Three knocks at the door

Traveling solo like I do, I seldom have people knocking on my door.  So, to have three different people knock on my door today was exceptional, and most were pleasant surprises.  When I’m at home for the day in my rig, I like to eat my main meal in the afternoon.  As I was about to sit down to eat, the first knock came.  It was my friend, Juanita Pierce, inviting me over for dinner tonight.  She and her husband, Gordon, are spending the whole season here at Red Rock, and they knew I would be leaving in the morning.  How nice of them to invite me over.  :)

Since she said to drop over at their rig around 6:00, that meant I had to kick it into gear to get everything done before then.  I was procrastinating, as usual, about getting the final moving chores done.  :(  There’s nothing like a deadline to get me moving.  Thank you, Juanita!

I was able to drive to town to get the laundry done, detach and collapse the satellite DISH, dump the tanks, put in some fresh water, and vacuum and dust the rig before today’s late afternoon storm blew in.  And BLOW in it did!  I had wanted to stow the water hose, but the rain chased me back indoors.  That’s when the second knock came. 

This time it was a neighbor I didn’t know, asking me what time I was leaving in the morning.  Do you think people don’t watch what is going on around them?  Ha!  He had seen me scurrying around outside packing up.  It turns out he is also leaving in the morning, but much earlier than I, and he was concerned that he might hit my little car on his way out, so was asking me to move it.  It’s not like my car is in the road or anything, but I told him I’d be happy to move it.  He said he saw me struggling with some of the heavy items I had to pack and wanted to come help, but his wife wouldn’t let him.  I normally don’t struggle that much, but I wrenched my back a little yesterday toting around the air compressor, so I was really taking it slow and easy today.  Nice of him to have offered, after the fact, but I’d like to give his wife a swift kick!  :(  It’s not like I try to portray a damsel in distress, and normally I just do what needs to be done, but I was going about it rather gingerly this afternoon.  I could have used some extra muscle power for a couple of items.

Anyway, just before I was about to leave for Gordon and Juanita’s, the third knock came.  It was Jackie, Jim’s wife, (in her pajamas and bathrobe, of all things) with a huge plate of food.  They had wanted to share their wonderful ham dinner with me tonight before I left.  Because of the rain, she just brought over a plateful for me.  Wow, how nice was that?  I thanked her, and explained about eating at the Pierce’s.  She just said to wrap it up and save it for tomorrow after my day of traveling.  Jim, Jackie, and June have been the best next door neighbors that a person could ask for!  Lucky me!

Now, for the rest of the story…Jackie and June had gone fishing this afternoon.  As Jackie’s mom, June, napped on the beach, Jackie waded out into almost waste high water hoping to catch a trout.  She didn’t have any luck, but did manage to get very chilled.  When she got back to her rig, she jumped in a hot shower to warm up, and threw on her flannel PJs afterwards.  Then the rain started, and she dashed over to give me the plate of food.  The flannel pajamas were a Christmas gift to her from Jim.  He got them from Victoria’s Secret.  (Jim, you sly devil!)  Who would have thought that Victoria’s Secret sold full body covering flannel pajamas??  Not me, that’s for sure.  What a hoot!  I hope she doesn’t mind me telling this little tale on them.  :)

The dinner and visiting were great at Gordon and Juanita’s, and I’m sure I’ll be meeting them again somewhere down the road.  About all I have left to do tonight is the dishes and putting away the toaster, and tomorrow unhooking the electric and water.  Then I’ll be getting out of Dodge!  Since the DISH is packed, I guess it’ll be a night with The Waltons for me.  :)  If I can remember how to get the DVD player to work.

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

A new neighbor

For the past month, I've had the area around the two new sites all to myself.  March first meant that one volunteer couple moved on and another volunteer moved in.  Dub decided to put him in the new site next to me.  The other empty site is being saved for my friends Diana and John in case they are able to make it here.  They were supposed to arrive this month, but it turns out they will be delayed a few months.  That's too bad, as I was looking forward to their arrival.

We were told that this new volunteer had a small rig.

I'd say that was a gross understatement!!!  I can't believe Adrian Peterson is living in this rig for several months.  He has all the other volunteers wondering.  I think that camper is less than ten feet long.  I haven't seen the inside, but there can't be more than a bed and table inside.  He did say he had a small cook top.  Hmmm....there's a cooler outside so I'm guessing maybe no ice box?  What about a bathroom?  I can't wait to get to know him better to find out the details.  Inquiring minds want to know!

I hope my friend, Susan, reads this up in Minnesota.  She is interested in purchasing one of these tee pee shaped campers.  Since we are next door neighbors, I'll try to get the down and dirty after he settles in.  Perhaps he likes to read a lot.  I like my DISH and computer for entertainment during these long dark evenings.

It doesn't matter if you live fulltime in an RV or live in a sticks and bricks; getting a new next door neighbor always brings a little excitement, especially on a cold rainy day.  ;)  Of course the rest of the crew here thinks I ought to check him out because he might be a hot prospect for me.  Ha Ha Ha.  Settle down you would be matchmakers............

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

The Sunday Blast from the Past

The third week of September, 2008, I finished my stint at Dinosaur National Monument and headed on down the road toward Albuquerque. My first stop along the way was...

Arches National Park near Moab, Utah.
I didn't hike any of the long trails this visit as I had in 1988. I also didn't take very good notes on the names of the arches I did see, so I'll just include a few pics.

I think this formation may have been called the three sisters, but don't quote me on that. :(
One of the trails that I did take went right through several large slabs,

in order to get to the arch.

I stayed at a private campground near Moab for a few days while I was there. The campground in the National Park is twenty-five miles into the park and does not have hook-ups. It was booked solid while I was there, so I didn't have a chance to experience camping there.

Before I left, I made sure to have reservations for the next stop on my journey...Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

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

Oh baby it's cold outside...

People in Houston are excited with the possibility of snow on Friday. To them I say "Bah Humbug!" I came south to avoid snow. ;) Boy am I happy, though, that I arrived yesterday. The winds today have been more than blustery. It sure feels like the wind chill is below freezing. I questioned Stephanie, the volunteer coordinator, today about this since she had promised me warm temperatures if I would come to volunteer. She had the audacity to insinuate that it was my fault for bringing the bad weather with me. Well, let me tell you that I am used to that. Many people have commented that they like me, but really hate to see me come in person because inevitably bad weather follows. Hey, I'm beginning to feel like Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen that has a cloud following him. ;)

I had my re-orientation to the refuge today. If the wind dies down tomorrow, I'll get some pictures of the new volunteer community building and the interim visitor's center. Looks like I'll be doing salinity checks, bird surveys, and visitor's center work besides helping to organize the education programs. I'm happy to have a variety of things to do.

I was assigned a refuge vehicle today so I can start checking out the birds soon. Tomorrow I have to go to town to buy a water jug. The only drinkable water is in the community building. It is a reverse osmosis system and presently, you can only get two gallons of water at a time. I'm thinking a two gallon jug will do. The water at the sites is OK for showers and dishes, but not for drinking. This is really not a big deal to me. I just need to get a new jug because my last one, that I used here before, finally bit the dust last week.

Since I have a full tank of propane, I'm going to give the furnace a good work out for the next three days or so. I hate being cold. I'll deal with possibly having to get it filled before I leave later.

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

Oil Wells, Wind Farms, and Roadkill Heaven

When you drive your rig 386 miles in a day with no one to talk to, it gives you plenty of time to talk to yourself. ;) What a road trip it was today! I started out from Fort Stockton, TX, and headed east on I-10. I've been trying to find a good word to describe western Texas...desolate?, seemingly uninhabited by humans?, starkly scenic with buttes and mesas?. Probably, all of those things apply. It seems that man has found a way to take advantage of this landscape by drilling below for oil and grasping the power of the wind above ground. I saw lots of oil wells pumping away and numerous wind farms with turbines plying the air.

As I got closer to San Antonio, I entered the "Texas Hill Country". Some steep grades, marvelous fall colors from atop the hills, and increased traffic were surrounding me. Since Emma was in her traveling crate, she didn't seem to appreciate my comments on the passing scenery.

A common factor to the changing terrains was the abundance of roadkill. Mangled deer were abundant enough throughout the trip to remind me of I-90 in Wisconsin. There were also raccoons, a few skunks, and an armadillo (now I really know I'm in Texas). It wasn't until my second trip to Texas that I saw a live armadillo.

The passing traffic, that left me in their dust, seemed to be dominated by deer hunters. I saw many buck racks in the backs of pickups going by. Each pickup also had several coolers on board. I'm sure these were packed with the butchered deer. That was quite unlike driving the roads in Minnesota and Wisconsin at this time of year. Hunters there just drape the deer over their pickups as they motor on down the road. Because of the warm temps in Texas, hunters must butcher their kills right away and transport the parts in coolers.

As I merged back onto I-10 after a stretch break for both Emma and me, I ended up right in the middle of the other four ladies (Maxine, Connie, Jo, and the fourth lady) from LoW-Hi. I waved and tooted as I moved around them, but don't know if they recognized me.

Eventually, I ended up at River Bend RV Park in Luling, TX, about 50 miles east of San Antonio. I had put the park's address in my GPS and it led me right to a cow pasture! Luckily, I had studied the map and knew that my destination was about five miles down the road. The cost for this Passport America Park is $12.50/night. I have full hookups and even ran into the resident goat, Sam, who has figured out how to get out of his pen to partake of the greener grass on the other side of the fence. ;)

Rain is forecast for tonight, but as long as it's not severe, I'll head out in the morning. I think it's under 250 miles to Anahuac NWR from here, so I should be able to get through Houston and settle in tomorrow. Since it will be my third time volunteering there, it should feel like arriving home.

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

A perfect travel day

I was on the road by 7:30 this morning and heading east. It was mostly cloudy with no wind. The clouds helped keep the bright sun out of my eyes all morning. Having no wind made the 337 mile drive comfortable and the traffic through El Paso was pretty light. I wish I could be that lucky when I go through San Antonio and Houston.

I'm trying to keep ahead of an approaching storm from the west. I'm glad I left today and didn't wait until tomorrow.

Four other ladies from the LoW-Hi RV Ranch left today also. They are traveling together in their four rigs to the Rio Grande Valley. They were more ambitious this morning than I, and left almost an hour before me. When I stopped for lunch just past Van Horn, TX, at one of the few rest areas, lo and behold I found them all having a picnic lunch as I took Emma for a walk. Emma was excited to see her two canine friends from the park. They will be staying at the local Walmart tonight. I don't do Walmarts, so I am set up in a Passport America Park (Parkview RV Park) with full hookups and cable for $12.

This park is pretty much like camping in a fairground lot, but I don't need any more than that for my overnight stay. There was some excitement a little earlier as a large group of young people invaded the bathroom/shower building. My guess is that they are not staying at the park, as two police patrol cars showed up a short time later. The group had already left, but the police spent quite a bit of time speaking with the owner and inspecting the building.

It's about 500 miles to get to Houston from here, so I'll be busy tonight figuring out one more place to stay before I get to Anahuac NWR. I need to find a park that sells propane so I can fill up the tank and be ready for my stay at Anahuac. I hope the wind Gods are with me again tomorrow.... ;)

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

Being planful

When I'm getting ready to travel, I'm pretty planful. I spent a portion of this afternoon mapping out possible campgrounds for my first night heading toward Houston. I've chosen one in Van Horn, and one in Fort Stockton, Texas. They are both Passport America parks.

Van Horn is about 226 miles away and Fort Stockton is about 350. Normally, I'd choose the closer park, but all but about five miles of the trip will be on I-10, which usually means easier driving. 350 miles is a long day for me, so I'm keeping my options open.

There are several other rigs heading that direction from here. When I went to the social hour today, I spoke with some of them. They have decided to pull out on Saturday instead of Sunday, as they think the forecast for Sunday has 40 mph winds. Well, I'll have to watch the forecast because you won't find me driving in those kind of winds! Only time will tell if it will be Saturday or Sunday. I'm up for either.

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

Spring Valley State Park

Yesterday afternoon, after I had posted the Blast from the Past, I loaded Emma into the car and we headed for Spring Valley State Park. Spring Valley is really a day use part of Rockhound State Park. It is two miles further on from Rockhound. As I made the right hand turn to Spring Valley, I noticed this sign:

this was the first time I've seen a road with a 17% grade! Sure glad I had the car and not the motorhome.

It's hard to see, but the road is in the left 1/3 of the picture and goes right up into the Florida Mountains. As you go up the first grade, it is impossible to see where the road is going, so I had the car in second gear. As I topped the first hill, the view of the valley and Deming in the distance was cool.

I continued on up to the picnic area and trailhead. It would have been better to do this trip in the morning as far as pictures are concerned. Emma and I started out on the Lover's Leap trail, but it is a primitive trail, and I was not comfortable going very far without my walking stick. If I try this trail again, I think I'll leave Emma at home. I'll need to concentrate on my steps and Emma is a little too exuberant for that kind of a hike for me. I could just see myself taking a header as she went one way, and I slipped on the loose rocks another way. :)

When I got back, I filled the water tank and disconnected the water hose. Temps last night were below freezing and will be in the twenties for the next several nights. I don't mind doing that as I really get better water pressure with my pump than with the pressure in the park. Better pressure is especially nice for showers!

Tonight was the Monday evening potluck, as usual. Once again, the food was very satisfying. One change from previous weeks was that some thoughtful person had started a fire in the wood stove in the Rec Hall. It's really getting chilly and windy. I made sure to pick a spot not too far from the stove.

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

The wind blows in...

I had planned to go visit another state park after doing the laundry this morning, but high winds and overcast skies moved in so I decided to just stay home today. So I'll show you some sights of things around the Ranch.

As I was getting the laundry ready to go, I went outside to put everything in the trunk of the car. As I moved around to the back of the car, I noticed a visitor....
There are at least two roadrunners that patrol the park, and one of them hung around my site long enough for me to get this picture. They especially like to pick off unsuspecting small birds from my feeder. My neighbor, Judy, on the west side of my rig hand feeds them hamburger some mornings, so they are not as skittish as usual. I really enjoy these birds...meep, meep! There are plenty of Wily Coyotes around too. Haven't seen any falling anvils, though. ;)

Emma and I visit the "bark park" a couple of times a day so she can get a little exercise off leash. The park aims to accommodate both city and country dogs. Her main exercise here consists of trotting around with a certain ball that she found in the enclosure. It usually takes her about a half hour to find the exact spot to bury this ball each day. Quite often, another dog digs up the ball later in the day, so she has a new mission each time we go there. Once she buries it and covers it up, she's ready to continue our constitutional around the park.

One of the ladies here takes care of all of the landscaping in the park, and what a great job she does. There are many native plantings throughout the park. Among them are many Yuccas. They bloom in the early spring and send up long flower shoots.
At this time of the year, the flowers have turned to seed pods and the winds help distribute the seeds.
The pods dry and open. See the seeds in the bottom right of the pod?

Here's what the seeds look like. They literally cover the ground around each Yucca. The seeds remind me of thousands of chips of flint lying on the ground. I bet plenty of seeds got dispersed with today's winds.

There will be a cold front blowing through over the next couple of days, and after tonight, it seems night time temps will fall below freezing for a few nights. Tomorrow will be time to fill the water tank and disconnect the hose at night.

I may go to a breakfast in town tomorrow put on by the Mason's. A bunch of us will meet at the office and travel to it together. It should be fun.

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

A retiring couple of days

Since I retired in June of 2006, I've pretty much spent most of my time either volunteering, or moving from one assignment to another. This is the first time I've stayed in the same place for a month and not been working. So, I guess I'm learning how to be retired.

Of course, yesterday I had to do those things that are necessary like laundry and exercising the generator, but other than that I just walked Emma, read a book, and played on the computer. Today, I did go to the local VFW for a fish fry around noon with four other solos from the park. I was expecting cod or perch...something you might find at a fish fry in Minnesota or New York. (unless it's lute fisk at this time of the year in MN) Well, I forgot that I'm down south now...that means catfish. What was I thinking? The VFW did a great job of preparing the fish in a light batter along with fries, Texas toast, and cole slaw. Each person got three fillets of fish. That was way too much for me. I ate a comfortable amount and left the rest. (sorry poor starving children in China)

On the way back to the rigs, we stopped at a flea market. It met my expectations...plenty of junk for sale. I'm not a flea market person, but several of the others found treasures to purchase. That's about the extent of my activities for the last two days. I guess I better find something to tour tomorrow. I don't want to get too sedentary. ;)

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

LoW-Hi RV Park, NM

I was on the road by 9:30 this morning, frost on the pumpkin and all! I definitely wore gloves this morning as I packed up things outside and got ready to leave with temps in the 20's. The winds were calm as I left, but as I headed through Hatch, NM, on the way to Deming, the winds commenced to blow around 20-30 mph, and of course they weren't a tail wind.

After 150 miles, I arrived at the LoW-HI RV park. When I went in to register, and join LoW's, there was a slight mix up in my reservation. So, tonight I'm in a back in space with electric and water (which I won't hook up since it will be well below freezing tonight). Tomorrow I'll move to a full hook up site and begin my one month stay at this park.

I went to the social hour today at 4:00 and met quite a few of the other solo members. I look forward to the potluck next Monday, and several other activities. Most everyone here travels solo, so none of us will be a "third wheel" at the functions. I think I'm going to enjoy my time here. There's quite a bit to see in the area, and I'm happy to stay put for a while.

After I move and get everything set up tomorrow, I'll try to take some pics of the park. The weather is supposed to improve and be in the seventies for next week. I can live with that. ;)

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