On moving, sedated cats and west Texas

Well, we are here!  Fort Davis, Texas.  In my opinion, one of the prettiest places in Texas.  But, then, I love big sky country.  And the night skies are just amazing, swathed with a zillion stars.  There is very little light from street lights or home lights here.  We are close the the McDonald Observatory (16 miles from FD)  and light pollution is not happening around here.  There are rules in place that streetlights have to be of a certain kind so as not to put too much light into the atmosphere.  Ft. Davis is much, much smaller than Alpine, 24 miles south of us, and so it is very quiet here.  I just love it!  And so does Joe.  He lived here as a kid and said it was like coming home.  And I've loved this area from the first time I came here with previous husband back in 1984.  He and I vacationed in Big Bend National Park many, many times and then when I met Joe we started vacationing in this area...Big Bend included...in early 2000.  

Guess you are wondering how the move went.  Well, it was just hell for me.  But mostly because the night before the movers came we were trying to get as much stuff ready as possible and were up til about 1ish.  Then up by 7 and I barely got 5 hours sleep.  Nowadays, I can NOT function on that amount of sleep.  So I was a zombie the next morning.  When the movers arrived, the rain began.  Yes, the entire week before the move was gorgeous, perfect weather.  The night before the move, my severe storm alert radio went off multiple times warning of tornadoes, hail, etc, blah blah blah. 

Next morning...The movers pulled up, the skies opened.  They came on in and were the nicest, most polite young men and were just great about everything.  They would do prep work until the rain would let up, then they would load stuff on the truck.  I finally gave up and took a pillow and blanket out to my car...the Avalon....and let the seat back all the way and went to sleep with the rain on the car roof soothing my frantic mind. 

Woke up, drank coffee, went to vet for mild sedative for our cat Monk, came back, movers pulled out and headed west.  Joe's brother Tim had left already pulling a UHaul loaded with Joe's precious plants and trees and my precious rusty wire art.  Joe and I spent another hour going through house mopping up mud and water and loading up anything that we deemed needed to go but hadn't made it onto truck.  Both our cars were parked on the lawn by the house and since it had rained inches and inches all morning naturally one of our cars was stuck in the grass/mud.  (I didn't say I told you so but sure wanted to when I saw that Joe had parked cars in the yard.  Of course, he didn't know it would rain all morning long and turn yard into a muddy hell.)  So, I got behind wheel, he got behind car to push, told me to leave window down so I could hear him, I gunned the gas, the car took off and the mud flew!  All over the driver's side and all over my left arm!  Boy, did we have a stress relieving laugh over that!  It was a wonderful moment in the mud.

Cat in my car, gently sedated and quiet, and we left Waco...grinning.  Joe in our old Honda Accord, me in the Avalon.  Four hours later I couldn't go any further and he followed me to motel we know in Junction, TX, and I got room and he went on another hour and a half to Ozona where he got a room alongside his brother Tim and the UHaul.  So they were up at 5 next morning so as to make it here to Ft. Davis to meet with movers to unload into our new home.  Me and Monk slept until 10 and then hit the road.  I got to FD about 4, movers gone, north wind blowing through the house, storms brewing south of us and eventually unloading rain and a brilliant lightning storm upon us as we sat at the table on the covered patio outside and just grinned our tired asses off. 

The movers had sat up the beds so we slept like Lincoln Logs.  Brother Tim, always an early riser, had left when we got up as he headed back north with an overnight stop planned in Odessa where he stayed with a cousin.  Later he texted a thank you for letting him be a part of the move!  Can you believe that?  What a guy.  And he is.  Just like Joe.  A real person with a bright spirit. 

We are busy every day unpacking and trying to find things and just loving every moment of being here.  Got our library cards!  Joined the health food store co-op in Alpine today....yay, organic produce and a bulk section!  I am on cloud nine about that!  And a bottle of bubbly from New Mexico (Gruet Brut...try it)....has kept me in giggles.  But I'm telling you...that moving day was HELL!