Doing time in Boise

When I got up this morning, the ice maker was talking to me.  Even though I don’t have a water hook-up here in the parking lot, the ice maker started making noises.  That means it’s definitely time to defrost the freezer.  I have been avoiding this task, but buckled down this morning and got to work.  Later, I loaded up my bag of dirty clothes and headed into Meridian to the nearest laundromat.  Laundromats always seem to be interesting places to do some people watching, and today was no exception.  The skinniest women I have ever seen in my life came into the laundromat this afternoon, loaded four dryers with a ton of clothes, sprayed them with fabreze, and turned them on.  Mind you, she didn’t wash them first.  Her companion just kept bringing clothes out of the back of their pick up truck, and he also brought in about a hundred plastic hangers.  Hmmm, interesting.  While I was there, I went out into the parking lot and talked to a guy about fixing a chip I have in the motorhome windshield.  We’ll see if he shows up tomorrow evening to fix it.
After the laundry was done, I made a stop at the local Walgreen’s to get my flu shot for the year, and of course stocked up on some essentials!  :)  I like Walgreen’s for a couple of reasons.  They have things like Ritz crackers and Oreo cookies in package sizes that you can’t find in a normal grocery store.  I don’t need family sized supplies of these things.  Jean Nate is essential to my well being, and I couldn’t resist two kinds of popcorn.  This is National Popped Popcorn month you know.
Emma and I did our normal patrol of the parking lot just before sunset and encountered this flock of house finches getting ready to roost for the evening.
Overhead were some gulls heading west.
I also found another milkweed plant dispersing it’s seeds as we made our way along the crest of the small hill behind the RV sites.
There’s a barbed wire fence at the top with vines growing along it.  This vine had red berries.  I don’t know what it is.
As we made out way back to the rig it occurred to me that I probably won’t have much to post about in the next week or so.  It’s just a waiting game.  If I find anything exciting going on, I’ll let you know.

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy  

A ho hum Sunday

I decided not to take a drive up the Steens Mountain trail today because I really needed to take care of some chores.  So it was a cleaning day with a capitol C.  I cleaned the inside of the rig, and I cleaned my clothes.  Things seemed to be kind of slow in blogland as well.  On a bright note, the awning went out and stayed out on the first try.  That hasn’t happened in months.
As I sat out under the awning waiting for the dryer to finish it’s business, two Lewis’s woodpeckers were flying about the trees down the road a little ways.  If you look closely at the bird on the left, you can make out the typical pointed tail feathers that all woodpeckers have.  They help prop the bird up when it is on the bark of a tree.  Unlike any other woodpecker, the Lewis’s hawks insects on the wing.  They fly out from a perch like this and catch the insects in the middle of the air.  The other woodpeckers just….peck wood!  :)  The two birds really put on an aerial display for me today, and I appreciated it.

That was about the sum of my day for today, but I would like to broach another subject.  I would like to preface it with a statement saying that I hope not to offend anyone, and please know that I appreciate each and every comment that my readers post on this blog.  Some newer readers have asked what camera I have.  I use a Canon Rebel XS.  Others have commented something on the order of “you must have a really good camera to get those pictures.”  Well, yes, I think it is a pretty good camera, but I’m here to tell you that I think the best camera in world doesn’t mean you’re going to have good pictures.  It is a lot of work and learning, and I’m still learning.  I won’t go into all the technicalities, but for every picture that I post, many many shots are discarded.  This blog and it’s pictures are a work in progress, and I hope you’ll all stick with me as I work on improving both.  :)

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy 

Final trip to Yellowstone, part 2

After doing the bison thing in Hayden Valley, we continued on around Yellowstone Lake, and headed towards Old Faithful.
 We were joined at our picnic lunch near the Continental Divide by this raven.  You know, it’s hard to get a good picture of an all black bird with his black eyes closed shut.  :(  These are pretty crafty birds, and I’m sure he was just waiting to see if we left any scraps behind after our lunch.  No way, Jose!  This is a national park and bear country.  No scraps for you today.  :)
After getting to the summit of Craig Pass (8262’) we stopped at Isa Lake, which was covered with blooming lily pads.
Wouldn’t this have been a great place to see a moose?  No such luck.

As we zoomed past the Old Faithful exit and continued down the road to Madison, I decided to take the Fire Hole Lake Drive one more time.  There are plenty of geysers to view along the way, but none were erupting this time.
I chose, instead, to get some pictures of the colorful outlet from Firehole Lake.  That white stuff is not snow, but mineral deposits left from the hot springs.  If you look closely at the picture on the left, you can see the imprints left by bison as they visit here.

Further on, I took another detour down Fountain Flat Drive.  There were two nice female elk grazing by the roadside.  Wouldn’t you know, that two young Asian fellows decided to walk up to the elk for a picture.  What were they thinking?
The elk, of course, decided to move on and get out of Dodge.  I guess I’ve had enough of people encroaching on the lives of these animals.  :(   STAY IN YOUR CAR!!!

I made a good amount of progress on my getting ready to roll chores today.  Jim, my neighbor, was a great amount of help as we checked out my new air compressor and pumped up the tires of the rig and toad.  The compressor performed perfectly, but what a hassle it was on several of the rig’s tires to even get a reading on the pressure gauge. The two outer tires on my dual tires on the back are so hard to get to the tire stems that I’m not sure I can do that myself.  :(
I don’t think I have the strength or long enough arms to do what he did today.  I also got the outside rug aired and packed up, and put the Blue Ox toad hitch back on the rig, among other things.  Tomorrow I’ll tackle all the inside stuff, do laundry, and unhook everything except the electrical cord.  I should be out of here pretty quick on Monday  morning.  :)

I did receive an email today from one of my readers telling me that I was way off base with thanking Teddy Roosevelt for helping to establish Yellowstone National Park.  Turns out he was only 14 at the time, and certainly wasn't in office yet!  Oops!  Guess I'd better check my details before making a statement like that again.  :(  Thanks Grant, for setting me straight.  :)

I leave you with one last parting shot of Yellowstone…
                                                                   THE END!!!

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Wonder Woman…Ha Ha

So, here was the problem.  The top hinge on one of my kitchen area cabinets had pulled out, and there was no way of tightening the screws into the wood any longer.  My neighbor, Jim, suggested breaking toothpicks and stuffing them into the too large screw holes.  I took his advice,…
and this was the result.  A nice tight fit, and an even hanging cabinet door.  Wahoo!  It didn’t take me too long to do this repair, but I did have to stand on a stool, and the screws were a full arm’s reach for me above my head.  I know you guys out there are thinking this is no big deal, but for me, it was an accomplishment!  Wonder Woman!!!  :)

Several days ago, while I was outside with Emma in the evening, a pretty strong storm came blowing through the valley.  I noticed my female neighbor across the way running around frantically, and trying to roll up her awning before the winds ripped it off.  She was also on her cell phone at the same time.  It turns out, she was trying to call her husband, who was fishing, for instructions on how to roll up the awning.  She had no idea.  Her teenage son was also nonplussed.  He went back inside the trailer.  :(   I went  over and asked if I could help.  In no time at all, we had the awning safely stowed.  I know there are “blue chores” and “pink chores”, but don’t you think both members of a couple should know how to do the other’s chores, just in case?  Her remark was “Wow, you must have done this before, thanks!”  My response was “No problem, just paying it forward.”

I’m really no Wonder Woman, but do you think it would be alright if I got a Lone Ranger type mask and a cape just in case?  :)  (Of course, you won’t find me walking around in brightly colored tights!…Ugh!)
I leave you tonight with the wonderful double rainbow from a few nights ago…thanks to the photographic talents of my friend, Jim Smith.

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

One of those days

Have you ever gotten up in the morning and just not wanted to do anything?  Well, it was one of those kind of days for me.  So, I indulged myself and did next to nothing.  :)  I think part of the problem is thinking about everything I have to do to get ready to move on down the road.  I’ve been here almost two months, so it’s about time, but thinking about packing up always gives me mixed emotions…excitement mixed with dread.  There are those two chores that I have slated for Saturday that I hate; checking tires and batteries.  Ugh.  I’ve been making small progress the last few days like cleaning up and packing the bird feeders (since no birds have been visiting anyway), and a few other things.

Quick change of subjects here.  Have you ever had a dog with a flatulence problem?  Yeah, so have I, but Emma hasn’t been one of them until just now.  OMG!  Pardon me, while I stick my head out the window and breath deeply.  :)

The author of one of the blogs I follow says he thinks you should always include some photos in your post so here goes…
Guess where these were taken.  I’m sure this is an easy one for you well traveled readers.  :)

I’ve decided that I’d better make a list of things to do tomorrow, so I don’t leave everything for Sunday.  Lists generally get me back on track.  Top of the list is getting the printer set up, and sorting through everything that has accumulated on my dining table for the last two months.

(To answer a question of Rick’s, my exported photos go to My pictures/Picasa/Exports.)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Taking care of business

Well, I learned the last three days that I really miss the internet when I don’t have access to it.  The wifi in the park has been down quite a bit this month.  Apparently a lightning strike on the DSL server has played havoc on service for almost two weeks.  I’m hoping, the problem is finally fixed.

I headed out before 8:00 this morning for a trip to Idaho Falls to accomplish a variety of chores.  I wanted to look at printers at Best Buy to start with.  I occasionally have found that it would be nice if I had one.  Getting my old camera fixed is a good example.  I can send it in to Canon for repairs, but I need a printed copy of the repair order so I can do that.  Hard to do when you don’t have a printer.  :(  After looking things over, I decided I just couldn’t afford it at this time.  Maybe later in the year.

There was a Sear’s store across the street from Best Buy, and I noticed that there was an auto service area, so I took the Focus in for a much needed oil change.  For some reason, I got a $10 discount, so it only cost me $20 to get that done.  :)  Last night, I had a real craving for some home made French fries, but I don’t have a deep fryer in the rig.  When I signed up for the oil change, I was given a $5 coupon good for anything I might buy at Sears (only good for today). So while I was waiting, I decided I really couldn’t live without a small FryDaddy deep fryer any longer.  :)  Yep, I bought one.  French fries tonight!

After stopping for groceries, I called Universal RV in Minnesota since I had cell phone reception for a change.  I still haven’t received license plates or a title for the rig that I bought almost two months ago!  As usual, I was put on hold several times, and then told I couldn’t speak to the person I wanted, but could leave a message.  Ugh!!  It’s so frustrating to deal with these dealerships long distance!  If you are not there to bug them daily, you just get put on a back burner.  I’m not a happy camper about that.

As I headed for home, I stopped at Smith RV to set up an appointment for taking the rig in on August 9, when I leave Red Rock.  Yesterday, my Splendide washer/dryer went berserk on me.  I got out the book to troubleshoot the problem, and after doing what it suggested, it still wouldn’t work.  So, I need to take it in for that, and also another issue with the surround sound speaker system.  There’s always something.  :(
The wind has really been blowing very strongly today, and the view of the valley around the campground is really hazy.  With the windows open in the rig, the dust is just blowing in.  Everything was getting pretty gritty, so I shut the windows.  :(
After being cooped up all day, Emma was ready for a good walk, so out we went.  The wildflowers have had a great year because of all the rain this spring, but as new varieties appear, some have passed their peak.
Looks to me like these past prime blooms are having a bad hair day.  :)

One of the things I needed to pick up at the grocery store today was apple cider vinegar.  My neighbors, Jim, Jackie, and June, are gone for a week to take a trip up to Glacier NP, and I am watching over their rig while they are gone.  When they left, they gave me a bag of Jim’s special buttermilk pancake mix.  They also gave me a quart of buttermilk to make them, but I needed the vinegar to follow the recipe.  I also picked up a pint of fresh blueberries, so tomorrow morning it will be blueberry buttermilk pancakes for breakfast!  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

What a mistake!

Today started out as every other Sunday, recently.  I did the laundry and then headed to Lago Vista because I was out of some essentials....milk and bird seed!  I picked up the needed supplies, and eventually went outside to enjoy the sunny, but windy, day.  I put Emma on the leash, had my camera around my neck, and we headed out to see what there was to see.  It seemed that hundreds of Missouri primrose had popped up overnight, and I chased down several butterflies for fantastic shots.

Back at the rig, I thought I heard the high pitched chattering of hummingbirds, so I dug out my hummingbird feeder, filled it, and set it outside within seven feet of my rocker.  Then I sat down and waited.  Sure enough, within an hour the hummers began to appear.  The lighting was just right, and I took numerous shots of both male and female black-chinned hummingbirds.  I also spent a couple of hours shooting more pics of avian friends.

As the sun was beginning to set, I headed indoors with great anticipation of editing all of the photos from today.  That's when I discovered my mistake.  Last night, I had neglected to put the 1GB flashcard back into the camera!  :(  That means all of my photos from today were nonexistent.  What a bummer.  I found that the flashcard had slid under my laptop, so I didn't notice it last night.  Dang!

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to try again tomorrow....

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Got the list done!

I find that for me, if I make a list of things to do for a particular day off, I'm more likely to do those things.  It helps me with my tendency to procrastinate.  Today's list contained seven items.

1. finish the application for volunteering at Malheur NWR in Oregon.  This was a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated because I wanted to include my volunteer resume.  I don't have a printer, so I emailed it to the Balcones refuge manager so she could print it for me.  That didn't work initially, but eventually we got it done.
2. dump the tanks....got that done.
3. mail the electric cord for my old laptop to my son.  Last week, I mailed him the laptop, but forgot to include the 120 v cord....done.
4. purchase 1 gallon of anti freeze/coolant for the motorhome.  I'm having a little problem there, but hope this will fix it.....done.
5. gas up my refuge vehicle so I won't run out of gas like I almost did yesterday. (embarrassing mistake)...done.
6. get the key from the office so I could get the mail for the refuge.  This sounds simple, but turned out to be somewhat of a challenge.  If I didn't get the mail today, no one from the refuge would do it until Monday.  I was expecting two disks from Netflix, so I did it.  The problem arose when the key stuck in the mailbox at the end of the road, and no one could get it out!  I guess the USPS will deal with it tomorrow.
7. and finally....calling my friend, Wynetta, in New York to see if she wanted to go on the cruise with me...done, but she doesn't think she can go.  :(

It gives me a feeling of satisfaction when I can cross out every chore that I had listed for the day.  :)

Speaking of the cruise, here is the map I received today from Royal Caribbean showing our route.  I'm going to enjoy this jaunt, for sure!

I've had a new visitor at the avian cafe the last few days...a dark eyed junco.  He should be heading north pretty soon.

Is that the Sea of Tranquility in this moon rise?  I know I was feeling very tranquil.

And you know who (my friend, the Carolina wren) came by again to serenade me before I came inside for the evening.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

A matter of vanity?

In the summer of '08, I bought a couple of pairs of gym shoes while in Vernal, Utah.  Both pairs turned out to be very comfortable even though they were different sizes.  One pair was size 8, and the other was 8.5.  Fast forward to last November when I ordered four pairs of these same shoes online.  Of course, I ordered the smaller size.  After spending three months trying to break in the new shoes, I've come to the conclusion that I should have ordered the larger size, especially on the uneven trails I travel in the Texas hill country.

So, the other day I broke down and ordered two more pairs online in the larger size.  I know I ordered the smaller size originally as a matter of personal vanity.  How dumb was that?  Ugh!  On the bright side, the three brand new pairs that I've never worn aren't a total loss.  This shoe company will take back unworn shoes for up to one year if you have the original boxes.  Who knows why I kept these shoes in their boxes when normally I discard any extraneous weight in the rig!  You also have to include the original packing slip from the company in order to make a return.  Can you believe that I accidentally ran across the slip while looking for some income tax papers?  What a stroke of luck.  I normally don't save packing slips either.  So now I'm a happy camper, albeit with larger feet.  :)

I had today off so I spent it doing some chores around the rig, playing on the computer, and going to the post office to send my old laptop off to my oldest son, Daniel.  He has spent the last year going back to college at night to earn his bachelor's degree.  He doesn't have a laptop, so my old one will help him with his schooling.  I'm proud of him for sticking to his goal of staying in school.  You are never too old to make personal improvements.

Last night's sunset turned out to be rather nice, but I couldn't pick just one shot that I liked best, so....

I've included the whole progression.

You'll have to pick your own favorite...

and remember that you can double click on any photo to enlarge it.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Tuesday is chore day

Yep, once a week I try to cram all my chores into one day.  Today was the day.  I threw a load of laundry into the washer as I headed out for groceries.  I decided to drive to Beaumont, TX, today to the HEB store.  The two big grocery chains in this neck of the woods are Kroger and HEB.  I like HEB.  The Market Basket store in Winnie is a lot closer, but they just don't have the selection that HEB does, and their prices are higher.  I filled my three re-usable bags to the brim, so I'm set for a while.  I also like HEB because today I could buy two nice pork chops instead of a family sized package.  I don't have room for six pork chops in the little freezer compartment if I want to have a variety of frozen protein.

Next was the hardware store in Winnie.  I wanted to replace the nozzle on my kitchen faucet.  For almost five years I've had one of those swivel things where you have a choice of a steady flow or a spray.  I almost exclusively use the spray, but lately when I turn on the water, it sprays all over the counter.  I've tried cleaning it, but to no avail.  When I got home, I replaced the old one so now I won't have to wear a raincoat when I do the dishes.  ;)

About the only exciting thing that happened today was when Stephanie stopped over at the RV pads this afternoon.  She wanted to let me know that we would be doing some more salinity tests on Thursday or Friday.  The exciting part is that the water control structures where we will be testing can not be reached by car.  We'll be taking the air boat to cruise over the marsh.  A ride through the marsh on an air boat is one of my favorite things.  Yahoo!!!

Do any of you remember the TV mini-series from the 70's called Centennial?  It was based on a book of the same name by Michener.  I enjoyed when it first aired, and decided to watch it again using my Netflix account.  I've finished with five disks so far and am waiting for the last disk to arrive.  There were so many big name stars in this mini-series.  I'm really enjoying it.  Remember Clay Basket, Pasquinal, Levi Zendt, Brumbaugh, and the others?  What a great story.  It's no wonder that it was recommended by the National Education Association.

Maybe tomorrow for excitement I'll clean the community building, or start the massive laminating job that is awaiting me. LOL

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

A super muggy chore day

The fog the last few mornings has almost been thick enough to cut with a knife. This morning was no exception, and the heavy fog turned to rain in the afternoon. It was a good day for inside chores. I cleaned the rig from stem to stern, did the laundry, and exercised the generator. Once the rain stopped, it quickly heated and steamed up outside so that I was able to use the air conditioner to make sure the generator had a full load. That sure helped dry out the inside of the rig. With such high humidity lately, everything felt soggy.

About the only interesting thing that happened today was that three coyotes passed right through the RV pads this morning. That sure got Emma's blood pumping. I think almost all of her hairs were standing up straight at attention! ;)

The warmer, wet temperatures have also brought out the mosquitoes full force. I am careful not to be outside at sunset. That's when they just cover the screens trying to get in. They calm down about an hour after the sun sets.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Taking care of business

When I checked the weather forecast this morning, I decided that I would make the trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings on Friday instead of today. The weather for today wasn't bad, but tomorrow looks even better.

I was running low on food for Emma, so I made a trip to Walmart and picked up that and several other food items for myself. The New York cheesecake was calling my name, and I had to listen. ;) It's also been rather chilly at night here and I decided to get a new pair of flannel pj pants. The pair I have been wearing has several big bleach stains on them...not sure how that happened. Anyway, you can never tell when you might meet someone after dark (while walking Emma), so it's essential that I have acceptable attire. It's kind of like what my mother used to say "make sure you are wearing clean underwear in case you end up in the hospital."

This afternoon, I did a couple of loads of laundry, walked Emma several times, took care of some bills online, and checked my propane level. I think I'll call the propane company next week for a fill up. I want to arrive in Texas with a full tank so I won't have to unhook and drive somewhere to get it filled. Because I'm in an RV park here, they will deliver the propane, which is so much easier.

Many folks in the park are going out to dinner tonight. I will pass. Eating out at night always results in indigestion for me. I also like my own cooking, so not going was a no brainer for me. Not a very exciting day, but I got a lot accomplished. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's trip.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy