We had to do some “adulting” this past week with a new roof, and the contractors wrapped up late Saturday afternoon.
Storms caused damage to our modest home.
Same storm over the La Sal Mountains from back in September.
Luckily, insurance covered most (not all) of the storm damage from this year and last year’s hailstorm. We get a new roof, the shed we inherited is now up to code, and we’ll even end up with new windows come early January.
Our vintage 1956 home, built during the uranium boom, needs some cosmetic work that we’re slowly bringing up to our standards. All in good time.
The DOE UMTRA cleanup site is a legacy of that era. It’s only a few miles from our home and not exactly a place we’re likely to wander around. From SKT Corp.
Once the contractors left, we squeezed in a short hike Saturday afternoon and a longer one on Sunday.
Both hikes were local and perfect for this time of year.
Within minutes of our doorstep we can reach trails that show off red rock, high desert, and the little nooks and crannies that always reveal something new.
We had no plan beyond “let’s go see what we can see.” Another structured ramble.
We headed home but still had to stop for one last look. Even the pull-offs offer stunning views in the winter light.
With some time in between gigs, I also put in some sweat equity locally. I helped construct a new section of trail that ties into one I helped build seven years ago—also right before starting a different IT job. There might be a pattern here.
View from the “volunteer office” on day two.
Interestingly, one of the trail workers found himself volunteering for similar reasons. He also left a job that drained him. I suspect Moab draws people who value quality of life over making their job their identity.
Good chance we’ll both be back in the “volunteer office” next week—moving rock, clearing brush, building tread, and getting the kind of clarity and satisfaction that comes from physical work in the winter light of the high desert.