A couple more problems....

July 8 – I was first up, well, Bill went back to bed after taking Xena out really early. I turned the oven on since it takes a while to heat up. It was a good morning to use the oven because it was pretty chilly. Bill considered getting the heater out again. I made some blueberry apple muffins from a box of Krustaz blueberry muffin mix. While they baked I made fruit cups of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, orange and mango. We both really enjoyed that. I cooked bacon for both of us and poached eggs for Bill. We each had 2 muffins and I left the rest in the oven to keep warm so I could take them to the office for the girls. By the time we ate I needed to dress and gather my things and go. We took Xena with us and got in the Mule and as Bill started backing I felt icy cold water down my back so I jumped up and kinda screamed and he slammed on the brake and I fell forward and got a ton of icy water down my back. I just got out and went inside and Bill was laughing his butt off. My hoodie was soaked, my jean capris were soaked, my work shirt and my shoes, even my underwear! I was already close to being late so I could only change my pants, jacket and shoes. Bill came to the door and asked if I was OK and I said I was, just wet. I guess I need to make an adjustment to my roofing design!

The girls enjoyed the muffins and were impressed that they were still warm. It took the whole 4 hours for my shirt to dry. It was a slow day today, not nearly as busy as yesterday and the slowest day I have worked the office so far. We did enjoy some laughs before the boss lady came in though.

The babies are really growing

Bill picked me up and we did a loop check and then home for lunch. I changed into work shorts and we went back out and he raked and I picked up trash and raked some mud trenches as best I could. The place looks really empty now. We went from 38 sites filled to 8 as of now. While Bill did the last raking I came back and watered my plants and picked up trash down by the pond. I spotted some crawdads or crayfish so want to ask if they are edible or just for bait. They look to be pretty good size and we have a net I could catch them with. We also saw that our swallow babies are really growing and that there are 4 not 3. One seems to be the biggest and most aggressive and they are really cute. I found out that they are a protected species and there is a big fine for disturbing them.

I took steaks out for dinner and put them in marinade but now it’s raining really hard so don’t think they will make it to the outside grill. I caught up on paperwork and wrote my ugly letter to Quest. I printed my bank statement so I can get it balanced and did some filing. These tasks don’t stop just because we’re not home. I worked some on my blanket/throw project. Plan to finish one set tonight and start another tomorrow.

As predicted I did not get to grill our steaks, but once again, George came in very handy. We had steamed green beans and baked potato to compliment our steaks. Mine was over cooked but it’s hard to get them different middles when they are different thicknesses and cooking at the same time. Oh well, it was still very good. It was too rainy to take Xena for a loop walk. We had a lady stop and ask what site her son was in but we don’t get a list of names so you have to drive to each site and check the reservation card. She was worried about them being out on the boat in the storm. I was falling asleep in my chair so that’s a sign it’s time to go to bed.

July 9 – Well I woke up with a really stiff neck and a terrible headache. Bill told me to stay in bed and he would go rake the sites. We only had 6 leaving today and it was pretty chilly out again. I noticed yesterday my neck was a bit sore on one side and then I helped Bill moved several picnic tables and they are steel and super heavy so I think that is what happened to my neck. Tonight I will take a muscle relaxer at bedtime and see if that helps.

I didn’t last long in bed and got up and put the dishes away and made oatmeal for me and an omelet for Bill. The dime oranges are really good. Of course you don’t know til you get home and try them and then they are out or you don’t get back before the sale ends!!! I had planned to go into Ignacio for some produce today and stop at the hardware store.

I managed to get going at almost 11 but since we ate late I figured I’d be home in time to make lunch. About half way there a truck passed me and a stone flew up and cracked the darn windshield. I debated on whether to call Bill or let him see it, so for the time being I didn’t call. On the way I called Cindy but we didn’t get to complete our conversation because she was on the job. I took a book back to the library for Bill and they had 5 of the ones he ordered to pick up. They also said I could not use his library card so either he has to go or I need to get a card.

I stopped at the grocery and filled my water jugs (the water here is full of minerals) and got some lettuce, jicima, cantaloupe and a sympathy card for the Swickerath family. I decided I better call Bill about the crack and he said since I was headed to Paco’s, the glass guy, to see what he said. I could not believe he was there for a change. I was also excited to see a car inside the building which led me to think he repairs auto glass too. I told him I was there first to get more butyl tape and second to see if he could fix the little crack in the windshield. He said my timing was perfect, (that’s a first) and he just finished putting in a windshield in a car so he moved it out and I drove in and he went right to work on it. I had to sit and wait for it to dry and get the second part of the repair and another man came in about his cracked windshield and he was also from Florida. He lives in Lakeland but has been doing missionary work with the Ute tribe for a year. He’s coming back in the morning to get his done. I wasn’t sure what our insurance would do so Paco (actually Mike) called State Farm and it was covered 100% so he’s filing it through them. AND he didn’t charge me for the butyl tape. I also learned that the bakery beside his shop is open to the public until noon and they sell to lots of restaurants in Bayfield and Durango.

Stacked wood fence

On the way out of town I slowed down and took a couple of photos out of the window of a house whose fence is made entirely of stacked wood. I thought Karen would like to see it since she and David have been using their cut wood to make a fence in their back yard. These people have it perfectly stacked and turned a square corner too.

Bill had eaten when I got home since the 1 hour window repair was not factored in before I left. He had taken a load of wash up without my asking, so that was nice. I had a salad and we did a loop check. I showed Bill the top of one of the slides that I determined was the noise I was hearing last night with all of the wind. One end of the slide topper was out of the track. He set up the ladder and did an inspection and the screws were still there and he managed to put it back in the track. Then I got up and put the screws back in but it still seems to gap a little more than the other end so we will look at it again tomorrow. I think I moved it when I put the screws in.

My chair project

The appliance people called and our washer part is in and they will be out Wednesday morning to install it. I sure hope this does the trick. Now that Bill has been doing some of the wash he sees how crummy those washers here are. I have to re-wash things. We sat outside for just a while and then the skies grew black and the wind instantly started up. Naturally we have a cool afternoon to leisurely sit under our tree and read and relax and it’s cut short by weather. I’m not sure about Bill but once I got in my recliner and started reading I didn’t last long and took an hour nap. I had put the remaining rotisserie chicken in a pot of broth to stew to make chicken and dumplings for dinner, so by the time I woke up it was time to debone the chicken and get my dumplings made. Again I wasn’t sure how this altitude was going to affect my dumplings rising properly. I picked some fresh sage and thyme and put them in with the deboned chicken to simmer and it was yummy. The dumplings were not as light and fluffy as normal but that didn’t keep us from eating them. Bill suggested we invite Harlan over since his wife is up in Estes Park for a month, but I decided to just take him a container over tomorrow he can have for lunch or dinner. I steamed some broccoli to go with ours but he’ll have to fend for his own veggies.

The weather blew over rather quickly with only a smattering of rain so we took Xena for a walk and pulled some reservations that had expired. I guess the storming recently has deterred folks from coming. We have a group of 4 here for the rest of the week. Two are from CA and 1 from AZ and 1 local. We gather they are related as the locals brought a boat and they were all out on it today. We have 12 tonight I think.

Bill has headed to bed and I should follow but want to get this at least prepped to post tomorrow.