In an Arizona state of mind

We did not intend to stay in Arizona for 5 months. We assumed that it would be a short visit and then we would move along to a place that had more fishing and fewer people and was on our radar for consideration to settle down. However, the comfort of a stable place that allowed freedom for Olive and the dogs, as well as us, lured us in and kept us blissfully captive. The desert became a thing of fascination and Olive can now identify correctly most species of cacti. She also learned to swim independently, became obsessed with the horses that she was initially fearful of, and became the expert as to the care and feeding routine of all the livestock. She named all 16 steers that my dad used for roping and knew exactly which ones went in what pen due to internal conflicts amongst the steers. My parents live on 5 acres that they have dedicated the last 19 years to becoming something that is incredibly beautiful, useful and fun and they have incredible neighbors that work together to take care of each other and the livestock.

Olive grew in a myriad of ways. She physically shot up about 2 inches but gained confidence in her ability to be independent in a safe environment. We could let her leave the camper and know that she would be safe without being monitored every second. Living in campgrounds and near busy roads never allowed for us to let out guard down as we were constantly worried about her safety and created the necessity of helicopter parenting. Neither Walt or I had helicopter parents (probably the other extreme) so it felt draining to be wary of every possible danger at all times. Not that we didn’t worry, but it was refreshing that when Olive wanted to walk the somewhat considerable distance to go see her best friend Shelly (70 something lovely woman who is the best horse trainer on the planet), she could go independently (with a dog or two following dutifully behind) and knock on her door and ask her to play. Or else, go the other direction and see Sandy (also a lovely 70 something barrel racing spitfire from Wisconsin) who would give her lemonade and have long talks about why things are the way they are.

The dogs were free of the leash and could explore but most of the time were found inside my parents house on the cool tile or comfy carpet. Frog begrudgingly would return to the camper at night but as soon as he could, was back up at the house. My parents dog Loretta and Sadee became a fierce team that protected the place against coyotes and dumb dogs of renters staying at my parents casita. We dubbed the place “the compound” as it felt like nearly 20 acres of space to allow for safe exploration and a much bigger world for Olive to discover.