The Holidays at Home

Home. The word itself makes me feel loved and happy. I feel protected and comfortable in our house, decorated for the holidays, full of love, warm and familiar. Every year, I have the opportunity to do the traditional things associated with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I pick and choose those activities that give me the most joy, and I don't do everything. Trying to do everything just makes me feel stressed and anxious. This year, we were traveling during Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I didn't decorate for either of those, nor did I make any of the specific favorite foods that I usually make or pass out candy. When we returned on December 5th, I prioritized getting the Christmas decorations up, since I usually do that on the day after Thanksgiving. We never have a tree; our first cats would have destroyed it, but I've gradually come to my current level of the holiday spirit. Seeing the lights and the festive decorations gives me a lift during a dark and cold time of the year. It's easy to become depressed here because of our near-constant cloud cover and rain, and our short days that are even darker under the clouds.

The hearth, with cedar garland and pine cones.

The sunrise inspired me.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Returning to the Home Corner

I'm filled with excitement when we are on the way home. It's similar to the first day on the road as we leave for a new adventure, but it has the added longing of a heart that is tired and ready for comfort and familiarity. Our route this time is familiar, we are taking roads that we have traversed many times. I took pictures of landmarks that I have seen and photographed for many years. It's so interesting to me to have this record of deterioration and new construction. I think that I made this drive for the first time in 1989, and some of the things that I found striking on that first trip still catch my attention.

Shiprock.

Long views and distant mountains.

Adobe Milling. We usually stop, but it was closed the day after Thanksgiving.

The beehive.

Wilson Arch.

It's tacky, but a good landmark.

The San Rafael Reef.

Sunset at Utah Lake.

Snow in Southern Idaho.

Hoarfrost.

Sentinels.

Snow in Baker City, Oregon.

R-Pod Glamour Shot.

Fog covers the valley as we descend into Pendleton.

Fort Henrietta Park.

The Columbia River Gorge.

Sign of the times. This famous sign is now owned by the Chehalis Tribe.

Home.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Thanksgiving in Aztec

We were able to spend two weeks with Russ' mom and our nephew (they are housemates). It helps to stop moving for a while, and I felt less homesick.We have spent so much time here over the years that it does feel like home to me too. We did do many of our favorite things in the area, but not as much as usual, partly because of the cold weather, partly because we were tired and partly because we tried to help out around the property. It was a quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving. I loved it.

A good sign.

Steamworks Brewing in Durango.

The La Plata Mountains.

A treat while shopping.

Rubio's. A local favorite.

Sophia's Mexican Kitchen. Breakfast is always good here.

Homemade salsa with Rum Chata.

Using the tractor to move the roof-top tent to storage.

My favorite snack. I didn't expect to find it in New Mexico.

Trying the brews at 3 Rivers Brewing.

Nothing can prepare you for the self. True.

He licks the condensate from the windows.

The cows made it up to the field.

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

The Libators go Corner to Corner: From New Orleans to New Mexico through some Texas Panhandle

Traveling fast gives us some quick impressions of the places we move through and of the places we stay. I look for interesting things to see or unique restaurants to try as we move. We found some good places as we left New Orleans and headed toward northern New Mexico, starting with the last Harvest Host of the entire trip in Natchitoches, Louisiana. We also found a gem of a city park in Childress, Texas, ate at a famous steak restaurant in Amarillo, and met with an old friend in Albuquerque. We ended this leg at Russ' childhood home, all in time for Thanksgiving.

Parked for the night.

Worth a stop.

Lake Ray Hubbard.

Happy cat in John Paul Jones Park.

Childress Fair Park.

We were the only customers at the Childress Fair Park Campground.

Sunset in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Wind Power in Texas.

Fried Catfish at the Big Texan.

The Big Texan.

The lights of Albuquerque.

Isleta Lakes RV Park.

The Sandias.

Margarita at Bruno's in Cuba, NM.

The land of spicy, stuffed sopapillas, Christmas style.

The long views of New Mexico.

Home. Cedar Hill (Russ' Mom's house).