QUICK WEEKEND...

All is as we left it on the Santa Rita.

It's been a long 6 months since we last visited and we could only hope that everything would be alright when we arrived.

We didn't get into Quemado until almost 7:00 p.m. NM time, where we stopped in The Country Store for a few supplies that we had forgotten to bring with us.

Namely...cookies and batteries!

The cows were grazing happily in the meadows along SR 601 and the road, overall was in good condition. It hadn't rained or snowed recently so it was pretty dry, and we didn't pass a car at any time on SR 601.

We pulled up at the T-Square and we heaved a sigh of relief. All was as we left it.

Once we got everything unpacked I went across the road to check on the neighbor's place, and while walking back to the T-Square I took the picture of the road looking north. I love how the setting sun highlights the palisades.

I took a walk on Sunday morning, at about 7:00 a.m. going over to visit the property just to the north of us. Looks like some building is going on there. There was a good use of barbed wire to keep the cows from damaging the structure going up.

It's slow going out on the Santa Rita. But in our own ways, we're making progress!

SATURDAY MORNING....

The time has come. It's is 7:19 a.m. and Bill is still sleeping.

I'm thinking we'll be lucky to get on the road by Noon.
Fortunately I believe I'm a bit lucky so maybe, who knows, we'll be on the road by 10:00 a.m.

Bill needs his sleep, so I'll let him sleep. His body clock is still getting adjusted to his working the afternoon shift, which I think is working out pretty well for him.

We'll get to the ranch when we get to the ranch.

We'll find what we find when we find it.

And not a moment before.

We just won't have as much time to walk around in the meadow or go visiting this afternoon before the sun sets. And it means that the visits to the neighbors places will be on the way out on Sunday.

And who knows...maybe Cowboy Carl will show up out of the blue like he always does. Something tells me he is looking out for our places when he's out there. He always seems to show up when we're just driving around.

If we do get to talk with him, I'm hoping that this time I'll be able to snap a picture of him. He'll make a great "cowboy study"....a pencil portrait, I'm thinking.

I'll report on the findings just as soon as we return.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

Try another weekend!

I requested 4 days in a row off from my place of employment...and it was granted!

Unfortunately then came a turn of events...no, make that 2 turn of events. Bill's back is still "iffy", and he's also working nightshift!

No, wait...make that 3 turns...sheesh...am I the only one getting dizzy from all this turning?

When I originally requested the 4 days off, Bill was supposed to have Friday off, and and per his normal schedule, Saturday and Sunday off.

Ah, but then came the request for second shift personnel, which he volunteered for, and then came the "oh, sorry, you can't have the Friday off because there's a mandatory 50 hour work week being imposed through at least the month of May!"

In a word, lovely.

Between Bill's back issue, and the fact that he has to work on Friday night...if he can even drive for 5 hours..we won't head out to the ranch until Saturday morning, probably late Saturday morning.

But if he's not up for it....I'm going alone, and I'm heading out at the crack of dawn if not earlier on Saturday. If I knew I was going to have to go alone, I'd head out on Friday, but Bill can't drive the Jeep to work, so I have to wait for the truck to be available.

Yeah...it's always something.

But we or I will make it out to the ranch this weekend. I'm certainly not going to have four days off in a row, over a weekend, and just sit around the house, in the "getting hotter by the minute" Valley of the Sun.

Oh no I won't...absolutely will not. I'm going...and hell hath no fury and all that!

Hopefully we/I will find everything just as we left it out on the Santa Rita.

Stay tuned!