Chapter 46…The Terrible, Tearing, Tangle in Taos...

…As you can see from the map above, we are now in Taos, New Mexico. We have traveled about 9,500 miles since leaving Naples in May of this year...Yes we have Nina and we are all happy and healthy as of now. (except our little Opie who is suffering through some kind of illness that has the giants of veterinary science hereabouts baffled. They have given him all the pricey tests they could conceive and pronounced him healthy. Opie appears to disagree.)

…Let’s back up a moment and cover the events leading up to here.

…First, as you Dear Reader already know from previous chapters, your Frugal Captain will often steer the Beast to a Walmart parking lot when the anticipated stay is only for a few hours. Such was the case when we arrived near the Denver International Airport to pick up Nina. This Walmart was unique in our experience in that it actually posted signs directing RVs to one portion of the parking lot and 18 wheelers to another. For reasons unclear to your Narrator Captain, the lot was literally overflowing with parked 18 wheelers!!! They were parked in every conceivable spot, and in every possible lane blocking position...

…Undaunted, we placed the Beast in amongst these hulking giants and soon dozed off as we awaited the arrival of the flight carrying our friend.

…After retrieving Nina and her belongings, we departed Denver en route to Taos, New Mexico...

...Ah, New Mexico.  State Motto: Just like Mexico, but NEWER.

...Along the road to Taos...

...In the far background is Castle Rock.  Apparently, in New Mexico they give their booties (or buttes, if you must) NAMES!!!  The blue sign in the foreground give a number to call to report aggressive drivers.  In smaller letters they suggest SHOOTING them if they are truly insufferable Italian sports car drivers...

...With Nina aboard, we were finally able to get this picture which shows the Commodorable's normal riding position...

...New Mexico really is beautiful...not sure yet about "Enchanting"...

...Taos is a small art colony (population 5,716).  The elevation is 7,000 feet above sea level.  Taos was probably larger at one time, but most people left there in search of OXYGEN...

...Factoid:  the famous frontiersman Kit Carson is buried here...(He probably ran out of oxygen, or froze to death in January (average low temp 9 degrees Fahrenheit)

...Typical Taos architecture...

...Downtown Taos...

...Question:  "What is unique about this McDonalds sign"?

...Answer: The name McDonald's is nowhere to be seen...

…Our RV Park in Taos was, shall we say RUSTIC…bad enough that the facility was all dust, cactus, and rocks, they really had no idea how long a 45 foot coach is…(answer it is twice as long as the 22 foot trailers for which the park was apparently designed…) The right angle turns…(there were six of them)…to get to our assigned slot were too narrow to allow the Beast to remain on the road (read dirt path) throughout the turns…

...Six 90 degree turns on Boulder lined paths to our site #77...

THAT really wouldn’t have been so bad had the designers of the facility not chosen to line both sides of the path with 100 pound plus boulders!!! As your Captain carefully navigated OVER some of the boulders, one of them turned up on its end as the rear drive wheel ran over it...

...The actual Boulder which attacked the Beast...ok, ok, maybe not the SAME Boulder, but it looked just like this one...I swear!!!

…Now how can I say this without alarming you, Dear Reader??? Oh what the hell, I’ll just blurt it out…THE BIG NASTY ROCK ATE OUR CARGO DOOR…Yes, Theodore, you heard that right…the rock ATE our heretofore PRISTINE cargo door...

...Nina and Leslie assisted the Captain in retrieving a high percentage of the parts bitten off by the nasty mean boulder and further assisted in the temporary bolting together of the wounded cargo door…They assisted by supplying Golden Tequila in sufficient quantities to stave off the hot desert sun...

...A few of the damage pictures... Notice the bolts holding the door halves together...

...Nina and Leslie remained nearby during the entire emergency surgery...

…Then they did what strong and resilient women the world over do in times of crises..they went into Taos to go shopping and gallery hopping..

...At least they hid the Margueritas before the picture was taken... 

…Fast Forward to the Captain’s call to Progressive Insurance (PI):

PI: What is the nature of your claim, sir?
Intrepid Captain: A large, mean rock bit my coach, which we lovingly call the Beast…
PI: Say What???
IC: Ok, Ok, I MAY have driven OVER a large boulder and thereby did damage to my coach.
PI: Now that’s more like it. Were there any injuries?
IC: Yes.
PI: Please describe the injuries, sir.
IC: There was major bruising and many lacerations…
PI: What part of the body was bruised and or lacerated?
IC: The driver’s ego was severely bruised and his sense of confidence in his driving abilities was deeply lacerated. How much do you generally pay to cover such crippling injuries???
PI: Nothing, sir. You’ll just have to get over it and move on. Now please descri…
IC: What do you mean NOTHING??? Let me speak to FLO…
PI: FLO?
IC: Yes Flo, the nice lady with the white uniform and bright red lip gloss who fixes everything and makes EVERYBODY happy. THAT Flo…
PI: Sir, Flo is not a REAL Progressive Insurance employee. Flo is a person who is ACTING  in our advertising.
IC: Well, I don’t like the way YOU are ACTING right now…so there!!!
PI: Sir, let’s discuss the coach. Can it be driven?
IC Of course it can be driven. That’s how I ran over the boulder in the first place, or were you not paying attention before???
PI: (Sound of a heavy sigh) No, sir. I mean can it be driven now…after the accident?
IC: Oh. (Meekly) Yes, I think it can be driven.

...Your playful Captain has now learned that insurance folks have NO sense of humor...

<<<Arrangements were finally made to attend to the damaged cargo door upon the return of the Beast to Florida>>>