Sunday, November 9, 2014

A place like home: Datil, New Mexico

Contentment has eroded my blogging skills. Instead of using the Internet as nature intended (Blogger and Facebook), I have been using it to order some necessities and niceties from faraway lands (Amazon).

There have been parties, and breakfasts, and lunches, and visits with friends, and civic duties, and in-between there have been glorious solitude and home projects. My friend, John, has been schooling me on the mathiness of solar power, and telling me what I need in order to use the small system already in place.












I have been ordering shelving, and my favorites by a neck, shoulders, and withers are these units from Seville Classics:





About the same price I've paid for flimsy shelves from Walmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond, and super-solid. Unbelievably easy to assemble, and look who's telling you that.
While I'm feeling appreciative of stuff, let me tell you about my new Acer Chromebook:

This is what I really wanted when I bought a tablet - I just didn't know it. Thirteen (13!) hour battery life, charges in a fraction of the time it takes my laptop, does almost everything I want a laptop to do, very lightweight. This is a chromebook with just 16 Gb of hard-drive, so it's not suitable for storing much. However, you can offload pictures to it and edit with Chrome photo editor extensions.

If you're a Firefox user, you can't download the browser to these machines, but you can install a User-Agent Switcher extension if you need a website to see a browser other than Chrome.
Weather here has been lovely. Maybe a sweater during the day, warm blankets at night. I got to volunteer at the local food pantry this week, and even got a little sweaty.
My friend and social director, Betty (Datilady), makes sure I don't stay idle or solitary for too long. She knows a lot (A LOT) of people.
If you're worried that my tires will get square here, I'm off to Arizona high country for Thanksgiving. After that ... uh, I'll have to let you know.

19 comments:

Grace said...

You sound happy and that makes me smile. Good for you!

Evie said...

WOW look at your cute kitchen. Looks like you're settling in nicely and having fun too. :)

Evie said...

forgot to say. I lived for 7 years off the grid. Piece of cake. You can do it too. :) :)

Unknown said...

Yay! I've been needing some Roxanne time!

Texas Yellow Rose said...

You know, I was a bit worried for a while about the sparse minimalist . . . roughing it . . . look of your wee abode. Now, however, I'm breathing again seeing how cozy and cute it is becoming. It is even "becoming" in that attractive sense of the word. Makes me even want to visit. Don't be skeered now . . . Hey, are those Oxo containers on the counter? We have some and they're nifty. Okay, I'm outta here. Well done on the home, Roxi!

Maura said...

I feel I am just getting a sense of You and your humor, so enjoy your posts and especially your Lil abode in NM! Actually, makes us want to find something similar. Any suggestions? Ms. Duck Master?

Maura

Kate said...

Hey, it kinda looks like somebody _lives_ there.

JO said...

Since I posted on FB I thought I wouldn't have anything new for here. But I do. I feel the you in all you have done,. You seem happier and well a little more settled with things. I know you will still do your camping stuff can't give that up entirely now can we. Happy is all over your cabin.

Chuck and Anneke's RV travels said...

Great pictures of the sky!

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

WOW! You're doing some serious nesting, there, Rox! I don't know how, but your typed words exude peace and happiness! Yeah you!

The Good Luck Duck said...

Y'all, I've reread this a few times, and I don't know how it happened, either. I am very happy, and very peaceful, and even if I had tried to express that, I'm not sure I could have.

As far as finding a little nestworthy place, Maura, they're around. You can find them as small and basic or as big and luxurious as you would most enjoy. When you get out this far, you can find reasonably-priced land, too; there just aren't many stores or businesses within an hour's drive.

Betty, I found out I could manage with very little, and then every new "luxury" item added to my comfort. Now I have to learn the point of diminishing returns!

Evie, for sure! You know how it is. I tell people it's "off-off-grid," because the off-grid amenities are still in the future.

Thanks, you guys, for your well-wishes. I definitely can't give up the road; this place is my rest area.

Jodee Gravel said...

So wonderful to have the time to spruce up the landing pad! Those shelves look perfect - love anything on wheels for a small space. The skies are spectacular - glad you're learning how to maximize their power (I hate math). Enjoy the enjoying :-)

Dragonfly said...

This is a far cry from the pictures of when you first found you little home. It does look like 'home'

Shadowmoss said...

I've got 3 sets of those 6' shelves, and one of them actually put together in my shed. They started life for me in Nashville, traveled to Olympia, WA, Honduras (think I left one of the original 4 there...) and now here in Phoenix. Taken apart and put back together as many times. A pain doing it alone x3, but doable. Not much worse for wear (them or me...). You can order replacement parts if you lose some (yeah, had to have some sent to Honduras...).

Simply Lesa said...

I'm just feeling happy for you.

And you give me hope!

Roxi said...

Thanks, Lesa! Yay!

Shadow, they seem really sturdy to me - I'm not surprised they're still with you.

You're right, Dragonfly. It does feel like a home now.

Thanks, Jodee! Life is sweet, and sunny.

Angie Mizzell said...

This makes my heart smile, too! Maybe that's what all that traveling we do in this life is for, anyway. Once we find what we're looking for, even if it comes as a surprise, why not decorate the place and stay a while? xo

Bill said...

Love the sunset photos. Or is it sunrise? Beautiful either way.

¡Vizcacha! said...

Right on both counts, Bill!

I like that a lot, Angie. Thanks.