Some weeks are easier than others, and sometimes I feel lazier than other weeks. This week it’s both as the reason I’m a day late posting the weekly update.
As you may recall, last Wednesday I was in Datil, at the quiet and lovely Datil Well Campground. No hookups, but plenty of sunshine and space and at $5 a night, quite a bargain as campsites go. It’s just that the weather was a little weird. Snow flurries, sleet, hail, graupel, and rain, all in the same day, along with enough sunshine to keep the solar panels happy.
I did have to make Flat Eliza a coat to keep her warmer in that crazy weather.
We went for a few drives around Datil and this was my favorite view.
I did a couple of hikes on the trails around the campground and this was my favorite shot from those jaunts.
There might have been a few visits to Pie Town, one that ended up with us driving in a bit of a snowstorm. If you want to know what New Mexico looks like in a snowstorm, it looks like this:
And there was definitely a Very Cool Visit (VCV) to the Very Large Array (VLA) on Saturday.
Monday, we packed up the campsite and headed out. We went by the VLA and this time the view was quite different.
Then we turned left and headed north up I-25. It was a beautiful day for a drive and I thoroughly enjoyed the big skies ahead of me.
And then, a few months later than originally planned, I made it to Albuquerque. I pulled into the city, only to be greeted by cold rain and big winds for the first two days. Hey, Albuquerque, be nicer to me!
Wednesday started with a bang. Literally. Rear-ended, and now I get to spend time over the next few weeks dealing with insurance and body shop people. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my time in Albuquerque, but these things happen so I’ll just roll with it and soon Bella will be back to her lovely undamaged self.
Wednesday was also a trip to the Subaru dealer (planned before the big bang) to get my 30K maintenance done. Flat Eliza was not that excited by the day spent dealing with car stuff, but she did like meeting Dustin, my service representative.
The day (and reporting week) ended on a great note, seeing old friends (we’re all old!) at a dinner in Albuquerque. There will be more friends this weekend, and I’m looking forward to it.
I love everything that is old: old friends, old times, old manners, old wine, old books.
Oliver Goldsmith
Hi Annie,
I was sharing Carlsbad Caverns with Emily and her boyfriend, Rob, as a place I would love to visit. Rob’s parents have been planning on purchasing an Alto and traveling for sometime now. Rob thought that your site would inspire them and provide them with the info they need to put them over on the other side of their doubts. I hope they contact you with questions or accolades. You are an inspiration to many of us out here in work land!
Emma
Thanks, Emma! And I’d be happy to talk with them about Alto. If they are on FB, there is a FB group for owners and other interested in them, called Altoistes.
I’m fumbling through retirement, it’s kind of weird after almost 40 years of going to work. I think I’ll start writing a bit about that as I collect my thoughts.
Ouch! Poor subie. At least unlike for us old friends, you can get replacement parts! Hope your trip goes more smoothly from here on out. 🙂