SOMEBODY WROTE...... 'AND THEN IT IS WINTER'

WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO....Didn't take any pics today so all of tonight's photos are from our travel files back in October of 08.

With each passing day now our temperatures are slowly but steadily dropping as Autumn begins to slide into it’s latter phase.  Our night time lows are creeping ever closer to the freezing point.  High gusting winds today have been shredding more leaves off the trees but the Autumn countryside is still hanging on & standing pretty in the sunlight.

Kelly spent a lot of time on the phone today taking care of things like travel insurance.  My insurance dropped by $400 because I am over the penalty period for having a kidney stone problem 2 years ago.   The Insurance Company had to of course financially penalize me like a 2 year old because of a kidney stone!!!!  Called Verizon to activate our account for November 6th.  Local telephone & cable television companies were called to suspend services for the winter but I’m sure when we get back in the spring everything will be messed up as usual & Kelly will have to spend more time getting everything straightened out again.  Coach Net had to be called to renew our road assistance program.  What would us guys do without our gals eh.  I’m sure glad Kelly does all that stuff because it requires a huge amount of patience.  But, on a positive note, Kelly said she noticed that everyone she talked with today sounded like they were from North America & all the people were exceptionally helpful & friendly.  Do you suppose those companies are finally seeing the writing on the wall about people having to deal with Eastern foreign countries.  I sure hope so & isn't it about time we took back control of everything else over here on this side of the big pond.

 

OLIVER LEE STATE PARK, ALAMOGORDO NM

I sure hope we can make it down south & back this year again with the whole Bayfield Bunch intact.  Max is really beginning to show his age.  He’s still able to do our morning walks but his one front leg bothers him more now.  His hearing is pretty much gone so we have to keep a close eye on him because he can’t hear us when we call.  Checkers has some hip problems & it’s no easy feat for the guys climbing up the steep steps of the Motor Home.  Even last year we had to sometimes help them up.  The little Motor Mouse is still a ball of energy & shows no apparent signs of aging at all.....just like Kelly.  Me, well I’m another whole story but I won’t admit it of course!!

RICK & PAULETTE  are off for a few days on a shakedown cruise with their new fifth wheel so you might want to stop by & see how they are doing.  Rick can always use a little extra help understanding all that technical stuff you know.  And to Anonymous who left a question about the Workhorse brake recall....check my post for Monday Oct. 18th & click the Workhorse Recall link about half way down.  It will tell you how to check if you are in that recall.

MAX & THE MOTOR MOUSE (Ok, here real name is Cora)

A few weeks ago I had myself a little bluster about bloggers making up their posts with just sayings & slogans & I’ve felt kinda bad about that one ever since, so for the first time since I started this blog I have something to add here that is much of the same thing I blustered about.  It came across my desktop awhile back & in light of our recent saddened week-end I felt it speaks to & for all of us at this age & stage in our lives.   I don't know who wrote it, probably just someone like you or I who sat down at their keyboard & typed out their thoughts.  Just an ordinary person like the rest of us who do this most every day here in Blog Land.  Probably just another family member we haven't met yet. 

RELAXING AFTER A HARD DAYS DRIVE.....HASKELL, TEXAS              

'AND THEN IT IS WINTER'

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.  It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.  I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well...seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...  But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change...  Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. 

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!  And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory!  Cause if I don't do it on my own free will..I just fall asleep where I sit! 

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!  But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...its over....

Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.  It's all in a lifetime....

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!  Don't put things off too long!!  Life goes by quickly.  So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!  You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember... and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!  Live your life well.....(author unknown)

THE GANG IS SACKED OUT IN LAS CRUCES NEW MEXICO FOR THE NIGHT

GROANER’S CORNER:((  One day, shortly after the birth of their new baby, the mother had to go out to do some errands, so the proud father stayed home to watch his wonderful new son.
Soon after the mother left, the baby started to cry. The father did everything he could think of, but the baby just wouldn't stop crying. Finally, the dad got so worried he decided to take the infant to the doctor.
After the doctor listened to all the father had done to get the baby to stop crying, the doctor began to examine the baby's ears, chest and then down to the diaper area. When he opened the diaper, he found was indeed full.
"Here's the problem," the doctor explained. "He just needs to be changed."
The perplexed father remarked, "But the diaper package specifically says it's good for up to 10 pounds!"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

NOT ALL DAYS ON THE ROAD ARE GOOD DAYS:((

(Click on photos to enlarge them)

Took the big wheels to Goderich this morning & filled it with gas.  $194.00!!  That will get us down into Indiana just north of Indianapolis before having to fill up again.  The rest of the fill ups won't be as expensive because I generally stop for gas somewhere between the half & quarter marks on the gage.  Right now the on-board computer is telling us we have 458 miles before the next fill up.  That varies of course depending on speed, wind, hills, etc.  It re-calculates itself every mile.  There is another gas gauge configuration which shows miles per gallon as your driving but I have learned not to watch that one.  It can kind of put you into a 'not so swell mood' after awhile:((

SHADOW PATTERNS ON THE MOTORHOME

There has been quite a 'flag storm' going on over at the RV NET FORUM this past week.   A Canadian fellow by the name of Sea Dog asked about the proper protocol  for flying a Canadian flag while on American soil.  Well, that set off a debate that is still going on so if you have wondered about that yourself just put your hard hat on & slip over there to the forum for a look see.  Remember, keep your head down cause some folks are getting a little heated over there!!

BOONDOCKING WITH OUR FLAG CONFIGURATION A FEW MILES WEST OF TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA.....JANUARY 09

I have noticed some blog talk lately regarding problems with people trying to leave comments on blogs.  Seems it's kind of a hit & miss thing sometimes.  I left a comment on  WANDERING WILLY'S blog this morning but it never showed up.  In Rick's comment on Willy's blog he offers a possible explanation for the problem.  VERAGIRL has been having trouble leaving comments for people as well.  I've noticed there seems to be several different types of comment formats.  Confusing for sure.  Remember to scroll all the way down in the comment box after leaving the comment to make sure you've got everything ticked & checked.  And, even then you are not guaranteed your comment will make it.  Friends of ours tried countless times to leave comments for us & it wasn't until I actually changed from Hotmail to Gmail that they were actually able to do so.  Their comments were not reaching my Hotmail account so I never did see them to approve them.  I have a feeling that was a different kind of glitch from the comment box issue though.....but maybe not.

KELLY'S WATCHING THE SUN GO DOWN OVER THE SAN ANDRES MOUNTAINS NEAR ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO....NOVEMBER 08

Some RVing days just aren't quite as good as others & occasionally things happen.  Last year on our way west we stopped for a night in Oliver Lee State Park near Alamogordo New Mexico.  Couldn't find a level spot in the whole place so ended up on a campsite having to put a couple of the leveling jacks down.  The rear passenger side jack jammed in the down position & wouldn't retract.  Tried everything I knew (which wasn't much) & could not get that jack to re-tract.  Luckily we were not parked on a cement slab & the next day I was able to dig a hole behind the downed leveler deep enough to get my scissors jack down into.  Backed the coach up about 8 inches until the leveler was directly over the jack & proceeded to jack the leveler back up into place & luckily it stayed.   We had that little problem looked at in Las Cruces a couple days later & everything was fine.  Leveler has worked fine ever since.

DIGGING A HOLE BEHIND THE LEVELER WITH THE JACK HANDLE,  A HAMMER, & A SCREWDRIVER!!

In October of 07 we were heading west on I-70  west of Salina Kansas fighting a vicious cross wind hitting us from the north.  We heard a popping sound & when Kelly looked back out her side window she saw our awning billowing in the wind.  It had popped out like a parachute.  Luckily I got the rig pulled over before the awning arms were torn off.  The  photos below show me on the roof with a knife cutting the awning off.  It was freezing cold with huge wind gusts trying their best to flip me off the roof into the path of heavy truck traffic roaring by only a few feet away on the far side of the rig.  Not one of our better days on the road!!!!

ON I-70 WEST OF SALINA, KANSAS....OCT. 07

Photo above shows us off the road in Lindsay Ontario with the dual wheels down in a ditch & the rear end of the coach sitting on the road .  You can read about the mistake I made RIGHT HERE

OK KIDS, STAY CLOSE TO MOM

In October of 2008 we seemed to have a bumper crop of mushrooms in our yard but this year not a single one.  The album below is last years mushrooms & I don't have a clue what kinds they are.

View Full Album

 

Had a question in our comment box this morning from Wayne & Roberta about the kind of camera I use.   The short answer is Nikon.   If you have time W & R, click on MY NIKONS for a post I did about my cameras a year ago.  And for anyone interested..... here is a seemingly silly & simple little camera tip.  If you want to get some depth in your color just hold your sunglasses in front of your lens.  Notice how when you put your sunglasses on colors look richer.  Well, same thing will work for your point & shoot camera as well.  Try it, you might like the results.  Works great for colorful autumn leaves against a clear blue sky.  The sunglasses act like a polarizing filter.  Oh, & the photo program I use is called Picasa 3.5 & it is a free download program from Google.  Very easy to use.........that's why I have it.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.

DOG CANYON HIKE & WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

THE ROCKY DOG CANYON TRAIL

Decided yesterday we would leave for Las Cruces on Tuesday afternoon instead of early Wednesday morning. Figured it was better to be at Recreation America/Sunland RV well in advance rather than dragging ourselves in at the last moment, first thing in the morning.

Oliver Lee State Park has a steep rock strewn trail running 5 miles into Dog Canyon just behind the ranger station so we decided to at least see if we could maybe get a mile's climb in first thing this morning. Apache Indians used the steep canyon as a stronghold because of water located there. The Cavalry led 5 different raids into this canyon in pursuit of the Indians. On one of the those pursuits, the Indians escaped & the only thing left behind was a stray dog, thus......Dog Canyon.
KELLY GETS AL TO POSE FOR A PICTURE
The trail was very steep in many places with a lot of loose rocks so we had to pay attention to what we were doing. Didn't take long for the huffing & puffing to start but it felt great to be getting into some good healthy exercise again. Rock scrambling like this is one of my favorite things because of the moderately easy challenges it presents. Not life threatening but not just a boring walk on a hard flat surface either. Following the switch backs Kelly made it up about 800 feet & went a few hundred more beyond that. What a perfectly great way to start the day. The view out over the valley floor easily stretched for 70 or 80 miles. Maybe more. And, not a sound in the canyon, not even a bird. Only the beating of one's own heart. Prickly pair cactus, Agaves, & Ocotillo, were but a few plants that filled the rocky landscape sweeping up the canyon walls to the towering mountains above. Be sure to check the photo album for some of the photos I took along the rocky path. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ WE COULD HEAR A SMALL CREEK TUMBLING DOWN THROUGH THE TREES

The descent is always much harder than the ascent. It's on the descents that most accidents happen for hikers. The legs are in a totally different dynamic situation when feet are pointing downhill instead of uphill. I sure was glad Kelly had made me get a new pair of good Merril hiking boots before we left on our trip. Had I been wearing my old smooth bottomed Rockports this morning I very likely would have been upside down at some point for sure. Our rock scramble lasted about an hour & a half & by the time we made it back to the parking lot my legs were beginning to feel rubbery. I was glad we hadn't pushed ourselves any further on our first real hike of the trip. COMING DOWN IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST PART
The climb had really spiked our appetites so a bit of breakfast was high on the priority list when we reached the motorhome. Began packing things up for departure. Slides in, furniture squared away, satellite dish dis-assembled & put away, doggies loaded up, bins locked etc. Always so much to do but it sure beats sitting at home watching television & looking out the window. We stopped at the dump station & emptied our gray & black water tanks & it was at this point I made a little mistake that would embarrass me later in Las Cruces.

Rolled out of Oliver Lee State Park about 11 a.m. & headed for the White Sands National Monument which was on the highway to Las Cruces. An overcast cloud cover had rolled in on our way there & I figured things might not look as nice at White Sands but upon arriving I immediately realized the stormy skies were perfect for some great photos. We drove the motorhome on the 8 mile drive through the dunes stopping only one time for pictures & the rest of them I shot from the rig's window. Especially the people ones. This is quite a place to see & I'm glad we took the time to stop here.

Photos here... http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT 8 MILE DRIVE The highway between Alamogordo & Las Cruces is a straight & flat drive until you reach the base of the San Andres mountains & the hefty climb over the mountains begins. It's a long uphill grade to the summit & we were down to about 40 MPH & sluggin it. Then, all of a sudden it's over the top & hang onto your shorts Lucy, we're heading for the bottom. The descent into Las Cruces is like an inverted rocket ride. Gear down, short bursts of brakes, more gears, more brakes, more "holy craps!!

Las Cruces is a very spread out city but we found our way through the 8 lane highways, ramps, & turn offs alright & were able to drive right to the Sunland RV dealer in the southwest end of town with no problems.
Pulled into the parking lot & checked into the service department. They said it would be ok for us to stay right in their lot for the night & they would supply us with electricity. Shut the rig down & decided to go out for supper for a change because we had spotted a Crackle Barrel a few blocks away. Grabbed myself a nice long hot shower in the rig & thought about life & everything great & wonderful. A few minutes later I noticed a couple workers walk by looking under the rig. Remember me saying I made a little mistake earlier in the day that would later embarrass me. Yep, I did alright. I had forgot to close the gray water valve back at the dump station at Oliver Lee so all of my shower water went down the drain, into the holding tank, out the holding tank pipe & right out into the parking lot. There was so much hot soapy water under our rig that I swear I saw a flock of ducks coming in for a landing!!

It's the first time I've ever had supper at Cracker Barrel & "wow" was it great. Roast beef & real live mashed potatoes with gravy. Kelly makes me eat a lot of ho-hum leafy green healthy stuff all the time so this was a real great blow-out for me. Yes Toto, there is a yummy food God afterall.

So, here we are, tucked away in the Sunland RV parking lot for the night awaiting our financial fate in the morning when they check out our hydraulic leveler problem. If you don't hear from us for a very long time it just means we are sitting on a corner in downtown Las Cruces selling pencils to pay off our mammoth repair bill here at Sunland................... wish us luck:((

OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT AT SUNLAND RV IN LAS CRUCES

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A BUSY PROBLEM SOLVING DAY:((

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23/08 CHECKERS OUT FOR A STROLL NEAR OUR CAMPSITE
Nice to wake up to 54 degree temps instead of the 32 F stuff of the past few mornings. Decided to try setting up our satellite system this morning because that way we could get in touch with the hydraulic leveler company either by email or Skype phone. Had been over eight & a half months since the last time we set up that system so we were pretty rusty in getting things going. Out set up times last year were about 5 to 10 minutes & this morning it took us three quarters of an hour. Two thirds of that time was spent just getting the cobwebs out of our brains but between the two of us we finally managed to get things working & we were back on line. A BUSY DAY FOR GETTING THINGS RE-ORGANIZED, SET UP, & PROBLEMS SOLVED
In the meantine I had devised a plan in my little problem solving head on how to get that rear leveler retracted. So, with hammer, hatchet, & a small flat wrecking bar & crawled under the coach & began digging a hole just behind the grounded leveler. My theory was to dig a hole deep enough to set my scissors jack into, put a block of wood on top, pry up the leveler about half an inch off the ground & then back the motorhome up about 5 inches until the leveler was directly over the jack & piece of wood. Figured I would then jack the leveler back up into it's retracted position. Well, it all sounded good in theory.........................and it worked:)) Why it worked I don't know, but it did work. We will contact the company to-morrow & find out where the nearest HWH facility is & take the motorhome in to have that leveler problem checked out & repaired if necessary.
TOOK ME OVER HALF AN HOUR TO GET THIS LITTLE HOLE DUG
In between getting our satellite system set up & digging my hole under the rig we did manage to stretch ourselves out in our cushy lawn chair recliners & soak up a bunch of New Mexico sunshine on a beautiful 75F day. We are far enough off the beaten path that no human sounds reach us & we just have the twitter & flitter of small birds & coyotes in the distance. Small yellow butterflies dart about amongst the prickly pear cactus & miniature yellow flowers grow in abundance around the campsite. This American southwest is such a beautiful place & despite our little problems from time to time we absolutely love being here. Can't imagine going anywhere else. KELLY MOVES THE MOTORHOME INTO PLACE
We plan to stay here for a few days & take in some of the area attractions. White Sands National Monument, the Space Museum, tour a Pistachio farm, take the scenic drive to Cloudcroft & check out the Solar Sun Observatory, Petrogyphs north of Alamogordo, & anything else we can think of. Maybe we can slip into the missile range itself & play on the rockets:))
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