August 22- Home!

We're home! 

 

1,730 miles.

Josephine is so happy to be back at Danya's house where it's familiar. What a relief, especially after the past 5 days in the car.

August 21 - Kingman, AZ to Bakersfield, CA

California I am in you! 353 miles closer to home, and in the same time zone!

First part of the trip through the Mojave was breathtaking, sun not yet visible, blue and pink light on mountains and valleys and rain showers (paintings are dry), and strange dusky light from the eclipse.

Then the Barstow-Bakersfield highway. So strange. First part, flat as far as one can see, hot and dry and hundreds of Joshua trees, straight heat-shimmering highway for miles and miles.

Then a climb up into golden-yellow grassy hills (again, far as one can see) covered in wind turbines and (I think?) black oak trees, twisty climb and descent, with quirky signs (an ad for a Chevron station "Eat Fruit, Get Gas" made me grin).

And finally, descent into my own personal hell, Bakersfield. Sky yellow with smoke, so many people in so many cars!

Drive overall was fine, quick, with light-enough traffic to enjoy the astonishing landscape.

Josephine has just about had it. Had to drag her out from under the bed this morning to pill her and then close her in the bathroom while I loaded the car so she couldn't get back under the bed. Tomorrow she'll be back at super-angel Danya's house with her old nemesis Lulu, whom I'm sure she'll greet with great relief. She'll have stories to tell. She's been a trooper.

August 20 - Littlefield, TX to Kingman, AZ

Easy, short, stress-free and beautiful drive today through Flagstaff to Kingman, AZ. Welcome 180 from yesterday, especially since Josephine was sacked out through most of it.

We were chasing electrical storms all day, enjoying the light show (I was, anyway) and avoiding all but a brief minor downpour, but now something wild has found us, black thunderheads and thrashing wind.

The paintings are double-tarped but at Matt's urging I went to the front desk to ask if I could park under the overhang (the only covered parking anywhere) and she very kindly agreed that I could, if it started raining. I moved it when the first drops hit, and by the time I had parked, rain was coming down in buckets. Front desk says it's a monsoon and will likely rain 3-4 inches. Glad I listened. Ahem.

When I went in to thank them again, and told them that I was going to write the nicest review ever and put it on social media, they thanked me and offered me cookies. I explained about the paintings and the 14 weeks of work and said the overhang was more than enough.

Kingman Best Western, if you're ever passing through. They'll get a terrific review from me. And maybe a postcard for the hypothetical show.

Also, where Gideon's Bible usually is, there is "The Teachings of Buddha" which made me smile.

(Later...)

A little belated Caturday for your Sunday GoT (yes, i did put the ottoman on the table so she could get on top of the armoire)

 

August 19 - Littlefield, TX to Gallup, NM

Whine alert:

Exhausting drive to Gallup, NM today. I've always respected truck drivers but man were there some jerks on I-40 today. One very close call when one pulled back onto the highway from the shoulder right as I was passing, two cut-offs at 75mph, and half-a dozen not staying in their own lane. In addition, a sudden deluge that reduced visibility to about 10' for 5 long minutes, and high gusty winds for 100 miles. And Josephine cried for 2/3 of the trip. It was a long day.

On the other hand, deluge cleaned the bug guts off the windshield, we arrived intact, and I have a margarita (and Jo has eaten dinner and used her box).

August 18 - Fredericksburg to Littlefield, TX

Fredericksburg to Littlefield, TX today, mostly on cruise control and with the highway to myself. My thought on 75mph speed limit: much better when there is a middle divider and/or more than one lane in each direction. Call me a wuss.

Once out of Hill Country Texas got flaaat again. Miles and miles of high-output farmland, huge combines, wind turbines, and oil drills (which have a really funny odor). Highlight of the day: a banana-yellow crop duster zig-zagging back-and-forth across the highway like a crazy giant dragonfly, so low I ducked by reflex.

Josephine slept for most of the trip and is inspecting the hotel room with tail up and quirked at the end, a very good sign. And the toe, I don't think it's actually broken. Achy but was fine for the drive.

This morning after breakfast with the teenagers Katherine and Randy loaded the paintings while I was packing (surprise!) and K was a terrific help in roping down the tarp so it won't flap (success). When I left, her son and his friends were building paper boats to float in the pond, and trying to blow them up; when that didn't work the .22 came out.

So gratified by spending some time with all these folks. Will miss them. Will miss a lot about the Ottmers ranch. Glad though to have first leg of trip home completed.

August 17 - Falling

To top off the trip, a broken toe (middle, on the useful-for-driving foot). It wasn't caused by any of the obvious potential perils, I just stubbed it. Okay on last trip into town this morning so should be okay to get home. Ouch.

Fortunately a bunch of teenage boys will be here this evening for pizza; hoping they'll help me unload bags of feed and load paintings. 🙂

Here's the last-for-now painting:

"Falling" 5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

Katherine's son Karsten and his friends were happy to help unload bags of feed and lift the crate into the truck. Later, after dark, they were all out on the trampoline doing flips with flashlights and hooting. Nice to see this place full of happy (and super-nice) kids. K and her daughter Aven looked at paintings and pointed out their favorites. One will get left behind. 🙂

Otherwise pretty quiet day after errands. Read and iced/elevated in the little house with Josephine. Fed the goats and geese and chickens and cats (and Wilbur, though he is MIA today) for the last time. Found a scorpion in the kitchen sink and put a cup over it to deal with tomorrow.

A little overwhelmed by getting on the road again with crated and sedated Josephine (not to mention driving with a broken toe and with my potential future riding under a tarp in the back) but I'll be on my way home from a fantastic summer journey, and there is still new territory to be covered.

August 16 - Skies

K and the kids get home tonight! Big house is clean, cookies are in the oven, Jo and I are moved back into little house. One last full day here tomorrow then time to say goodbye.

Fully expect that the next phase of life in the Bay Area will be as big an adventure as this one has been.

Second-to-last painting...

"Skies" 5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

Chuck came by this morning to get eggs and totally busted me.

One of the goats got out yesterday when dogs mobbed. I got a rope around her neck but despite pulling and pushing and cussing could not get her to budge. Rope knot pulled loose, goat ran away, did not know what to do so went home to meditate on the issue. 

Around midnight it occurred to me that the goat might want to be back with her herd so I drove down and sure enough there she was at the gate, eager to be let in.

Of course Chuck had noticed the loose goat, and also observed me down there at midnight letting her back in. *blush*

Other news from last days in beautiful Hill Country... Clover the black mare somehow injured herself badly but will be okay, vet told Randy that she got very lucky. Huge gash on the front of her near hind hock. Randy's been out every day to tend it and now she's getting shots.

Going to miss the animals. Here's Chuck's herd, blocking the road coming and going. Goodbye goats.

August 15 - Gravity

Chuck's opinion on best place to get oil changed before the drive home was Walmart, so that's where I spent an hour and a half of my life today. Truck is serviced and ready to go.

Dropped recycling off at recycling center while in town. Cute young man working there saw the gash in the truck and said "Wow! What happened, did a dinosaur bite your truck?" I was happy to tell him the story, and he was happily impressed.

On the way home found Clea by the Wickander's where I went to look for Wilbur and gave her a ride back to the goats, where I found Wilbur. Got mobbed by Max, Sky, and Smiley when I cracked the fence to move the goat food tubs and a dog party ensued (which may have cleansed my soul of Walmart). Got the big dogs back inside the fence, gave Wilbur a lift home and fed him, and ran across Chuck driving a (surely) WWII era dump truck across the pasture with Clea running behind.

Going to be a bit of a shock to be back in the Bay Area, especially with two planned alt-asshole demonstrations (of assholery) the weekend after I get home.

[Here is a picture of the "dinosaur bite" in my truck]

Today's painting

"Gravity"

5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

August 14 - River

Dinner tonight at Chuck's youngest daughter Erika's house, with her family and her friend Dawn and kids. Added an adorable chihuahua named Roxie to list of dogs befriended.

It was lovely. Erika made traditional German food (turns out I do like sauerkraut) with homemade deer sausage. They hunt deer on the property from blinds in their backyard and make the sausage themselves and it is delicious. They're sending some back to CA with me. More really nice people.

Started packing today. Back on the road with the intrepid cat Friday morning. Home a week from tomorrow.

What an adventure this has been.

Here's today's painting...

"River" 5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

Tried to post video of nightly armadillo visit but too dark. They make cute snuffling and squeaking sounds and sometimes hop. They're short-sighted so it's pretty easy to get within a foot of them without disturbing.

Also today: a very long-legged jackrabbit, a very large hawk, more goats, and a long petting session with Molly the burro. Oh and spotted a white-tail buck... first antlered white-tail I've seen.

Going to miss this place. But have to add that the raccoons, squirrels, and skunks of the Bay Area are bigger. Sorry Texas.

August 13 - Thistle

Here is Wilbur. I'm taking care of him while the Wickanders are out of town. And my buddy Clea.

  

Made salmon, green beans, and mashed potatoes (equal parts baked potato, heavy whipping cream, and butter, yerm) for Chuck here at the house, with fresh-out-of-oven homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. He's promised smoked ribs and squash if I make twice-baked potatoes with the leftovers.

He finally got his squirrel, explaining the pistol shots I heard today, and also explained why I was hearing gunshots all afternoon yesterday; the dogs were harassing a calf that got separated from the herd. The dogs are gun-shy, so he was shooting up in the air to scare them off.

Clea got her own piece of salmon. Chickens got chilled meaty watermelon rinds. Mosquitos got my feet, per usual.

Countdown is getting real. After tonight, only four days and four nights 'til Josephine and I are on the road again.

Here's today's painting...

"Thistle"

5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

August 12 - Interstate

Carrie and Jonas just stopped by to say goodbye and look at paintings and she gave me one of her quilts!!! Feeling blessed.

"Interstate"

5' x 3' acrylic on canvas
(This is the painting I left behind for Katherine)

Middle-of-the-night drive down to visit goats and dogs.. many doggy kisses for me, and for the bravest goats, good long scritches. Both improved my outlook.

Love over fear every day.

Except for the scorpion in the bedroom that I squished earlier today. No justice for that arthropod.

August 11 - Wish You Were Here

"Wish You Were Here"

3' x 5' acrylic on canvas

August 10 - Windows

I love going to the feed store. When I went today to get goat supplement an Ottmers cousin was working and we had a nice chat.

On the way home:

- Perfectly sunny on Ranch Road 1631 and also pouring rain

- A fox! On Ottmers Road

- Fed and curried the horses, who'd been rolling in mud

-  Found Clea down by the horses and dropped the tailgate to give her a lift back to Chuck's 

- Texas road block (goats)

- Fed the other goats and said hi to dogs

Chuck drove down while I was carrying groceries from the car to pick up the trap because he's got a squirrel eating Clea's food and peeing in her dish- I said "I thought you shot that one" and he replied "Well I shot a couple."*

Invited for dinner at Carrie's tonight; their son is visiting from college. Looking forward to it.

* I report these conversations with Chuck because they're so unlike conversations I'd have in the Bay Area. I sincerely hope they don't come off as disrespectful; I have upmost respect for Chuck, his awesome family, and what they've built here.

The Wikander family (I love these people)

  

Painting #4

"Windows"

3' x 5' acrylic on canvas

August 9 - Summer in Texas

The goats came thundering across the pasture to convene under - and on - a tree across the pond. The ones not climbing the tree are on their back legs chewing foliage. Welcome silly diversion from working on overworked paintings.

Today's painting:

"Summer in Texas"

3' x 5' acrylic on canvas

Painting #2

"Come  Back"
5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

August 8 - Except Me

Woke up twice in the middle of the night to bed being shaken by thunder. Definitely don't need to water today.

I'll be home in 2 weeks and 1 day! Excited, and also recognizing that being home is going to be as much an adjustment as being here. But there are friends to see and projects to get started and most of all some very important reconnecting to be enjoyed.

Meantime, first painting post on my page. Be gentle..

"Except Me" 5' x 3' acrylic on canvas

August 6

A myopic cashier at HEB carded me (thank you, it's been a while) and when she saw the CA DL she asked if I was just visiting. I said I was spending the summer and she asked if I was planning to move here, because California... /shakes head/... 

I absolutely love it here but am anxious to get home to my next life.

The cows are bellowing, which makes me wonder if they're being moved to new pasture. I asked Chuck how he moves them and he said "Open the gate. They love new pasture."

Have decided to check putrification of raccoon before I leave and see if it's sufficiently corroded for me to take the skull to a taxidermist for cleaning. Is that weird? I mean, taxidermists are thick on the ground around here, which makes me think it's not weird. Maybe in California it would be. I dunno. Seems like a pretty comprehensive/holistic reminder of this trip. (Will wear gloves, promise.)

Blissfully quiet day. Enjoying solitude after a relatively social week. Probably shouldn't speak so soon, but nothing's died, nothing's broken, no one has showed up at the house or sent text invite, no upsets at home. Peaceful.

Well, actually, except I TOUCHED A SCORPION by accident. Putting the cover back on the grill and looked toward my hand at the second my fingers brushed it. It was dormant, had been sleeping in folds of cover. Yikes.

August 5

I went to Luckenbach, Texas! It was perfect.

Thought it was going to be a quiet day but...

Unfortunately there was a raccoon in the trap this morning. Called Chuck and stayed in the house until after the gunshot. Felt worse this time; there is blood on my hands. Not literally, but it's my responsibility that both chickens and raccoons are dead.

Yoga, paintings discussion, a walk in the pasture.... found the dead raccoon where Chuck had driven it, and the vultures attending it, and felt worse.

Got a text from Michael inviting me down for fajitas with him and Chuck and enjoyed dinner with those guys, swapping life-threatening injury stories and talking about local poisonous snakes and spiders. Also very good fajitas.

Got a text from Carrie asking if I was up for going to Luckenbach with her and Paul (I asked them yesterday if they'd go with me before I leave) and we went and it was perfectly satisfying. The drive there, being a passenger for once, looking out the window at darkened fields under a near-full moon, chattering with the two of them. Middle of nowhere open-air dance hall strung with fairy lights, a good country band, couples two-stepping with remarkable style and skill, cold bottle of beer on a sweltering night... the band, on request from a group visiting from Czech Republic, even played the Luckenbach song. Perfect.

On the way home had to stop on the ranch road three times for armadillos crossing. You know you're with your people when: Paul stopped to let them waddle by, and Carrie rolled her window down to shout at them to stay out of the road and not get run over.

Tomorrow should be a quiet day.

  

August 4

This morning discovered a bat on the kitchen floor. Must have flown in when I opened the door to come inside last night. Poor thing barely moved when I picked it up with a towel and put it in a cardboard box. It's in the laundry room where it's darkish. Hope it recovers by twilight but suspect that I've just given it a relatively comfortable place to expire.

It's made it hard to get started on the day.

* * *

The bat has crossed the rainbow bridge. RIP, tiny vector.

Drove into town today for ice, Tito's, and goat food; Lochte Feed doesn't carry Purina Noble Goat so mission was only partially accomplished. Stopped on the way out to feed the goats and give the dogs some love.

Out here, one tries to combine all errands into one trip. Sometimes a girl forgets the trash (never leave shrimp shells overnight, yuck) and the remainder of coconut cream pie that she's promised to deliver to neighbors.

So, turned around after dropping off groceries and delivered pie to the Wickander's, which was great fun. Had a couple of glasses of wine and good conversation. I really like them (have I said that already?).

Home for a few minutes and Chuck comes down with the trap... ugh. Ranch life. He checked that I'd locked the chickens down (never again failing to lock the chickens down). We had a short conversation about what time he might be available in the morning to come back and shoot whatever's in the trap (if you're following, it will be a rangy raccoon).

Big day.

Probably the most important part of it though was photographing the paintings that I like so far... 10... looking at them as a series, and considering a wider view than "I hope I can paint something I like today."  I'm not practiced at a longer view and am thankful for the suggestion to gain perspective. 

Whew. This year has been a learning curve like no other. Grateful.

August 3

Dinner with the artists was fine.

Chuck came up early to ask me to put the horses inside the fence, while he put his goat herd in their enclosure, so no animals would be in the road.

He came back with most of dinner fixings, and peeled shrimp and started the grill while I put veggies on kabobs and finished lemon squares. A domestic scene.

They arrived right on time with a huge coconut cream pie from (of course) the pie store in Fredericksburg. Really nice folks. They looked at paintings and Kathy was very complimentary; she was impressed that I'd done so much work in 2 months. We ate outside on the porch and they left soon after, with a promise to call me to come up and see their studio.

I really appreciate the effort Chuck went to to make the connection. He thought we'd talk about art; most of the conversation was about the families in the area and some local politics, which was fine. I love the rich history of this place.

Other highlights of the day... 

- Josephine watching the swallows from the windowsill of the upstairs master bath

-Goats galloping around the pond (Chuck explained why the littlest babies were in the enclosure until this week: when the nannies have more than one kid, the "extra" kids sometimes get left behind when they're too little to keep up, 'cause the nannies can't count; they have one kid and don't realize they've left another behind)

- Central vacuuming is amazing

- Seven chickens tucked into bed _with the lock on_

- Chuck coming back with the trap tomorrow (my least favorite part of all of this, even over those pernicious nettles)

Two weeks and one blank canvas left to go.

August 2

One of the hens has been hunkered in the nesting box for two days. K says she's trying to hatch eggs.

Overcast and much cooler today, thunderstorms forecast for later this week. Bats. Renald snuggled up and kneading pinpricks into my thigh.

The paintings are stacked against the window and the light shining through them makes them beautiful... one blue one is propped in front of a red one and the reflection adds a dimension of color that I wish I could replicate. Like layers of stained glass.

Paralyzed by anxiety (the free floating variety, yay) for most of today but managed the minimum adulting, yoga, and eating. Saved by Star Trek: Beyond, and texting with home planet. Ending the day with big smiles and laughter.