MANCOS, COLORADO!
 

I mentioned last fall that I've been trying to get home to Colorado's western slope. I've been writing letters, researching housing, and begging favors with all my might. Well, just now, I got an e-mail from the Colorado state representative for La Plata and Montezuma counties. I have qualified for a subsidized rental in Mancos, Colorado! The place is a one bedroom apartment in a very nicely kept 12-plex managed by the Rural Development Association. My rent PLUS utilities will only be $191.00/month! AND I can have Rikki and Starr!

Mancos is a little town in one of the most beautiful areas of the 4 Corners. Crime is all but non existent there, they have a great little public library, a yummy bakery/coffeeshop, National Forest surrounds the town, and highway 160 (the main drag for the 4 Corners) goes right through on one side of the town. Durango which has the college where I used to teach plus tons of fun things to do will be only a 40 minute drive to the east. Cortez (which will be my "city") is only 20 minutes to the west. When I was down there in the fall, I made instant friends of three women who were sitting in the back of Cortez's cute little bookstore and we all sat around for a couple of hours drinking coffee and talking like we'd known each other all our lives. One of the woman is the Minister of the Congregational Church in Dolores (15 minutes from Mancos) and invited me to check out her congregation when I move down there.

Those pictures of the fall scenery I posted last fall were taken about a half hour drive from Mancos on the way to Telluride (an hour's drive) where you can go hear all their great summer music festivals for free if you volunteer to take tickets and check tourists for their festival passes. Two hours to the south of Mancos is Santa Fe where you can get standing room tickets to the famous summer opera there for next to nothing (and there's always a few empty seats that they end up letting you have at intermission). To the west, there's Hovenweep, Canyonlands, Bryce, Escalante, and Zion. Just over the ridge there's the Navajo Nation, and I'll be able to listen to the morning blessingway chants on Radio Navajoland out of Shiprock!

I am so psyched! No more Front Range congestion and smog! No more World Prayer Center and Focus on the Family! No more ax murderer living just down the street from me!

I'm going HOME! :love: YAY! OH, YAY! MAY FIRST! I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! (where's the emoticon for the snoopy dance?)

Here's some pic's:

And here's the e-mail I got in response to my thank you reply from Representative Mark Larsen who helped me get my new home:

Hey Monica,

You made my week too! I once had a very good friend who helped me in a big way. When I asked him what I could do to repay him for his kindness he stated, "Nothing. Just do something for someone else sometime." Well, I have lived my whole life that way. So all I ask is that you do something for someone else sometime. It definitely makes life worth living!

God speed and enjoy the apartment. Maybe I'll see you at Mancos Days or something!

Mark

Is that man cool or what? And he's an effing REPUBLICAN! I told him I'd vote for him for Senator or Govenor, but he's getting out of politics. Too bad! More pics! I am sooooo happy!

Congratulations. Don't forget to pack your logging chain.:D

I'm so happy for you Mari, it seems that your luck is changing and with all those things that you've listed, that you are on your way living a life that you will enjoy.

This is good news for me to know as I've often felt the unhappiness in your comments that you post and hoped that the circumstances would change for you.

It's been a long time coming and you've survived the storm. I just know that your entire world will soon improve.

Now for the joke. This is a joke Mari. This is the wiseass humor portion of the post.

So maybe now you can stop busting Bush's rocks every day and just enjoy your life. :lol:

Congratulations, I'm very happy for you. :)

Good news, mari!

That looks one dream of a place to live Marichiko, but being a Brit who knows diddly squat as to where these places are in the USA, I need a map:

Way up in the wide open spaces - wonderful!

I can see that it might take more than just a few hundred wild horses to drag you away from your new place! Gee, it even looks nicer than Surrey!

Cyclefrance, the term "wide open spaces" was coined for the 4 Corners region! It is dramatic, spectacular, and drop dead beautiful in every direction. "In all the 6 directions, may you walk in beauty" - Navajo Blessingway.

While I have never lived in Mancos before, I did live in Durango, Rico, and just outside of Telluride for years and years. I came out to the Front Range to be with the ax murderer. BARF! What a mistake! It feels like I've been trying to get back home again forever, and a thousand wild mustangs could only drag me deeper into the back country, up a twisting mountain road, or out on a canyon's rim to watch the nighthawks dive at twilight.

It is the country of my heart and I am counting the days -40 of them - until I am back home. I shudda been a cowgirl!

Good for you! Let us know how the settling in part goes.

And now you is one.;)

I have a cousin who lives in or near Durango. Out of curiosity I looked up some pictures and information. It looks like a beautiful place. Mancos also looks great.

Congratulations.

Yeah, sex toys could be difficult to locate in such a rural area. :D

Congrats, Mari! Sounds like the world is starting to spin your way a bit more here lately. If I run away from home, I'll be sure and stop in and trash the new place for you (reference Belushi in "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave" on SNL).

Patrick, you know I've had a crush on you forever and you're welcome to run away to my home anytime you want! :D

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Is that man cool or what? And he's an effing REPUBLICAN! I told him I'd vote for him for Senator or Govenor, but he's getting out of politics. Too bad! More pics! I am sooooo happy![/quote]


Mari --- congrats!!! Hey I'm glad you have realized that all republicans are not bad. Many of us have open minds and hearts. Unfortunately, my quest for relocation is not faring as well.