Last Part of the Blog

One more view of the tent where I enjoyed several days with old friends, new friends and family.  The clouds formed everyday but seldom brought much rain.  They call it a two inch rain because each drop is two inches apart.

My favorite early morning class was a father-son team. Robert Oglesby Jr and Sr were wonderful.  Just ask the mother and wife.  All of our group made it to their "early bird" class.

 Following the encampment, Paulette and I headed home.  First stop was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Eagle Nest.  I am always humbled at the additions from vets that are placed in the memorial area. 


Dr. Victor Westphall established this place as a memorial to his son and others who served in the strange war.

 Outside the museum and chapel at the memorial are beautiful flowers.  Nothing prettier than a columbine.  In the wild they are just as beautiful but not such varied colors.

 We passed an alpaca farm and could not resist the opportunity to visit.  They sheared them last week and they were irresistible.  The shop had newly spun yarn and garments that were not in my price range.  I could not resist purchasing a couple of skeins of alpaca yarn.

LaCueva Mill  ~ it no longer is in use but is a mill in town that weaves and a fellow that spins warn for the farm.

How can you resist a beautiful dandelion.

We took the wrong road and lucked onto a valley full of elk.  We counted 65. We had not seen a hand full of animals during the whole trip.  Seeing Coyote Creek State Park sign, we turned in to check it out for the next time we are in the area.  Miss Poe is a raven that was injured and is a rehab program.  The camp host and her husband care for her and use her in an educational program.

Willow Flycatcher at the park.  She has a nest up in the eves of one of the shelters.

Willow Flycatcher stretching her wings near her next.

Littlefield, Texas   ~  Waylon Jennings RV park which is free to travelers if you don't stay more than 4 days.  Pretty cool.

Sunset in Texas is mighty pretty.  

 

 

I had seen some beautiful ones over mountains and the desert but home is home.

Sloppy post but here it is

June 19 and forward a few days.
I have been reminded that nothing has been posted since the 18th.  Well, we have been very busy since then.  We pulled away from Bandelier National Monument area and and headed toward Red River by way of Taos. Seems as though we always stop by St. Francis of Assissi church.  It had just gotten its yearly facelift according to a gentleman who took great pride in his job doing just that.  We aloso stopped at our favorite market ~ Cid's for soup and salad.  We loved every morsel.

We stopped to eat our lunch on the trip up the mountain to Red River. 




Having saved a little money by staying in the park using our "geezer pass" and dry camping or boon docking, we decided to ask about a spot for all the days we would be going to church functions in Red River. River Ranch obliged and gave us our spot for 6 nights.  We were to be between the river and the fish pond commonly called the lake.  The baby Casita was like the filling in an Oreo between the much larger trailers and motor homes.  Several mornings we awoke to notice the temp .was between 38 and 42.  People got up early to fish and the hummingbirds loved our feeder.



As we arrived in Questa a trip to the thrift shop was in order.  We were short one chair for saving places for our family.  Time to get ready for the Red River Family Encampment.  When the tent is raised and my friends, the Padens, have the sound and recording equipment in place, you may place your chairs.  We were ready with our 6 chairs.  That job was accomplished and we moved on and finished setting up our camp and relaxed.  There was  congregational singing that evening and the other meetings began on Saturday at 4.  What a glorious time we had in classes, worship services, classes and general visiting among friends.  I got to see many college friends, friends of Johns, a girl I was twirler with at ACU, people we have met through the years, and neighbors in the campground that were in Red River for the same purpose.  When Mother and Daddy attended the encampment, they had jackets with patches for the years they attended.  John and I wore the jackets and had our picture made. I will post tomorrow.

The McCoy Family Singers

Blue Bell in Red River

As a treat to ourselves, ice cream was in order. We also scheduled a massage for the next morning before everyone in our group arrives. I also has an appointment with the local photographer to help me straighten out a mess on one of my memory sticks.  I thought myself a much better photographer than I really am.  He was a big help and said it was just fine.








I promise to post more photos tomorrow.  This is a disjointed post and photos may not fit, but I am finally in Cameron with my mom and the trip is over.  I will post lots of pictures of Red River and the two days coming home.

The big tent used for the Red River Family Encampment.  We had 1,571 people sitting in lawn chairs for Sunday worship.  The singing was fantastic.    Until tomorrow, I am stumbling along.

June 18, 2014

We are still in Bandelier National Monument. The night was cool with the windows open and sleep was pretty good. 

 Rain storm made good sleeping.

 With no alarm I arose at 5:45am  and was on the trail by 6:40am. 

 Frey Trail leaves Juniper campground amphitheatre area and wanderers along the rim for a bit before it begins its decent into the canyon. It is 1.5 miles and another .5 to Visitors Center.  Leaving that early we expected to see some wildlife and only saw deer tracks on the trail.  The trail is lovely up top but becomes rocky as it descends.  There are pretty sharp cliffs or drop-offs on one side of the trail so I made sure I did not “stumble while dancing.”  The trail rose a little in places which was okay and then all of a sudden I was the ruins below.  I had wanted to see this from above with the sun shining on the rooms from the East.  Didn’t quite get my wish but close enough. The front wall of the ruin of course faces east. The flowers were lovely on the trail. The park service has several ladders into cravats where you are allowed to climb. Been there and smart enough to pass this time.

Upon entering the visitor’s center, I met a cute couple who had their back packs on and were ready for a walk on the lower trails.  I asked her if she would mind telling me how old she is.  Oh she was happy to tell me she was 83 and he is 86.  I was elated and told her that means I have another 10 years to look forward to.  She informed me right away that she was not nearly through going.  I was delighted to watch them strut off to the snack bar.

After a short rest and a cup of coffee, we headed for the Upper Falls.  Because of the flash floods, the Lower Falls in no longer accessible.  I did not care as the trail would have ended there for me anyway.  It is a 3 mile round trip which starts low and goes up and down the side of the canyon and ends looking down into the canyon at the falls.  Frijoles Creek produces this water fall and it ends up in the Rio Grande at the end of the canyon. It is beautiful and well worth the trip even if I was beat and in exhausted pain.  

 The canyon going to the falls.

Upper Falls

It was a fun day and I was happy to ride the shuttle back to the top of the canyon.  Because of the flash flood, debris and trees are piled up; it moved picnic tables down the canyon, washed out foot bridges, ruined the trail to the Lower Falls and demolished the parking lot.  The park service now uses shuttles from the town Visitor’s Center, to the campground and in the canyon to move visitors without congestion.  The plan seems to work as well as at the Grand Canyon.

Paulette needs to find another hiking companion for anything other than flat walks.  “The old gray mare ain’t what she used to be.”  I should go with the older couple and take it real slow.Will leave in the morning if I can get out of bed. 

Monument Valley and Chaco Canyon

6/14/2014

Up at 5 am for sunrise at Monument Valley.  It was beautiful as always but l did not get as good a pictures I have gotten in the past.  Fastening our seat belts and sitting firm in our seats, Paulette drove us slowly and carefully through the area of the monument where visitors are allowed.  Evidentially If you are in a rent car, you don’t care if you tear it up. We took many pictures at each significant vista.  

We ate breakfast at Gouldings, did laundry, and headed toward Farmington and on to Bloomfield, NM.  Of course that road goes through Navajo Country and the trading post of Tec Nos Pos.  How could I pass there a second time without touching all the beautiful rugs.  The Ganado Reds and Two Grey Hills were my favorites.  I left with nothing but a memory of their beauty.  I like it best because the trader tags each rug with of photo of the weaver.

At the Desert Rose RV, where we have stayed many times, nothing had changed. The manager was serving Bar B Que and the trimmings that evening so we indulged.  I like the area for Sunday since the church I attend is just down the street. 

June 15 -  We “camp dressed” for church and were there in plenty of time. I surely needed my friend Patsy to fix this hair.  No place to mess with it while camping.  Friendliest folks ever at church.   

 

We grabbed a bite and headed for Chaco Canyon. Having been there many times while tent camping, we knew the road would beat the Casita to death.  It is a road that is 12 miles of rub board or worse road.  Luckily the BIA had graded it two weeks ago (first time in 2 years.)  We visited briefly with the Ranger who has been there for years.  They have built a new addition to the visitor’s center and it should house a museum by 2016 with many of the artifacts that had been removed while excavating.  They are in other museums and the Smithsonian at this time.  It should be wonderful when returned to their place of origin.  We only visited the sections of Una Vida, Hungo Pavi, Chetro Ketl and the petroglyph panels between those areas.  The gate closed at sunset so we had to leave prior to the actual event.  So we took shots on the way out.  Too tired to go shower when returning, we crawled into the sleeping bags and died.

 Una Vida site

Hungo Pavi Ruin against the rock wall or cliff.

Chetro Ketl

Great Room at Chetro Ketl

June 16, 2014 – The hot shower with plenty of water was fantastic.  We said good bye to our friends and headed to the next destination.  Where is a good question? Traveling down a different road than ever before, we almost flipped a coin as whether to go on into Pagosa Springs, Heron Lake, find a place in the forest or who knows.  We fueled up and stopped at an awning where a lady and her daughter were selling Native food.  Of course I could hardly stand it.  We purchased red chili stew, tamales, fry bread and round oven bread.  The tamales were made of the best masa I have ever eaten – she had ground the corn herself.  The chilies and the husks – everything she had done herself. It was all too much pepper for me but I did my best.  She fried the fry bread right there.  I took a picture to send to Mama.  She loves Indian bread of any kind.

From there we checked Heron Lake State Park and decided it was a NO for us.  We wanted forest and not so much lake.  They did have an Osprey on a nest with two chicks that we got to see through a spotting scope.  We ended up in Chama where we took a little break.  On the road again we stopped for the night at an old favorite campground in the forest, Hopewell.  Sitting in the trailer, we saw another Casita pull in.  Will visit in the morning.  Sandwiches for supper and time to read, compute and say good night.  Forgot to mention that the wind gusts are around 50 mph and it is a cold 40ish degrees outside.  Remember we are in the forest boondocking( for you who don’t know, that means no electricity or water or heater in our case.)`

 Afternoon Tuesday June 17... we have wandered, checked the map, flipped the coin and are now sitting at Bandelier National Monument Campground waiting for the sun to go down a little before taking a hike.  Happy Trails and think of joining us next time.  My brother John said my blog made him want to travel so he just took a nap instead.  Bummer.    The Stumblers

Stumbling Along from Utah to Arizona

June 12, 2014 - Gallup to the Goosenecks

Sorry I have not posted in a few days but we have been pretty remote and very busy.  Gallup was a good catch up place at USARVcampground.  I have stayed there many times.  My trip to the bead wholesalers was first on my agenda.  The choices are many and I only wish I had learned more of the craft than stringing a bead and choosing other embellishments.  I will leave that to the Native people who do it well.  Glad most of my jewelry was made before plastic turquoise beads became easy and cheap.  It does keep me from purchasing new jewelry.  With my short hair, which is not conducive to camping and hiking, I purchased a cap and added my own embellishments (real turquoise.)

We left Gallup and headed northwest toward Utah.  Gooseneck State Park was the new destination.  It is very remote and quite lovely.  There were 100’s of 5 min. visitors.  Amazing that someone would travel that far out into the desert and hardly leave their car before dashing back down the road.  The goosenecks are really the gorges that the San Juan River has cut through the desert.  They are amazing and fun to watch those folks in rafts floating ~ they look like specks from top of the canyon.  Previously, friends had camped here and Jerry had taken outstanding sunset photos with clouds.  Not so for us.  The clouds blew away and sunset was a little dull but our God blessed us with the rise of a spectacular full moon.  We moved to different edges of the canyon to see what it would look like from every vantage point.  The wind had been high but as night fell it slowed to a sleepy pace.  No utilities and no need for AC.  Sleeping was good.  There were only two other campers. We quietly visited for a short time and off to bed.

Sunrise came early and we were out to meet the day.  Cereal and fruit, hiking shoes on and we left the Baby G parked while we made our way toward Natural Bridges National Monument.  Yes, we took a very winding and steep road through Valley of the Gods, 4 miles of gravel switch back roads, and on our way.  Stopped at a BLM Ranger station and next stop was Bridges.

Filled water bottles, put big brim hat on my head, picked up my walking sticks and camera – off to the first bridge in the rocks. The order of hiking was the Sipapu Bridge, Kachina Bridge, Horse Collar Ruin and the Owachomo Bridge.  The Sipapu was the most difficult for this old girl. It had two staircases and one trip down a wooden pole ladder.  The same that the Natives use to come from the sipapu during ceremonies.  The last run made me decide which quadriceps was strong enough to get me up.

 Sipapu Bridge









Paulette coming down the trail which is solid rock at this part.

Kachina Bridge
















Owachomo Bridge

 Pictographs at Sand Island Park, Utah

Back at Gooseneck State Park we fiddled around, I took a long walk down the upper ridge, and wandered back.  No one came to stay. Thinking to be safer and also wanting to see sunset at Monument Valley, I suggested that we try for a spot at the famous Gouldings of John Wayne history.  They now have a pricey  RV campground.  We hitched up and unhitched just in time to watch the sun go down and moon come up and my beloved Monument Valley.  It is never old ~ much like Chaco Canyon.

 This morning I was at it again.  Trying to get the good shot of the monilifts I love most - Right and Left Mitten or now call East and West Mittens.    Midday today.

Early this morning.  I am glad that I turned down the offer of a tour today at sunrise.  Yes, it would be expert help for $90 each.  Not sure the folks were experts but I try to do it myself.  Duh!  And yes, I probably have 100 more of this view from different times of the day or from different years for over 30 years.  I even did this in needlepoint once.