, if rather violent read about returning a 10 yr old white child to family after living with an Indian tribe for 6 years.   Haunting and sad.  

We do have a contract on the house.....seems like it was a bit too easy.    A neighbor stopped by while walking her dog and inquired about the house.    They are new to TV and have decided they want a bigger house but want to stay in this neighborhood.    We close on the 16th or sooner depending on when they come back from the north.(we will be long gone)     So, no realtor again, no FSBO and not much angst.   We did have to pay mightily to have a pool part fixed but at least no new roof or sinkholes lurking .

It's been a fun time these last 8 years but it's time to downsize from the two house thing.    We'll look forward to doing some exploring in the winter months  and having all the 'stuff' in one place.

See you down the road  in a bit..........

Moving right along......

 We finally have new neighbors...... This lovely couple seem to have moved in and enjoy daily lunches in the back yard.     Sand hill cranes mate for life and I suspect there will be a little one in the spring.    When they are small, they look like yellow chicks with short necks.

We have been back 5 weeks and have yet to hit a golf ball. !    That seems very wrong.    Our new sport involves packing and packing and more packing.    We won't talk about whether we have sold this house (don't count your chickens and all that )  but we are headed west very soon.     Movers will be here in 2 weeks and  the month is full of changes.    

We really really look forward to getting settled once and for all.   We've been in a state of upheaval for months and it's time to put our feet up and enjoy the view.       Selling two homes, buying another and all the upheaval and stress that accompanies it is not for the faint of heart.    One of us has a steady hand and smart, well thought out approaches to make our plans a reality.    The other is good at whining but can declutter and donate with abandon  and lift heavy boxes.    We make a good pair and will celebrate 53 years of happily ever after soon.        We are very proud of the life we have made together and even prouder of the amazing family that surrounds us.  
 

We're getting good at moving.........

We've been back a week and we've hit the ground running.    The 'to do' list is massive and overwhelming if we look too closely at it.    First up was the semi-annual cleaning of the lanai.   It is really unusable until the dirt and black mold is excoriated from every inch.   It took me two days to clean .   It's always a challenge to remove the debris and avoid washing it into the pool or spa.....altho it sure is tempting.      The drains have small holes and it is tedious to force the dirty water in that direction.     I was doing well until I accidentally hit a dying jade plant with the powerful water spray and dirt and dying jade went everywhere......on the screen, the furniture and in the pool.     What a mess.    We tried to get some of it out but the pool girl had to work extra hard this week and she did a good job cleaning up after us.     With the semi annual cleaning, we also have the gecko round up.    They are disgustingly dirty with their droppings (like mice) and I become obsessed with their demise.   There weren't as many this year and between the wet-vac and the washer, I probably removed about 10 from the reproductive cycle.    One year I got over 30.    

 The weather was coolish and overcast for much of the week and that helped a lot with P's efforts power washing the outside of the house.    ( coolish is 80's, breezy and less humidity).  

We met with the realtor and she assured me that we don't
 have to paint which was a big relief.   But we will have the driveway and walk painted.....it's a thing down here and gives a good first impression but it's never interested us.    After all, it's just a driveway.       And no change in the landscaping needed altho I'm of the opinion that it could use a bit of a refresh.    We can't list it until the driveway is done in 10 days so in the meantime, we are decluttering and packing.

Not sure why there is such a rosy glow to this pic but since this view yesterday, I have packed 8 large boxes.   Movers will do the dishes and pictures and mirrors and such but I'm on a roll now.     I think half of what I come across will go to the Habitat resale store.

Meanwhile, in the midst of our chaos, Jenna drove here with Becca from Denver to get her situated in an apt and new job in St Petersburg.     She will take some of the furniture and linens and such but I'm sure much of her grandparent's stuff is not what a 25 yr old considers usable.   We are excited for her and believe she is more than ready to begin her new life.    But sometimes, it feels like we should shelve our plans to leave and stick around.....just in case a grandmother is needed !

Enough of this boring chatter.....mostly, this is just a note to let me know where we were when I check back in a year or so.         We're tentatively pulling up stakes in about 6 weeks and time is flying by............

Holding in Place.......

We are currently in Gaffney SC.    It's in the western part of the state, near Greenville/Spartanburg.    We have the annual RV maintenance done here each year on our trek to FL.    We had hoped to leave here tomorrow and be back in TV by Sunday.     But based on the initial forecasts, we will probably avoid the mess farther south and enjoy the parking lot of this place for a couple of days.    Once we learn that the roads are open and winds/rain are long gone, we will tiptoe our way south.....we'll probably have to head west again, towards Atlanta instead of Savannah.
We left our new unfinished home on Sat, as scheduled.  It was hard to leave.   I have a lot of plans for it and am anxious to get settled.    Of course, the weather was just perfect but the day after we left, the chilly jeans and sweater weather settled in.
The drive thru the mountains was gorgeous with the changing aspens and dustings of snow on the peaks.     We had a relaxing weekend with the kids in Denver and ate lots of good Mexican food.

Since then, it's been long days  across the plains.    The weather has been good, even tho we had to drive a bit longer one day to leave some tornado watches behind us.      We usually schedule a day off along the way but this year, its 400-500 mile days with no breaks.    Last night we stopped to enjoy Nina and Lillie in Lexington (great nieces, 2 and 5 and so good to be around the young ones again).   Then it was dinner at the unique Windy Corner Market..... highly recommend it !   Plus, the drive down country horse lanes with impressive estates is a treat.

So, now it is Friday morning and we are stuffed after oatmeal at Cracker Barrel.   Of course, I had to have part of a pancake as well....they are fluffy and served with real maple syrup.... yummy!     There's not much to explore around here, plus it's raining.    So, we sit in the waiting room with CNN blaring every detail of the weather in the background and hoping the MH will be done in a few hours.    No problems, just annual   ( expensive) stuff.  

Talk soon..........

Counting down.......

Time is fleeting and we're down to just a few days  before we head east and back into the heat and humidity.   Of course, the weather here is picture perfect and it is hard to leave this beautiful fall.       But, the selling season is beginning in earnest in TV and we hope it is the buying season for someone as well.  

 Meanwhile, around here, the dust has been flying.    We opted to have the stone on the fireplace continued up to the top....the mantle was too high and there were some other modifications needed.    Lloyd, the talented mason, spent 5 days on that very high scaffolding.   He was an interesting sort, a Montrose native who is not what he appears.    He is well educated and very smart and very talented.....but his truck, covered in camouflage and his slow drawl, laid-back persona and wayward hair were an interesting picture.     I learned all about elk hunting with a bow as that was his goal once the fireplace was finished.    He also talked about the massive homes and stone work that he has done in Telluride and in the surrounding ranches.      We are very pleased with the final product but

 the amount of fine stone dust that permeated every surface was staggering.   We covered what we could and closed doors but it took 2 days of wet dusting and mopping repeatedly to get rid of it.

We're still waiting for painters (note sample colors on the wall) but that may happen while we're gone.  The current color is a grey with lavender tones in certain light.  

 Just a bit of color ..... my neighbors coleus in her entry which are quite massive and beautiful.

Altho it is not peak aspen color, we needed a mountain fix.... we headed up Last Dollar Road....the back way to Telluride.

There are many aspen stands along this road and when the sun shines thru the gold shimmering leaves, it is a goal of photographers to try and capture the color.   

 

 If you take the paved road to Telluride, you follow that canyon in the foreground.  Altho very pretty, we prefer the high road.

We'll talk soon, either on the road or from the tropics.

Change is in the air......

My two favorite guys.    

 We've totally moved in to the new digs.   It's spacious and comfortable but needs a few tweaks.   The front door needs painting, the fireplace is getting a facelift, the grey lavender wall color will be replaced with a warm beige ..... and the list goes on.  

Mike and Jenna drove over and helped tremendously.    This house was wired for a state of the art sound, TV, electronic system, circa 2008.    The equipment even has it's own little room.    The previous owner loved toys and we think he invested A LOT in this extremely complex system, requiring frequent house calls by the company.     The wife said she couldn't figure it out and had to rely on him to turn on the TV or change a channel....they left 5 TV's attached to walls.     Since it is all Microsoft equip, our first born and talented Microsoft employee spent many hours with his able assistant attempting to understand and make the system operable.    They succeeded and the learning curve is becoming less daunting.   I suspect that in today's world, all those X Boxes and cables would be replaced with one computer.  

 Friends of Mike and Jenna's were in the area so we all met up for some time in the hills.    Here, we are airing-down the tires before heading out.    This makes a big difference in the comfort level....from a jarring jangling ride to a bouncy rolling climb.    

Up above Red Mountain and down the other side  to have lunch in Silverton.  

The aspen are changing rapidly  and full color will be showing up before we leave.     We'll get out once more time to capture the wonder of it all.  

Plans, as of today, will be to leave on the !st and head to Florida.    We'll stop in SC for the annual RV maintenance and then hit the ground running to get the house ready FOR SALE.   We'll let the realtors handle it this time.
   
Meanwhile, we're putting on our boots and hats and heading to a barn dance tonight....yee haw !!

August happenings....and a bit of September.......

Since last we talked.............. The Connecticut Crew arrived and I can now look up to Andy.    What a good looking kid with a mop of curly hair.    Mason is all about baseball and wears his Newtown team hat proudly.    They spent a day rafting on the Colorado ( I shopped in Glenwood Springs).

For some reason (probably operator error) I could not get pictures to go here....see them at the bottom.

Mary Beth and Jon hiked the iconic Hanging Lake trail (we did it years ago and might consider the challenge again).

The National Park service offers a scenic trip down Gunnison Canyon ...... in the late 1800's, an attempt was made to build a railroad thru this canyon but it was short lived.

This was the symbol for that railroad.....Note the peak in the distance and the one on the sign...same view.    The rail bed is now submerged but the Ranger talk of history, geology and ecology was interesting.    Some people resist this adventure because of the 232 steps down to the river and back UP.   Of course, Andy and Mason were first down and up!    But the old folks weren't that far behind.  

We've had busy busy weeks since their leaving.      Last week, we took a break from the house stuff and headed over to Mt Princeton Hot Springs Lodge.     We spent 3 days exploring the Collegiate Peaks from on high with 2 other Jeeps.   It was a perfect get-a-way.

After we came back to earth, we closed on the new house.     This is the great room with views of the golf course and the San Juan Mountains.
 

 

This kitchen needs a party!

 

Hanging Lake

 The FSBO on this house was successful with a hopeful closing the end of the month.....altho nothing is for sure until the paperwork is done.  

This is the best time of year.....well, spring and summer aren't bad either.....  fall is in the air and the leaves are turning.   Plan a trip west ( or east )....we have plenty of room !