Bright, bluebird skies during the day and cool, crisp nights.
Ho-hum…..
If it weren’t for Critter Sitting, there would be no excitement.
Except we went on a hike the other day to the Animas Valley Overlook.
The trail was 23 miles, and the elevation was 18,700 ft.
That is a slight exaggeration….
Actually, the trail was 2/3 of a mile and the elevation was 8,700 ft.
What a difference a slash and extra digit make!
As you can see from the accompanying photos, it was about as spectacular as it gets. Looking north into the Heart of the San Juan’s towards Ouray and Silverton, you can see the early snows on the peaks above 10,000 ft. Looking the other way (south), Durango lies nestled in its little valley carved out by the Animas River.
Old Mining Town of Durango in the middle valley
Looking South from The Bench
This Douglas Fir is actually about 80 ft. tall, but probably too far for the Rockefeller Center folks to come and get
The Western View
As an added bonus, The Air Force Thunderbirds flew directly over us in a nice tight formation. Needless to say, (since there is no photographic evidence of this) my camera/phone was in my pocket with no chance to retrieve it in time to take a decent photo.
Oh well, you’ll just have to believe me!
We had lunch up there on a south-facing bench which was drenched in the very welcome warming sunlight! The temps up there were hovering at about -43 degrees.
Oops! There it goes again! I mean 43 degrees!
That is still cold enough with the gale-force winds of 4 mph blowing across the vast plateau below us to make us comfortable in its warmth.
Our sandwich was prepared by a local bakery named (appropriately) Bread. This establishment is somewhat of a local favorite and its fame has grown to where folks passing through on their way north, stop in to avail themselves of its victuals and of course, baked goods. It is a large place, with plenty of room inside for customers to place their orders, but with Covid still lurking in the backs of their minds, they only allow TWO customers (or two Groups, i.e., families to be inside at any one time). To show you how successful this joint is, that process does not seem to have had an effect on their business. Peeps are willing to wait outside, all queued up, and patiently (?) await their turn to enter.
Our sandwich was delicious.
I’ve always held to the thought that it takes three things to ensure a restaurants success.
Quality of the Food
Service
And cost
The establishment can survive with any two of these being great and the third being average. Think of some places you go to.
Food great, Price Great, Service average.
See what I mean?
Mix any of these up and it still works.
In our case, the place could not have been any more spectacular, the sandwich was awesome, the price was more than fair at about $8.00, and the service (me) was far above what anyone could expect!
So, we are giving the South-Facing Bench at Animas ValleyOverlook a Five-Star Rating!
Be sure to book early as there is only one of these benches up there.
“Meanwhile back at the ranch…”
Cloe, Munchie, and Nibbles helping (?) to distribute some straw
Cloe, Nibbles, and Munchie in a quiet, sunbathing moment
The Critter’s of Tomboy Farm keep us quite busy twice a day. Their routines revolve around Food! and being let out of their respective Confinements to roam the vast enclosure that helps keep them relatively safe.
By vast, I mean like, maybe a quarter acre.
Mind you, not large enough for a herd of Buffalo, but plenty big for two cats, CubScout (the Roamer)and Ling-Ling ( who stays inside all the time) , three goats, Cloe, Munchy, and Nibbles, and eleven chickens, who not only stopped laying (boo) during the colder months but will remain nameless for now.
We actually had to buy some stupid-store-bought-eggs!
Ling-Ling contemplating if she will cooperate and come downstairs and eat so we can give her the meds for her diabetes
Well, when we’re not really rolling down the Road, there really isn’t that much to write about. Life goes on, like it does with all of you. The things that keep us in one place for a time are just some of the necessities of life.
Like Doctor’s Visits.
We have found that just like those funny Insurance Company commercials, we are becoming our parents (getting older) and our focus needs to change from time to time, which means staying stationary for a spell.
And this is Ok…. This retirement gig is not that bad. I always wondered if I would become bored at this stage of my life.
Nope! Not one little bit!
The ability to do NOTHING is fascinating. In reality, I have yet to experience that state of being, it is, none-the-less, a crazy feeling!
Most of our Static Time is spent at our Texas Home Base where the weather is warmer, both in the summer (Boo!) and the winter (Yay!)
We have made some improvements to our little site at the Madison Farm and Trampoline Park Campground. We added the concrete pad which makes leveling a little nicer. It helps keep things cleaner (No splash-up when it rains) and the leveling process is MUCH smoother. I have it down to where I have painted small Indicator Lines on the concrete so that when I back her in I am automatically lined up with the stairs that I built so that we do not need to use that auto-extending one all the time. This helps us to keep things like that from wearing out.
Our Concrete Pad
Before……
After….
Our Site now
Why would they wear out you may ask?
The answer is simple, and unless you know how, and with what these babies are constructed, you would never even think of it.
If you feel a Lesson coming on, you are absolutely Correct!
I’m sure that you all have heard of “Planned Obsolescence”, and this describes the situation somewhat.
When the folks at Winnebago, Tiffin, Forest River, Jayco, Newmar, or any of the other RV manufacturers sit around their conference tables to design one of these vehicles, they have many decisions to make and one of them is how long will it last under normal driving/living conditions.
The key word here is, “Normal”
None of the Makers of these vehicles manufacture them for “Full-Time Use. That is a fact. Obviously, the better manufacturers, the ones that have a better quality (and price) attached to them make the better candidates for Full-Time Living.
They know that the average person, or family, buying an RV or Motorhome, will use it several times a year. Most of the time it will sit in the driveway or at a storage facility until the long weekend or vacation rolls around and they take a trip.
So, they build it accordingly. They would be fools not to.
That leads me to the next item that we do while we are stationary.
Maintenance.
I love this stuff and I’m thinking of asking Winnebago to hire me on as a consultant, because until you actually LIVE in one, it is impossible to get to know it as intimately as we do.
And uncover some “Design Flaws” that would not rear their ugly little heads if it were being used under “normal” circumstances. As we use the Motorhome and all of its components, we have to keep in mind that they (the components) are designed NOT to be used full-time and treat them accordingly. Not with Kid-Gloves mind you, just a little more carefully, noting how they perform so that we can keep them in good running order.
My favorite example of this is the floor of the motorhome. It is constructed by using a foam core sandwich method with marine-grade 5/4” plywood that is very strong and at the same time helps with insulation and road noise abatement.
Unfortunately, this necessary compromise for the aforementioned reasons, also makes it not as strong as a solid 5/4” plywood floor.
How would I know this you may ask?
Over time I thought that I could feel a “Give” in the floor at a spot that was in the most heavily traveled part of the motorhome, namely right in front of the kitchen sink. This area is being constantly traversed and of course, stood at, while prepping meals and then washing the dishes. It is plenty strong for average use, but full-time?, Now that’s different!
We did an experiment. I went downstairs into the ”Basement” and had Paula walk back and forth in the suspected area. We communicated with our phones and as she strolled around, I could see the floor give just a little when it was walked on. Not much, but enough to notice. This would only get worse with time, so a remedy was needed.
The whole “Upstairs” part of the motorhome sits on a welded framework of structural tubing that is set down, and around the Freightliner bus-type chassis. The spot the was “giving” was in between some of the structural frames.
Solution.
Add more support in between the existing framework.
Mind you, none of this would be necessary if it were being used under “normal” circumstances. Those striding’s back and forth, meal-prep, and dishwashing would only be being done several times a year.
Not 365!
So, a few angle-brackets and 2×4’s later, we had a very solid, no-give floor to walk on.
That was a major “fix-it” issue, but it is a good example of “Design for Use” that was explained earlier and also a good example of things that we look for so that they can be fixed or modified before they become a problem.
So, between doctor’s visits and maintenance issues (both preventative and immediate) we stay nicely busy. Add in watching the horses and goats in the corral, and just relaxing, our days stay full, but without the tightly controlled work schedules of the past. We have also been able to help Danny, Paula’s son run for office here in Texas. Their form of government is a little different from New Jersey. He is running for Justice of the Peace, which in fact, is a Judge position in the County, a very nice stepping stone as he has further political ambitions 🙂
Danny and “First Daughter” Maddie
Speaking of critters in corrals and the ability to do what we want, when we want, we now find ourselves back in Durango, farm-sitting for Lorelyn and Travis who are taking a well-deserved two-week vacation in Eastern Europe. They needed someone to watch the two cats, three goats, and eleven chickens. It is not a full-time job, but it does require being here in the morning and evening to either let them out or put them to bed. In addition, poor little Ling-Ling (The Fluffy White Cat) was diagnosed with diabetes about a week before our scheduled arrival. This means twice-daily injections of insulin. Thankfully Paula is well versed in this kind of procedure after being a CMA in a doctor’s office for twenty years. The problem is really with Ling-Ling. She is VERY shy and stays hidden most of the time. If you are a stranger staying at the house, you will NEVER see her. Thankfully we’ve been here enough for her to tolerate us and make a gratuitous appearance every now and then. She needs to eat before she can get her injection (which uses a really small needle, so she doesn’t feel it) so the previously always-full food bowl has been replaced with a twice-a-day feeding schedule that allows us to capture her right after her meal and give her the insulin.
Post-Injection Comfort
Pfhewf! This is the most stressful part of our stay here.
Except Goat Feeding Time
Goats on the roof before they pounce on us and their food!
This particular event could qualify for some sort of Olympic Status. You need to be able to first open the gate that has the three goats on the other side, each one bent on “Escaping”. These four-legged steamrollers are incredibly strong, and we have been bowled over more than once in our attempts to gain entrance to the corral.
Now add in Food!
The head-butting, charging, and jumping up to gain access to the “Raised High Above Your Head” can of goat ‘Crack’ is unlike any experience so far. More than once, we’ve found ourselves on the ground as they entwine themselves between your legs in an effort to gain access to said ‘crack’.
The chickens are a little easier, as they do not bowl us over. They do get very excited when they see a can hopefully filled with ‘scratch’, their favorite treat. They can trip you, as eleven of them get underfoot, but it’s not too bad. The fun part is gathering the elliptical morsels of chicken-ness, namely Farm-Fresh Eggs!
No caption needed!
That is, unless the Magpies, which there is a plethora of around here, get into the coop first and steal/eat them first!
There is s shotgun on the wall that I am sadistically eying.
Otherwise, our time here is spent binge-watching ‘24’ and ‘Madam Secretary” and catching up on ‘New Amsterdam’ and ‘The Voice’. The weather is just incredible, bluebird skies, daytime temps in the mid-sixties and night-time lows in the thirties. We did not bring the motorhome as it was far easier to fly up instead of taking the two-day trip by road. Besides, at this time of year up here, the chance for snow is always present and we try to avoid that like the proverbial Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever!
Typical weather here in Durango
I had some fun with my Lawyer-Daughter and drew up a Contract for her to sign in order for us to be engaged as “Farm-Sitters”. She wants to hire me at the Tribe now as you can see, it totally absolves us of ANY responsibility whatsoever!
P&D Farm Sitters Ltd.
Main Offices, Brenham, Texas
“Serving the Needs of The Southwest for about 6 Months or so”
With Other Locations in;
Durango, Hainesville, Chatham, Cambridge, Readfield, Palm Springs, Fredericksburg, Tucson, Santa Fe, and somewhere along a stretch of the god-forsaken Interstate 10 in Texas
Phone – 201-317-6986
Telex – 201-317-6986
Fax – 201-317-6986
International – 01-201-317-6986
Basic Contract Language
The Party of the first part, (Farm Sitters LLC) when engaged by any other entity, (Heretofore known as ‘Party of the Second Part) Shall not be held responsible for anything that may be construed as any modicum of responsibility, examples here, but not limited to the actual responsibilities that may be understood by either party to be examples that, in the normal course of events, would hereby be outlined in this contract, but are not contained within said contract, either by omission, or commission, of applied responsibilities and/or Duties of the Party of the First Part as to rights and privileges of the Party of the Second Part to lay claim against The Party of the first Part either by default of responsibilities normally executed within the usual and expected parameters of basic business practices outlined in,
“The Acme Handbook of Applied Business Practices” by Wyle E. Coyote (Second Edition)
Signed __________________ Signed ________________
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As you can see, we’re having fun here!
In reality, major trips are not planned until after the Holiday’s and so far, it looks like February will be spent in various parts of Florida, from the Keys to the Tampa area, and stops in between.
Hoping you and Yours a truly thankful Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. With any amount of luck we’ll bump into some of you over the Holidays!
