Nov. 22, 2005 — A Windows crash has me reinstalling programs on my computer. I wasn’t counting on that. But actually it’s a good thing as my computer is running more smoothly now and I have a pretty good idea how to do it if I should need to again. Kelly and I sometimes say that we have “good bad luck” — that is, we have bad luck like anyone does, but usually there is something in it that turns out well.

I’m glad to still be in Crestone around now, actually. There’s a wonderful local nonprofit called Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, they put on a free Thanksgiving-style potluck for the whole community. It’s one of the social high points of the year, with hundreds of people coming over the afternoon. I greatly enjoyed telling people that we are buying some land here. And that will be a done deal tomorrow!

This weekend, along with eating with friends on Thursday, we’ll enjoy the annual Winterfest, with crafts and all sorts of things for sale in several venues around town. Our target is to leave by December 1st but it’s okay if we run over by a few days.

Great news in the cat department, both here and in Mexico — our two cats here, sister and brother Midnight and Moonlight, can stay in our house till we come back. We don’t really want to take them to Mexico as there are so many feral cats in the neighborhood. And our Mexican cat, Misty, has had several visits from an American friend of ours there, and he reports she is a bit timid but quite playful and friendly too.

Packing is pretty much in hand now. It’s more the work stuff that is grueling. Temperatures are in the teens every night lately — an incentive to go south!