I'm woefully negligent in posting my journal. The only excuse I have is that we've been extremely busy working on the cabin and entertaining guests over the Labor Day holidays.
When I last posted, Lois and I were in Vernal, UT, on our way to Taos. We left Vernal on August 25, made a quick visit to Dinosaur National Monument and then headed South on some lesser traveled roads in Western Colorado. By lunch we were in Grand Junction, CO, where we stopped for fast food, and then continued South-Southwest through some beautiful remote country. Except for a stop at a small family orchard, where I bought peaches for 50 cents a pound, we drove and drove. Our route was taking us close to Telluride, where we expected to stop for the night, but we were unable to find a campground with hookups. We considered dry camping at a Forest Service campground south of Telluride, but had second thoughts when we thought about how cold it would be in the morning.
So, as the shadows lengthened, we drove on South, hoping to find a good campground. As luck would have it, this led us to perhaps the most scenic campground of our entire trip. We reached Priest Gulch, north of Dolores, CO, shortly before dark and got one of the few remaining spots that backed up to the beautiful Dolores River. We quickly set up camp, and I cooked some sausages on the grill. We ate before a campfire with the river in the background. All in all, a delightful evening.
On Sunday, August 26, we drove south through Dolores to Cortez, NM, where we attended church services at Four Corners UMC, a lovely little Methodist Church in a pretty town. After Church, we had lunch and then drove to Mancos to the home of our friends Nicky and Trina Lindig. We had a nice visit with them for a couple of hours looking at their progress on their new workshop and planning their visit to Taos over Labor Day. Nicky was also kind enough to loan me some power tools so that I could get started on some projects that needed to be done at the cabin.
We left Mancos around 4:00 p.m., hoping that we would make it to Chama, NM, where we knew of several nice RV Parks. Despite the hour, I foolishly wanted to also explore a new route from Mancos back to Taos. So we turned South just West of Durango, CO, to Aztec, NM. In Aztec, we became temporarily disoriented. Notice I didn't say lost. Like most men, I'm never lost. I am, however, occasionally temporarily disoriented. After we oriented ourselves, with the help of Niles, we continued East. Here I made another slight error. To Niles' chagrin, I chose a highway which appeared to be a more direct route to US 64 than the one Niles was espousing. The highway I chose, however, soon deteriorated into little more than a dirt road with sandy fords over dry creek beds and signs warning of impassibility during inclement weather. Oh, did I mention that it was raining and getting dark?
Happily, we made it to US 64 with little more than a slight delay in our itinerary and a lost "hub cap" on the motor home. These misadventures, however, made us realize that we probably weren't going to make it to Chama in time to get a campsite, and since there were no closer campgrounds, we opted to stay at a motel for only the second time during our trip. This one was actually a casino on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Dulce, NM.
On Monday, August 27, we left Dulce early and drove into Chama, where we picked up tickets for the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad for September 4 for our friends Jim and Patti Howell from Georgia, and Lois and me. After leaving Chama, we drove straight down US 84 to Santa Fe and picked up a rental car we had reserved for our time in Taos. On the way back to Taos, we stopped by to visit our friend John Lovelace, who, with his wife Ferne, has made a couple of visits to our cabin since we left in July. At John's, we heard about the improvements that he had made to the cabin and discussed plans for further repairs and improvements.
We got to Taos late in the day and found all well at the cabin. We were thrilled with the new lights that John had installed in the living room and the kitchen. They make things much cheerier and brighter.
On Tuesday, we spent the day unpacking, working in the yard, and generally getting things in order after having been gone for six weeks. Wednesday, we made another trip to Santa Fe in the rental car and did some shopping for linens at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for lumber, etc., at Home Depot, and for good vittles at Trader Joes.
Thursday was spent installing new carpeting and blinds in the dining room/sun porch, more tree trimming, etc. I was able to accomplish my tree trimming much more quickly because of the reciprocating saw Nicky loaned me. Guys, if you don't have a reciprocating saw, get one. They're great!
Friday we spent on final preparations for the arrival of Jim and Patti. They had flown into Denver on Thursday and did some sightseeing on their way from Denver to Taos. We also were expecting the delivery of a new bed that we bought earlier in the week in Taos. Thankfully, the new bed, where we planned for Jim and Patti to sleep, arrived a couple of hours before they did, and we were able to make the bed before they arrived.
On Saturday, Jim and I went to the local Ace Hardware and lumber yard and picked up some lumber for some projects we were planning to work on. Luckily, Jim's rental car agency had upgraded him to a minivan, and we were able to take the seats out and haul 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and 8 foot 2 x 4's. Saturday afternoon we got started building interior security shutters for all of the windows in the cabin. I'll screw these shutters into the window frames before we leave next week so that burglars will have a harder time breaking into the cabin while we're gone for the winter.
Saturday evening, Nicky and Trina arrived with their friends, who were staying in a B&B in town. When we found out that Nicky and Trina were coming to Taos for the weekend, we encouraged them to stay with us, even if they were going to spend most of their time with their friends. It worked out beautifully. We got to see Nicky and Trina in the evenings and for breakfast, they got to meet Jim and Patti, and we all had a great time. Trina also kept bringing us delicious treats from Micheal's Bakery in Taos.
Sunday after Church at El Pueblito, Lois and Patti went shopping in Taos while Jim and I came back to the cabin and continued working on our projects. We were able to complete the security shutters, finish walling in a window on the back porch, and install a plywood sheet behind the glass panel on the front door for extra security. Jim is a hard worker and an excellent craftsman. Working together, we were able to accomplish an amazing amount in a day and a half.
Because we made so much progress on our projects, we declared Monday a play day, and took a tour with the ladies on the "High Road" between Santa Fe and Taos. The High Road traces an old highway that runs through pueblos and small Hispanic communities. Highlights of our tour were visits to Ortega's Weavers in Chimayo and the legendary shrine El Santuario de Chimayo. Believed to be built on sacred earth with miraculous healing powers, the shrine is probably the most visited church in New Mexico.
When I last posted, Lois and I were in Vernal, UT, on our way to Taos. We left Vernal on August 25, made a quick visit to Dinosaur National Monument and then headed South on some lesser traveled roads in Western Colorado. By lunch we were in Grand Junction, CO, where we stopped for fast food, and then continued South-Southwest through some beautiful remote country. Except for a stop at a small family orchard, where I bought peaches for 50 cents a pound, we drove and drove. Our route was taking us close to Telluride, where we expected to stop for the night, but we were unable to find a campground with hookups. We considered dry camping at a Forest Service campground south of Telluride, but had second thoughts when we thought about how cold it would be in the morning.
So, as the shadows lengthened, we drove on South, hoping to find a good campground. As luck would have it, this led us to perhaps the most scenic campground of our entire trip. We reached Priest Gulch, north of Dolores, CO, shortly before dark and got one of the few remaining spots that backed up to the beautiful Dolores River. We quickly set up camp, and I cooked some sausages on the grill. We ate before a campfire with the river in the background. All in all, a delightful evening.
On Sunday, August 26, we drove south through Dolores to Cortez, NM, where we attended church services at Four Corners UMC, a lovely little Methodist Church in a pretty town. After Church, we had lunch and then drove to Mancos to the home of our friends Nicky and Trina Lindig. We had a nice visit with them for a couple of hours looking at their progress on their new workshop and planning their visit to Taos over Labor Day. Nicky was also kind enough to loan me some power tools so that I could get started on some projects that needed to be done at the cabin.
We left Mancos around 4:00 p.m., hoping that we would make it to Chama, NM, where we knew of several nice RV Parks. Despite the hour, I foolishly wanted to also explore a new route from Mancos back to Taos. So we turned South just West of Durango, CO, to Aztec, NM. In Aztec, we became temporarily disoriented. Notice I didn't say lost. Like most men, I'm never lost. I am, however, occasionally temporarily disoriented. After we oriented ourselves, with the help of Niles, we continued East. Here I made another slight error. To Niles' chagrin, I chose a highway which appeared to be a more direct route to US 64 than the one Niles was espousing. The highway I chose, however, soon deteriorated into little more than a dirt road with sandy fords over dry creek beds and signs warning of impassibility during inclement weather. Oh, did I mention that it was raining and getting dark?
Happily, we made it to US 64 with little more than a slight delay in our itinerary and a lost "hub cap" on the motor home. These misadventures, however, made us realize that we probably weren't going to make it to Chama in time to get a campsite, and since there were no closer campgrounds, we opted to stay at a motel for only the second time during our trip. This one was actually a casino on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Dulce, NM.
On Monday, August 27, we left Dulce early and drove into Chama, where we picked up tickets for the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad for September 4 for our friends Jim and Patti Howell from Georgia, and Lois and me. After leaving Chama, we drove straight down US 84 to Santa Fe and picked up a rental car we had reserved for our time in Taos. On the way back to Taos, we stopped by to visit our friend John Lovelace, who, with his wife Ferne, has made a couple of visits to our cabin since we left in July. At John's, we heard about the improvements that he had made to the cabin and discussed plans for further repairs and improvements.
We got to Taos late in the day and found all well at the cabin. We were thrilled with the new lights that John had installed in the living room and the kitchen. They make things much cheerier and brighter.
On Tuesday, we spent the day unpacking, working in the yard, and generally getting things in order after having been gone for six weeks. Wednesday, we made another trip to Santa Fe in the rental car and did some shopping for linens at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for lumber, etc., at Home Depot, and for good vittles at Trader Joes.
Thursday was spent installing new carpeting and blinds in the dining room/sun porch, more tree trimming, etc. I was able to accomplish my tree trimming much more quickly because of the reciprocating saw Nicky loaned me. Guys, if you don't have a reciprocating saw, get one. They're great!
Friday we spent on final preparations for the arrival of Jim and Patti. They had flown into Denver on Thursday and did some sightseeing on their way from Denver to Taos. We also were expecting the delivery of a new bed that we bought earlier in the week in Taos. Thankfully, the new bed, where we planned for Jim and Patti to sleep, arrived a couple of hours before they did, and we were able to make the bed before they arrived.
On Saturday, Jim and I went to the local Ace Hardware and lumber yard and picked up some lumber for some projects we were planning to work on. Luckily, Jim's rental car agency had upgraded him to a minivan, and we were able to take the seats out and haul 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and 8 foot 2 x 4's. Saturday afternoon we got started building interior security shutters for all of the windows in the cabin. I'll screw these shutters into the window frames before we leave next week so that burglars will have a harder time breaking into the cabin while we're gone for the winter.
Saturday evening, Nicky and Trina arrived with their friends, who were staying in a B&B in town. When we found out that Nicky and Trina were coming to Taos for the weekend, we encouraged them to stay with us, even if they were going to spend most of their time with their friends. It worked out beautifully. We got to see Nicky and Trina in the evenings and for breakfast, they got to meet Jim and Patti, and we all had a great time. Trina also kept bringing us delicious treats from Micheal's Bakery in Taos.
Sunday after Church at El Pueblito, Lois and Patti went shopping in Taos while Jim and I came back to the cabin and continued working on our projects. We were able to complete the security shutters, finish walling in a window on the back porch, and install a plywood sheet behind the glass panel on the front door for extra security. Jim is a hard worker and an excellent craftsman. Working together, we were able to accomplish an amazing amount in a day and a half.
Because we made so much progress on our projects, we declared Monday a play day, and took a tour with the ladies on the "High Road" between Santa Fe and Taos. The High Road traces an old highway that runs through pueblos and small Hispanic communities. Highlights of our tour were visits to Ortega's Weavers in Chimayo and the legendary shrine El Santuario de Chimayo. Believed to be built on sacred earth with miraculous healing powers, the shrine is probably the most visited church in New Mexico.
Tuesday morning we left early for Antonita, CO, for our trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Although the trip started out slowly through rather monotonous high desert scenery, as the little train gained altitude, the scenery became more dramatic and more beautiful. Soon we were traveling through some of the most pristine alpine scenery in America. It took us almost three hours to reach Osier, CO, one of the highest points on the trip and our lunch stop. After lunch, we boarded another train which had come up from Chama, NM, and, after climbing to slightly over 10,000 feet, wound down the hill to Chama, arriving around 4:00 p.m. In Chama, we quickly boarded a bus which took us back to Antonito in about an hour, a trip that had taken us six hours by train. When we got to Antonito, we all agreed that the trip on the CTSR was well worth the fare and was one of the highlights of our summer.
Thursday morning, the ladies went to town to wash clothes (no washer and dryer in the cabin) and Jim and I tried to wrap up a couple of projects. One project was repair of a bathtub faucet in the main bathroom. Last week, I had ordered a faucet stem at the hardware store and they had called to tell me that it was in. Jim and I picked up the faucet stem and a few other supplies and thought it would be a simple project to replace the stem. Well, you know about the best laid plans of mice and men. We installed the new stem, but we had a sizable leak when we turned the water on. This lead us to believe that we needed to install a new seat, which was include with the new stem that we had bought. This is where things went awry. We had a heck of a time getting the seat out of the faucet, and when we did (mangling the seat in the process) it looked nothing like the seat that was included with the stem we had purchased. On another trip to Ace Hardware we got the bad news that they had never seen a seat like the one we had removed, and their books didn't have anything like it.
So now we're dealing with having to keep the hot water shut off in the main cabin until we can find a seat or until we can replace the entire faucet assembly (both of which will probably happen next summer). Thankfully, the guest cabin is on a separate hot water heater, and we also have hot water in the motor home. With everything that Jim and I accomplished, I'm not disappointed that one of our projects didn't turn out like we had hoped.
Yesterday afternoon, we took off and made the Enchanted Loop around northern New Mexico, including a stop for Patti at a quilting shop in Angel Fire, which she says was a great shop. We got back to Taos around dinner time, and Jim and Patti treated us to dinner an Graham's, a new restaurant just of the plaza, which was absolutely fabulous. The food was delicious, the service attentive and courteous, and the decor lovely. We'll look forward to more visits to Graham's when we come back to Taos next year.
This morning Jim and Patti left for Denver, where they have a flight back to Atlanta in the morning. We really hated to see them go. I can't imagine greater friends or house guests. We hope their visits to Taos will become an every summer event.
After Jim and Patti left, I wound up a couple of projects that we had not completed. One was trying to stop stop water damage from deep snow on the guest cabin. I was able to staple heavy plastic sheeting about three feet up the side of the cabin and continue the sheeting down into a trench that I dug the length of the cabin. I then covered the sheeting and filled the trench with gravel from some of the paths through the raised beds in the front yard. After this, I used some of the same heavy plastic and stapled it around the screen porch on the back of the cabin. Hopefully, this will keep snow from blowing in on the screen porch.
We're planning on leaving Taos on Monday and beginning our trip back home to Georgia. Until then, we'll be pretty well occupied preparing the cabin for the winter and getting the motor home ready for the trip back East.
More later
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