Free beer can be very distracting

 

 

 

Northern New Mexico - just one of our destinations over the next few weeks

  

 

I've been too busy over the past few weeks to pay a lot of attention to the blog. But, as I'm about to fly off to the States for six weeks - most of it vacation - I expect to have time to be a little more productive. We'll be travelling in Nebraska, where I have to give a talk about my Red House experience, then through Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. In the southwest we plan to visit a number of ancient Native sites such as Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde, as well as attending the San Geronimo feast day at Taos Pueblo. In Tucson we have a special treat, tickets for a Joan Osborne concert, and a three-day horseback ride in the mountains south of town. Let's hope that our series of riding lessons have prepared our tender parts for the impact. I'd never ridden a horse in my life prior to July this year, so that puts me firmly in the Tenderfoot category.

What's been occupying me these last few months is the brewery history. I've just kept my head down and beavered away at it, with the result that we've reached the completed first draft stage: 84,000 words, which my client will be reading while I'm away. He's been a real pleasure to work with: very responsive, quick to turn things around, and, with many of our meetings taking place in the brewery, always there with a fresh pint of Guzzler or Terrier - two of my favourite beers. The worst part has been having to turn down offers of another pint. The price of being a pro....

I've also been pondering the bounty hunter's life story, which I'm due to begin in February, and have made a tentative start on some of his material. But to be honest, the hardest job has been planning this trip, with its many long drives and four overnight train journeys - not to mention the talk, which I've billed as an entertainment. The fact that we shift our focus, over the final two weeks, from Arizona to West Virginia (my old schoolmate) and Kentucky (my brother) has taxed our planning abilities to the limit.

So, we fly tomorrow. Newcastle, London and Chicago, where we rest, then take the train to Denver.  Watch out for some super photos and a story or two.