Wordless Wednesday - The Me and My Dog Museum

My Grandkiddles - in the Me and My Dog Museum.

From Me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Still hanging out in Grants

To answer commenters who asked why I don't go to another NM state park during the six "out" days, there isn't another park near here. This is probably one of the few parks that isn't near another park, and I don't want to spend the time and money to drive to the nearest parks closer to the Colorado border.  I also don't want to pay to stay in an RV park.  I don't need hook-ups, so why pay to park overnight in an RV park?  I will do that if necessary, like I did last June when it was too hot or in January when I was recuperating from surgery, but under normal circumstances, I'd rather just blacktop it and get my errands done.

And honestly, I don't mind blacktop camping at all, as long as it's safe and the weather cooperates (not too hot).  This time out, we did our shopping the first day, took care of Katie's vet visit the second and took it easy yesterday.  Today I did the laundry and we'll return to the campground on Wednesday.  Easy peasy this time around.  :)

This Wal-Mart (at Grants) is not a large store and there aren't a lot of RVs or big rigs overnighting here.

I am parked along a fence with fields and mountains in the distance and Prairie Dogs running around in the dirt along the other side of the fence.

A Prairie Dog family. (Sorry it's blurry, but it was so cute to see them all pop out of the hole and stand up together.)

We went into the town yesterday and experienced panhandlers at both place we parked, so I'm going to keep to the Wal-Mart and Love's, where we haven't been bothered at all.

The Palms parked at the Grants city park. 

Katie and I took a little walk, were bugged by beggars in the park and I decided to move further into town.

This poor man (I think he is a man) on the right and his poor sister are trying to get enough money to go home. Sadly, I failed to contribute to their travel fund. :( 

When Katie and I were walking around the little park, I heard duck quacks, and saw that across the street was a little lake and another small park.  We walked over and saw lots of ducks and a couple of geese.  

Quack Quack!  Look out, here comes a little fat dog.

When Katie and I were walking along the little path, a butterfly flew by us, and I got a couple of shots.

It flew over my head and swooped down - I thought it was going to land on Katie's ear and if she had been standing still, I think it would have.  It decided to swoop past her and then it flew away.

We left the park and I pulled in across the street from the Library, which was closed because it was Sunday, and immediately were accosted by another beggar.  He knocked on the driver's door, and I closed the blind on that side, so he went to the front of the cab and stood there looking in the window.  I vigorously signaled him to MOVE AWAY.  He stood there for a while looking like he didn't understand.  Hey, isn't the Federal Government giving Native Americans a monthly allotment?  I used to know a man who had some Native Indian blood.  He was a successful businessman and didn't receive government checks, but he explained the process to me.  These people who beg in New Mexico look like full blooded Native Americans, so they must be getting something. Ya know what I mean???

Tomorrow I'll top off my propane tank and gas tank and early Wednesday we'll drive up the highway back to Bluewater.  I think there is an Indian Casino somewhere around here.  I'll have to check it out and find out where it is.  Next time maybe I'll overnight there for one night.

So far this hasn't been a bad idea at all.  I'd have no problem spending my six days out back here at Grants again.  It gives me plenty of time to take care of errands.

I'm sitting here at Love's Gas Station (I got the very end spot again) watching the big rigs come in and park. It's amazing how they maneuver those huge trucks and trailers and back them up perfectly into the spaces provided for them.  Makes me feel like a little gnat. :)

From me and Katie, have a great Monday everyone!  :)

Okay, here's the plan....

We drove to Grants yesterday. It's only 27 miles from Bluewater Lake, and has a Wal-Mart and a Love's Gas Station, so that is where Katie and I will stay for the next six nights if all goes well.

Last night we stayed at Wal-Mart and tonight we are at Love's.  I was lucky to get an end spot, so at least I won't have a giant generator on both sides.  So far, so good.

I don't think I posted a photo of the campsite I was in for the last two weeks.  This was a nice spot -  big, very level and no close neighbors.  It is a drive through site on a one-way road, and there wasn't much traffic on the road. 

Across the street is Bluewater Creek, way down in the canyon. I couldn't see the canyon or the creek from my side of the street, we had to walk across to the edge and look down.  It's very green and pretty down in the canyon, and I was told there are beavers down there, constantly building dams.  I'd love to see and photograph them.   I haven't taken that hike yet, but hope to in the future.

We had such a storm yesterday!  Hard rain, hail, loud thunder and crackling lightening.  The rain was so hard it actually flooded the ground and all the little depressions in the landscape were filled with water.


Hail in the campground.

  The following photos are views out the windows.

These are photos taken out the window before the rain and as it was pouring down.  I could hardly see out the window, and the wind blew the hummingbird feeder right off the tree.  Later that day it was down on the ground under the tree.

Soon afterward, the water had been absorbed, but the ditches that were dug alongside the roadways were full, which, of course, is why they were dug.  All this rain has really increased and greened up the ground cover all over the park.
 

The ditch alongside the road to the lake was completely full.  Hopefully the Wal-Mart and Love's parking lots are on high ground.  I'd hate to float away. :)

Katie had her annual vet check-up this afternoon.  Hazel had been to a local veterinarian here in the Village of Milan outside of Grants that she liked, so I made an appointment for Katie to have her annual shot, check-up and also have her nails clipped while we were there.  I've been lucky so far that she has been very healthy.  All went well, and she's done for the year. 

She was super insulted at having her temp taken, she HATES anyone to touch her butt, and having her temp taken, well...  I wish I had my camera with me.  LOL.   She did fine with the shot, but really didn't like the nail clipping.  The nurse had to hold her tight while the vet did the clipping.  Poor thing.  The only surprise was that she weighs 14.5 pounds.  I thought she was around 12 pounds which is where she should be.  We're going to be cutting down on the treats again. 

She couldn't stop smiling when we got back to The Palms.

She is sleepy tonight, in fact, she's already been in bed for an hour. 

She usually starts out on the blue blanket, then later during the night she'll snuggle in her bed, but tonight, she started out in the bed.  The Vet's nurse said she would probably be extra tired for about 36 hours with this shot, and I guess that's what's happening.  Sweet dreams, Katie.

And from me and Katie, sweet dreams to all of our readers, too.  :) 



Wordless Wednesday - Sit right down and have some dinner

Squirrel chair- in case you want to have a squirrel over for dinner.  :)

Kind of expen$ive, I think, but if you are interested, see link on the right sidebar for information.

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Birds at Bluewater

I've been snapping photos of various birds since I've been here at Bluewater Lake, and also found a new one when I was in Gallup.

Great Blue Heron standing by water filled berm.

 

Great Blue Heron walking along in the field.

Mountain Bluebird

Pinyon Jay

Pinyon Jay



House Sparrow at Wal-Mart in Gallup.

House Sparrow at Wal-Mart in Gallup.

 

Juvenile Turkey Buzzards

Turkey Buzzard - I still love these guys.



Look at this little guy - he must be really young, and he's soooo cute!  He's so darn cute, I think he looks like a cartoon! :)

This little cutie is also a juvenile - I think he's a Western Bluebird or maybe a Mountain Bluebird?

Rufous Humming bird.  He looks different in the other photos, but I'm pretty sure that's what he is.

Rufous Hummingbird again.  He is parked right outside my window, constantly scanning right and left, guarding the feeder.

One of Katie's favorite "critters."  She gets so excited when she spots one.

Not a lot going one here.  Birds are flying, bunnies are hopping along, lizards are sunning and campers are behaving themselves.  :)  The weather has been interesting and very changeable from day to day, and even sometimes from hour to hour.  My favorite kind of weather.  I'm here until Thursday morning, then will leave for my six days out of the park, heading to Grants this time with a new plan.  I'm looking forward to it.

The other morning I got under the rest of The Palms and checked for mouse entrances, then I checked out the rest of my outside storage compartments.  I found a few holes to plug, but I'm not sure they had access to the inside living area.  In any case, at least I won't have any critters coming into my storage areas.  So far, I haven't had any signs of rodents in those areas, and now the can't get in.  I still have the interior to check. 

Even though I'm in my all-time favorite campground here at Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico, I'm starting to think about Quartzsite, Arizona.  I guess that's my second favorite place, it has such freedom and flexibility as far as where I can park and set up camp, and once I find a place I like, I always put out the solar lights, chairs and table, feeders, flag, etc.  I don't usually bother when I'm only camping two weeks, but in Quartzsite I can stay the whole season in one place if I'm happy there, and I tend to settle in more.  So I'm starting to think about that.  I probably won't start heading that way until September or October so I have a ways to go until we start driving in that direction.

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everyone!  :)