A Month Passes . . .

Wow! Seems like I just can't catch up! We've been on vacation -- twice! The telling of these adventures will occupy more than one post, so I'd best get cracking before I forget too much stuff.

Meanwhile the Olympics go on -- and I'm distracted until the wee hours -- and morning comes too early.

So anyhow . . .

When our friends got home from their trip we exchanged catsitting duties and took off ourselves.

Our destination was Las Cruces, New Mexico. The trip was planned and reservations made last spring before airfares skyrocketed (did I just say that???), so it worked out pretty well. We've been considering relocating (after I retire) to an area with a lower cost of living, and Las Cruces is at the top of our list. 330 days of sunshine per year. Any biker can appreciate that! Hot? Well, yes, but as they say, it's a dry heat. I was amazed to escape the humidity of Tidewater Virginia and experience the desert air. Give me sunscreen, shades and my water bottle -- good to go!

Among our first stops were the local farmer's market where we had breakfast ( a burrito for me and huevos rancheros for John), replenished our dwindling stock of chili seasonings, found some really nice cabochons for my jewelry work, and heard these folks:
They really sounded better than this video indicates, though the guitar player did seem to be in his own zone from time to time. When I put a tip in their box they stopped to talk to me and proved to be quite fascinating.
While we were looking for the location of the market, we drove around the main section of downtown and finally parked in this lot. Imagine my surprise when I got out of the car and looked up at the building in front of me!

Mecca! I'd checked ravelry and googled for yarn shops in Las Cruces long before the trip, so I was delighted that I wouldn't have to search the town for Unraveled. I'd found it! After we cruised the market, we swung back around the corner to the courtyard door. The shop was open for business, and we went in. It didn't take long to discover I was among fellow ravelers! These folks were fantastic. We soon had a list of the best local eateries, complete with hand-drawn maps, and other see and do things, including the local BEAD store! I procured my daily dose of fiber (darn airline baggage restrictions!), exchanged ravelry info, and we were off and running. Here's a shot of the staff on duty that day. There are more of them, as I would find out on a return visit.
BTW, did you know that New Mexico is the only state that has U.S.A. on its license plates? Seems that a surprising number of people think that it's actually part of Mexico! I'd heard folks from Alaska and Hawaii remark that their states weren't always recognized as such, but at least New Mexico is part of the contiguous U.S.
Enough digression.
We thought it might be a good idea to get a feel for some of the local real estate in terms of price, location, and the like. We contacted a realtor who agreed to show us around with the understanding that we were NOT in the immediate market for a home, but would like to get an idea of what we could expect to find in our price range. We were pleased to see several places that we liked, and wished that circumstances permitted us to move immediately when we found one especially lovely home with a mountain view at an attractive price. I suppose there will be another in a few years when we are ready to make the move.
These explorations took us a couple of days, and as you will see, the adventure continues. Stay tuned. . .