Kitty Deschanel | Food, Wine, and Travel Adventures Across the USA

We've come a long way from the barren, post-construction wasteland of dirt we had a few years ago. Actually, it was even worse than it sounds. Dirt had to be hauled in and it was full of thorny weeds that spread everywhere. We've (okay, just my husband and his tractor) worked hard and our yard looks better than it ever has. Sexy Nerd is a landscaping pro! You know, in addition to being a beer brewer, Corvette restorer, woodworker, grill master, mechanical engineer, and installer of tile, wallpaper murals , and little cuts of wood that I insist he glue to our ceiling (photo below). I think I'll keep him around. Our Sandia Park, NM garden improves every year. I can't wait to see what everything looks like in 2023! Surprisingly, our plants have only had a minor impact on our water usage. Through supplementation with rain barrels, choosing native and drought-tolerant plants, and by locating plants so that they are out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, our wate...

Once upon a time, there was a Grump. He didn't always used to be a Grump. Maybe it was his skepticism of the value of a staycation. Perhaps he was frustrated with people judging his water-carrying backpack, saying that he was much too close to home to dress like such a tourist. Some people just don't like Santa Fe. "Santa Fe people," thought the Grump "are a bunch of hippies. I will not smile, no matter how much my cute wife wants a photo of me in front of the Santa Fe sign. You must never smile at a hippie or they will steal your power." When faced with the prospect of walking to Canyon Road to browse the art galleries, the Grump crumpled his oversized hat in frustration. "We have perfectly good art in Albuquerque," he muttered.  Shopping at the Santa Fe Plaza only seemed to create a Sleepy Grump. "We rode the Rail Runner train here," he was quick to point out. "You can't get any of this junk home. It's a...

Want to hear a crazy story? Sexy Nerd and I recently visited Paris and London and I'd been depressed since we returned home from our trip. While we were away, I told everyone we had 4 dogs, but little did I know that wasn’t true. After more than 24 hours of traveling, we arrived home around 2 am, exhausted and ready to collapse. With it being so late, we were just going to leave the dogs in their room and go straight to bed. Sexy Nerd walked through the foyer and caught a glimpse of something in the backyard. Half asleep, he almost didn’t bother to stop and look. Luckily, he did though. It was a pair of eyes shining in the moonlight. The eyes belonged to one of our rescue chihuahuas, Phinny. He was cowering beneath a rose bush, trembling and alone. We live in the mountains and often see coyotes around our home. Our neighborhood newsletter constantly updates us on mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and other predators in our yard. Obviously, it is not a safe place for little chihuahuas...