One Last Look at Dillon

I have just recently been thinking about Montana.  Okay, I am ALWAYS thinking about Montana.  After all, Montana is our home, and has been for the last 12+ years.  And even though we travel all across the country, there is no place quite like home.

I finish my travel assignment in Ventura, CA in two weeks.  So during the past weeks I've had to decide if I should stay (in California) or go (back up to Montana or Idaho).  And let me tell you that the choice was a tough one.  Even though it's still winter in Montana, it seems I just can't get enough of the clear, blue streams and the vast wilderness that I claim as my back yard.

It made me take another long look at Montana, and in doing so, I came across a few photos from our time in Dillon, MT.   We were in Dillon for six months last year and had a great time, but we were so busy that I didn't have much time to blog.  So I thought  that Dillon, Montana deserved at least one last blog...

Bob and Pam Meyerson hosted us at the Dillon KOA for the season and were wonderful hosts.  The KOA was paradise for the pups and about a million birds.  We saw waxwings and tanagers, osprey and nighthawks, humming birds and gold finches.  You just name it.  And with the Beaverhead river running through it, was a great way to melt away the stress of the day fly fishing after getting home from work.

Dillon, Montana is a rural town in the southwestern part of the state.  It sits at a mile high and can get snow any month of the year.  Spring was a long time coming, but gave way to a beautiful summer and fall.  We stayed until the snow began to fall at the upper elevations of the Pioneer mountains, then bid farewell to the ranch town and flew south with the geese.  Our time there went by so fast that it felt almost like a dream.

Maybe that's why I still think so much about it!

And here are some photos to show you what you missed when we were in Montana.  Around Dillon!

Here's to a New Year!

Well 2011 has come and gone and we survived.   It has been a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs, but we have come through it and are looking forward to an awesome 2012!

January 1, 2011.  Our crazy friend (and wonderful partner in crime), Nadia, bid on an old, dilapidated hotel in De Borgia, MT.  We "won" the auction and became proud, new owners of what we hope will be an ultra cool ski lodge.

February 20.  I just about died while running the Austin Marathon on a relentlessly hilly course and in the heat and humidity.  The nightmares are now beginning to fade...

April 8.  We arrived back in Montana and instantly feel like we're home.  We spent the next six months living in Dillon, exploring old ghost towns and driving 4+ hours several weekends to work on the Hotel Albert.  The time flew and we got the roof repaired before the fall.  Many thanks to all our friends who came out to help!

September 2.   I put my best friend Riley down.  The 11+ year old rescue gave us lots of love and we gave him a great life.  It was possibly the hardest thing I've EVER had to do.

October 13.  I arrived in California, excited to begin a three month assignment in Ventura, CA, live on the beach and enjoy a little R&R after a busy summer.  Susan and the two dogs welcomed the fall to Montana before coming down three weeks later.  Susan and her brother Tom got to spend 5 days with family friends down in Charleston, SC for a wedding.   I rode my bike or the bus to and from work and started talking to myself.

November 18.  We drove up to Cambria to visit our friends Natalie and Mike.  I raced my only cyclocross race for the season (didn't finish last) and we had a great time catching up on ten years or so.  Thanks you guys!

Thanksgiving.   Susan out did herself (again) by creating a feast fit for a king.  Even though it was only two of us (plus two hungry canines), she held nothing back and I realized just how truly blessed we all were.

The past two weeks.   We moved inland ten miles from the beach for some peace and quiet.    Ventura Oaks, our current home, has been a good move for us, though the morning frost has been hard on these old bones as I head out on my morning bike ride to work.   Brrr!   It seems as I have lost my edge and that this California weather has begun to rub off on me!

So looking back, 2011 was a year full of good and not so good.  One thing I can say is that it was busy.  Sorry for the lack of blogging, but with this new year comes a new adventure and a continuation of unfinished business from last year...just begging to be written about!

Here's to a brand new year!

Pioneers and Prospectors

Coolidge, Montana was once a booming mining town.  They mined silver and there was a lot of it.   It was founded in the 1870's and boomed through the early nineteen hundreds.  Then a series of unfortunate events, including the stock market crash of 1929 sealed its fate.   Coolidge was destined to become one of Montana's many ghost towns...

It's been four months since we've posted and I will quote the most used excuse out there, "we've been busy."   We moved back to Montana after our tough winter in eastern New Mexico and have been going full speed ever since.  It was still snowing some when we arrived and really didn't warm up until mid June.   That was okay though, because we were "home" and there was lots to do.

The Dog and Pony Show is still traveling, which means we still live in the RV and someone else lives in our house, but life is good.   The Montana summer is in full swing, with its long, hot days, good fishing and plenty of events to keep our weekends occupied.  But there has been one major event that has been taking up most of our time, and that is a property called Hotel Albert. 

Seems we've taken on our own pioneer spirit.

For those of you out there that don't already know, Susan and I partnered with a friend and bought an old western hotel near the Idaho border, and have begun restoring it.   It will be a difficult task as this building is in need of a total remodel, but it will be a labor of love.  I have always wanted to take something like this on and with the help of my two business partners and my friends, may just be the most exciting thing that I've taken on since PT school.   We'll keep you posted.

So with that said,  we probably won't be blogging much, at least not on this blog.   We are starting a blog to chronicle the restoration of Hotel Albert, though I haven't yet finished the template.   When I do, there will be tons of photos and frequent updates on its progress.  We hope to show just what we are doing on it so that we have a history for all to see.

So keep checking back for the link to Hotel Albert and be sure to check out our web album of our Glacier trip we took a few weeks ago.  Glacier National Park has always been one of our favorite parks and we try to go there whenever we are in Montana.

Enjoy and talk to you soon.

Erik

Clovis Top Ten List

Ah, Clovis...what can I say? You were a challenge, to say the least. Deep freezes and dust storms, stickers EVERYWHERE torturing doggie pads and unsuspecting toes. And healthy food options or organic produce items? Nope, nary a one to be found. But, as I sit here contemplating our stay on this, our last day in Eastern New Mexico, I decided to stop and look at the bright side. So, instead of holding a grudge, I am pulling out that infamous TOP TEN LIST. So, sit back folks and hold onto your seats because here, in all its glory, is the list of our top ten in Clovis.

(Disclaimer: Since Erik is finishing up his last day at work and is not here to give his input, I should probably mention that, were he here, I'm positive that Shiner Bock beer would have shown up somewhere on this list.)

Ok, here we go:

10)  Horny Toad Lizards - Oh, don't judge me. I needed ten items and these little devils are COOL! I haven't seen one in person since I was, what?, 10 years old and we all know how long ago that was. (Erik's cohorts, insert Shiner Bock beer here)

9) Birds A'Chirping - Look, I know I'm still reaching a bit but, seriously, the birds here are quite lovely. They serenade you everywhere you roam. Everyday I walk the dogs through fields of Meadowlarks and it's like having a live soundtrack playing around you. Chirps and trills and whistles and elaborate songs. I will definitely think fondly of the songbirds here in Clovis. Who knew?!

8) Peavey Grain Elevator - Alright, yes, another strange choice but this mammoth stood towering quietly over us every morning, every evening. With the smell of cooked cereal in the air, we'd watch the sun rise behind it, we'd watch the glorious glow of the setting sun reflect off of it and we watched that incredible full moon sail over it. It was our weather barometer as we watched it disappear in dense fog, be wrapped in a blanket of fresh snow, and glisten like marble in the spring sunshine with a backdrop of turquoise blue behind it. With no mountains to break the flat, brown, dusty horizon, I looked towards Peavey when I just needed a moment of escape. I'm going to miss that hulking mass.

7) Sunshine -  With our northern brethren buried under FEET of snow and layers upon layers of dense storm clouds, number 7 can not be taken for granted. I might have had my nose almost freeze off my face, had our motorhome turn into a lump of ice and the freezing wind practically rip the hair out of my head, but while Clovis was dishing out the ass-whoopin', he did it under the smiling guise of sunshine. I'm pretty sure when we show up in Montana with a tan in April, our friends will want to gather around and stare in awe at our golden limbs.

6) Turquoise - Really, need I say more? Anywhere, everywhere is the most beautiful turquoise jewelry you have ever laid your eyes on. I don't know what it is about this stone but these New Mexican artists, old and new, have created an art form that is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Harry Winston, you can keep your diamonds, just load me up with turquoise...ummm, well, wait a sec....if Harry Winston is willing to give me diamonds, who am I to say no? I'm just sayin'...

(**Our friend, Emily Hale, sent us Flat Stanley for her school project and he is modeling the turquoise for me. Yes, I was too lazy to pull it back out to take another picture without him since it's already packed away)

5) Sunrise/Sunset - Erik did a great post on this subject so I will defer to his take on our love affair with the sun rising and setting as I believe he summed it up perfectly.

4) Ned Houk Park - Ned Houk saved our sanity. When I couldn't look at another rusted out junker or piece of blowing trash or smell the smell of piles of cow manure and when the dogs threatened to mutiny if they didn't get to run like maniacs...off we'd go to Ned Houk Park. About 10 miles out of town, it is far enough away to be out on the plains with nothing but the wind, prairie dogs and those singing birds to keep you company. A little slice of heaven on the Llano Estacado.

3) Taqueria Jalisco - C'mon, anyone who knows us also knows food will play a vital part in our top ten lists. Unfortunately, Clovis is not exactly a hotbed of haute cuisine. In fact, finding an edible restaurant option was, shall we say, a crapshoot. And being a vegetarian? Well, let's just say, I was mystified to find that, in a town full of ranchers and farmers, vegetables are persona non grati. Crazy talk, I know! But lucky for us, the lovely family that runs Taqueria Jalisco, welcomed us with open arms and the latest Mexican music bumping over the stereo. Homemade spicy salsa, guacamole made with, wait for it...REAL avocados, fresh pico de gallo, and authentic Mexican dishes, it was our saving grace when we just wanted to get out of the motorhome. And with the kitchen packed up and ready to roll, guess what we're having for dinner tonight?

2) Alice's Farm - My stepmom has a farm a little over an hour away in Littlefield, TX and getting to spend time with Dad and Alice was one of the true highlights of our stay. The home-cooked meals, the football games on the big screen tv, exploring the streets where they both grew up, stretching our legs running in the cotton fields and getting the chance to spend the holidays with them are truly memories that we will cherish forever.

And, our number one pick is......

1) Travelers World Campground - Rob and Donna, the owners of Travelers World, have to be two of the most kind individuals we have ever met. They took us in when the motorhome was broken down in Florida and put us up in one of their mobiles, went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable until our motorhome arrived and always, always have a kind word and a smile on their faces. The dogs and I have done laps and laps around the property, watching the trains, staring at Peavey and listening to the birds sing. Clovis was rough on us but our spot at Travelers World became our little oasis. Thank you so much, Rob and Donna, for making us feel like family!

Wait! Stop the presses! I actually have one more item to add. Since I don't have time to rework the list, here is our Clovis Honorable Mention:

Trains - Day and night, night and day they rumbled, clanged and whistled by. We fell asleep listening to the cars being disconnected and reattached, we would wake to find a snake of metal curving around Peavey, then hours later it would be gone. On our laps around the campground, we'd watch the engines whizzing by and wonder what they were hauling. Other days, we'd walk out to wander along the tracks with parked cargo containers waiting patiently for their turn to be hooked up and hauled away. We chased them across the plains, we waited patiently at railroad crossings while they chugged through town and we marked our time in Clovis with their coming and going. I think it will be hard to hear a train whistle without thinking back to our time in Clovis. Choo, choo!

A Study in Sunrise and Sunset

Good Morning Clovis, NM!

Time passes by quickly.  We have been in New Mexico for over three months now and it seems like only yesterday that we were packing up in Charlotte and heading west.   And now we are down to our last four weeks.  

We have awakened at or before dawn every morning to take the pups out for their morning walk.  During the darkest days, the sun would not even be up fully by the time we got back to the RV.  Now, the sun beats us to it!   It's good that winter is just about over.  It has been a particularly tough one.  A lot tougher than I had even imagined.  The near-constant winds of eastern New Mexico and West Texas tested our resolve.  Frozen water lines and a constant sand-blasting have hardened us plenty.  I can now see why the folks that chose to live in the "tougher" parts of the U.S. don't tend to fuss much, nor do they take  $#*!  from no one.

Clovis is part of the Great Plains,  I guess. It's flat and covered with grass, cacti and bullheads.  It's dry.   I'll bet we've only had an inch or two of rain so far this winter.  Clovis is remote.   I feel like we've been wandering out in the Sahara all this time, wondering how to go home.

So I watch the sun rise and I watch it set.   I greet every day and I say goodbye to every day the same, by watching the sky.  It started with our first night in Clovis and it will be that way on our last night.   But by doing this I have fallen in love with the New Mexican sky.  It is beautiful and ever changing.   It reminds me of our own Big Sky Country that is Montana.   It is a 360 degree panoramic wonderful that makes me gasp in awe more times than not.   It is truly and by far, my favorite thing about Clovis, NM.

So here are a few shots of our southwestern skies.  I hope that you enjoy them!

Santa Fe...in the Land of Enchantment

Life is good, as we are reminded by our travels.

It has been a while since our last blog.  The holidays have come and gone with only a short post from us at Christmas.  Sorry 'bout that.   Life has been busy for me, mostly from a busy work and training schedule, but things are starting to slow down (for the time being), and so I hope to blog a little more.

So we have a lot of catching up to do!

That said, Susan and I have taken not one, but TWO weekend trips to Santa Fe, day trips to Palo Duro Canyon (Texas) and Roswell, NM ...and we just got back from Susan's birthday weekend in Ruidoso (NM).  Whew!  I told you we have been busy!

So I thought I'd start with the two trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We took our first trip up there in early December.   It was cold, but clear, the Holiday shopping season was in full swing and we were ready to escape Clovis (after three weeks in a musty mobile home).  So we escaped.

Yes, our motorhome was continuing to enjoy the Florida sun, getting some much needed warranty repairs, while we were in eastern New Mexico, going through withdrawals.   Santa Fe just seemed to have much of what we were missing; fresh mountain air (NOT eau de cow manure), good food and libations, Trader Joe's market and that culture of adventure that we tend to gravitate towards.

As far as I can tell I have only been near Santa Fe.  My best recollection is traveling on I-40 to I-25 en route to Colorado Springs...sometime in high school, many brain cells ago, so this was a trip of discovery for me.  So around every corner, every vista and every sight was something new and exciting.

We thoroughly enjoyed sightseeing in Old Santa Fe.  Susan's favorite was strolling through town at night with the lights and luminaries glowing.  It was magical.   I especially liked the iconic southwest architecture, from the adobe buildings to the magnificent churches and government buildings in North America's oldest capital city!   Be sure to check out our Santa Fe Web Album.

We tried New Mexico red and green chili salsas for the first time and I immediately became addicted.  Growing up in southern California has made me a discerning critic of all things hot and spicy, but let me be the first to tell you that New Mexican's can do it right!    We had some awesome food and I toured two microbreweries ( a trait that I have adopted from long-time pal Lyn Willoughby).

The Second Street Brewery was DaBomb.
Trader Joe's didn't disappoint, restocking our chocolate and wine.
The doggies partied hard at the Dog Park, and we all left Santa Fe exhausted, but content.


Trip number two was for New Year's Eve.  We thought nothing of traveling nearly four hours to celebrate the end of 2010 and to welcome in 2011 in Santa Fe.   We had dinner at my favorite microbrew and listened to two local bands play.  We sipped champagne and to slip into bed before the stroke of midnight.  Happy New Year!

New year's Day began with a cold doggy run at 6am.   It was MINUS 18 degrees Fahrenheit, brrr!   Then it was off to breakfast at Tecolote Cafe (good hot breakfasts and salsas to warm us)  and then a drive north to Espanola/Santa Cruz and back to the Tesuque Pueblo, before returning to Santa Fe.  

Somewhere along the way our friend (and now business partner) Nadia, bought a hotel.   Yes people, we are the proud new owners of an old hotel,  Hotel Albert,  in De Borgia, Montana.   talk about starting 2011 with a BANG, we did just that.   The rest of the weekend involved a fair amount of drinking...just to ease the shock, and we have been hard at work (finalizing the deal) since.

But don't worry you Curious Georges out there, because there's a new blog on the horizon.  So be on the lookout for a Hotel Albert Blog!

Ciao for now.


E&S

Merry Christmas from across the Plains

For me, Christmas is a time to reflect on the year that is coming to an end.  A time to take stock in my life and to see how I measured up.  Did I accomplish the things that I wanted too?  Did I live the life that I wanted too?

This year just seemed to race on by.  First we were in Palm Springs, California, enjoying the sun.  Then we were three months (too short a time) in Montana.  Next it was a cross country trek that allowed us time (albeit short) to see some family, followed by four months in North Carolina.  Then it was, not one, but two trips from the east coast, here to the Midwest (or plains, depending on how you look at it).  I have worked in four different types of Rehab settings and have met (and worked with) some amazing people.  We've survived some trials and tribulations, and we have enjoyed most of the Grand Adventure.

But now we're here and have been able to see family.  Susan's father and step mother live just an hour east of us and it has been a treat to be able to drive and see them.   So when Harold invited us over for Christmas eve, we jumped at the offer.  We loaded up our three dogs, a bag full of gifts, two WalMart pizzas and two smiling faces...for the trip to west Texas.

We were greeted with open arms, big hugs and a cozy casa.  Alice had veggies, chips and dips waiting for us, plus wine, of course.   Alice knows how to make guests welcome!   She had the tree trimmed and gifts beneath.

Christmas eve was nice.  The pizza almost burned, but didn't (I was in charge...whoops) and was enjoyed by all.  We all had a great time.   Then it was all about exchanging gifts.  Thank you both for being so caring. Then we all settled in for some college football, dessert, coffee and conversation.  

This morning came with our pre-dawn dog walk, but then crawled back in bed for another hour-and-a-half snooze.  Ahh.  Breakfast, along with Christmas music, our gifts to the pups and a nice hike at Ned Houk Park set the tone for a relaxing day with my family.  And now everyone is tucked in and napping.

So however you enjoy the Season, we hope it was great.  Know that we miss all of our friends and family that we weren't able to see this year.  Have a happy New Year and we hope our paths will cross sometime soon.

Chick-fil-A....It's all about The Experience!

Chick-fil-A is more than just a fast food chicken place, as I found out on my last day in Charlotte, NC.  It's an experience.  You drive up to the larger than life restaurant with it's oversize logo, park your car and walk in.  You are then in sensory overload as balloons, fancy lighting, noise and smells bombard your senses.

I've never tried Chick-fil-A.  "What,"  my coworkers asked,  "you've never had Chick-fil-A?"  They all gasped with appall as I said that I hadn't.  "Well, we'll have to take you there."  And so they did.  On my last day at Carolinas Rehab a big group of us loaded into our cars and headed in to town to get some Chicken.

Marty bought me lunch (thanks Marty) and I sat down to quite a treat.  The spicy chicken sandwich and waffle fries were TO DIE FOR.   I was in heaven.  Yeah, yeah, it doesn't take much to make me happy, especially when it comes to food, but this lunch was particularly good.  I am sure that it had a lot to do with the novelty of the experience...and that it was shared with good friends that I really enjoyed working with these past two months.  Thanks guys and gals for being so kind and welcoming of this traveler!

Woohoo!

The Chick-fil-A experience got me thinking that it was another one of the countless experiences that I've had on the road these past two years.   My travels have taken me from the gold country of northern California to Montana, Alaska and the east coast.  I have lived in places that I never would even had seen and I have met some incredible people along the way.  There have been highs, like catching salmon on the fly rod and lows, like breaking down in the desert, but one thing has remained a constant, that it has been an adventure.   I guess that is the draw, the lure that keeps me going...what's next?

So fast forward two weeks and we are in Clovis, New Mexico.   We are currently renting a single wide mobile (another new experience) while the RV maintenance gets completed in Panama City, Florida.  It's cold and boy is it windy, but the light in the sky is incredible and the folks are nice (as usual), though they talk kinda funny    =)

Sunset at the Hospital  Clovis, NM

Still to come...how we left the motorhome behind!

Our Asheville, North Carolina Weekend

Boy, did we have fun two weekends ago, when we spent our three day weekend up in Asheville.   Asheville is a popular "mountain" town about two hours west of Charlotte.  And since neither of us have been there (other than passing by it on the interstate)  we decided that we needed to go.  Be sure to click on the WeB Album on the side bar.

We have heard from family and friends about how "cool" Asheville was and you all were right.  Asheville is a medium sized town nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains (think Sierra Nevada Gold Country) and are heavily wooded.  The hardwood forests of the east are INCREDIBLE, let me tell you.  Those rolling mountains go on for as long as the eye can see, just choked with thick forests of ash, oak, sycamore, walnut and the like.  And now that fall is here they are beginning to turn and the hills are coming alive!  It is truly a sight to behold.

Friday night we packed up Big Bertha, and started out west.   We got into Asheville about 9:30 pm after getting lost trying to find the RV Park.  Okay, it was pitch black and the GPS was off about a thousand feet (going the wrong way on the street), but after a quick reconnaissance in the van, made a quick 180 and we were there.   I plugged us in, we put out the Welcome mat and were in for the night.

Saturday (as do most weekends) started with going out for breakfast at Tupelo Honey,  then it was off to The Biltmore.

The Biltmore Estate is some 8000 acres of property with a four-acre, 250 room mansion.  It was the home of George W. Vanderbilt and has been kept in the family.  It has been on display since the 1930's and was breathtaking.  We ended up spending a day and a half wandering the gardens, touring the rooms and dreaming that someday we could be in a house like that.   Wow!

Dinner was at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co.  Great atmosphere, good beer and scrumptious pizza.  Then it was off for a downtown stroll where we found Chocolate Fetish.  You know who was drooling in anticipation of that sweet, chocolate and we both enjoyed some nice deserts.

Monday morning was another great breakfast and then it was off for the antique warehouses.   Asheville has a ton of places to seek out the vintage or unique.  Not bad prices either...just couldn't find out a way to drag a nice Victorian sofa across country.  Oh well, maybe next time.

So our verdict?   Asheville has it, baby.  You have the mountains and streams, the cool downtown with all it's hip stores, lot's of individual characters to mix up the population and plenty of Subaru's sportin'  kayaks and "Keep Asheville Weird"  stickers.   Sound like another mountain town we live in???

Dear Charlotte

My dear Charlotte,

Even though I've only known you for a few weeks,  I am enamored with your soft, southern accent and with your gentile persona.  I love how the morning sun shines on your face and the warmth I feel in my heart when I see you.  Oh dear Charlotte, I think I'm in love...

 Now this is what I imagined the "South" to be.   We made our escape from the I-95 corridor on September 11th for what we hoped was going to be a better experience.   Roanoke Rapids was difficult to say the least...and I'll just leave it at that.

So we gladly exchanged the coronary artery disease, diabetes and stroke capital of North Carolina for the "New South"  as Charlotte is known by.   It is the financial and cultural center of the south, and along with Atlanta, is one of the two cities that people come to when they are moving forward with their careers.  Charlotte has more than a half a million folks, but isn't crazy big like L.A. or even San Fransisco.   It instantly reminded me of Seattle,  a place we called home for about 4 years, a lifetime ago.   And maybe it has taken a lifetime to feel like we feel now, alive.   Maybe we had forgotten what the pulse of a big city feels like or how much there is to see and do in the city.  Whatever it is, we have been bitten and are truly in love with this place.

I am working at a fabulous facility in Mt Holly, a bedroom community, about 15 miles west of the city.   The facility is an inpatient rehab center that is a part of the Carolinas Health System.   CHS is the third largest healthcare system in the nation and employs over 28K people in the Charlotte metropolitan area.  I feel very blessed to be a part of such a great medical community and I am enjoying this rehab setting immensely.

But more on Charlotte.   We go out downtown, which is called Uptown, all the time.   There are restaurants, wine bars, pizza joints, breakfasts spots and more to satisfy one's appetite.   There are cool neighborhoods (again, much like Seattle) that all have their own vibe.   There is every kind of convenience that one could possibly need and there are two Trader Joe's grocery stores!   Ahh, civilization.

Can you tell we've been gone for a while?

But don't get us wrong now,  the big city is nice, but we DO live in Montana, and we know the value (and necessity) of open space.   I guess that is the beauty of where we are staying.   We are outside of the city, but only by twenty minutes, and are near some nice open space.  No, it's nothing in comparison to Montana, but it allows us to run the dogs, and we are only two hours from Asheville, NC.   In fact, we took a three-day weekend there just last week and hope to post pics and a story about that trip soon.   But in the meantime, when you think of us,  just think of the sweet smell of honeysuckle and how we may come back with just a hint of a southern accent.

You all take care now.