I'd kick the winds a$$ right now if I could!

[caption id="attachment_2435" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Brrzies & Freezies[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2438" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Nooooooooo[/caption]

We have gotten quite the cold spell coming through here for the last couple of days...with LOTS of wind! I know there are people out there that really like cold, miserable weather...well, I am not one of those people. I was not made for temperatures of 60 degrees or under...yes I am a total wimp when it comes to cold temps or Winter. I am a Florida girl, I grew up on the beach and in swimming pools with flip flops on my feet. I still don't know how I lasted in Denver for 9 1/2 years with no working heat in my vehicle, but that's a whole different life and many many stories ago.

The wind up here has been non-stop since we came back and with wind you have cold and with cold you have to stay in your van all day, until you walk the Nana bug! It's so windy out here that when I walk her, her ears stick straight up in the wind! It's pretty funny. I also feel kind of bad for her because, like her momma, she too is a Florida girl and she just stands there, shivering, looking at me like, "Why momma, why?" But she has to go potty somewhere and it's not gonna be in the van...Has anyone ever toilet trained a dog??

[caption id="attachment_2437" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cold lil' baby[/caption]

We were pretty surprised the other day when we looked down into the canyon to see that a 40 foot RV had parked right down below the van. Yep, never fails! haha There are hundreds if not thousands of acres of open land where we are and they come and park right there beneath us...so much for the privacy we came back for!!

[caption id="attachment_2434" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Excuuuuuse Me!!![/caption]

We figured they were just here for the weekend or maybe even the Veterans Day stuff in town but then another vehicle pulled up with dirt bikes and four wheelers, so maybe we're wrong...whatever.

[caption id="attachment_2436" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our new neighbors in the middle of nowhere![/caption]

We had to get the heater out the day after we came back up here and we've had it running off and on for the last three days!! Yes, it's that chilly! Oh and I wanted to update you on our "pricey noodles" we had the other night. I think for the price and what you get it's actually not that bad of a meal, to me it tastes just like a meal from Panda Express! J' grilled up some chicken to put in it and BAM...Panda Express in the van!! haha

[caption id="attachment_2433" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yummy Yummy Chicken Teriyaki[/caption]

We have just been grilling in the van and with the little set-up we have for J's office, it's pretty easy to put the grill up there and cook/grill anything we want.

[caption id="attachment_2440" align="aligncenter" width="225"] It's gettin' hot in here...[/caption]

Although, the day we got the grill out for the first time, J' didn't know his desk area wasn't fastened and secured like he thought it was...he set the grill on top of the boards (his desk) and everything went flying. There was coffee EVERYWHERE, along with whatever else was on the boards. It took a good 25 minutes to clean it up...another way to make us appreciate tearing the carpet out and replacing it with the mats like we did!

[caption id="attachment_2439" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ruh-roh[/caption]

With everything going on lately and then this happening, my emotions figured it was a good time to just get it all out so even though everything was fine and nothing was ruined I cried like a little baby...release. It felt good to cry, as well as laugh with J' after the coffee fiasco...sometimes you just need to get it all out, scream at the top of your lungs, and sob like it's nobody's business. Sadly, lately I know this feeling all too well. I think 'the female' and whackadoodle hormones of mine are getting the best of me this week and anything is bound to set off the water works.... believe me...anything! Ahh, to be a woman! haha

I hope you all are having a better week than I am...this whole thing is bound to pass sooner or later. Just part of being I guess! I hope you have a happy night and if not, kick the sh!t out of that pillow!!

 PEACE

Snuggle Bums, Saws & Snow

Wow, what a day we had yesterday, huh!? While we were sleeping we got the storm we had waited for all day and J' wasn't even awake to enjoy it...boooo. I woke up by the van violently shaking back and forth, the wind was blowing super strong and the rain was slapping against every surface pretty loudly, it was crazy! I was up for about three hours after that, due to not being able to fall back asleep. I told J' this morning I was afraid to look out the window for I thought there might be 6 tornadoes sitting there waiting for us, haha. We were lucky enough to wake up to sunshine though...that makes the solar happy!

[caption id="attachment_1414" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tired baby[/caption]

We stayed in bed and snuggled a bit longer than usual, due to how chilly it was. We turned the tube on and watched bits and pieces of different morning shows, hearing about the crazy storm last night. There was major flooding all over the city, up to peoples' car doors, into their houses...what a storm! When we finally got out of bed, it was a rush to get dressed. It's going to be a chilly day today! I think we were maybe up, dressed and an hour or so into the day and we already had the heater out and turned on with the doors closed...brrzies & freezies!

[caption id="attachment_1415" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Toastin' our tootsies[/caption]

Even though it was cold today, it was nice. A different kind of day...again. I tell you this desert thing is something else! I took Savannah on a very small walk, really only down to the main road and back which isn't more than 25 yards or so, but she's off-leash so she can roam a bit and get her exercise. I still can't walk on my foot 100%, I can tippy toe and walk a little on the side of my foot, but then I start to get a large charlie horse in my calf so I have to stop and stretch it out. What a pain in the ass!

[caption id="attachment_1416" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This is what I stepped on[/caption]

I love the different views we get here.

 As I was coming back, J' came out of the van and wanted to go on a short walk. I told him I'd come but didn't know how long I could make it, so we walked. J' and Savannah were a little ahead of me so I started walking where I could see more flat stone than the small hills and big rock I was on. I then came upon what could have been three things: 1- A grave for a person or animal 2- X marks the spot for treasure or 3- A sun or decoration of some sort. We did no further investigating but it makes you wonder...

[caption id="attachment_1418" align="aligncenter" width="225"] What is it?[/caption]

I called J' over and we sat and made up stories of what it could be, that was funny. Oh and as we were walking back to the van we saw one of the biggest holes we've ever seen in the ground, as of yet...I hope they don't get any bigger. I wonder what lives in there?

[caption id="attachment_1419" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Who goes there?[/caption]

When we got back to the van J' decided to make things a little easier on us and split one of the boards from one big board to two smaller boards, to be able to access things a little easier. Since our bed rolls up to the back of the van, it sits on a majority of this board, so when we need something out of that cupboard we have to move the bed to one side which usually unrolls it a bit, making it a pest to get back in its spot. We then either have to get out of the van, open up the back doors and get what we need out of this cupboard (which isn't practical sometimes) or rummage through it inside of the van with the bed unrolling onto you the whole time making a huge mess. So Mister Smarty Pants put on his thinking cap and sawed it in half...ta da. No more stinkin' thinkin' here folks!

[caption id="attachment_1420" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Put the line on the cabinet...♪ ♫[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1421" align="aligncenter" width="300"] You know I slapped that ass![/caption]

There was nothing I could really help him with (and I just saw a post from our new friends, Jim & Colette, that there was snow on the top of Mt. Charleston, which is right in front of us. Since there was cloud coverage all day, I hadn't noticed it) so I went outside to have a look. Yep, there it was, snow all over the damn thing!

[caption id="attachment_1422" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mt. Charleston[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1423" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So many different hues[/caption]

 The day started sinking to night pretty fast and getting exceptionally cold, so Nana and I hopped back in the van to see how Daddy was doing. He was working hard for his honey..bum bum, bum bum (you have to sing that part, I'm not a bum!)

[caption id="attachment_1424" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Workin' hard[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1425" align="aligncenter" width="300"] She's shivering here[/caption]

J' had sawed that piece of wood into two, just like he had set out to do with a lot of elbow grease and maybe a God'damnit or two! haha Now thanks to him we have much easier access to things and won't have to play musical chairs to open it up for a second! Woo hoo, thanks babaa'!!

And I made sure that the baby was warm and snuggled as much as possible...poor baby! What would she do without me...well she probably wouldn't be this warm, that's for sure!

[caption id="attachment_1426" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Looking at daddy to save her[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1427" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Where'd Savannah go?[/caption]

Another desert day in the books my friends. I'm still very much contemplating choppin' the afro. It's only been like,what two days, since I washed my hair and it feels more like 9. That is ultimately disgusting to me and I just don't know if I can take one more day of feeling like this. I'm going to sleep on it and decide in the morning. I just don't think long(er) hair is for this lifestyle unless you have unlimited amounts of water, lots of free water or you just don't wash your hair to begin with. For me, I loved my long hair but cut it about 7-8 inches shorter to start this adventure, now I just don't think with our amount of water and now having to pay for it that I can deal with it anymore. If we lived in a house, I never would have cut it to begin with...but we don't, we live in a van.....it's starting to sound like a superb idea, isn't it!?

Have a warm and peaceful night.

PEACE