I finally broke down and did it. I am in the process of purchasing a Piaggio MP3 400cc scooter. I found one within driving distance at Santa Fe. 2008 model, 27 miles on the speedo, $5700. These babies list at $8500 or so. Though I did see a couple on Ebay for $6000-$6500 brand new with warranty, plus $600 shipping. However I am reluctant to buy high dollar items on Ebay. This one I could lay hands on!

Unfortunately I did not ride it. The seller’s ‘street’ was very thick crushed stone, the likes of which I did not feel was appropriate to take my first cycle ride in many years, especially with no helmet, short sleeve shirt and sneakers. Also, I will have to wait for a visit to AZ to register it and get my license motorcycle endorsement. What, I have to wag through those pylons and stop from 40mph on a line with a spectator again? I should have kept my endorsement for the last 20 years!

So hopefully later today I will have this sitting in the back of my truck (mine will be blue). At least I hope it will sit there, as it is longer than the truck bed.

I took a trip to Santa Fe to look at the scooter that I am thinking of buying. Effortless trip going, unintentially took the wrong way home. I guess I was day dreaming about scootering.

I mistakenly headed toward Albuquerque on the way back, spotted a ‘short cut’ to save some miles on the map. The short cut turned into 17 miles of unimproved rough forest service road. I hopped that it would emerge on the other side of the forest, after all the map indicated a through road. Bit with a quarter inch on a crowded map representing 20 miles, I was not sure. Fortunately I did not have to back track as the road finally popped out in civilization.

One side benefit was the beautiful fall colors of changing leaves through the forest. That was probably the only chance at seeing fall colors and it would have been missed if I had not taken the shortcut. Of course I had no camera!

After following my blogs for three or four years, Bob S. caught up with me here. He rumbled in from a one month loop through the southwest driving his wonderful 1994 Foretravel motorhome, heading back home to IL. It was great to meet Bob in person, having exchanged several emails sporadically over the years. He was traveling alone because his wife likes the horses at home more than the Foretravel, refusing to travel in it.

We worked on his dysfunctional Datastorm system most of the day, with spurts of visiting in the shade to break the work. Unfortunately we did not succeed in getting his system running, and both of us were reluctant to fully accept the apparent results of our troubleshooting – a bad Hughes modem. Hopefully Bob can repeat some of our tests at home to come to a clearer conclusion.

John C., the LoW member parked here, Bob and I went to Mountair for the local (kinda) Sunday buffet lunch. We were too late for the breakfast buffet, being somewhat lazy about getting out and about.

Bob is an avid bicycle racer, and found races on the fly while touring the western states. Unfortunately Bob crashed his cycle on Saturday and could not ride here.

Bob sold a lucrative business and retired at 42. One of those guys I admire with green envy. But I do continue to struggle along on my meager pittance.

Bob was picking some of my locations from my blog and visiting them. I could tell that he was enjoying the trip and will be making many more tours in his forty foot Foretravel!

Annie T. Dog is trying to be a mouser. She would be pretty good, except for a few things: The night lighting is dim, she almost knocks me off my feet if she chases something, she is stone deaf, and she has fading eyesight.

And it could also be due to her hunger. I made the mistake of giving her minestrone soup leftover, mostly liquid. Apparently she likes minestrone, as she is holding out for two days now for more. Not eating dog food.

Or perhaps she is full of baby mice captured while I sleep.

The weather has been beautiful. Nothing exciting this week, mostly hanging out, reading, computing, napping etc.

A visitor appeared this afternoon. A ‘stranger’ named Bob C., a LoWs member, ask as I was sitting outside if I was a LoWs or SKP. So we chatted a few minutes. Seems that we may be going the same direction from here.

A follower of my blog is supposed to pass by here Sat./Sun. He just wants to meet the gifted hand with fat fingers that types these meaningless essays. Hasn’t shown up yet, though. He is apparently a bicycle racer, so hopefully he has not had a crash.

Tomorrow’s Sunday Buffet (all-you-can-eat x 2) already beckons.