Coaching in the wind

This makes me sad, but truly I cannot do any more than I already do right now.

(In case you’re unfamiliar with WordPress, that isn’t what my actual website looks like, that’s the software I use to edit the website). Here’s the top part of the actual page with the “not accepting new clients” update.

I’ve been meaning to get that update posted on my website for awhile now, but I’ve been reluctant. Today I just finally knew I had to do it, because today has been a day! It all started at 3:30 AM when I was awakened by high winds. I reached over to turn on my bedside white noise machine in hopes of drowning out (or at least evening out) the worst of it, when I realized I had unplugged it in order to plug in whatever else seemed more important at the time. By the time I got up, decided what I could unplug in order to plug in the noise machine, I was wide awake and did not go back to sleep.

Wind…my things not set up right…you guessed it, I am spending weeknights at the Placitas house. And why would I be doing that when I have my cosy townhome in Santa Fe a few short miles from work?

John’s out of town so I’m on dog duty. Up until this evening, I imagined that Placitas was the safest place for my little darlings, since I’m having work done at the townhome. I figured between the air conditioning guys, and Sam-the-backyard-brick-guy, someone would leave something open, even for a moment, and I’d lose the dogs. Surely they are totally safe in the Placitas house, with a doggie door that goes out to our new fortress-for-a-courtyard.

At shortly before 7:00 tonight, as I was approaching the house from a distance, I could see a big, gaping opening where the courtyard gate should have been. I immediately imagined all three dogs roaming the countryside, lost in the wind and looking rather enticing to the coyotes.

I quickly rescheduled in my mind – I would cancel on my 7:00 client (with no warning, but he’d understand), I’d post the dogs lost on NextDoor.com, and I might have to take the day off and look for them. How long did I have before it got dark? If I could just find them before dark…the likelihood of their survival out here would drop rapidly after dark.

I drove up to the top of that hill, barely parked the car, ran through the door, and there were three little dogs, dancing in the kitchen, happy to see me home!!! Why would they think of exploring the countryside when it was clearly dinner time?

Then I went out to inspect the gate. I assumed it had blown open, but oh my gosh, can you believe this? I’ve seen fences blown down by wind, but this is a mortared stone column reinforced with rebar. Is that nuts? This wind is not ok!

In the morning I’ll get up early and drive the dogs to the Santa Fe house on my way in to work. The mini-splits are done being installed, and I’ll tell Sam-the-backyard-brick-guy not to come tomorrow (not that he’s been coming very often anyway).

Remember when we first moved back from California and I spent a week at this house before John got here and before I found the rental? And there wasn’t a courtyard yet and I had no tools so I tried to put up a temporary fence with lattice panels propped up with rocks and tied with string? String! That seems so laughable now!