Weekend update: Laguna Vista near Heron Lake, New Mexico

This weekend we left Albuquerque on Thursday night and headed north. Dulce Carolina did not like the drive and was meowing for quite a while. We arrived in Laguna Vista in the middle of the night and I unloaded lots of gear that was being moved north to start clearing out our house in Albuquerque.

Friday I made progress on the Great Drainage project, making pipe connections and starting to cover the upper end of the ditch. I also got to the Heron Lake Marina and retrieved a kayak, leaving only the State Parks patrol boat as the only boat remaining in the marina. In another month or two the marina cove is likely to freeze. Already temperatures in the area are low; we saw 15 deg. F temps. during our drive north and on early Saturday morning. Friday night we laid a fire in the fireplace and enjoyed it all night long and well into Saturday afternoon. The efficient fireplace did a great job of relieving the furnace and keeping much of the cabin warm.

Saturday saw further progress, with the pipe laid and ditch covered so we no longer had to cross a plank bridge over the ditch to get in the house. Although temps were chilly during the night, they reached 60 F on Friday and Saturday, so I had no need for layers; a long-sleeve shirt was plenty under mostly sunny skies.

Sunday saw yet more work done, so that the project is now mostly complete, secure and usable for the winter, and most of the dirt piles are gone. The only work remaining is at the bottom of one drainage line, some grading and covering with small rock at one drain inlet, and the final reconnection of an access ramp. Also accomplished was some work on our MacGregor, which is now partially covered with a tarp and has had items removed for safe winter storage.

Wildlife sightings were also part of the weekend; besides the usual mule deer and elk Carol Anne saw a bald eagle just two miles from our cabin. Willow Creek had a bit of flowing water and the Heron Lake level has stabilized; almost all of the water that can be taken out for the year has already been taken. Now we just need to hope for a good winter snowpack and spring runoff.

Weekends now will be prime writing time for Carol Anne now that she's started her NaNoWriMo novel, "Murder at the Spelling Bee".