Saying Goodbye to Fairplay

This will be the last post from Fairplay, CO… at least from 680 Castello.  We have really enjoyed our time in Fairplay.  We have been here 3 years to the day, and experience a ton of personal/relationship/and professional growth.  We are not the same people that moved to this town of 600 people. South Park.  Elev., 10,000 feet (3050 meters).  Ok, I’m getting nostalgic and weepy just thinking about it.

If you recall we ended up in the RV because finding land that was perfect was difficult.  We did find one piece that we LOVE just north of Fairplay, and at the time I said if the seller came down $15,000 I’d buy it, hands down.  Well, on January 1 we took my sister and brother-in-law, Monica & Dave, out to see it and low and behold, the owner had lowered the price $10,000… Oh well, we had already committed to the RV lifestyle, and our cash was depleted… And more importantly we agreed not to commit to one place until we experience the country for  years.  SO, while I fantasize about coming back to Fairplay when we are done RV’ing… truth is, that land will be sold, we don’t have a lot of close friends to bring us back, and it snowed yesterday (April friggin 22nd)!  Packing the RV has been made more difficult by the cold weather, and both of us are looking forward to being able to avoid these COLD temperatures (20 this morning)!  We may just never look back.

My footprints in the snow this morning going out to get clothes from the RV to wear.

So instead we look forward!  Moving into a house on wheels 5 days from now.

We had 2 garage sales this month.  First one was to be at home but got snowed out, so the following weekend we went down to Monica’s house in Berthoud, north of Denver, and decidedly warmer!  While they worked on their garden, Mike and I had a garage sale and sold a TON of stuff.  We went down with a car packed full and a trailer packed full, came home with a car full but an empty trailer.  We are having to be ruthless, but it is much more gratifying to thing someone will appreciate our stuff, than to think that we are just dumping it.  Because this is good stuff… things we would be keeping if we had a house to keep it in.  We have made the decision if it is replaceable (ie, not sentimental, nor difficult to replace), we would not store it and add to our storage burden.  The gun safe has to be stored, so we will have to have storage, but will be trying to keep that to a minimum.  Items like my sewing machines… while I’d like to have them with me, it is not practical with the frequency I use them, So I have decided to store them and save up the sewing projects for the time when we are in Albuquerque (where our storage unit will be).

Anyhow, while in Berthoud Monica was also celebrating her birthday, another reason to visit.  She planned an afternoon tea at a local tea house, followed by a visit to the Leanin’ Tree museum which is going to be closing down soon after 70 years, and then followed by a woman coming over to teach us how to make Pysanky Eggs.  What a wonderful afternoon it turned out to be.  If you get a chance and are in Boulder, be sure to visit the Leanin’ Tree before October 2017.

In the sculpture garden outside Leanin’Tree

Pysanky Eggs

The following weekend we had a garage sale in Fairplay.  We held it on one day only, thinking the population would not support it.  But in the end we had a steady stream of people, (who were excited to see a garage sale in our little town.. since I guess everyone thinks it’s too small).  And we ended up doing almost twice the business!  So much that I thought we don’t have anything left for a third garage sale in Albuquerque next month that we were planning… BUT of course, since then we keep finding more things and adding them to the pile!  We will have a garage sale in Albuquerque next month.  In the meantime we are keeping a table with FREE stuff outside.  It’s amazing the people that will stop.

So the month was highlighted by garage sales… Sad but true.  I did go square dancing to my club, mostly to say goodbye.  I went a second night to see my friend who was calling from Tucson, Rick Gittelman.  Love dancing to Rick because he is very creative with his calling.  And I went into Denver for a dance one night, to dance at the club Plus.com, a club I’ve been trying to dance with for a few years… Nothing like moving to help you get all those things done that you wanted to do for years.  I also went to yoga for the first time in a long time and will be going to water aerobics this week… again to say goodbye.

Rick and I

And yesterday I finally finished my office in the RV.  Yay!  I am going to love it!  I knew Mike would come through, but it was an exercise in patience for me, as this was the most important thing for me in the RV.  We converted the passenger seat to an office for me, when you rotate the seat to the rear.

Today I got out for a short moment to pick up a geocache, near that property I mentioned above.  Beautiful day, really great cache (one of my favorites), and as I drove I soaked it all in…  Goodbye Fairplay, Colorado!  You are truly beautiful.