Monday, November 21, 2011

THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND RAIN IN THE DESERT

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THE LAVA FLOWS ARE RIPE WITH COLOR

From our higher vantage point here at Valley Of Fires we were able to see the lights of Carrizozo last night shimmering in the night 4 miles to our east. Reminded me of the time a few years ago when we boon docked in the Tombstone hills west of Tombstone Arizona. The lights of Sierra Vista west of us looked like a long narrow string of pearls stretching across the desert floor at the base of the looming Huachuca Mountains.

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Atop the rocky hill beside us are a couple reader boards explaining the surrounding landscape including Carrizozo which lies between the black lava flow and the distant mountain range in the photo below.

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MODERN WARM AND SPACIOUS WASHROOMS COMPLETE WITH HOT SHOWERS…KELLY IS FILLING OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM FOR OUR TWO NIGHTS HERE 

Looks like I got something screwed up again. Kelly informs me that it is Glenwood New Mexico where the communication black hole exists and not here at Valley Of Fires near Carrizozo. Oh what would I do if it wasn’t for folks keeping me on the straight and narrow.

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Noticed today we have 4 new Blog Followers.  We welcome Cathie, Penny and CJ, Dean, and HAPPY TRAILS to our travels. Thanks for dropping by folks and welcome aboard.

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THE WHOLE TWO THIRDS OF A MILE LAVA FLOW WALK IS WHEELCHAIR AND SCOOTER ACCESSIBLE

We didn’t get too far on our walk this morning before Pheebs had a ‘pricker’ in her right paw.  We couldn’t locate it right away so headed a short distance back to the rig.  Try as we did we could not locate it but Pheebs was later able to get it out herself.

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They have an excellent interpretive paved and wheelchair accessible trail that runs in a winding loop through the great lava field for two thirds of a mile.  The lava field stretches for as far as the eye can see to the northern horizon from whence it originally came.  At first glance from a distance it may not look too interesting but once afoot out onto the field itself a whole new ecological world of living wonderment opens up.  Kelly and I spent about an hour meandering along the trail. 

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Plant life flourishes here.  Owls and bats live in the lava flows as do Lizards, Tarantula spiders and Rattlesnakes.  Coyotes, Mule Deer, Kit Foxes and Bobcats roam the rugged terrain along with a variety of flying creatures such as Warblers, Jays, Vireos, Shrikes and Great Horned Owls.  These lava flows are a fascinating place to see and off trail hiking is allowed. 

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And despite the ‘old’ brochure telling you that only part of the trail is paved I am here to tell you that it is all paved now from start to finish and can easily accommodate wheelchairs or Scooters.  If you look at the photos you can see the trail even has safety curbs.

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Once again I have too many photos of the Lava Flow walk this morning to put into the blog so I have created a photo album which you can see at VALLEY OF FIRES LAVA WALK.

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Our briefly sunny sky this morning soon clouded over and the sky darkened.  Had a small rain shower quickly move through and figured that was it.  I had no more than got our satellite dish parts out of the Jeep when a fast moving desert thunder storm swept down upon us.  This one came complete with thunder lighting, heavy wind gusts and rain.  Pheebs and I beat a hasty retreat inside the Motor Home and sat out the storm.  It was the first thunder and lightning we Snow Birds had experienced in the Southwest.  The thunder didn’t bother the Pheebs but as usual it sure scared the holy Ba-Jeebers out of the Motormouse.

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WATCHING THE STORM ROLL IN ON US THIS AFTERNOON 

The storm cleared for awhile and gave us time to set up our satellite dish and tripod.  I’ll just keep this short and say that after a couple of hours of total frustration we gave up!!  We’ll try our luck again in the morning.DSC_0006-1

We will probably roll out of Valley Of Fires Tuesday but haven’t decided where we will head for next.  Our travel plans are made of Jello and we both like it that way:))

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GROANER’S CORNER:((   Late one night in Washington,D.C., a mugger jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs.
"Give me your money," he demanded.
Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a U.S. Congressman!"
"In that case," replied the robber, "give me MY money!"

---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL

19 comments:

  1. Just love the places you have stayed on this trip, I may stop at these places in January or February.

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  2. Interesting. Glad Pheebs is not upset by thunder. She seems like such a great dog.

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  3. great photos and what a lovely walk!!..sure looks like Pheebs is enjoying this new lifestyle!!

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  4. Love the photo's but the last one is AWESOME! Great light!

    Can't believe that you have never had a desert thunder-bumper before! Well, I guess that most of them are in August and you are not normally there then.

    I always loved them!

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  5. The color that can be found in a seemingly barren area never ceases to amaze me. I couldn't see all your photo album (slow connection) but I'm going to go back when I have a faster download speed. Love that path.

    Too bad Pheebs got a sticker in her paw. She sure seems to be enjoying the travel.

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  6. It looks beautiful where you are staying. Glad you're on the road again. Have you ever looked into the Thundershirt for Cora? I've hear about them over & over from people who rave about them. Amazon.com has them & they have fabulous reviews. I wish I would have known about them w/my poor dog Amber who flipped out during thunder. My dogs now are okay. Happy travels!

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  7. Ah! The "Thundershirt".
    I was going to mention that. My daughter and son-in-law's dog, "Kermit" is terrified of thunder, and they got him a Thundershirt. Seems to help.

    When she first put up a picture of him in his Thundershirt, I couldn't figure out what the heck that was all about, but she explained in a phone conversation that it gives the dog a sense of security...
    Of course, in Ontario the storms tend to be something you can see coming. You need time to actually put the shirt on the dog.

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  8. Poor Pheebs, it must be painful, for her.I remember one time I thought I was having a hot flash, ended up a hornet had flown into my sleeve on my tee and bit the heck out of me,That darn satellite find can be a real pain in the Patooey, sometimes 5 minutes and you can bring in China, other times forget it, someday if Our Lady of the Lottery favors us , I will buy one of those self aligning domes, for the 600 bucks.Hey Al be safe out there, and watch out for those tarantulas that are man sized.or scorpions the size of a Volkswagons,other than that have fun. Sam & Donna..

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  9. What a beautiful spot for exploring and you got some fab photos. Glad Pheebes got the sticker out...those things are a big "ouch"! I saw a couple of comments on the Thundershirt. We got one for our little Belle girl....no effect at all.

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  10. Yes, there is something to be said for a thunderstorm in the desert...You can see them coming for miles,and the lightening displays are magical.. I love when you can see that blanket of rain coming to cover you up...
    Cora needs a thunderjacket...

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  11. Hey Al have you ever considered getting walking boots for Pheebe's. I purchased several for our dog in the past...they walk very well in them and will protect their feet from those needles. https://www.neopaws.com/dog_shoe_summary.php

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  12. I'm speechless and that doesn't happen too often...all I can say is wow...gorgeous place and gorgeous pics..I must look into that thundershirt for Lilly shes petrified of thunder and fireworks...have a great day!

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  13. Baseball cap?? I thought you had a more western style hat for the southwest! :)

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  14. From the standpoint of walking a dog, I really like the entire west, but especially the southwest. Lady is always limping from something she picked up on our walks. To me it's heavenly when I get back east where there is "real" grass.

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  15. Glad Pheebs was able to get out the pricker, and that the storm did not bother her. All our dogs were terrified by storms and Halloween visitors! What a fantastic place and thanks for the look see, as it will go on our 'list':)Don uses dishpointer.com and it seems to work getting the dish set up.

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  16. You guys are following a great route. We LOVE New Mexico. If you haven't already seen them some good spots to go are:

    1. White Sands Monument - you'll love the photography here. You can follow the 10 west from there
    http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/dreams-of-dunes-white-sands-monument-nm/

    2. Go north to Hwy 60 and west to see the Very Large Array Telescope & Pie Town. There's a great BLM campground (Datil Well) for both of these stops. Also, Elephant Butte State Park is lovely (stay at the north end). Here's some links:
    http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/blm-campground-review-datil-well-nm/
    http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/freedom-and-apple-pie-pie-town-nm/
    http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/eyes-to-the-heavens-the-very-large-array-nm/

    Nina

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  17. Howdy Bayfield Bunch,
    Hope y'all are really enjoying the
    Land of Enchantment or Mew Nexico!!
    It truly is a 'magical land'!! There's a lady named RV Sue who's wandering around out there in Mew Nexico, with her two 4-legged mates. She does have a blog..
    I told her that if she just followed y'all around she'd see ALL OF THE BEST SIGHTS!!! I've been to the Valley of Fires with several others, but your pics are the best..
    Now, Al don't get depressed about
    the invitation to the RunningStar Ranch from Butterbean, when you find out that butterbean is NOT a
    35 year-old blond female, but an old worn-out white-haired 76 yo cowboy, with the best cook in Texas, WHO IS ALSO A 'LOOKER' or a least her 'flunky' thinks she is..
    THE INVITE STILL STANDS!! WHENEVER!
    All I do is cause her problems by inviting folks to come by for a cup
    or to stay a while.. She sez come on!!

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  18. Howdy Al,

    I forgot to tell you to get Pheebs some 'hunting boots', like the quail hunter's use on their dogs. She is going to 'range' and there are many desert plants which will hurt her..
    One of the worst is a cactus called 'the horse crippler', it grows IN the ground and you'll hardly notice it, BUT IT IS AWESOME AND DANGEROUS!!!
    If she steps in in she could lose a foot...

    Catch me a gila monster!!!

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  19. Love following your travels - pics are awesome!

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