How I Spent My Unplanned Furlough (or What I Did While the Government Sucked) - Week 1

Week 1 (let's hope there's no Week 2...)

Day 1 - spent most of the morning kinda freaking out with M, thought a lot about money and missing paychecks, etc. I then made mental lists of all the places we should go since we now 'have the time'. Thank you Congress :-(
Oh, then crossed off half the places in my mental list because they've got the word "National" in their name and that means they're CLOSED! Then made mental list of all the things that needed to be done at home (cheap and/or free).

Day 2 - Marathoned Parks and Recreation, Season 5 - Thank you Netflix for releasing this on October 1st. I totally feel that it was done to help all of us in the NPS... I might be overthinking that but whatever. Oh! I also spent some time cleaning the house... Maybe if I had a furlough once a year, the house would be cleaned once a year? M came in late in the evening and was wrecked from a long day. To end our first official "furlough day" (yesterday was technically our day off), we watched some stand-up comedy and fell into blissful, allergy-pill enhanced sleep.

Day 3 - M worked on his book, so I Facebooked. Reading all the NPS friends and family posts about whats happening to them kinda got me down, and pissed. So M and I went for a nice long walk by the Rio Grande with Lennox. The sounds of the riparian area, mixed with the crisp fall breeze really helped. Later, after a lot of Champions of Norrath, we cooked a nice fall dinner of lemon risotto and champagne, and settled into a romantic evening with 28 Days Later. (Fall is the perfect time for scary movies!)

Day 4 - Went hiking in a STATE PARK! Franklin Mountains State Park encompasses the whole mountain that splits El Paso into East and West sides.

Thank you state parks for not shutting down at the same time as our federal parks did... that would incite a riot among hikers. Afterwards, we decided to hit a cheap date spot and went mini-golfing :-)

Day 5 - Woke up early (8am, but for the first time in 7 days) to hit the Saturday Arts & Farmers Market in downtown El Paso. I ALWAYS miss this market. Every Saturday there are posts all over Facebook taunting me about the fun being had at the market while I'm at work. Later that afternoon, M and I caravaned out to Carlsbad to spend the weekend. Driving through Guadalupe Mountains NP during the shut-down is bittersweet. I know the natural forces aren't shut-down, the indigenous animals don't listen well to our federal government. I'm sure they're enjoying the quiet, peaceful void of humans. I want to be out there with them.

We went to a going away party for a co-worker... of course, she can't move to her new job until the govt reopens...
We closed the day with The Omen. (we're doing all scary movies for October)

Day 6 - Woke up realizing that the boys don't have winter jeans that fit them... Hit Walmart before the church crowd showed up. (i seriously had to remember what day it was. this no-work thing messes up your internal calendar) Played Words with Friends for the first time in several days. I now realize that I mostly play this at work... sorry WWF friends. We went for a family+dogs walk to enjoy the early fall afternoon and play at the playground.
The scary October movie of the evening was Insidious, which scared the crap outta me. I may have hidden my face in a pillow for over half the movie, but that just tells you how scary it was. Fantastic evening flick! (Can't wait for the second one!) We also watched a family-friendly Percy Jackson and the Olympians with the boys. It was pretty good too. :-)

Gardening: an update

So we've been gardening for about 2 months now and things are finally starting to happen! Our garden isn't as awesome as my dad's but he's been doing this for at least 30 years. Plus he uses chemical fertilizer. I'm trying to NOT do that, but we shall see.

We wanted to get a shade structure... something that we could remove when necessary. Lowe's sells them but they are way above our budget so we searched for a DIY way.

The inspiration...

Making our own shade structure - pvc pipe, pcv pipe corners,
pvc pipe glue, quick ties, and burlap.

Lennox inspected; Lennox approved

M getting the frame together

Burlap across top to allow sun to come in, but reflect some heat

It was too windy outside to get a good completed shot so you'll have to wait until we actually use it. Its for the dog-days of summer, which in southern New Mexico come in May... so you won't have to wait too long.

As for the garden itself....

We bought tomato plants, and I installed a special DIY watering system
Old coke bottles so that we can water the roots without
the evaporation. They seem to like it....

The broccoli is going crazy.

Someone among us LOVES the broccoli. 

We have potatoes!!!

The herbs are doing great, and they taste fantastic

M cleaned out the boys' room and I got a storage area!

The pomegranates are blossoming. These are great for birds.
Keeps their mind off my garden. 

The lavender out front is kinda the same. I'm worried that they aren't growing. They are flowering like crazy though! Every time I rip a flower off, they put another one out.

Soon I'll be sowing sage and green beans. And in the fall we'll try another round of spinach and kale.

Oh! and I haven't killed my cilantro yet! WooHoo!

Gardening... in pictures

Seeds!

Spinach and Kale getting ready to go

my gardening help.... an eager Lennox, while a reluctant Chicory hides in the shade

Planting in containers

Best gardening book ever! and I found
it in a random used bookstore. Fate!

Meanwhile, in Carlsbad -

Lavender for the front bed

Cutting off awesome blossoms makes
the plant healthier - we hope.

Let's hope these guys grow big and awesome

red potatoes bought in Albertsons and planted
in the backyard

the beginnings of broccoli

the family farm... and Lennox. Potatoes in the bins on the left, broccoli behind the chiminea, cilantro
in front chilling with herbs bought to provide instant gratification. 

drilling drain holes in bins. guess they aren't
all the same size.
Oops!

Winnie wants to help too

to be continued....

Running Away to the Mountains

I had a quick 3-days off last weekend and decided  I needed to run away to the mountains. I used to run away every weekend, driving until I was tired and then sleeping in the back on my car. (Learned that from a close friend who shares my name.) Now, I have responsibilities... named Lennox and Chicory.... and can't run away last minute all the time.

I aimed my car east and headed 2 hours to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Guadalupe Peak is the highest peak in Texas and visible for an hour or two away. The peak is located in an ancient underwater reef system that is responsible to world-class fossils and world-class caves. Carlsbad Caverns is also in this reef. The Guadalupes rise straight up out of the flat desert ground, creating a most amazing view from far down the highway.

One hour away and already taking my breath away

To the west of the mountains the park is all salt flats. It
creates a very striking and blinding landscape to drive through.

Guadalupe Mountains rising thousands of feet above
the salt flats. And yes, I'm photographing while driving.
Kids, don't try this at home.

Almost there! This is my favorite part of the drive... You
get the best view of El Capitan rising straight to the sky
over on the left.

I've never been to this campground and was delighted to find a great little walk-in tent section. The only thing I hate about camping in national parks is noisy families and slamming car doors.... This had none of that. I picked the only tent spot left, way in the back (read: quiet).

View from my tent....

more glorious view... not a person in sight!

The only thing wrong with this spot was the lack of any type of shade. It was late afternoon and the desert heat was getting up there. Luckily, being the outdoorsy chick that I am, I was prepared. I grabbed Lennox's blanket out of my car, spread it down in front of the tent and spent the afternoon reading in the little shade that the tent provided. (I also listened to some Keith and the Girl.... I guess you can take the girl to the wilderness but you can't take her away from Keith and the Girl!)

View from the other side of my campsite

As I lay outdoors, and stared at the bluest possible sky, watching fluffy white clouds drift by, I could feel my stress dissappating. This is what this weekend was all about... no trail warrior, no crazy adventure, just relaxing in nature and chilling the fuck out. Check!

And by "chilling" I mean escaping the dreaded 100s and 90s
of El Paso. Thank you 88!

As I lay in my tent that first night, I stared up at the brilliant night sky. I was eager to see my old friend, the Milky Way. Haven't seen her in a year or so. She comes out late so for the time being I settled for the rest of the universe. Saggitarius, Arcturus, and 3 shooting stars could be seen from my pillow. Just as the Milky Way was making her appearance, a storm moved in and I had to close up my rain fly. Lots of thunder and lightning, followed by a small bit of actual rain. I spent the rest of the night listening to the wind howl while covering my head from being pelted by my flapping tent. Not a restful night...

The next morning, after waking at 6am for a quick trip to the bathroom, moving campsites (shade!) and coffee-brewing, I fell back asleep until 9am. Its vacation and I can sleep as late as I want. As I napped, it rained again. There is nothing quite as soothing as napping in a tent while it rains. I highly recommend it.

After waking the second time, I stopped by the visitor center to say hi to the awesome rangers there and then hit the trail. I choose an easy 5-mile loop.

Perfect.... blue sky and an open trail stretching out
before me.

The halfway point for the trail was an old ranch, Frijole Ranch, and was a superb stop. A spring brings water running through the yard, which is full of huge shade-bringing trees. The water, the breeze, and the trees created an intoxicating cool spot that I had to go lay in for a long while...

My view...

Frijole Ranch house... Sometimes open to the public, but
not today.

Leaving the cool shade behind, I headed back out into the desert. The trail wound across arroyos and then up to the foot of the mountain. There wasn't another human in sight. I wasn't alone though. Two redtail hawks hung out with me for an hour or so. They were probably hunting but they were having fun in the breeze and every so often one would call out to another. Remember the opening credits for Northern Exposure... that awesome bird screech was a redtail. It is easily my favorite sound in the wilderness. (Young people, Northern Exposure was an awesome 90s show, featuring such lovely scenery as wild Alaska, and a wilder young John Corbett. Google it!)

One of the red-tails flying overhead...

Texas madrones stand out along the trail.

The last hour or so of my hike was a hurried one, as two amazing thunderstorms were converging overhead. Not only was I one of the taller things on the trail and therefore a lightning hazard (I have a history with lightning.....), but I really didn't want to get caught out in the rain. I made it back to my tent just in time!

Just missed me!

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading in my tent and then laying on the table, watching the storms hover over the valley, dumping tons of much needed water onto the desert.

Hooray for shade, and for the rain, that made my
afternoon fantastic

That evening, after a sketchy camp dinner that expired in 2008, I met up with a very cool ranger who took me hiking to a super-secret place. I got to see some amazing rock art (rock art is my passion and this ranger knew just where to take me. Most rock art sites are super-secret because too many dumbasses try to deface them.) We hiked out to a great view, and watched the clouds, light, and landscape create some amazingly beautiful scenery, we headed back for a late dinner, great conversation, great tunes, and possibly a bit too much wine. ( Ya'll know me, I'm a cheap date. I kinda tripped my way back to my campsite...) That night, with red wine running through my veins, I yanked the rain fly off and just stared up at the night sky for one last evening. I fell into a deep sleep with the whole galaxy just overhead.

Perfect.

Autumn, Why I Love Thee

It's officially fall - that time after summer when its not blistering hot out.  It's also autumn, which in Kristi-speak is the time when the leaves turn brilliant shades of colors that I wish I could turn into sweaters.

So, here is a list of why I love autumn!

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah NP

1.  That brilliant redish hue in the afternoon light as it streams down through red, yellow and orange leaves.  It must be similar to the rose-colored glasses that illuminate the cobbled streets of Paris, only more organic.



2.  Fuzzy socks!


3.  Crisp fall air brings with it clear blue skies


4.  Cuddling keeps you warm and happy (Like I really need an excuse to cuddle!)


5.  I can finally indulge my love of fuzzy sweaters and scarves.  I'm totally happy when I get to unpack all my winter stuff, & totally happy in the spring to pack it all away again!

Yummiest Book Ever!

6.  My inexplicable urge to bake everything in my Bread Bible.  I give most of what I bake away, otherwise I'd look like those creepy people on tv who are too big to get out of their house!











7.  Sleeping with my windows open is all the air conditioning that I need


8.  Did I mention cuddling?  It is important enough to repeat.


9.  Hiking is much more enjoyable for everyone living in the desert.


10.  Choosing the perfect beautiful leaf to bring home to loved ones

Hiking in Lincoln NF with CT

11.  Christmas lights are just around the corner


12.  The ability to listen to Vince Guaraldi for a whole month is one step closer!

13.  The knowledge that millions of bears are busy making new fuzzy baby bears right now as you read this!


14.  All those emails about Christmas wish lists and "what do you want for Christmas" texts.  Also searching for the exact right gift for loved ones.


15.  The fact that my dog blends in with fall colors better than any other season  =)

Lennox, the perfect fall accessory!

What's your favorite thing about autumn?
Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Sometimes the City Has the Best Wilderness!

Sometimes the city has the best wilderness, but you can still rely on cell signal...

Today C and I went canoeing, or canoing... however you spell that!  Whatever.  After living in the desert for a solid year (no more seasonal moving!), I really needed some water time.  My visit to Houston just wouldn't be complete without some serious water time.  So C came to my rescue with dragon boating at Clear Lake and paddling in Armand Bayou.  (Like how I sidestepped the whole canoe-as-verb landmine?)  After the dragon boat workout, I wasn't sure if my spaghetti arms would take a good long canoe morning, but hey, its adventurous to be stranded in a canoe, right?

So I pulled myself out of bed at an extremely early time when on vacation and headed, coffee in hand, up to C's place to prepare the jeep.  We loaded everything up (thank you mom for hosting our Freezer Bag needs) and we were off!

This was my view for the hour ride out to the bayou

Got out to Armand Bayou, home of many birds, turtles, and alligators....

Seriously, you know you're in bayou country when they have to remind you not to try and catch an alligator! Also, what's with the "free-ranging" alligator?  So its okay to feed captives but the free-range guys are like free-range chickens...?

We got lucky and had some help getting into the water.  Thank you to Stranger Steve!  It was a bit windy but that's ok with me; keeps you from being too sweaty.  C took the back so he could steer, leaving me with the better view and the position of captain.  I've learned that every good trip starts with the woman being the look-out captain and the man can steer, making them feel like they are in control, (we know better though, right ladies?)  My trick to canoeing was to be in the front and just paddle when C told me to.  It allowed me to watch for things like alligators so I could yell and point, and then demand that he steer away from them.  The reply to that was always that I needed to paddle faster.  Fine.

Now I didn't get any photos of the large gators 'cause they sink under water when you approach, causing me to yell more.  I envision the mean alligator will launch itself at our canoe and a paddle is NOT the best defensive weapon, unless you are in Cape Fear.  Or - it will come up from beneath to capsize the canoe and have a Thanksgiving-sized feast-o-humans.

I did get photos of the cute little baby alligators that will one day lose their innocence and become big fat killing machines.  (not really, alligators are pretty tame.  only my dad is terrified of them).

There were TONS of birds - I got no photos of them either.  I'm not a bird expert but I think they were: Gulls, Sandpipers, maybe Green Herons, some kind of hawk, a Crimson-colored Grosbeak, Sandhill Cranes, Turkey Vultures, and more.  I was just excited to see birds flying overhead that weren't all vultures and bald eagles!

looking for birds... ok, honestly, looking for alligators.

We paddled like crazy against the wind for an hour or so, then U-turned and chilled on the current back.  This afforded me the opportunity to take lots of bayou paddling pictures!

Horrid shot of me but this ain't a fashion show!

We passed tons of fishermen but fortunately C left his rod and reel at home.  Fishing is not my thing.  I had promised him an hour of fishing if I got to bring a book.  I guess I could've just checked Facebook since we had such excellent cell service.

After a few hours of communing with nature, C asked where the trail really headed.  That's the international sign for "I'm ready to go when you are" so we turned back and headed for the docks.  Goodbye birds, goodbye turtles, even a goodbye to the gators.

C is happy to be back at the dock.  Don't worry, I paddle-splashed that big grin off his face soon after this shot.

Loaded up and ready to go!

It was a great day hanging with C, a great day on the water, and a great day to work on my tan.  So very unlike another canoe trip that I took with my family.  That's another story for another day, but it will make the blog.

And FYI ladies:  just in case you were wondering, there is no ladylike way to exit a canoe.  Don't try to be cute, just try to stay dry! 

So what you, internet, have learned here is that you can rock out in the wilderness without leaving town!  Just find whatever local paths you can, or you can borrow ours!

Oh, and if possible, don't forget the dogs...

Lennox doesn't canoe but he does enjoy a roll in the water!