Moving on tomorrow - to Villanueva State Park, NM

Boy, the last three weeks have just flown by.

It's been nice camping near Hazel and Cari again, and we are all going to head on down to Villanueva State Park for a couple of nights. Since they don't have good cell connections, that will probably be enough, and then we are all going on to Bluewater Lake State Park again.  After that, I think I'll head to Glendale AZ to see Ron, my solar guy, and see if he can figure out my converter problem.  His is a full service shop, and he has very good reviews for problem solving.  I hope he will be able to help.

The following are the "clean up photos" that I have left from Bluewater Lake and Storrie Lake that didn't get posted, but I wanted to use them tonight.

These have been hanging around in my photo folder from my last visit at Bluewater Lake:

 The Dam at Bluewater Lake from the other side of the lake.

It's pretty, isn't it?

The full moon behind The Palms

This Great Blue Heron came to the lake late afternoon to fish.

I was sure this squirrel was a Prairie Dog when it came up out of the hole below.  It stood up and looked around just like a Prairie Dog.

I didn't know squirrels had holes burrowed in the fields.

 They have some weird looking squirrels at Bluewater Lake.

Looks like they have a sweater on.  At first I thought he was sick.

 
The following photos are from Storrie Lake:

 A hawk in the field.

 A flock of these yellow headed blackbirds swarmed in to land in this tree:

 Canada Goose keeping guard at the lake.

I was telling Hazel about this round cat bed I had - Katie won't sleep in it and I wanted to give it away.  She has a cat, Chica, and said she would take it.  So, I brought it over to her rig yesterday and dropped it off.  Not ten minutes later I received this photo in an e-mail.  I think Chica likes the bed! Can you see her?

 The bed is on the passenger seat, and Chica, a black cat, is curled up inside it. 

Notice Hazel's cactus garden and the gorgeous new curtains and cover on the seat back.  Hazel just finished sewing them while she was here at Storrie Lake. She also made valances.  It looks really nice, very rich. 

 Good night, and don't get my toys!

From me and Katie, have a good evening!  :)

Kitchen Mod :)

I ordered a new magnetic knife holder, doesn't it look great?  Not only is it functional, I love the way it looks.

Kuchenprofi 14-Inch Magnetic Knife Rack in 18/10 Stainless Steel

I had my smaller knives in a kitchen drawer and the long knife in my "kitchen gadget holder" shown below - a container I got at Michael's when I was living in my condo.  I used to put my favorite "fat quarters" in it when I was quilting.  It has a high rounded lid, so it's great for things like my strainer and steamer.  They are rounded, too, so I put them on the top of the spatulas, wisks, large spoons, garlic grater, wine bottle opener, etc. That large knife barely fit from one bottom corner to the opposite lid top, so I'm glad to have another place to put it.

Kitchen Gadget Holder

I love having my knives close at hand, and this frees up some space in my kitchen drawer.

This is the first time I've screwed anything into my rig. I really didn't want to - I love the original coach and don't want to make any permanent changes.  At least not now.  But this seemed like such an obvious space saver and with the weight of the knives, the holder wouldn't stay on the wall with just Velcro strips.  So I had to use screws to attach it.  

See the knives on the right, on the wall? I lined the handles up - OCD anyone? :)

So far I love it, and we'll see what happens when I'm on the road.  Will the knives stay on the magnetic strips?

 Katie says, HI!

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

Storrie Lake State Park, New Mexico

I'm sorry I've been AWOL for a while - thank you for the concern of the people who have e-mailed asking if we're okay.  This is what I've been e-mailing back, and I decided to put it here, too, so I don't have to re-type what I've been doing:

I’m in a place where I have great Internet, TV and Sirius Radio and I have so many choices of things to do, I’ve been neglecting my blogging - writing and reading. Don't worry, I'll catch up!  All the international news and political stuff is really engaging me, too, and even though I have good TV, I’m mostly following the latest news on the Sirius radio stations.  

I’m also downloading audio books from my library’s Internet site and tons of free books from a free download site for my Kindle Fire, and free movies from another site – I’m in hog heaven and have so many things I want to be listening to and watching and reading, it’s hard to choose.  Big problem, right?  How could anyone ever be bored?  I'll have lots of things stored away to access when winter comes and I don't have such good connections.

I’m finding that when I’m in a spot where I’m not so well connected, I tend to post more.

So... Katie and I are here at Storrie Lake State Park. This park is very different from Bluewater Lake. It does have a lake, but it's soooo dry.  The lake is super low and I don't think boats are allowed right now, certainly not motor boats.  I guess that keeps it nice and quiet for us non-boaters. :)

It's very quiet here in the electric part of the campground. Since I am getting good antenna TV for the major stations - and since some of the shows are starting their new seasons - I opted for an electric campsite for $4 a  night with my annual pass.

Here's our site and our view out the window:

 

Most of the sites have an adobe structure that has a large picnic table.  The field on the left used to have water in it, but it has dried up in this area.

The first night I wasn't able to get an electric site in the lower campgrounds, so I went to the upper campground, which isn't as nice or roomy, but it IS closer to the lake.  This is a view out the back  of some of the sites.

The other day I had a knock on my door, and Vermont Chris was standing there.  I had met her briefly when she was volunteering at Heron Lake State Park, but at the time I didn't realize it was Chris I was talking to in the office.  I didn't have Internet there, and had been planning to e-mail her so we could meet, and it turned out we had met and didn't know it.  She didn't know it was ME and I didn't know it was CHRIS at the Office.  We had e-mailed a few times, and were both members of the womengosolo forum.  It was so nice to see her again, and we have been visiting back and forth the last couple of days.

Vermont Chris

Chris has a new dog, Edna, who is just a real cutie and seems to be really smart.

Edna - look at that great face!

Katie and Edna

This week I needed an oil change in the truck, so I went to a local shop, which I would highly recommend.

Las Vegas Diesel Repair/Weld

226 S. Grand Avenue

Las Vegas, NM  87701-3871

Contact Information:  Charlie Gold  
(505) 425-5734  lasvegasdieselrepair@hotmail.com

I went in for an oil change, and they changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter.

Ernie also took off my outer back tires to check the air pressure of all six tires, and brought them back up to where they should be.

Then Ivan came over to see if he could figure out why my converter wasn't charging my house batteries.  He checked my generator, batteries and the converter.  The first two were fine, and he said 14 volts were going into my converter, but nothing was coming out.  He thought the problem was the converter, itself. He didn't think it had anything to do with shorts in the wiring.

They are not experts in failed converters, but they are a full service shop and that was Ivan's diagnosis.  So, now I've e-mailed Progressive Dynamics again to see about another warranty issue.  My original converter has a 2-year warranty, and the first one was installed 11/1/11, so I have more than a year left in my original warranty.  These are supposed to be really good converters, so I'm hoping the third time will be the charm.

Charlie - he's the boss.

This is Ernie, he changed my oil and took care of my tires.

Ivan, who checked my batteries, generator and converter.

Donald, who changed my fuel filter.  I know - this isn't where the fuel filter is. 

I asked him to pose for me since his job was completed UNDER the rig.

These guys were all so polite and informative.  I was there for a total of four hours, with them working and checking things the whole time, except over the lunch period.  Ernie especially was super patient with all my never-ending questions.

I really appreciated their good, hard work, and if I ever need anything again when I'm in the area of Las Vegas, NM, I'll sure take The Palms back to them.  Currently they have a labor rate of $95/hour.  When I got my bill, it was less than I was expecting, which was also a very good thing!)

Sunset last night

There doesn't seem to be a lot to blog about here and I'm keeping pretty busy - so if you don't see a post for a couple of weeks, don't worry.  I'll be back!

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

Rest in Peace, Val; Bike Rider; and New Foal

Val - Rest in Peace Sweet Boy

Hazel lost her big boy, Val, early this week.  He was a rescue Greyhound, 11 1/2 years old, and was the sweetest big dog.  He was favoring his foot and when Hazel checked, she found a mass.  She took him to the Vet that afternoon, and he was diagnosed with advanced bone cancer.  Hazel made the hard decision to have him put down and release him from his pain.

Of course Hazel is devastated, and her other Greyhound, Fleur who is 9 years old, misses Val, too.  Hazel has had Val since he was 4 and she got Fleur soon after, so they have had a good run together.  These two gentle giants have had a pretty exciting life since they hooked up with Hazel, traveling all over with her in her Class A motor home.

Following are some of the photos I've taken of them all:

 Val and Fleur at the grinding holes in Quartzsite, AZ

Hazel took the dogs everywhere with her; they loved walking alongside her recumbent bike and also alongside her car with their leashes in Hazel's hand while she slowly drove around the campsite.  She made sure they got the exercise they needed. Once in a while she'd take them out in the boonies so they could just run off-leash, and they loved it.

 Val, Hazel and Fleur taking a walk at Quartzsite.

 Val and Fleur. Aren't they beautiful dogs?

 Another day trip with Mom.

  Come on up, Fleur!

I'll miss Val, along with everyone else who ever petted his long, beautiful nose.  He was one of the sweetest, best behaved dogs I've ever known.  I still tear up when I think about him. Rest in Peace, Sweet Boy.

On a lighter note, I want to show you some photos of a little camper who was riding bikes with her big sister and her dad.  They were here for a few days, and I so enjoyed watching her "ride" her bike past The Palms.  This little girl must have strong legs and a determined spirit, because she pretty much kept up with sis and dad.

 Here she is, riding by The Palms.

As you can see, there are no pedals on this bike.

 Foot Power, keeping up with dad on the downhill.

Heading home after their ride, she finally got off and walked the bike on the way back, going uphill.  So cute!

I thought this was a nice photo, mom, big sis and little sis.

Filly and big sis's bike.

Anyway, I don't know these people, but they were so interested and respectful of the horses, and I loved watching them riding their bikes.  Seemed like a nice family.

The other family I enjoyed watching so much, the five horses, is gone.  According to another RVer, on Tuesday their owner put them in a horse trailer and drove them out of the park. It sure was fun living in The Palms with these beautiful animals right outside my windows for so many weeks.

So, on Tuesday Katie and I took a long walk (for us) down to the boat ramp, planning to cross the sand to the road up to our old site overlooking the lake. Once in a while we take that walk, and walk around the two campgrounds in that area, too. When we got down to the lake, I saw the large herd of horses across the lake.  I hadn't seen them in weeks, so we walked over that way for a closer look.  There's another new foal, and I think some different horses that were either new in this herd, or I hadn't noticed them before. Or maybe this is a different herd.

 Partial herd of 19 - the rest were further up and around the hill.

I counted 25 total.

Yesterday some of the horses from that herd were up here across the field from us, and the foal was with them. I got some good photos of the little cutie.  She's really a beauty.   She is still stumbling around a bit, but has so much energy - when she walks alongside her mom, she just hops and jumps and bounces.  Katie and I walked over closer to them to see them up close.

 Mare and new baby.

 Taking off toward her mom with a little hop. 

 I wonder if this white horse is the one from the baby photos when I first got here in June.

 Sweet.  Look at that tiny little tail. :)

Nuzzling mom.

Hello.  :)  Such a short tail and long legs.

Labor Day Weekend is coming up. The park has LOTS of empty sites, but I think the electric sites are all reserved for the holiday.  Hazel and Cari are heading East on Wednesday to another New Mexico State Park, and I might tag along with them.  I haven't seen that state park yet, and want to see what it's like - for next year's list of summer parks.

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

Back to school photos and lightning shots

My grand kids are back in school now, they all started this week.  My daughter Kristy and son Tom sent me a few "first day of school" photos of the kids.  These are of Kristy and Matt's two kids and Tom and Trish's two older kids - Graydin is still in preschool and didn't want to be in the photos.

The first three are of Kennedy and Gavin.  Kennedy is 9 and going into the 4th grade, and Gavin is 7 and going into the 2nd grade. They started school on Monday and Tom said they both had a great day and really like their teachers.

And next, we have Drew, who is 7 and going into the 2nd grade, and Lauren, 5 - yesterday was her first day of Kindergarten.  I haven't heard yet how Lauren liked her first day of school, but after they brought Drew to his classroom, Kristy e-mailed me,  "So far Drew's teacher seems great, organized and very nice.  He has all his friends in his class, and luckily they are sitting at different tables.  He has a desk for the first time.  Lauren's teacher is the wife of Drew's Kinder teacher and in the same classroom, so she is familiar with the class and routine as she volunteered with me a few times.  She doesn't seem nervous, yet." I hope Lauren did well and that she and Drew had fun and liked their first day of school.  :)

Don't you just love those four beautiful, happy, fresh faces?  They are all good kids and so far good students. I hope they all have a good year in school.

I used to take Tom and Kristy's first day of school photos on our front porch every year, and now my kids are doing the same thing - photos in front of the house.  I just noticed they both have photos in front of bougainvillea blooms.  Tom is in Southern California and Kristy is in Northern California, and they both have healthy bougainvillea plants in front of their houses.  The house I grew up in also had that same plant climbing up our fireplace chimney. 

Not to leave out Graydin, he was 3 in April and he's in preschool - this is his second year.  It's an all day, year round preschool, his sister and brother both attended the same preschool and I had the opportunity to pick up the kids and attend some events, and it's a really good school. Graydin loves it, as did his older siblings.  This is my most recent picture of Graydin, taken with Kennedy and Gavin at Lake Tahoe this summer:

I've got the best grand kids - bright, beautiful and super well behaved.  Their parents are all doing such a good job raising them, I'm so proud of them all.

I haven't seen the horses for a few days and I asked the Ranger, Kelly, where they were.  He said someone picked them up in a trailer a few days ago and took them down to Bluewater Creek - below is a photo I took of the creek, it's beautiful - and they have slowly made their way back up to the campground.  I mentioned that it's really green and lush down there with lots for the horses to eat, but he seemed to think they like to graze in the campgrounds and prefer the grasses up here.  I guess, even to horses, it might look good, but maybe the taste isn't to their liking.

He said when we were talking yesterday afternoon that he just saw the horses grazing at the entrance gate to the park, so hopefully I'll see them today.

Kelly said the horses are all branded, except the filly, and that if a filly is with it's mom, it goes with the branded mare, so these horses have owners and are not up for grabs.  Kelly said they were probably dropped off to roam free here in the park, and when the owner is ready, he will pick them up and take them away.  In the 50s when the State took over this area for a park, there was an agreement with the Native Indians that horses could roam free on these lands, which is why we have horses here.  They aren't really wild, just free ranging. 

We are supposed to get some really bad weather today, it's gray and a little windy now, but no real storms yet.  These are the clearest of the photos I took a few days ago of lightning in the skies on the other side of the lake during a good thunderstorm.

Cool, huh?  Click on the lightning photos to see larger, clearer shots of the way the lightning is traveling down the sky, especially the last one.  It's pretty interesting.  Today we should get lots more, I hope.

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