I have good news and I have bad news. First the good news: Nama is really starting to fit in. Now, the bad news: again, Nama is really starting to fit in. Unfortunately, she is now starting to fit into what was left of my space on the bed. It was bad enough with Charlie crammed up against my left side, but now Nama had insinuated herself between Charlie and I. At best, this is…

Nine years ago tomorrow, Charlie and I met on the side of a lonesome highway, and it's been quite a trip since then.It's both funny and tragic; Charlie is slowing down physically, but mentally she is still The Queen. In an effort to ensure altitude sickness on my part, Mom has recently put risers under the feet of the casa del cama. And as it's a bit higher than Charlie prefers, some nights she expresses…

Yesterday, I took an eighteen-hour road trip to help out a buddy of mine. After many droning hours behind the wheel, we were both a bit punch drunk from the constant assault of the road. But I have found that towards the end of any journey is when the conversation usually tends to "get real", and we were closing in on the Casa when I caught myself making the observation, "I'll be glad when this…

Twas the night before Charkmas and I was already in bed With Charlie’s black butt against the side of my head Marco curled betwixt my short legs where he is known to head to Making three roasting chestnuts where there should have been two Nama, Bilbo and Titus making the rest of the crew The inmates of the Casa seemed to be so much less few. With Mom in her jammies and I in my…

When I was just a sprout, I read a book that altered my life forever, "The Education of Little Tree". It is the autobiography of Forrest Carter, an orphaned boy who was adopted and educated by his Cherokee grandparents. Although it started out as a just a great story, actually winning the Newbery Award, the book became one that influenced me greatly for the rest of my life. It managed to seamlessly weave into the…

The story of Nama... A few months ago, I was doing a early morning home inspection in one of the more "interesting" parts of town. You know what I'm talking about, the type of neighborhood where you might consider strapping up for reason A: for a modicum of protection, or B: just so you "fit in", fashion wise. I was pulling out (of the neighborhood), when I saw something tiny and white streak across the…

The New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route, or NMBDR, is a 1300 mile combination of jeep trails, fire roads and single track across the most remote regions of New Mexico. Starting in Dell City, TX and ending at Antonito, CO, the BDR crosses mountain ranges, desert vistas, and every other land feature imaginable(but obviously no swamps), and usually takes 1-2 weeks to complete, based on weather and other acts of God. A few years ago, Zach,…