It's raining - first time I've seen rain since we arrived here.  I'm sure the rest of the snow will now melt and all the robins hanging around will begin nesting soon.  The trees in Shiprock have begun to leaf out, but not here yet.  Soon.   But we won't be here to see it.

Wayne got confirmation from Liz that HR isn't going to renew him.  They just don't have the census for it.  What a pity! I was really looking forward to being here thru the summer.

However, next week will be a flurrie of interviews - U of MO, and two places in SC - Charleston and Orangeburg.  And who knows what else might pop up?  Terry of Cross Country said she had a few available in CA, MT, and WA, and while I doubt they can meet our price in CA - high COL means we want more like $1300 or so a week - and MT is still snowbound and no camps open - WA is still a possibility.  If we had to chose I think Charleston is the better choice - it's actually a sterile tech job, with no call, at the VA.  Getting a needle driver from there would be easy!  And he needs one in order to practice sew up pigs feet. Not only that, but I will be able to find an ortho doc and GET MY DAMNED KNEE DONE!  Without having to go thru the hassle of switching from TriSouth to TriWest.

So we leave this coming Saturday.  I need to get the place into order to move, and get the truck oil changed.  Will try to put off getting the propane cannisters refilled until we get to Springfield and can enlist Chris's strong right arm (and left!) to haul them in and out of the truck!  Wayne's shoulder, while improving slowly, isn't good enough to do that.

I spent way too much at the swapmeet yesterday!  Took Wayne in and then, after he finished with a scope and doing laundry, we went into town.  Hit the ATM and then the swapmeet.  I bought a bag of pinons, some things for Micha, a pendant each for Mama and Eve, and got two key chains engraved for Brean and Orin.  Misspelt Brean's name, of course.  It's Breanainn I think and I forgot the extra 'n'.  Oh well!  I hope he likes it just the same.  It has the Navajo word for 'son' on his, and on Orin's it has the word for 'veteran'.  The vendor was nice until I revealed that I was part Hopi and then her face fell and she was more...quiet.  The anglos divided up the land in such a way as to take some of the Hopi land and give it to the Navajo, and they've been squabbling over it for decades.  Of course the Navajo don't want to give up any land in an area where every inch is precious, and of course the Hopi want what is historically theirs to be returned.  Smart of the anglos to divide them like that, and stupid of them not to recognize it and work to overcome it.  Oh well again - it's easy to see things when you're on the outside looking in.

Tried to get to the SW Traders shop yesterday but he was closed.  I'm going to try to get there today or Monday to get the knife Wayne covets.  I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to buy the rug for Mama now, tho.  Sigh!  Also not going to be able to get the blackwater tank fixed either. 

Going to plot the course to SC - I want to go up thru Santa Fe and see that area even if it's just driving thru.