Turkey in Albuquerkey - November 24-28, 2004

Tucsonans are periodically required to leave town to remind them that most of the rest of the country has winter in November. To enhance our brief exile, we reserved a night in a papier-maché teepee at Faywood Hot Springs.

Not surprisingly, the teepee had an extremely low "R" value and our faces stung from the cold.

However, the "rrrrr" value was extremely high. Our cat hostess wasted no time diving between the sleeping bags.

A pre-breakfast dip definitely took the edge off the morning frost.

The mad scientist's experiment with a shovel, white gas, paper towels and a car battery was very exciting, but he eventually concluded that it would be easier to light the camp stove with a match.

We followed a backroad north from Faywood that winds along the Mimbres River. The river was outlined with yellow cottonwoods that shaded ancient hip-roofed adobe farmhouses. Once we joined NM 52, we climbed into snow-capped mountains to emerge in Emory Pass, where we could see all the way to the Rio Grande Valley.

In addition to real winters, people who don't live in Tucson also have real jobs for companies that don't derive 100% of their revenue from the sale of second homes and SUVs. Tom and Ann live in a magnificent straw bale and adobe home that they designed themselves and that they share with three wired golden retrievers and an equal number of handsome horsies.

The Caudells are beaudacious cooks and gracious hosts. And they both moonlight as pointers on "The Price is Right."

Dennis healed the wireless internet connection with magical incantations and a few sprinkles of Fleishmann's yeast.

However the gentlemen disagreed on the size of "Mr. Buffalo."

The entire gaggle including Ken and Gayle collected on the roof for a view of the full moon rising over the Sangre de Christo Mountains.

Many thanks to Tom and Ann for a memorable Thanksgiving weekend!