Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Goodbye to New Friends, Hello to Old Friends


Friend's Home
Albuquerque, NM

Travel Day 9 – Chloride, NM to Albuquerque, NM


Today we took to the road beginning Leg 2 of our Summer 2015 adventure. Feelings were mixed. Our time in Chloride with the Edmunds was great. I found them refreshing kindred spirits and thoroughly enjoyed their company. We left somewhat sadly.

On the other hand, being devoted to roaming, today's trip was a short 144 miles north on I-25 for a visit with our dear friend of many years, Diane Wege. This will be more exciting because our daughter Tricia and her daughter Ava will join us for a week to explore Albuquerque and Denver together.

Diane Wege and Michelle Hazlett enjoy their infrequent get – togethers


Leg 2 is all northbound and was supposed to end with eight weeks in Custer City, ID with stops along the way. I have been trading emails with the folks there resolving a minor problem that has become a major issue. The Workamper campground at Custer City, run by the National Forest Service, does not have electricity. I knew that and brought along our generator – no problem there. Before leaving Florida, Michelle's doctor put her on a nighttime oxygen regimen, which means a need for electricity all night. NFS campground rules mandate no generators after 10PM. Battery Packs big enough to carry the oxygen machine through the night start at about $1,800. I will not spend that to satisfy a bureaucrat's excuse "If we make one exception, everyone will want to do it." Sadly, we withdrew from the volunteer group. I do mean sadly, because we have been to that region before. It is incredibly beautiful and I was looking forward to a return visit and some great trout fishing on the Salmon River. What happens to those eight weeks is now uncertain.

Arriving at Diane's house about 2PM, gave us a short visit before going to the airport to pick up Tricia and Ava. That activity was quick, easy, and uneventful. Soon back at the house, Diane and Michelle resumed catching up on the past twenty years even though they saw each other just two weeks earlier.

Diane's daughter, Kira, and her friend Spencer joined us for a relaxed informal dinner and visit. We have not seen Kira since she was a very small girl. Now she is a lovely lady working in commercial real estate. She still remembers the family vacation with us, many years ago, where we rented a house boat on Table Rock Lake, MO for a week. Spencer seemed to enjoy listening to the stories of Kira's early years. If he was bored, he hid it well.

Ava spent time socializing with the social cat


It was a very good day and it ended very late.

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