In the past month we traveled across the country on the motorcycle, moved into our house in Prescott, AZ; met several of our neighbors, attended more social functions than we have in the entire last year in Vermont, and are beginning to feel comfortable in our home.
My days in Vermont were ruled by my calendar, filled with appointments with clients, running groups, volunteer activities, and writing assignments. My calendar these days contains blocks of empty space, leading to a much slower pace. In the past week I've:
- Transplanted two bushes and planted three new heuchera perennials that love the shade, and learned that the soil here truly is more rock than dirt. No wonder our neighbors use a jackhammer - the kind that you see workers using to break up concrete - to dig holes for planting. We picked a rainy, wet weekend to do the planting which made digging holes with a shovel a possibility.
- Attended Zoo by Moonlight at the Heritage Park Zoo where we walked around the animal sanctuary after dark, guided by flashlights. I saw my first javelina, wild pigs that roam our area, along with coyotes, mule deer, and even emu.
- Strolled around Prescott during the monthly 4th Friday Art Walk, visiting local art galleries and dreaming about pieces we can place in our house - someday.
- Went to dinner at a neighbor's home and talked about the motorcycle trips we plan to take together this Fall.
- Invited other neighbors over to give them tips about their trip to Vermont in September. They asked that if Vermont is so beautiful and has so much to offer, why did we move to Arizona?
- Met with Wendy, our interior design guru from Bella Home Furnishings to help us decide on furniture, colors, and decorating our home.
- Went to lunch with Margie Geiser, a dietitian I met years ago when we both volunteered with a national group, and who luckily lives in Prescott. It feels good to start to get to know the local dietitians and find out what's going on with nutrition in our community.
- I've been running almost every day, exploring trails and streets around our house. On the Peavine Trail early one morning I saw rabbits, heron, ducks, a mule deer, and a coyote long before I ever saw another person. Prescott is a mid-size town, but it's really easy to get outside town into the countryside and get a good idea of what Arizona was like 100 years ago.
- Baked a belated birthday cake for Mike, and learned that following the high altitude guidelines (Prescott is at 5400' elevation) is essential.
Mike's birthday cake: it rose too fast, overflowed the sides of the pans, and then sank in the middle. Not my best effort!
We're still not completely moved in, waiting for oak floors to replace the carpeting and shelves for the closets. We can fit both cars into the garage, thanks to a wall of shelves for boxes of things we don't use every day.The current goal is to have everything unpacked and put away in the next week. Now all we need is furniture for the living room!
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