Merry Christmas

This is my first Christmas in Bedford, Kentucky. I got to thinking of all the different places I have spent Christmas. It was more than I remembered. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico so that is where I spent my first couple of Christmas'. Dad was in the Air Force so we moved frequently. We had a Christmas in Pampa, Texas, and a couple in Burlington, Vermont. Then we had four Christmas's while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. That was followed by a couple at McDill Air Force Base outside of Tampa, Florida and then one at Davis Montain Air Force Base near Tucson, Arizona. Dad retired and we were off to Sandpoint, Idaho for a couple of years and then it was back to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two years later we moved to Chandler, Arizona for one Christmas and while there I joined the Navy. My next Christmas I was living in San Diego, California and had just married my husband. The Navy sent us to Great Lakes, Illinois, and then separated us so my husband could go off to fight a war while went to stay with my parents in Silver City, New Mexico. One year apart and then two Christmas's together in Silver City and we were off to Albuquerque, New Mexico again. We had four Christmas's there and gained a son to spent them with and we moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico just west of Albuquerque. We then spent 20 years in one house so 20 Christmas's there followed by 14 years in another house in Rio Rancho.
     Now I find myself living in Bedford, Kentucky and having my first Christmas here. What a change it has been over the years. I have had some really good holidays and some not so good. I have lost several loved ones in December which makes it hard to have a good Christmas. And we have had lots of good friends and family for Christmas but most of the time it was just my husband and I and our son. This Christmas it has been the three of us plus his long-time girlfriend and a couple of friends.
     I have had Christmas where we put up lots of decorations-live trees, lights all over the front yard and through out the house and I have had holidays where we did very little. In Illinois we used a bunch of cholla cactus skeletons for the decorations to hang on as we couldn't afford a tree. Several years in Rio Rancho we got permits and went to cut a tree in the Jemez Mountains about an hour from us. One year it was a 12 foot tree to fill our 13 foot ceiling in the great room we had added to our little house. One year we had a nice 6 foot tree and three 4 month old kittens. Oh, did they want to have fun with that tree. Each night I had to take them into my bedroom so the tree would still be standing the next morning. As a child we had several parakeets that liked to perch in our Christmas trees. Wish we had got some photos of them in the tree.
   Where will my next Christmas be. I have no idea. I have plans to be in a different house even if it is here in Kentucky. But as I miss New Mexico so much I have had thoughts of going back there. My sister lives there so maybe I could at least spend Christmas with her.
   Take time to think about all the Christmas's and holidays you have spent and what they have meant to you.

Ohio River Barges

 We frequently see barges being pushed either up or down the Ohio River when we go to Carrollton, KY or Madison, IN. I never realized so much freight was still moved from place to place by river barges until we moved here. We were in Point Park at the edge of Carrollton one day recently when we got to see 2 barges pass either on the Ohio River. Here are a few photos of that. Then I got a close up of what the barges were carrying and it looks like coal. I figure it is coal for the power plants that are up and down the river. There are 3 power plants in this area.

 This photo is of a barge on the Ohio River as seen from a look out point above the town of Carrollton, KY

This photo was of the Ohio River and to the left of the river is where the Kentucky River comes into the Ohio River.

Looking For a House

So I am off looking for a house. As this blog is named - looking for a different trail - again. We moved from Rio Rancho, New Mexico to Bedford, Kentucky this past August. We have been living with my son and his girlfriend since we moved and we are now looking for our a house to call our own.
      I find it amazing at the different house that are on the market. Some are really nice and others are real dumps. Even though we are qualified for a decent size house we don't want to get one so expensive we have a heck of a high mortgage payment each month. We have been looking for one in the lower end of price ranges so we don't have a high payment but those are the ones that seem to be in the worst shape. In Kentucky and most of the states near us and east of us, many homes have basement. (In New Mexico a basement is really rare in a home.) But every house we looked at that had a basement had a leak of some kind in the basement - either from the frequent rains here or from the natural seepage of water here. Don't the people that own these houses realize that no mortgage company with let someone buy a house that leaks? Putting a leaky house on the market means no sale unless a person comes along that can pay cash for the house. Thats not going to happen very often.
    Another big problem with people that put there homes up for sale is that they don't think about cleaning the house up before they try to sale it. A house that is full of junk is going to be harder to sale. I have looked at some houses that would be a dream for a hoarder, but sure wouldn't pass any kind of appraisal for a mortgage.
     Of course an empty house doesn't have this problem and many of the houses I looked at were empty. But then you can see every little flaw in the flooring, the paint, the chips in the cabinets, the handprints on the windows. A word to the wise - a clean house, fresh paint, and no clutter will help sell your house if you really want to sell it.
   Which reminds me of the first house we put an offer in on. It was an empty house on an acre of land with a large garage and nice yard. Price was a bit higher than we wanted to pay but it had everything we wanted and was fairly close to my son's home. It had been on the market several months. We made an offer for close to what they were asking for it. They turned down our offer and pulled the house off the market. So why had they put it up for sale in the first place if they didn't want to sell it?
   Of well. I will keep looking and hope we find something similar in the near future.

Trees and Leaves

Madison Bridge

Took this picture of the bridge between Milton, KY (where I was) and Madison, IN. There are several bridges across the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky. This is the one about 15 minutes from where we live. Our address says we are in Bedford KY but we are about half way between Bedford and Milton. Neither little town has much in the way of shopping so we usually end up in Madison, IN. Although sometimes we make the half hour drive to Carrollton, KY. Madison is very historic but I like Carrollton better.

Colorful Leaves

Maple Leaves