Election night, 2012. Life changes; you can count on that. Too much to recount and catch up, but to say the least--our time has certainly been filled with many changes and challenges since our last post. We smile at you here among our latest two acquisitions: Our nearly 70 year-old adobe home in the 400+ year-old agricultural New Mexican hamlet of La Cienega and Ollie--our merle and screwy-eyed adopted Dachshund. New Mexico keeps us busy working with kids in the schools, and after over 10 years together, we still carry on in the "want and the glow of each other's magesticism."

Well...certainly, time has taken it's rightful place by informing me that change is due. It's been a long time. Not really. As a eight year-old, five months was nothing. another 3/8" on a imaginary meter stick my parents marked off my gained height at their bedroom door.

We're now in Laramie if you haven't noticed. The fishing is tightly guarded by homesteaded ranchers...1/4 of their family members who once made it here and  triumphantly secured the water rights. 

School is what school has always been - studying and learning things a-new. I picked up a small-time reporting beat to an even smaller paper in Jackson Hole and substitute teach in-between. Still, Wyoming is the place for the two of us right now. Neither miss much of the world's financial hustle and decline and find more suitable/equitable time spent on either the piano or steel guitar. 

Carolyn's in the fix of applying to graduate school and I'm happy to follow wherever her fine brilliance leads us. A difficult year - which, could've been worse - only has all the more room to go. 

If you didn't know me when I was 27, enjoy;

Widening

Just to know

how I was left to believe

Heaven's unblinking eye 

had finally

looked away from me.

Warmed by

how it still feels -

old threadbare linens

that couldn't possibly cover

anymore.

Taking off

those tattling hinges

and leaving the door

wide-open

forever.

May all be blessed,

Troy

   

In remembrance of Bez...

He's still with us when we go out to fish.  Troy wears the red bandana we used to tie around Bez's neck so 1. we could spot him in the tall grass chasing the chizzlers and 2. an eagle wouldn't just come swoop down at him and fly off with Bez as dinner (instead the eagle would think, "what the ?#@$!% is that red thing down there?" 

This is our first summer without, him our little companion.  One thing he loved was summer and basking in the sun.  We miss him terribly- our first little "child" always wanting to be by your side, always wanting to go along for the car ride, looking out the window at the buffalo or the little chipmunks running across the road, or wanting to hitch a ride in the backpack or bike basket when his legs had enough or couldn't go fast enough...  we had 4 memorable years with little Bez- fishing, camping, cutting down Christmas trees, cross country skiing, snuggling on the couch, riding bikes, walking around town and hanging out at the flower shop.  Who knew that a little 12 lb. dog could give out so much love or that we would grow to love him as much as Troy and I loved each other?  He brought smiles to faces as we walked around town.  The wine shop knew him and even bought special little dog treats for him.  The ladies at the post office knew him, flower shop customers knew him, and boy did he expect treats from the tellers at the bank.

His best friend was Troy, but he knew I was mom and could get anything from me.  So this is dedicated to our Bez.  He lived a happy 4 years with us and is still with us in our hearts during all our summer adventures.  

   

Summer Fishing in Jackson

Finally, after a long and cold winter, we're able to enjoy life in Jackson...  the thing that we look forward to all winter long...  Jackson summer fishing season has begun.