Thanks for filling our Tank!

The Two Chicks are on our way home writing from Macy’s – our favorite coffee shop in Flagstaff. We have driven 2,500 miles over 4 states, visited 16 communities, gathered 17 hours of video and filled two notebooks full of best practices we have seen in community habitats. It has been an amazing journey and we have both grown and learned a lot together.

Our minds are racing with ideas and impressions. Our hearts full of the hospitality and receptivity of the people we met on the road. And we are so grateful to all our friends who supported us along the way.

Claudia, aka tall chick, would like to personally thank my “mission control” crew back in Phoenix for watching over my house and my two cats, Coco and Java. Special recognition goes to my neighbor Bob Loomis or “Uncle Bob” for his “cat-a-log” that meticulously records the coming and goings of people and felines set to military time. You are a rock star, always willing to step in when I travel. I also want to acknowledge Liah Holtzman and Lance P for keeping my cats and TV company and during my absence.  Suzanne Walden-Wells thanks for being part of the TLC crew despite your busy schedule. Without all your support this chick could not have gone on this adventure with such peace of mind.

While on the road we would like to thank Kate and Anthony Mark for your sweet and generous hospitality during our stay in Boulder. It was wonderful to connect after such a long time and just pick up where we left off. Even though it was a brief visit, it was right on “the mark.”

Huge thanks to my Sante Fe family starting with the lovely Luisa Kolker who let us park the Guppy at her estrogen casita, use her shower and encouraged us to go two-steppin. So much fun. It was great to see Marianne Ober who is planning to move to Portland, OR in a few weeks. We hope  your move goes smoothly and we will be sure to look you up when we go through Oregon.  Last but not least, thanks to Ray Ristorcelli for being witness to the unfolding of this project right from its inception and offering advice, encouragement and support in only the way you can. Hands off and gloves on, I can count on you with all ten fingers.

The Two Chicks want to personally recognize the people who responded to the “Gas up the Guppy” campaign for your generous contributions whether is was financial or otherwise. In no particular order: Lynn Rice, Paula Shoup, Luisa Kolker, Ray Ristorcelli, Suzanne Wells, Barb Breckenfeld, Liah Holtzman, Sarara, Aunt CoCo, my sisters Diane and  Debra Niemann (big thanks – LOVE you both), Lisa Forner, Sharron & Arie Louie, Amy & Gene Urban ( thanks for the loan of the flip video camera and your blogging expertise) Lance P, DS Black, David White, Wil Heywood, Bradd Holcomb, Kimberly Nickerson, Toni Dusik, Nora Perlmutter, John Johnson, John Hogan, Ron Baron, Randy Gerdes, Nancy Barhydt-Wezenaar, Niki Brownell, Patti Rowdabaugh, Cynthia Woody (cliff bars are almost all gone), Lisa Nicodemus and all the friends that sent us good wishes through emails and blog responses!!!

This trip could not have happened the way it did, were it not for the huge act of trust and generosity of Cliff DeVlieg who let us use his Roadtrek. Neither of us have ever done anything like this and we took great care of his beloved Guppy and it served us well. There has been much laughter as we learned to navigate the Guppy inside and out.

I would also like to acknowledge the other chick, Donna who has been the perfect traveling companion. Thank God for her techie saavy, expert navigation ability, design eye, easy going nature, cleanliness, proofreading and organizational skills. I am also grateful you for not snoring or moving during sleep. The trip would not have been nearly as fun or as easy with her easy temperament and flexibility. We made a great team and kept each other going.

You’re welcome tall chick…your fearless maneuvering of the guppy especially in tight places, such as the streets in Sante Fe- qualify you for the hallowed trucker belt buckle. Your amazing enthusiasm to take charge as the “Guppy Gourmet” with meal planning and preparation was greatly appreciated as was your bold spirit to do karoake, 2-steppin or any other challenge that arose. I’m so glad we share the same sense of humor. I still chuckle at some of our escapades–move over Lucy and Ethel! Thank you for your writings, as tired as we were from interviewing and downloading – you still manged to hit the keyboard! Ditto on the compliments, right back at you tall chick – can’t wait for our next leg of the adventure!

So this is the last post for this part of our roadtrip. There will be other musings and reports as we pull together our research.

Until then, stay well and remember, “chicks rule.”

signing off – Claudia and Donna