I'm playing dirty...

At Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. There's nothing like a mud bath to ease the 900 mile jaunt to warmer temperatures, longer days and shorter shadows. 

I'm en route to Scottsdale, Arizona which should relieve my onset of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It's real. I wish it wasn't so. I've been lethargic, lazy and the simple task of placing an IPA to my limps has become a chore. Add the double whammy of being a cold weenie (I've worn pants for three days in a row!) and it explains the primary reasons why Barley the Van and me are now on the run.  

In two days I descended south from 40.5 degrees North to 36.3 degrees North. A gain of over 15 more minutes of daylight. Score!

Here's my post from last year when I was way too far north for early November. http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/11/arches-for-the.html

Be thankful you don't have this malady. You are saving heaps of money by not spending it on gasoline or airline tickets. 

Today I'll travel south of the frost zone.. It was 23 degrees in Ojo Caliente last night. Brrr. I'm glad Barley has plenty of blankets.

BTW: playing in the mud is fun.

Cheers!

Jeff

After Working too Many...

Halloweens, I can't say it's a number one Holiday on my personal hit parade. 

For emergency service employees, it was no party. 

We were usually up all night separating warring Witches and Warlocks, dealing with costumed drunks and seeing the results of mixing drinking with driving.

I might have scored a few hours of rest eventually, but woke feeling hungover even though an IPA never touched my lips. 

That all being said, the Sambur's know how to throw a fiesta. Here's some photos of the action.

The last photo is me in my "the guy who lives in a van down by the river" costume. The "Free Candy" sign is my nephews sick Sambur sense of humor at work. 

With the longer shadows and shorter days, Barley will soon be pointing south.

Cheers

Jeff

With a Dwindling IPA Supply...

and time constraints, Jenny and I retreated from Beyond the Zion Curtain to brew and marijuana friendlier Colorado. Despite less than stellar weather, we stayed in motion. We visited lots of stands of Red Rocks. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/10/hiking-between-the.html

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/10/a-heck-of-way-to-run.html

We had the moist fortune of glimpsing a rare tap pole shrimp. They occupy a small niche in the big order of things. Their whole life cycle revolves around the periodic pools of pot holes. 

Birth, childhood, sexual maturity, Happy Hour, parenthood and death all within the wet and dry cycle in a sandstone depression. They made great protein supplements for our dinners too. Use a really tiny lure to hook them if you want to be successful. They are most excellent when served up Cajun style. 

From The Hot Springs Lodge of Glenwood Springs,

(Barley the Van took the night off),

Jeff