Two years on the road :)

During our frustrating weekend, we overlooked the fact that on Saturday, June 1, Katie and I started our third year on the road.  We've sure seen a lot of new places, people and things, and learned a LOT about RVing, The Palms and all it's systems in the last two years.  I've never once been sorry I made the decision to leave the condo and start traveling full time in a motor home.  I still love being a full time RVer and still love The Palms as much as the day I first drove it home.  Although I still feel like such a newbie sometimes, I'm glad we have two years under our belts.  We're looking forward to our third year with lots of anticipation and excitement!

One of the first things I saw when we drove down to the beach on Saturday was this Great Blue Heron on the hill.

I'm always trying to get good close-up photos of herons, but I'm not happy yet with what I've taken, so I'll keep trying.  This one isn't too bad.

We had thunder and lightening and a brief, heavy rain last night before dark.  It was nice for a change, and hopefully will dampen the ground and trees in this fire season.

So...  I mentioned bad neighbors in my last post.  I never got to know them, and didn't talk to them (except yelling at them), but this is what they did.  (People who don't dry camp all the time might not see the big deal, but I was totally aggravated!)

I parked in the primitive parking area by the lake on my first evening here.  All the other campers were lined up around the lake.  I was the only RV out in the dry lake bed area, a large area that used to be under water.  I went to bed, exhausted, around 9:30 and a little before 10, I woke up and saw headlights through my curtains and heard a truck approaching.  I started worrying that I was in the middle of a large area in the dark, and hoped they could see us.  They stopped their vehicle, and I looked out the window.  There was another truck there; he must have driven up while I was asleep.  The people got out of the trucks and proceeded, for about 45 minutes to set up CAMP.  Right NEXT to me. The second truck was towing a boat, and the people were jumping up and down from the boat and the truck bed, all brandishing flashlights that were shining all over the place, including in my windows.  It was pitch black outside.  The gates should have closed at dusk, so they were already here during the daylight. Why in the world would they come over where I was parked so late, after it was dark?

This was taken AFTER they took the truck/boat away in the morning. Those were between me and the tent.

The truck with the motor running in the morning was practically right under my window - 15-20 feet away?

Anyway, they finally got things organized - they were slow as molasses, though.  Things quieted down and I went back to sleep.  Then a little after 7 in the morning, I hear the truck again.  I listened to the truck engine running for what seemed to be about 20 minutes.  They were at the boat, getting it organized for going out on the lake to fish all day.  Jumping up, jumping down, discussing things, etc.   Finally I opened my window from my upper bunk and yelled, "Would you SHUT OFF YOUR TRUCK?!?!!!?  I'm trying to SLEEP up here!"  They looked up at me and one man walked over and turned off the engine.  They didn't leave for another 20 or 30 minutes.  Were they planning to run that truck under my window at 7 in the morning for an hour? I wouldn't want to admit to you that I cursed them - NO FISH FOR YOU TODAY.  I don't know if my curse worked or not, but I'm not admitting anything . :)

I noticed an empty area next to the lake where someone had left and I climbed down, got dressed and drove over there.  Katie and I spent the day by the water watching all the weekenders enjoying themselves, fishing, boating, kayaking, jumping in the water just playing.  Then one by one, they packed up and left. There were lots of groups and extended families with a lot of gear for the weekend. 

After all the people in my area left, the Ravens and Turkey Buzzards arrived to clean up all the dead fish that were left on the shore.  It was very interesting to watch the interaction between the two types of birds.  It started with Ravens, then one Turkey Buzzard arrived.  Before I knew it, there were a dozen or so of them, and they were obviously in charge.  The Ravens kept appearing, hopping around, and flying off to other areas. 

These are some of the pictures I took of the Chihuahuan Ravens and Turkey Buzzards:

Turkey Buzzard and catfish

Chihuahuan Raven.  Once the Buzzards arrived, these guys had to find fish in another area.

Raven in flight.

US Supreme Court Justices.  The way they walk around, that's what they remind me of when they are in a group.  My apologies to the Court.  :)

Cooling off in the breeze.

As his wings came down, his tail feathers came in, too.

Turkey Buzzard in flight.  These birds really interest me.

As you can see, the photos aren't as good with the Samsung as with my Nikon.  It might just be that I have the settings all wrong, so I'll have to work on that. It's definitely more fun to shoot photos that come out clear and crisp and colorful.

 A big Welcome to our new Followers:

paxami, who is a "sometime gardener, golfer and photographer, big time reader and animal lover, and a fledgling cellist."   I don't see that you have a blog, but you have a lot of  fun interests, paxami, and hopefully following me and Katie will be fun for you, too!  Thanks for following along with us.

pamela - who doesn't show a blog or any other information, but we're sure happy you are following us on our travels, pamela!

...and fnally, Barbara!  Once when I was introduced to someone, they said, "I've never met a Barbara I didn't like."  I've also found that to be true, so when I went over to Barbara's blog, even though she is not an RVer, I knew I'd love it.  I'll bet you will, too!  She is in Houston, TX, and her profile says, in part, "I read a lot.... novels, internet, soup cans. This blog has evolved into a rambling collection of my thoughts and reflections on life, and quotes or links to other articles and blogs I enjoy."  I'm looking forward to your posts, Barbara - thanks for following Me and My Dog  ...and My RV!
 
Welcome aboard to you all!  :)

It's cloudy and windy and wonderful here.  From Katie and me, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)