July 2010

Our most recent summer visitor was Helen Galen, a former compatriot of Susie's at the Senate and a lifelong traveler. She came to visit us when we were living in Haarlem, and now she has graced us with her presence here in New Mexico. In addition to some of the sights and sounds of ABQ, we also spent time at the cabin in Horseshoe Springs, in Taos, and in Santa Fe. Click on the link for a few random pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/July2010#

Summer in NM

May and June in New Mexico have been full of adventures, including a visit from Will and Maya over Memorial Day and a visit from Dale and Lin Billingsley at the end of June. We have seen butterflies, electric trains, a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit, obsidian knapping, atlatl throwing, hot springs, hawks, bears, coyotes, forest fires, ancestral ruins. . . . Let's just say that it has been an eventful month. Here are a few pictures showing just a few of the things that we have been up to.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/Summer2010#

Teddy

Here are a few pictures of Teddy. He joined our family on Saturday, March 4. He is a Portuguese Water Dog / Clumber Spaniel mix who is somewhere between 18 months and 2 years old. He is short and stocky and deep-chested and weighs about 37 pounds. He has very soft fur that does not shed. His big soft paws are webbed for when he wants to go swimming. As we found out today, they also keep him from sinking into soft sand in the desert.

Teddy was evidently kept as a breeding dog in Albuquerque and then cruelly abandoned on the roadside. We are adopting him from a local animal rescue group.

Teddy is the smartest and mellowest dog the world has ever known (except for maybe Bobo and Gus). He is indescribably affectionate, intelligent, happy, and outgoing. His tail never stops wagging. The only thing he loves more than a nice long walk is to sit with his people, snuggle up to them, and be petted. He is great with other dogs and little children. We have never heard him growl or bark. He is funny and clumsy, a charming klutz. His favorite chore around the house is to pick up stray garments and move them to other rooms where he apparently thinks they must really belong.

At 5:23 AM this morning , I awoke to the sound of our rear sliding glass door being opened. Teddy had decided that rather than wake us up, he would open the door himself for a pre-dawn potty run in the back garden. That's how smart, resourceful, and considerate he is. Click here for a few more pictures of Teddy, Wonder Dog of the Jemez:

http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/Teddy#

Snowmageddon

We are slowly digging our way out of the snow. The storm began on Friday morning and lasted until early Saturday evening. We got about two feet of snow on D Street, but drifts can be much deeper. It is also a very wet, heavy snow, so it's hard to clear away. Almost everything is closed today except for Roland's (our corner market) and the bars (it's Super Bowl Sunday). The Washington Post hasn't even tried to deliver the papers, which is a mini-crisis in itself. The Metro is not running any above-ground routes, meaning that the Brookland-CUA station is closed for the present.

I have a ton of paperback mysteries, sufficient coffee, and a generous supply of toilet paper. Here is a link to a few pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/Snowmageddon#

319 Amherst, SE

We closed on our new house on Monday morning and started moving in that same afternoon. There are still a few pictures to be hung and a few odds and ends to be arranged, but for the most part we are now at home at 319 Amherst.

The house has four small bedrooms. One is a study for Steve, one is for Susie, one is a guestroom and TV room, and one is for sleeping. There is also a large garage with a workbench and lots of storage, and a huge pantry and utility room off the kitchen.

We are located on a quiet street at the top of Nob Hill only a few blocks from the UNM campus and Central Avenue, the "main drag" with many shops and cafes and restaurants. Looking out our rear door, we can see beautiful sunsets and the lights of the city twinkling across the Rio Grande valley.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/319AmherstSE#

Amherst Street: ABQ

We like to think of ourselves as a perpetually moving target. To that end, we have just submitted an offer to buy a little bungalow in Albuquerque -- and the seller has accepted! If all goes as scheduled, we'll take possession at Thanksgiving.

The house is on Amherst Street, three blocks south of the University of New Mexico campus. It is within easy walking distance of the library and concert hall. Central Avenue, the main drag through campus, has all of the amenities of urban living that we have come to enjoy along Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C.

These four pictures were taken by our realtor. The furniture is just staging, but the pictures should give you an idea of what the place looks like. Come see us!

http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/AmherstStreet#

Bippity .... boppity .... BOOH!

One visit from the King of Construction, JD, and see what you get (with a little hard work).