Bob and I had a quick but productive stop in Iowa last week, where we were able to get in a couple of doctors appointments, submit our request for mail-in ballots for the upcoming election, and see family.
We were particularly happy to meet our newest great niece in person.
On Thursday, we hit the road for our drive to our housesit in Silver City, New Mexico. As with the drive into Wisconsin and the flat tire, this drive would also prove to be a bit more dramatic than we had hoped with back-to-back stays in hotels undergoing renovations and a costly car issue that luckily happened at a time and place where we could get it resolved and still make it to our housesit on time.
We were driving into the very small community of Limon, Colorado, when the check engine light came on along with a couple of other lights and the cruise control went off. This was about midday on Friday. Luckily, Bob spotted an auto parts store that had a guy who could come out and run a quick diagnostic test on the car. He said it was a ratchet something or other and that it could potentially be serious. He recommended we check with either of the auto repair shops in town.
We went to the shop right across the street. They had a wireless diagnostic device that had trouble connecting with our car. He eventually said that the car should be fine until we got to Pueblo, Colorado, where we had reservations for the night, but we should get it looked at there. Pueblo was another hour+ down the road, but the car ran fine. We drove it directly to a Firestone, as it was the only repair shop we could find online in Pueblo that was open on the weekend. We got to the shop about 3:00 pm and agreed to pay the $130 for the full diagnostic test. Long story short, there were a couple of new parts needed that came to about $1,000 with labor.
We were able to leave Pueblo about noon on Saturday with a healthy car. We didn’t see as much of Pueblo as we would have liked, but we found a few things.
From Pueblo, we had a scenic drive to Albuquerque and then on to Silver City.
Bob and I biked through Hatch and Silver City
on our bike ride across the US in 2012.
We drove into Silver City, New Mexico, about 2:00 pm yesterday, and had a great reunion with two of our favorite homeowners. Bob and I both sat for them for three months in their house in Green Valley, Arizona, and cared for their dogs Molly and Maya. Bob cared for their home and dogs in Tubac, Arizona, while I was caring for my sister and when COVID brought the world to a standstill.
We were so happy to be able to visit with them yesterday for four hours before they headed out to start their latest adventure. Molly and Maya have sadly both passed, so we’re just caring for their lovely home and gardens for about two months. Before they left, we got the full walk through of the house, a drive around town, and were treated to a great meal in a fun downtown restaurant.
on our walkabout this morning
the Western New Mexico University campus near the house.
The building houses a rec center
that we paid for memberships to this morning.
where we learned you pay $15 for lunch and it’s all-you-can-eat. Bob is considering the challenge.
and the head of the Fine Arts Department on campus.
And lots of murals and mosaics from around the downtown area.
which runs from Canada to Mexico
More specifics on Silver City to come. We’re excited to explore this area. We love being surrounded by mountains once again.
