Wednesday the 15th at noon I packed up the car and headed 380 miles north for a short visit with my father. We were going to go skiing, but with my hip, I was knocked out of commission, and what was supposed to be 3 days, turned into about an 18 hour visit.
At about 10A the next day I packed up the car again started on my way back home to Taos. The goal for the day Thursday, was to make it to Flagstaff, about 750 miles or 12 hours. A long time in the car.
The drive to Flag actually went by quite smoothly. I boiled 11 eggs before the trip and ate one every hour, at 36 after, and never got hungry or tired at all along the way.
I went down I5, to HWY 58, through Bakersfield to Tehachapi, then Barstow, then I40 took me across the Colorado River and on to the snow storm in Flagstaff, where I stayed in a nice hotel with a sleep number bed. Ever used one of those? I hadn’t. I now know though, that 80 is too hard for me, since I woke up with a numb left hip at 2:13A. It was like sleeping on the gym floor, which I’ve done many times by the way in my more youthful youth. I turned it down to 50 and slept much better from there on. Random numbers to me…. I wonder if I encounter another sleep number bed somewhere down the road, if the numbers will feel the same.
Day three was pretty easy, Flag to Taos, 500 miles, 7 and half hours. I left the white mountains and started off toward the storm that had moved on over night. It rained on and off all day, but in general a pretty easy day. And after 12 hours in the car the day before, it felt like nothing! And thanks to my Baller Block for keeping posture excellent…
I got home in the evening just as the sun set and dusk rose for it’s short stay. It’s nice to be home! There was freshly fallen snow, a beautiful white blanket placed gently over the gnarled, stumpy tress and ground. Only my tires compressing the sticky spring type snowball snow, and leaving perfect impressions in the driveway, were evidence that any human had been around. It was a postcard.
The road was plowed, which was a concern because quite often it isn’t plowed and we have to park at the bottom of the hill. With my hip and limp, walking up a slippery steep hill with bags would have been a challenge, and one I would prefer not to have had to face.
The house was warm and quiet. Adobes are so nice in the winter with their warm walls and floors. I would imagine anyone coming into this house would feel at home. It’s just so comfortable and welcoming.