Sunday, September 30, 2007

Flagstaff, Hello!


After some tough goodbyes in Three Rivers we packed up the dogs, cat, and cars and headed east to Arizona. Thankfully, Bucky only meowed for the first hour or so and the drive itself was uneventful.

When we got to Flagstaff we headed to our temporary quarters (government talk for house) and unloaded. Until we find a place we are living at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, one of the three parks that make up the Flagstaff Monuments. (The other two are Wutpaki and Walnut Canyon.) Our house is about 15 minutes from downtown Flag. We did a little exploring over the next couple of days, finding some good restaurants and fun places to hang out.

Molly had to return to Sequoia for a couple weeks to help with end of the year closeout. That left me with the beasts, all alone in our new home. I spent my alone time starting to look at houses to find a place that we would all like. When Molly finally got back, I knew town a little better and had a few leads on some homes.

We still have lot to do. One of the biggest challenges is going to be finding a doctor we like. We have an appointment tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. Most of the people that were recommended to us are not accepting new patients. Molly is doing great, except for some occasional back pain. We have been playing music for baby and talking about names. (I think we are pretty sure now for a boy or girl.)

Work is going well for both of us. Molly has been a savior for her new boss, and of course it took about 2 seconds for everyone to love her. I'm also enjoying my new position, and adjusting to working inside. I do keep a number of pictures of my Little Five patrol area in the office to help remind me of my last two summers in the backcountry.

Flagstaff is a great place. The air is clear and we are surrounded by miles and miles of forest. We are loving the Fall weather and can't wait for a bit of snow. There is a great natural food store and I have already found my favorite coffee shop. We are really enjoying discovering great places to eat. We will be ready to entertain when you all come to visit.