Awfully early Thursday as soon as the twenty-three hour fill was filled we were off to Gardner,

Walsenburg for a brief look at the Habib and last trip to the dump,

then Pueblo to collect the next season’s sausages from Gagliano’s before the requisite [if drastically premature] follow-up visit to Dr. Grimard, a few last grocery essentials and home

in time for lunch. Friday saw a final foray up Dry Creek – Linda turned back halfway

[too much to do, too little time] but I went all the way

so the dogs could have a last

squirrel sighting

and I

a last Dean sighting.

We took the pear Mary’d hybridized from a Habib shoot [not shown – Mountain Mahogany

here] down to Mountain Water as we thought it would be happier

there than 1300 miles west in the shade of Benicia’s Alien Palms and

returned to the Trauma of Departing in earnest.  After lunch I began

arranging the glass and bronze sculpture parts to accommodate our packing containers,

had a semi-last look upstairs [that “finished” painting wasn’t – maybe…now?

Maybe…others?],

kept tentatively stuffing stuff into the Taco,

took a small walk

and suddenly it was Saturday…lunch, etc., more of the same.

Next day, last day, many onerous tasks done, we said goodbye to Sprout and Mary Ann and

walked down the hill to that last glass of wine on the porch, last candlelit dinner. Resolved:

this nomadic existence ain’t getting any easier.