Soaking Up the Sun

I would like to back-track a bit to my adventures at Bosque del Apache. I found these pictures on my Olympus. I used both cameras plus my cell phone on that trip. This is a sunset picture.

I call this photo the "Ghost Bushes", because the flash picked up the bushes in the foreground.

Another eerie shot!

Brock and I laughed so hard at the way the birds looked when they were getting ready to land.

I had a great Christmas Eve at Norma and Quinten's meeting his sister and renewing friendships from last year. Norma delights in entertaining and the food was outstanding. Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera.

I went to the Arizona Market a couple of weeks ago and got these two yard art thingyies. Yea, spell check says that's not a word. Too bad.

On my walk this morning, this crow was yelling at me, so I took his picture.

There are some beautiful homes out here where I walk; however, I think these people need to recycle this particular piece of yard art. Notice the hole and cracks in the donkey. Oh well, it makes it more interesting.

So we added about a week's worth of rain to the desert about ten days ago and this is what we got. In some areas, it almost looks like someone planted grass.

So tomorrow morning, I'm off to Chandler to spend the New Year's celebration with Tammy and Bob. Who knows what pictures I'll capture on that adventure. Happy New Year to all!

More Adventures

On Monday, I put Plan B into effect, and drove to Alagodones to make a dental appointment. I can't wait until Friday at 8:30 am. Since I was in town, I left some money at Walmart. On Tuesday, I ran into my friend June at the library, and we went to lunch at the Beaches in Coyote Wash.

On Wednesday, I headed back up to Martinez Lake and the wildlife refuge. There were about seven other people beside myself on the guided walk. Our leaders were a couple that worked in Denver for American Airlines. Now they winter in Yuma and summer in the Grand Tetons. Betty, the wife, liked to talk about scat. Here she is pictured with some in her hand.

She also had all sorts of animal bones that they had previously found in Wash B and stories for each one. Her husband, who thought it was going to be 90 degrees that morning, had some sort of temperature gauge and measured the temperature of the rocks that were getting sun.

This is a cholla with an unidentified bird nest in it. I took some other pictures, but nothing too spectacular. The bodies of water that they call lakes along the Colorado River are nothing but backwaters that are good for fishing and recreation.

This is a picture of the group paying rapt attention while Charles explains about the Africanized bees that have hives in the rocks. The good news is that they are being tamed, and bees are good, because the plants need the pollination.

Some time in the future, I may go do the Painted Desert Trail in the same area.

On Thursday, Brock and I went birding at Dateland and Tacna. As most of you know, my idea of birding is taking pictures of the birds. Well, that didn't happen, but it was a beautiful day.

On Friday, I did the dreaded dental appointment and found out that I have to have a root canal, maybe two. I don't want to think about it. Should I take pictures?? My friend June is going with me on Monday. In the afternoon, my neighbors invited me to Happy Hour in the middle of our street. Really nice group of people. There's nothing fancy in this park. It's very laid back.

Otra Vez

Since I had seen the ugly weather headed to Elephant Butte, and knowing that I needed dental work, I headed for Wellton, AZ, on Tuesday, the 28th to begin my winter adventure. I stayed that night at the Magic Circle RV Park in Wilcox, and arrived at Tier Drop RV Park here in Wellton on Wednesday afternoon. We are on the west edge of the park with excellent access to the desert. I take Marshall and Tux out there in the morning and mid-afternoon. In the evening, I sort of cheat. We just take a walk around the palms out in front of the coach.

I got in touch with Brock on Thursday. He needed to go to Walmart in Yuma, so I went along and got a few things. I tried to email the dentist for an appointment, and it wouldn't go through. I'll have to resort to Plan B.

On Sunday, I decided to explore, and I drove to Yuma Proving Grounds and headed west to Imperial Dam. I found a place that Gary and I had been to about 15+ years ago called Hidden Shores RV Park. Well, now it's a resort/gated community. They gave me a visitor's pass good for an hour. It was just a mom and pop type of place with a small office and store. They were promoting permanent sites up on a hill adjacent to the park, and, at the time, I thought, "Who would want to do that?" It's quite a community now, and I have pictures to prove it

Here's a picture of the Beach Rules. I think it says something about fat women on a stamp to the right of Beach Area.

Here's a warning sign. We used to sit out there and cool off in the water.

These are some kayaks on the shore. I couldn't resist taking the picture because of their bright colors.

This is the resort club house and golf. It's not my type of place, but it was fun to revisit.

From here, I headed up to Martinez Lake. On the way out of the proving grounds, I had to get a picture of this helicopter.

I had been to Martinez Lake last year with a friend, but didn't have my camera to get pictures of the ducks. Here's what I got last Sunday.

These four guys are taking turns nibbling on a dead fish.

Good to the last peck!  This is the restaurant and bar. I had a good fish sandwich for lunch. Then I headed to the wildlife refuge and signed up for a guided walk on Wednesday,

Festival of the Cranes

Last week my friend Brock came from Wellton, AZ, and we did the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache near San Antonio, NM. It's about a forty-five minute drive from my house, so we had to leave at 4:30 one morning for a birding tour. It was worth it, and we got a bonus: the morning fly-out. Forget the fact that my fingers were burning with cold. I didn't get any good pictures that morning, but after breakfast in Socorro, we went up to Water Canyon near Magdalena. Some of the group was hiking, but we went looking for birds. No luck, but I got an inspirational photo.

I forgot to mention that we went birding the previous morning at Percha and Caballo State Parks. Here are some of the birds that I managed to capture with my camera.

A female phainopepla:

Male pyrrhuloxia:

This bird enjoyed posing. What kind is it? Am I supposed to know that too?

These are my blue cranes. The only reason they're blue is because it's dusk, and that's the way the picture turned out.

This is part of the fly-in on Friday evening. I have the rest on video. The sound is awesome.

One morning there was a great sunrise. I thought capturing it in the reflection of the bedroom window would be unusual.

About a week before the festival, I was in San Antonio to meet a friend for lunch. It was a cloudy day, but I decided to try some shots of the dead cottonwood trees. Here's one I altered. Bad girl!

 

The same day, these ducks decided to be cooperative.

This is a black-crested nocturnal heron getting ready to sleep for the day. I guess that's why he's so cooperative.

The birding experience and the festival were really great. I highly recommend it.

Life a la casa

Things haven't been dull here at home. I'm certainly keeping the economy going. First, I had to have the air conditioner winterized; then, I bought storm doors for the front door and the sunroom entrance on to the patio. Mike Grillo and John did an excellent job. Darn, didn't take a picture.

One morning when I was on my walk, I heard some terrible honking. It was only the geese flying south.

Ginny, my rv friend, has been in town. We took a drive through chili/cotton country, and stopped in Hatch to buy some goodies. Hers were to decorate her daughter's new condo on Oahu where Ginny will be spending the winter. Naturally, I bought a wine glass that I didn't need. One Saturday, we went up to Bosque Del Apache to watch the cranes come in. Our timing wasn't right, so I didn't get any good pictures.

Last Thursday, I decided to have lunch with Rotary. I had a really fun time with Mario, Terry, Ray, Claudia, Sheila, and Blanca. Here's a pose from Claudia and Ray.

On Friday, I went to Las Cruces to spend more money, but, more importantly, to have lunch with my niece Jeannie Stipe, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years. We had a wonderful time with plans for a lot more visits to look at pictures, and swap family info for genealogy purposes. I can't wait. Again, no picture. I won't make that mistake again.

This past Saturday evening, I had a pleasant surprise: Cathy and Bob Raner called from the Elephant Butte Inn. They hadn't planned to stop and see me, but at the last minute changed their plans. We had drinks and dinner, and breakfast at the Club Sunday morning. We plan to meet up some time this winter for more fun.

This morning when I got home from my walk, the silly froggie hanging from the beam on the patio caught my attention.



SKPE Rally

Last Tuesday, I decide to give up my dedication to yard work and join Judy and Rex at Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus, NM. Judy and Rex are on their way to south Texas where they will spend the winter. They had just spent the past several months with this  nice group of RVers in Benson, AZ. Judy and I did a lot of walking in the mornings, and I showed her the highlights of Columbus, and we stumbled on some new ones. For one thing, I didn't know they had such a big modern elementary school in Columbus. I wonder if English is their first or second language? Bad!

We also had a full moon, and Tuxedo actually stood still while I took this picture.

One day we went to lunch at the El Patio Restaurant, but no one sat on the patio. What a shame! I took pictures anyway. I just loved that door, but I have no idea where it went. Can you see the hand holding the torch?

During our lunch that day, a fellow Escapee, who doesn't own an RV yet, was asking us all sorts of questions, and I think we scrambled his brain. I also ran into Ray Hodges second cousin. What a small world!

On Thursday, we did lunch at the Pink Store in Palomas, MX. We were there for lunch and to find the geocache. First, we tried to find the geocache, and then decided to shop, have margaritas, and have lunch in whatever order came first. I found some margarita glasses and butterflies that I couldn't live without, and some Creme de Tequila 1921 which is good on ice cream. Here are some pics of me, Rex, Judy and the store in general.



We found the geocache right by the door in a pink box. I took a pomegranate cleansing bar, and Rex threw in some candy and a quarter.

Then we toured the plaza behind the Pink Store and took pictures of the statutes of General Pershing and a very tall Mexican military guy.

Judy and I also made a  new friend, but he was also huge and had funny sandals.

One of the gals at the rally told us about the Perfect Man Shrine, and it we found it in a residential neighborhood west of town. A man by the name of Earl Starcher was building it, but he died before he finished it.

What a beautiful three days and what great friends. Thanks Judy and Rex!