One year ago

One of our friends strongly recommend to my husband that he read the Loneseome Dove series--it is so good that it is like these people were alive and the story of the West is both gritty and amazing. So he started and shortly thereafter I began reading too. 8 months, ago he applied for a job at Carlsbad Caverns, which happens to be just west of the Pecos River. As I read about this time and area, the other-worldliness--of vast landscapes giving one the abilty to see for miles--so far infact that people often misjudge distances. The harshness of the environment, hot, windy, obstacles on just a normal walk such as, the horse crippler cactus (very low to the ground and hard to see esp from horseback)-I am continually reminded of passages in the book, of how difficult it must have been to travel and or live in this part of the country 150 years ago.

There has been a lot of rain--over 30 inches and I think the normal is more like 6-10 inches. The flowers are all in bloom--one in particular is a buttercup yellow and is covering the hillsides it is called bladder pod (I will try and add a photo still learning all of this)! We moved here a couple of months ago from DC--such a change. I now am following the cycle of the moon--it has been years since I can remember knowing the cycle of the moon. I left the workaday world of DC--(slowly looking for a job here)--I cannot remember having so much freetime. It is both a thrilling to have so much time to myself but also lonely--much harder to meet people here, esp when not working. I have learned to quilt--and cook better and healthier than ever--but at the same time I am finding the adjustment more difficult than I thought. I have plenty of projects to do and some I have done--like putting a photoalbum together, yoga, house stuff and catching up with old friends etc--but is now getting hard to self motivate. In DC I always thought I would meditate everyday, do yoga twice a day etc. but wow self motivation is my challenge.