666

Now, that's an interesting number! It's the magic sum, or the sum of all constants. Add up all of the numbers of a roulette wheel and they'll total three sixes. Most notably, it's also the Number of the Beast.

Remember The Exorcist? In modern popular culture, 666 has become the most widely recognized symbol for (take your pick) the Antichrist or the Devil. Any way you look at this number, it ain't good.

But, 666, that's the number we've been sitting on for months. And, that just can't be good. Can it?

You see, for the longest time that's the number of geocaches we've found since we started this obsession several years ago. 666. It's been haunting us for awhile now.

So, today, we set out to change that not-so-auspicious number. We loaded up a few caches on the GPS and set out on a three-hour stroll around Cortez. With four caches on our "radar", we headed to our now favorite Cortez park to pick up a couple. Then, we headed north a bit to score another. Finally, we strolled "downtown" for our fourth find of the day. Then, we checked out the local quilt shop and a nifty grocery store that's just a few steps away from our RV park.

Our four-for-four day resulted in some good finds and a great hike.

Most importantly, we have a new number: 670.

That's so much better!

We like Cortez!

First and foremost, it's not windy here!

Seriously, we know we whined about the wind in Santa Fe. But, last night we got just a bit of validation. We caught the local news from Albuquerque. They reported that this was the windiest April in the last 12 years! See? We weren't kidding!

Making the drive across northwest New Mexico yesterday, we were very glad we waited a day. There were many spots along scenic US-550 where there was fresh snow on either side of the road. Between the wind and snow it would have been more than a bit too adventurous for us. Thankfully, yesterday the drive was mostly sunny, calm and free of precipitation.

We arrived in Cortez yesterday not too far behind our good friends Sandy and John. We hadn't seen these two since Kerrville in January. So, it was great to catch up on each other's doings and travels over burgers at a nearby brewpub last night. John and Sandy are in the middle of a house building project. So, it was especially fun to get the lowdown on that exciting endeavor. We so look forward to seeing the results in person someday!

Our park offers the best of an urban setting and a small mobile community. Tons of essentials, including Walmart, are within walking distance. And, the folks around this simple park are friendly. We've met many of our neighbors, including Hayward and Lydia, a lovely couple with whom John and Sandy and both of us formed an instant bond.

This morning, the four of us donned our walking shoes and set out for an hour of walking around Cortez. Our new friends Hayward and Lydia opted to stay home and see who in the park had a washer and dryer on board.

Just across the street from our park are three of the town's six city parks. Between the three spaces are miles of walking trails, a swimming pool, tennis courts, recreation center, a pond or two, many trees, fantastic views and, among other things, a disc golf course. With plenty of sunshine and absolutely no wind, this was just the kind of place we were eager to explore.

While on our hour-long walk this morning we discovered the disc golf course and all vowed to pick up a frisbee today. With four discs in hand, we wandered back to the park late this afternoon to play six or eight holes. Between the four of us, it had been nearly 80 years since anyone had thrown a Frisbee, so we weren't exactly sure what we had gotten ourselves into. We started at Hole #3 and called it a day on Hole #13. So, no, we didn't exactly follow the rules. But, we had lots of fun.

During our outing, we ran into a couple of disc golf enthusiasts. We explained, as if we really needed to, that we were absolute newbies. They proceeded to provide us welcome tips and encouragement. Turns out one of the two works at the local disc golf supplier. We promised to stop by and do a little shopping.

Yes, folks, we think we might be hooked.

This disc golf thing is actually pretty cool. There are parks everywhere. And, unlike the pricey golf courses we've spent many hours on in our previous life, play is free. All you need are a few nifty discs. With that, you get to enjoy a hike in a beautiful green space...for free.

Sounds good to us!

But, before we turn into card-carrying members of the Professional Disc Golf Association, we have other places to see and explore. Tomorrow, the four of us are planning to tour some cave dwellings and do a little hiking in nearby Mesa Verde.

I wonder if Hayward and Lydia will join us?

May Day

Eager to leave the wild weather of Santa Fe behind, we readied ourselves for a much anticipated travel day. But, it was not to be.

Things didn't look good early. Last night's forecast called for high winds across Northern New Mexico ahead of a cold front that held the promise of snow. Today as much as three inches of snow was anticipated in Santa Fe.

With expectations of howling winds from every which way, we pulled in both slides last night. That made things extra cozy! But, when the winds came, we were sure glad we'd taken that step. Not only did we save wear and tear on our slide toppers, but we managed to get a decent night's sleep.

This morning we were up and checking the forecast early. It still didn't look good. Wind gusts to 60 mph, especially along the first 35 miles or so of our route. Further along our anticipated path, frozen stuff was already falling. For a couple of hours we made periodic radar checks. Then, we made the call. We'd stay over another day.

We braved the cold wind to trek to the office. Lady Luck smiled on us just a bit. Our site was available for just one more night. Tomorrow a seasonal resident arrives for the Summer. (What Summer?) We could stay without having to make a move. We plunked down a few bucks and headed home to hunker down for the day.

With the slides still in, our cats appeared confused. They gave us looks that said, "Are we blowing this pop stand, or not?" As I nested in bed for a day of writing, our girl kitty stood at the big window on patrol for birds, blowing leaves and such. When she heard a chirp behind the back wall, she leaped across the bed to the little window for a better look. I looked over and caught a glimpse of the funniest sight. Our eager kitty was perched at a window at the end of our drawn in slide! She peered into the darkness of the back wall and gave me another look. This one said, "What the what?"

With pillows properly plumped, I spent most of the day on the computer as Paul reclined through a movie or two. As a result of my lazy day efforts, Bullwinkle's Travels is up-to-date. New posts about our day trips to the Petroglyphs, Taos and Los Alamos are now available for your reading pleasure. And, somehow I managed to cram a month's worth of Santa Fe into one post.

The snow has yet to arrive here at our park, but we can see it falling all around. The sky is gray. It's cold. And, have I mentioned lately that it's windy?

It is May Day, isn't it? Well, you sure could have fooled us!

Tomorrow promises to be a better day. After this May Day delay, we're so looking forward to hitting the road!

Cooked!

I'm not exactly sure what prompted the exclamatory theme of this month's posts. But, with just a few days to go before we put April in the books, I'm going with it.

When it comes to staying in Santa Fe, we gotta tell ya, we're about done.

It's been windy here. Really windy. The only glimmer of light since our friends left has been the arrival of new friends. Donna and Keith arrived here yesterday after being buffeted by the wind from El Paso. It was wonderful to meet these good people we had only known virtually. We look forward to getting together this week and hiding out from the wind...together!

Today's forecast called for an extra windy day. Wind gusts of 65 mph-plus were expected this afternoon, so shortly after breakfast we decided to get out while we could and enjoy a walk. Our park is encircled by a lovely .75 mile walking trail that treats people and dogs to panoramic views of the mountains. We're cat people, of course, but we've enjoyed our daily walks on this very scenic trail. We've worked up to five laps around the place, which adds up to a good 3-mile-plus walk that we do at a pretty hefty clip. At 7,000 feet altitude, we figure these daily walks are doing something to build our lung capacity!

During today's walk the skies suddenly turned dark and precipitation began to fall...as sleet! There's nothing quite like being 40 minutes into a walk and being pelted with falling ice. It IS Spring, isn't it? We got our 3-plus miles in anyway and were none the worse for wear.

Shortly after arriving home and getting out of our wet walking clothes, we got word that the wind was on its way. Wind gusts of 65 mph were clocked in Albuquerque, and they were headed our way. We brought in our freshly repaired but still windward slide. The gusts came, as expected, by mid-afternoon. After we had dried out and rested a bit, we decided to head to the local mall and enjoy some time strolling out of the wind. The mall was pretty depressing. Many stores were closed. But, we managed to make a few purchases in hopes of boosting the local economy.

We got home in time to check in with the local news and learned that the wind gusts were expected to die down after sunset. With plans to grill a couple of chicken breasts, we relaxed in our smaller-than-normal rolling home and waited for the winds to quiet. Around 7, we determined that the winds were well past their peak. We extended our windward slide and began to prepare dinner.

As Paul prepared to light the grill, we noticed that the winds had not exactly died down. Instead, they had just shifted. The gale force winds were no longer hitting us broadside. Now they were hitting us head on from the north. When Paul stepped out to light the grill, the gale force northerly winds had other ideas. Paul returned, frustrated, with chicken in hand. The grill wouldn't light. It was time for an alternate plan.

I dug out the almost never used instructions to our convection microwave oven. I quickly deduced how to broil a couple of chicken breasts. Following the instructions, we put the chicken in a baking dish, put it in the oven and pressed the magical buttons for "Compubroil 2", whatever that means!

We watched with amazement as the circling chicken was subjected to increasing temperatures. Some 20 minutes later the oven reached 425 degrees. After nearly a half-hour with chicken in the oven, the display changed. "Put food in oven," it declared.

Say what?

The two meager breasts were nearly cooked by that time. Quickly, we extracted the chicken and managed to pull together the veggies, pasta and bread and make it a meal.

It was well after 9:00 pm when we finally sat down to this adventurous meal. Outside, the wind howled at a faster pace than it had all day. Both toppers on our big ass slides whipped in the winds as we sampled our first bites.

Everything tasted great, of course. But after subjecting ourselves and our home to gale force winds for nearly a month, we are just about cooked. It's time for us to go.

We're outta here on Sunday. But, before then we really want to make it up to Los Alamos to see the sights. We've been waiting for a wind-free day to do that. Truth is, that day may never come. Actually, tomorrow's winds are supposed to be fairly calm. Of course, by the sounds of our toppers flipping up and down right now that's pretty hard to believe. It may be calm tomorrow, but it's supposed to be cold. Like 40-degrees!

We don't care. We're going anyway. Like we said, we're cooked!

Carefree!

Today was one of those rare days that has us basking in the glow of successfully conquering one of those curve balls our rolling home occasionally tosses our way.

Woo hoo!

Before we mix up our celebratory cocktails, let me explain.

Back in Kerrville, we got whacked with a 56 mph wind gust that did a number on the topper on our not quite big ass slide. A couple of days later, Paul popped it back into place. We've been super careful with it since. Here in Santa Fe, we've pulled it in on a few super windy days, just to be safe.

Yesterday, the front end of the topper was flapping in the breeze. Something was wrong...again.

Neither of us is really mechanically inclined, especially when it comes to dealing with 16-foot long high-tension spring rods. As long-time homeowners, we've become just skilled enough at things like plumbing and electrical work to be dangerous. But, this is just our second rolling house. Slide toppers are just supposed to roll in and out when we push a button. Beyond that, we're clueless.

So, our first choice was to call a mobile RV tech. Paul found the website of Carefree of Colorado, the manufacturer of our slide toppers and awnings. Just our luck, there isn't a Carefree dealer in Santa Fe that makes service calls. And, if we can't pull a slide in, we can't exactly get it to a dealer.

Our next choice was to call Carefree for help. But, that's not possible. You see, their phone number is nowhere to be found on their website! Paul found the owner's manual and some schematics for our slide topper and started studying. Before long, he had diagnosed the problem. Today was the day to try to figure out a solution.

As frustrated as we were that we couldn't get immediate help, we realized that what we did have was time, and plenty of it. With two weeks before we're planning to move this moose, we had all kinds of time to make this a DIY project.

Shortly after breakfast, Paul was on the job. He formulated a plan of attack. The first step was to send an email to Carefree explaining the situation and asking for guidance. We both figured we wouldn't hear back, but much to our surprise Paul received a response within the hour. With that he had the information he needed to give this thing a shot.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Taking extra special care to avoid flying parts and protect valuable fingers, Paul went to work. Before long the slide topper cover was off, screws were flying (just kidding) and he was muscling the tension rod like a pro. When questions came up, we put our heads together. When we weren't sure of the answer, Paul shot off another email to Carefree. Each helpful response came within minutes. With each step we learned and grew increasingly confident in our ability to repair our rolling home. In the end, the slide topper was restored to its pre-56 mph wind gust state. Heck, it could be that it's better than it's ever been.

All is right with our world.

There's something extra sweet about conquering the problem ourselves. And, it's not just the big bucks we would have shelled out for a service call. We're learning that if we take our time, do some research and get help straight from the horse's mouth, maybe - just maybe - we can be good caretakers of our moose.

Cheers!

Projects!

We've (pretty much) recovered from our food coma. We caught up with former Oakland neighbors visiting Santa Fe yesterday, which was a treat. And, thankfully, we met up over lemonade (for me) and a couple of beers (for Paul). It was so great to be with them, and we were even happier that no food was consumed! Yeah!

The April winds continue to blow across Santa Fe. It's getting a bit old, but we are so thankful that we've not been caught in any of the severe storms that have affected so many across the midwest and eastern seaboard. All things considered, we'll take sunny skies, moderate temps and some wind. It's not all bad.

The gale force winds continue to keep us inside. But, we're not complaining, really. You see, we have lots of projects! I can't speak for Paul, but I know he has a few projects underway. I can speak for myself, and I'm here to tell you, I have a lot of projects! These windy days have given me some welcome time to tend to my "to-do" list.

A quick inventory of my projects in the works results in a list that, frankly, is too long. I have four quilts in the works. There's my cookbook project, which involves transcribing my dear mother-in-law's recipe box into a family cookbook. And, I'm supposed to be working on a book. (Sadly, my word count has remained stagnant for a long while!) And, oh yeah. There's this travel blog that is again unattended. According to Bullwinkle's Travels, we're still in Carlsbad! Then, there's my knitting. I've been working on some kind of flouncy scarf that attracted my attention. But, it's not done.

While shopping in Santa Fe the other day, I added another project to my pile in the blink of an eye. My friend Cindy and I were eyeing a snazzy knitted three-button shawl that we spotted at more than one store.

"I can make that," I snapped. It'll take forever and cost twice as much, of course. But, I was inspired. Days later I found yarn and three buttons and another project is in the works.

How does this happen?

Have I mentioned I was once a hard-working workaholic? It's amazing how those unhealthy tendencies can invade retirement.

So, with too much to do, I should sign off for now. Here's hoping we can make the most of the next couple of weeks in Santa Fe. We'll see the sights and do what we can to make some serious progress on these pesky projects.

Food!

We're listless. A full night of sleep just doesn't seem like enough. Though today's sky is clear, we're a bit hazy. What the heck is going on?

We're in a food coma!

Four days of fun, and great food, have caught up with us. Our dear friends Cindy and Rick flew in from the Bay Area on Monday. It was so wonderful to be with them. Together we explored Santa Fe's shops, galleries and museums. If that wasn't enough, we topped off each night with an outstanding dinner.

Monday night, we kicked off their visit with our customary Manhattan happy hour. These celebrations have been virtual of late, so it was a real treat to toast in person. Then Chez Paul fired up the grill and prepared some fine ahi steaks and all the trimmings. With great food, conversation and laughter, we set the stage for a five-star food coma.

Each of the following nights, we enjoyed dinner at one of Santa Fe's finest restaurants. The first stop on our culinary tour of this true "foodie" town was Anasazi, just off the plaza in Old Town. Wednesday night we wrapped up our visit to Santa Fe's gallery row with an exquisite dinner at The Compound on Canyon Road. Last night, we scored a fine dining trifecta just up Canyon Road with a "send off" dinner at Geronimo. Every feast was a fantastic experience. Atmosphere, service and cuisine blended perfectly with delightful conversation and joyful laughter to create a memorable celebration of friendship.

Today, Cindy and Rick return home. As much as we truly miss these dear friends, our digestive systems are happy to see this food fest come to an end. We'll get back on the healthy eating wagon and incorporate plenty of exercise into our activities. Slowly, but surely, life will return to normal.

We'll be fighting the effects of this food coma for a bit. But, the memories of four fun and food-filled days with friends will be long-lasting.