Happy April Fool

Nah, I'm not gonna bother doin' no April Fool writeup here.  It's too predictable.  Practically everyone does it.
I'm just glad that March has marched on.  Man, it sure went out like a lion last night--the winds were a howlin'!

Yep, we sure 'nuf had ourselfs a campfire again.  What wind?  That's how come I built an 25-inch tall wind screen.  Laugh at the wind!  Susun rustled up some cowpoke chili and we chowed down on some good grub.

Both of us were plumb tuckered yesterday and didn't saddle up and ride out of our corral until high noon.  We went on over to Camp Weirdy (home of The Cowboys) and signed off on our taxes, bought some stuff and came on back to Second Chance Ranch.  While the wind whistled we each spent time doing stuff in our sheds.  My shed looks downright hospitable now.  You can even walk around without poking yer shins with sharp objects.

Today is Sweet Sixteen for The Straw House.  Yep, precisely sixteen years ago in 1994, we started to build the place.  We purposely chose April Fool's Day to begin.  I'm not sure why.  We have a photo of what we did that first day.  Pretty funny, actually.  We dug a big hole and hand-mixed concrete in an old wheelbarrow and poured it into the square hole.  That was it.  Looking back sixteen years, it's a wonder that we ever got this place finished.  Thanks to all those who made it possible. 

Yesterday was also officially one week since we sprayed for weeds.  We must admit the weed chemical really did a good job.  It's generic Roundup--a chemical called glyphosate.  They say it takes about a week for glyphosate to really do its job.  For the first few days, we were pretty pessimistic about it.  The last 3 days, the affects have really come on strong.  For the first time in our history with this land, we don't have to worry about the foxtail weeds--they are all dead now!  It's totally delightful.

Yesterday, I received a surprise--an email from Dear Friend Joshua W.  Joshua is excels at many things and now we learn he also excels at creative writing, too.  He sent along a link to a short story he wrote.  Click here to read it.  It's a most excellent vignette penned from the eye of a goat.  Joshua also sent his Bandcamp website.  He's composing his own electronic music and posting it online for free downloading.  I told him that Pink Floyd and Moody Blues would love to hire him for their next concert tour.  Next year, Joshua will be a senior at the Sedona Red Rock High School.  Thanks for the email, the story and the music, Joshua!  Ya dun good!

We think we will be leaving Arizona later this month.  The "when" of this plan is TBD (To Be Determined).  We'd like to be home by May 1.  I'd like to attend the May Parks & Recreation Commission.  We have a room booked at Old Faithful Inn May 8.  The keyu piece of this puzzle is the fact that we had our water and power turned off before heading south.  We can only get them turned back on during business hours of a weekday.  The full moon is April 28.  We generally like to avoid traveling in the days leading up to a full moon.  So, if we are "true to form," we will leave lickity-split, crack-of-dawn Thursday April 29--four weeks from today and arrive in River City, Idaho, about lunch time Friday.  Hopefully, we will have all the city's troops lined up to turn back on our power and water before the close of business on Friday at 5 pm.  (They won't turn it on unless someone is inside the house watching for potential burst pipes.  Smart plan.)

Anyway, this is relevant because if the above scenario turns out to be the case, we will be leaving Arizona precisely four weeks from today!

Have a great day and Many Cheers!  jp