Coming Home

The roads—and car windows—sure were icy on the way home today. Photo by: Suna

And it sure been a cold, cold winter

And the wind ain’t been blowin’ from the south

—Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

The trip home from Ruidoso took longer than expected. Yesterday, we took the long way to Abilene, where we overnighted in the same hotel as on the trip up. Unfortunately, we ran into a serious cold front just after crossing into Texas.

The night turned the roads to a skating rink, so we waited until almost noon to leave the hotel. The low pressure light was on for the driver’s side steer tire, but we couldn’t do anything about it. All the air pumps we passed were plugged with ice, and I couldn’t get air into the tire until like the fifth one.

The roads were so bad the trip from Abilene to the ranch took six hours. We were being very careful, despite the car being much smarter about driving on ice than me.

Anita was sick for the return trip and slept through most of it.

Ruidoso

See! I did get out of the house at least once. Photo by: Suna Suna sees life from my perspective by standing on a wall. Photo by: Anita

Suna wanted Anita and me to pose
together to show how tall the trees are.
I’m the tall one. Photo by: Suna

It’s gettin’ kinda cold in Ruidoso [wishful thinking]

And Abilene ain’t gettin’ any closer

—Charlie Daniels

This has been a very good week for me, all things considered. Suna, Anita, and the boys have gone hiking and exploring a lot while I have stayed around the house like the hermit I am. Of course that means I worked some, too.

We were supposed to close two houses while I was away this week. That didn’t happen. Both closings have now moved into January, which will make the Hermit Haus books look really bad at year end.

The weather has been unseasonably warm. At least one day saw highs in the seventies, and even the nights have been temperate. The ski lodges are having to manufacture snow. One waitress in town huffed, “You’re from Texas. You’ve had snow this winter.” Down between Austin and San Antonio.