A GOOD FLUSH, A GOOD BURG, LOTS OF BIRDS, AND WILL IT BE TRUTH OR WILL IT BE CONSEQUENCES:))

HERE’S THE GUYS CHECKING OUT ALL THE SAND HILL CRANES AT BOSQUE del APACHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE TODAY
I don’t know how Pheebs does it but last night she somehow quietly sneaked up onto my narrow bed and without disturbing me snuggled up with her head on my pillow.  She is just the bestest dog:))   

A RAIN CLOUD MOVING ACROSS THE DESERT FLOOR MONDAY
After Monday’s blustery weather it was sure nice to see the sun climb into a clear blue cloudless sky this morning.  Didn’t spend a lot of time on the Shaw Direct satellite system because I didn’t want to start the day off on the wrong foot.  We’ll try again later but we did find out last night that the cable going into one of 4 locations on the LMB was plugged into the wrong port .

VALLEY OF FIRES RAIN STORM COMING THROUGH
It was time to dump tanks this morning before leaving Valley Of Fires and after last week’s black tank fiasco I must admit I was feeling like a very nervous skydiver sitting at the open door of a plane waiting to jump.  A skydiver might be trying to convince himself to ‘jump, jump, jump.’  I was trying to convince myself to, ‘pull the lever, pull the lever, pull the lever.’  I had checked the hose connection carefully this time, checked it twice and triple checked it about 76 dozen times.  Pulled the gray tank lever first just to get a good burst into the hose to see if it would hold.  It did.  Was wishing I was wearing a Haz-Mat (hazard materials) suit but….here goes,  ‘JUMP!!’  Ka-Whoooooosh, away went the soup into the Rhino soup tube and right on down into the big soup tank in the ground.  A successful mission.  Conclusion…My black tank crash last week resulted from pilot error and not from an equipment failure…….10-4:))

OK, HERE GOES……KA-WHOOOOOOOSH
I managed to get myself a little smarter this time by dumping the tanks before having a shower and not after:))  It was soooo great having a long hot shower in an area larger than a small clothes closet.  Enough room in the shower stall for half a dozen people but I was quite happy to be all myself.  And a nice clean and heated washroom too with enough space for a game of floor hockey…now how nice is that.

BOSQUE del APACHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
And, a few parting thoughts about Valley Of Fires.  Would highly recommend this place.  RV sites are scenic and spacious with water and electricity available on many sites.  Modern washrooms, dump station and a staffed Visitor’s center.  And yes there is a looping turn around road at the south end of the Park but if you have to dump tanks do it on the way in if you can and that will save you having to get your rig turned around to line up with the dump station.  The Lava Flow walk is well worth it.  Take your time, read the reader boards and don’t forget to take a brochure with you to read the numbered viewing sites.  It’s a loop walk so do it from left to right to keep your numbers in sequence.

We rolled out of Valley Of Fires and headed west on highway 380 with just a beautiful looking New Mexico morning going on.  Rolling hills spotted with Juniper trees passed by as we made our way over hill and dale heading for the little town of San Antonio.  It was a great morning as the horses in our Damon Workhorse Motor Home pulled a little extra hard getting us up and over a few grades.  At 10:20 we crossed the Rio Grand and minutes later we were seated in the Owl Bar and Café.  We had read somewhere about the hamburgers served here so we popped in and had us a couple home made burgs.  And, as advertised, they were yummy.

 
WAITING FOR OUR BURGS AND CAN YOU SPOT THE YELLOW ‘BAYFIELD BUNCH’ CARD PINNED TO THE WALL JUST ABOVE THE STARS IN THE AMERICAN FLAG
San Antonio is one of those dusty little western towns and consists of one intersection and maybe a couple dozen buildings.  We slipped south through the intersection and headed 9 miles on a narrow road to the BOSQUE del APACHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.  Stopped into the visitor center first to make sure a Motor Home our size would be able to do the 12 mile Refuge tour.   Yep said the guy, no problem.

 

Twenty minutes later Kelly showed her ‘America The Beautiful’ card at the pay booth and saved us $5.  Spent the next hour driving slowly along the dirt roads throughout the Refuge.  There’s quite an extensive irrigation system flowering throughout the Park feeding the many ponds and small lakes.  Forests of Golden Cottonwood trees create a natural habitat for the many forms of bird life we saw.  Sand Hill Cranes were in abundance as were thousands of white Geese.  We even came across a small herd of Javelinas (wild pigs) making their way across a field through a flock of Sand Hill Cranes.  It is these Javelina’s here in the southwest that we fear the most because they can easily kill a dog.  We didn’t have to worry as much last year because Max and Checkers were too old and well beyond chasing Javelinas.  But, fireball Pheebs would be right after them.  Yes, it is a big worry for us.
     
We would definitely recommend the Bosque del Apache to anyone with an interest in wildlife and birds.  This is a big Refuge and I noticed in the Visitor’s Center they had a poster up looking for help.  We noticed well over a dozen RV’s parked close together behind the Visitor’s Center and wondered if maybe they were all volunteer workers.
  

SAND HILL CRANES
From the National Wildlife Refuge we headed back through San Antonio, picked up I-25 heading south and put the hammer down for another familiar place of ours….Truth Or Consequences. 

SOUTHBOUND ON I-25 FOR TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
We did an overnighter here last year on our way to the ranch and in March of 08 we spent nearly a week here.  First stop was Wal-Mart for groceries and then it was off to the quiet little Elephant Butt Recreation Damn Site.  This is a quiet out of the way little place right on the banks of the Rio Grande River.  Tucked away in a tiny valley below the damn it has maybe a dozen or more Casitas to park beside.  An old fish hatchery sits at the end of the road and there are many birds in the trees along the river.  Just another one of those quiet little spots the Bayfield Bunch loves so much.

We have 4 antennae TV channels and we do have a spotty Verizon connection.  This blog may publish or it may not.  Right now we are keeping a very close eye on the weather because it looks like some major rain may be headed our way over the next couple days.  We may roll right on out of here or we may hang in for a day or two.

RV LIFESTYLE AS FULL TIMERS have joined the ‘Bunch’ as our latest Blog Followers. Welcome, and nice to have you along folks.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A friend hosted a dinner party for people from work and everyone was encouraged to bring their children.
All during the sit-down dinner one co-worker's three-year-old girl stared at the man sitting across from her.
The man tried his best to just ignore her, but finally it was too much for him. He asked her ,"Why are you staring at me?"
Everyone at the table had noticed her behavior and the table went quiet for her response.
The little girl said, "I just want to see how you drink like a fish!"
---------------------------------------------------------------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.

FROM PETROGLYPHS TO A VALLEY OF FIRES

WE HAVE GREAT PANORAMIC VIEWS ALL THE WAY AROUND US AT VALLEY OF FIRES AND PHEEBS (at left) HAS ADAPTED SUPER WELL TO HER NEW ENVIRONMENT
A warming sun blended harmoniously with a cooling breeze to create what I would call another beautiful southwest morning.  Not long into our walk we both commented on the peaceful quietness enveloping us.  No human sounds anywhere, not even a train whistle in the distance.  Just a slight breeze whispering through prickly Mesquite shrubs for as far as one can see.  This is one of the all time favorite things that attracts both Kelly and I to the Southwest.  We enjoy the peace and tranquility of the natural settings we find.  It is as if the surrounding mountains wrap us in their welcoming arms and shelter us from the daily noise and hub-bub of the modern world.  Yes, Marshal South, I understand your ways:))

And a final few words about the THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH SITE.  Both Kelly and I highly recommend this small campground with it’s two pull through sites, 6 shelters, one family unit, one handicapped unit, tables, barbecue's and trash cans.  You can also dry camp here as well and there is lots of room to turn any big rig around.  There is a small dog walking area and ‘lots of room to walk your dog out through the endless miles of mesquite shrubs.  The camp hosts, who have just signed on for a two year stint have not seen any wild animals around.  A few miles further down the road past Petroglyph there is a larger primitive area for camping and RVing as well.  Road is a bit rougher so we stayed put where we were.  Deer, Mountain Lions and Bears can be found closer in to the White Mountains.  And, Jerry had a comment question wondering if someone actually counted all those 21,000 Petroglyphs.  Well Jerry, don’t know the answer to that one but the little brochure we have here tells us that “Three Rivers Valley contains over 21,000 Petroglyphs including masks, sunbursts, wild life, hand prints, and geometric designs.  The number and concentration of petroglyphs here makes this one of the largest and interesting rock art sites in the Southwest.”

ADIOS THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH SITE 
A little info on the new header photo.  Our rig is facing east/southeast and about a quarter mile north of us is a rock strewn tall round top hill.  Pheebs and I hiked up to the top of that hill and I took the header photo facing south west late Sunday afternoon.  The flat spot on the horizon at left is where Tularosa, Alamogordo and White Sands National Monument are located.  About a third of the way across the distant San Augustine and San Andres Mountain Range from the left is highway 70 cutting up and over between the mountain ranges to Las Cruces New Mexico on the other side. (hope I got that right:))  Photo was taken with my Nikon D90.
 
THAT IS THE HILL WHERE I TOOK THE HEADER PHOTO FROM
We had a leisurely morning packing up the rig and enjoying the abundant sunshine.  Soaked up a few rays and I couldn’t help but marvel at how truly lucky we are to be where we are.

Had the big wheels rolling by 10:30 a.m. and headed back to highway 54.  A right turn at the little Trading Post, which also has RV accommodations set us on a northerly course for the town of Carrizozo and Valley Of Fires.  And yes it is plural with an S.  The beautiful sunny morning had us in shirt sleeves as we followed the excellent road in an arrow straight line across the valley floor.  Construction zones along the way showed where this two lane highway is currently being upgraded to a 4 lane highway.

KELLY USING SKYPE TO TALK TO DAUGHTER SABRA TODAY
Another thing that has always attracted me to the Southwest is the numerous dusty little western towns.  They begin in Texas and can be found all the way into California.  They are full of character and characters.  Some of them are pretty well tumbled down and boarded up but that’s what gives them there own uniqueness and style.  We rolled into the small historic New Mexican town of Carrizozo about 11:15.  It was Sunday morning and the tiny streets were quiet.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Two main highways intersect at Carrizozo’s north end with highway 54 crossing highway 380 here.  Remember 380, that’s my favorite stretch of road between Jacksboro and Ruidoso.  We fueled up the rig at one of 3 gas stations and picked up some lettuce and apples at the local grocery store.  While fueling the rig a car came around the corner with the thumping boom box sounds of a favorite 60’s group of mine pouring out of the windows.  Santana’s ‘Black Magic Woman’ reached my ears instantly transporting me back in time.  It was kind of a special moment for me:))  Following that we took ourselves into Willies (formally Elsie’s) char broiled hamburger place for some grub.  Ate enough in there to last us 6 weeks.

LOOKING ACROSS THE BLACKENED LAVA FIELDS TO THE DISTANT MOUNTAIN RANGE WHERE THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB WAS EXPLODED 
Four miles west of Carrizozo on highway 380 we we made a left hand turn into the Valley Of Fires Recreation Area.  Right away we could see it was going to be another great scenic spot and we were relieved to see there were spots available.  We generally like to move to the back or fringe section of a Park and we soon found us a fine quiet spot next to a tall craggy and rock clustered hill.  Site number 17 is a dry camping site and that suited us just fine.  It was more private than the serviced sites.   All roads and sites are paved.  Some have electricity and water but we preferred the more private dry camping site that we have.  There are hot showers here as well as a dump station and visitor’s center.  Also an area for tenters and a couple group areas.

THE LITTLE ‘BEANS’ IS JUST WAKING UP
Our site has a slight slant to the east so with great apprehension I decided to try leveling up the coach using our problematic hydraulic jacks.  I was surprised to see the jack’s control panel light’s come on when I hit the ‘on’ switch.  Buoyed by that bit of positivity I slipped outside and positioned my homemade wooden blocks under the two driver’s side levelers and headed back inside.  Put out my two dump levers and moved the joystick to the left and holy smokes the jacks deployed and 10 seconds later the rig was totally level.  Will wonders ever cease eh.
 
THE ROCKY HILL IN THE BACKGROUND IS WHERE I TOOK SOME OF TODAYS VALLEY OF FIRES PHOTOS FROM TODAY
Now, here’s the big surprise.  We had been told by a couple people and also read that this area was a black hole for communications and there would be no Verizon signal, cell phone or television.  Guess what, we have a strong Verizon signal and Kelly’s Deer Park Lodge phone works fine as does Skype.  We can get 4 TV channels with our rig’s antennae too.  (2 clear and 2 fuzzy) What a bonus eh:))  Maybe tomorrow we’ll try our luck at setting up our new ‘Shaw Direct’ satellite dish for the first time.

AN OVERVIEW OF VALLEY OF FIRES PARK LOOKING NORTH SHOWING THE ENTRY ROAD TOP LEFT WITH VISITOR’S CENTER AND WASHROOM SHOWER BUILDING TO THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD.
First thing Pheebs and I did once we had the rig set up was clamber up the rocky hill beside us to see what we could see.  Beautiful sweeping vistas for miles upon miles in all directions.  It is plain to see how the huge lava flows years ago flowed south down this valley sweeping around the high area that makes up this Park.  I can see why the word Fire has an S on the end because at the time there would have been multiple fires going on in the flowing lava fields.  Here are the rates for one night to stay here….Developed Sites with electric and water – $18.00.  Developed Sites with tap water nearby- $12.  We are in the latter and with Kelly’s Golden Age pass our site is half price at $6 a night.  Tenting sites with water available are $7 a night.  No dump fee if you are camped here but $15 if you come in to dump.  The Park is clean and well maintained and again we would definitely recommend it.

LOOKING SOUTHWARD OUT OF THE PARK AND DOWN THE TULAROSA VALLEY TOWARDS ALAMOGORDO…JUST ABOVE CENTER IS WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE BEST SITE IN THE PARK, #19.  NO ELECTRICITY OR WATER THERE THOUGH
Had ourselves kind of a lazy afternoon just enjoying the sunshine and sweeping scenery.  Soft ambient music on our Sirius Satellite Radio. (channel 68 the Spa) Doors and windows open as Kelly worked on some Deer Park Lodge stuff and made a few Skype calls to her daughters.  I worked away on the blog in my comfy red Ikea POANG CHAIR.  Kelly phoned neighbor Ingrid back in Bayfield and it’s a cold gray damp day there.  Soooooooo glad we are where we are………10-4:))

SSHHHHHH, DON’T TELL THE PHEEBS SHE IS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO A BIG PRICKLY BEAVER TAIL CACTUS
GROANER’S CORNER:((  

---------------------------------------------------------------
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.