The aforementioned Soft Toys were on their way to Brooklyn by the time we freezingly checked the Habib storage…

…another foot-fixing trip to La Veta, encompassing as well lunch with Adrienne and Mary in their menagerie above the Bakery, which pretty much took care of Tuesday…

Wednesday ended early but we were still late for dinner next door having discovered the low tire light on in the truck…nothing to be done so away in the cold cold night, brilliant with stars, for a brilliant evening among Buddhists…

Last day of the year walked up the canyon as far as Libre’s Spring and back for an after-lunch air-up from Leon’s compressor [not shown];

After various abbreviated workings we were off across the valley [obscured by ice clouds all day] for a New Year’s Eve dinner.  Snowing when we left, snowing when we came back and a most fun time in the interim at John and Eva’s with Jon and Patsy [of Christmas Eve fame] imbibing, talking, eating and appreciating Eva’s collages until the New Year hit New York…

On the First L. and I struggled to the Lone Pine with its vast views across the valley and beyond…something we used to do every evening, as well as all the way up the creek most mornings…we haven’t made it “all the way” up the creek, either, this trip, and this was our first time to the Lone Pine.

Soon after to Muffin’s for a multitudinous event, with most of the local factions in attendance, abundant quantities of food, smoke, drink and visitations through the afternoon unto [for Dean, our neighbor Mary Ann and us anyway] sundown…many old friends, many of us grown old.  Lives interesting, some mysterious; a good time seemingly had by all…

On the second day of the new año, a VERY cold walk up the creek at ten…

…and then El Depot, followed by nothing much at the P.O. and a wait across the street for our goat cheese to show up with Mark, during which L. revisited the remains of the park she and the banditos from the County Road Crew had put together nearly forty years ago, which is slated for restoration [elephants included] soon…

After that an afternoon – and evening – undisturbed; hard to know how to act after all that constant social activity…

Sunday, yet another day into this 2016, was water-filling and a visit from the poet who will work here on his master’s thesis in the spring,

…then again the lone pine, not getting any much easier;

A brief pause in the afternoon after water filled,

…a brief visitation to the studio and then, grandfather Dean here, the skype to Brooklyn, witnessing Soft Toys deployed…

and so on, day being done…

…until another one, another [and last] trip to Lopine…

…a last visit to the space upstairs, a last waning of the light [not quite];

And, last of last days, early over to La Veta to have the tire [it was a drywall screw] and foot fixed, too;

Some La Veta houses, one of which will be our friends’ soon. Then, already looking forward to coming back in summer for farm-to-table lunches and more tune-ups to the sorry foot, back across the valley;

…and home to lunch. Rest, pack, load, a last little walk as sun sinks into the west and…

Ready!

Ready to go…somewhere.

M