Traveling time

Thanksgiving with the kids and grandkids was wonderful, but we knew we had a long drive ahead; so didn't stay long the next day. You simply never know what you will get for weather when you drive down through the heartland of California to Tucson (60 miles from Arizona's border with Mexico) while crossing two mountain passes.

The one thing I usually can count on will be some fantastic skies, and California hasn't yet let me down. Most of the drive was hitting between intense storms with wind and rain mostly ahead or behind. There was no snow on the road over the Siskiyous nor Tehachapi passes. In the past we have been stopped below both, once had to take a motel at Shasta when the highway ahead was closed due to blowing snow.

It's just a really long way though and even longer with two male cats who didn't want to go, who didn't like their pet taxis, who hated every motel, who then did whatever they could to find hidey-holes which can be worrisome mostly to me for fear they got out somehow even when I know they could not. They bonded a bit more than at home which led to this photo of them sleeping as close as the younger one ever lets the older one get.

One thing with cats is they don't like change. Taking a dog on a trip like that, it'd be new smells and experiences all the way-- arf arf. Most cats like routine and there is nothing about that kind of drive with new beds each night that provides routine.

When we got to the house, it was to find a surprise we didn't appreciate. The hose to the icemaker in the refrigerator had sprung a leak. It soaked beneath the sink, ruined one cabinet door (which it turns out is no longer made, of course), left a lot of mildew odor and a job that Farm Boss had not anticipated.

So we are trying to unwind, get the cats used to this house with no way they can understand that for awhile they get to stay, and plan how to fix the various problems we didn't anticipate as well as what we knew while deciding how to get things set up for future renters.

Fortunately we have plenty of time to do everything-- we hope. It does seem strange to realize how close we are to Christmas and so far from home. I am hoping to get all the shopping done down here and come home with presents wrapped for our family Christmas celebration the week after Christmas.

The photos are from the drive down (the red is the fast moving truck and raisin fields), the cats in a motel room, one I took of me in the side mirror to show how I pass my time while Farm Boss drives, and finally looking toward our driveway as we arrived.

The first night here we got a terrific thunder and lightning storm. Delightful to be here, not have to drive on, sip a glass of red wine and watch the lightning flash. I do love Tucson.