Last few days of last year, first few days of this year

We spent the last few days of 2025 enjoying our time away and continuing to blow our sneezely noses.     A couple more delicious dinners/lunches (or were they linners?) were eaten at some of our favorite restaurants and a few more road trips were taken before heading back to Wickenburg.

Whitewater Preserve

a happy man at The Farm

Dudley's goodies and Julian Pie!

One day we drove south to visit a favorite spot, Borrego Springs.    Included in that drive, of course, was a quick stop in San Ysabel for some goodies at Dudley's and a few (yes, a few....) Julian Pies for the road.    (We managed to save one Strawberry/Rhubarb pie to share with MonaLiza and Steve when they came for dinner a few weeks ago - such willpower....) 

  The wildflowers were just beginning to show their pretty faces to the stark desert.   I was surprised to see them that early in the year, I wish we'd planned more time to explore!   

 

sand verbena

No visit to Borrego is complete without an off road drive to Font's Point.   It's an impressive spot with forever views and deafening silence.    We felt Jeff Pierce's spirit all around.

We got back home on the Saturday after New Years Day.   Mother nature decided to give us a bit more rain and cold weather just for fun.

raindrops make him grumpy

Taos enjoyed eating the ice we pulled from the birdbath

Taos was very happy to get back into the house and claim the favored spot in front of "his" fireplace.

Unsettled weather always brings beautiful skies here in the desert, so there's always that silver lining.

 All that rain encouraged a verdant desert - something we rarely see.

We were surprised when the mailman delivered a few post-Christmas goodies for us.    Thanks Judi and Cindy!

Judi always sends us Dave's favorite cookies, mmmm

Cindy P didn't forget our boy

Dave has been busy with all the things Dave is always busy with.     Ordering new tires for Beluga, chasing down and fixing the infuriating "codes" the Jeep has been throwing, pulling weeds, trimming bushes, taking Beluga's refrigerator out and locating an exact replacement, rebuilding Beluga's furnaces "redecorating" his bathroom, etc. etc.

I kept telling him it doesn't go with the decor....

Taos has been busy also, well, as busy as Taos gets.....

waiting patiently for happy hour to begin

dozing on his jolly ball during a lull in playtime.....

And....here's Annie testing her daddy's climbing wall project.    Fun, she proclaims!