Writing with Writers Block - Trip to Alamosa

Oh God, we're in a real desert here! Massive writer's block for months.

OK - just pushing through it, advice recently received from "The Pioneer Woman", on her blog.

I have kept myself pretty busy, recently. Back in August, I was in a minor car accident but the insurance company totaled my car (whose name is Bernard). However, I have had severe spring fever, recently, and that means I've been itching for a road trip. I have been thinking of taking a drive to Denver (5 hours away), as I miss city life and corporate coffee. I wanted to take Bernard on a test drive. So, on Wednesday, I pointed his headlights north and decided to see the scenery.

Once you get about 30 miles outside of Taos, there is NOTHING. Wow. Barren roads. Desert and sagebrush and mountains in the distance. A couple of ranches and houses and that is all, for about 25 miles. And then, a small town and the choice of making a left or a right. I turned the wheel to the left and decided to go to Alamosa, CO., the town from where the public radio station broadcasts. I was happy to see clapboard houses and pitched roofs. Different from the adobe saturation I have become used to. Downtown Alamosa has some restaurants and coffee shops and a very old looking J.C. Penney's. Funny to see modern fashions adorning the headless 1970's-era mannequins. I saw a Safeway a few blocks down the road, and a STARBUCKS sign. I satisfied my yen for corporate coffee.

Heading down another street, I came across a sign for "Community Acupuncture". In Seattle, I regularly received the needles in a group recliner chair setting. It was wonderful to do it again, and the acupuncturist was a young man who was very easy on the eyes. A double bonus. I learned that a community acupuncture office has opened in Taos, recently. I'll have to check it out.

After my treatment, I drove back home, using a different 2 lane highway. 70 miles later, I headed up my driveway. I had put 198 miles on Bernard, and he didn't pop or ping or lose much fluid. Sure the heater and air conditioning fan isn't working on settings 1 or 2 anymore. 3 and 4 seem to work just fine - even if the noise drowns out the radio.

Now that I know what lies directly to the North, maybe I will make that Denver trip. Armed with the knowledge that there is no cell phone service and no gas stations for 50 miles, I'll have to drive with a lot of faith.