I'm baaack. Well, it's deserty. It's hot. Was unusually hot last week. Yet, in the high 90's and over 100, when the humidity is about 10%, it ain't all that bad. Plus, there's air conditioning, thank goodness! Summer will still be my least favorite season. I crisp too easily. But I'm sure I will appreciate the 70/50 Spring and Fall weather, as well as the very mild Winters. Got to see some thunderstorms in the distance. Pretty amazing light show. I like that too. I'll miss the rain in the forest, but have to admit that a lot of sunshine is a nice thing.

There IS green in the area, at least near the Rio Grande which winds through the valley. I stumbled onto an older area of town along the river that looked almost like Home. I plan to go there when I'm missing green grass and abundance of trees.

Fortunately, our lot is also very near the Rio Grande, just further north. That makes for a much more rolling and slightly greener landscape than I was expecting. I couldn't see the terrain in the photos Spouse had sent. I was afraid it was dead flat. But, our lot actually has a lot of up-and-down to it. The house will sit on the high spot and we're positioning it to overlook acres of pecan trees on the property behind us. Since that property is a 26 acre commercial pecan grove, our green view should be well-preserved.

Our lot also has a couple of arroyos and a retention 'pond' area between us and the pecan trees. That should provide us with some natural watering during the 'wet season' since such places are preserved to allow rainwater to flow naturally from the mountains to the Rio Grande. Whatever we plant may get to make use of that water on the way. We'll need to get a trusted landscaper to help us figure out what works in that environment.

Had fun picking out the house details with Spouse. Kinda cool to make choices of this counter material over that, this tile or that, where we want recessed lighting, what color to use for stucco and trim, etc. I'd never done that before.

Now we hope the builders will get a move on... so we can get a move on. Our contract says we're supposed to have a completed house by August 30th. I'm not sure I believe that, given the slow startup, but sometime in September would still be acceptable... and none too soon.

Great to be with Spouse again. Even better when we are once again inhabiting our own house together again. He took me out to dinner all week, but especially for my birthday. We also walked the mall where he insisted I pick out a birthday present, since I hadn't given him even a single idea. I picked some really comfy, albeit ugly as homemade sin shoes ;) You may have seen them. They're like rubbery clogs with holes. I love them. Spouse doesn't. Hey, it was my choice. He was trying to get me to buy jewelry or something, but I just don't go in for a lotta bling. hehe

Anyway, I'm back in the current homestead and, for now, waiting on builders and looking for buyers and trying to keep my body in check until all these machinations form a cohesive life again. Whew.