Took the rugs to the laundromat this morning and instead of having to wait for them to dry, I brought them back to the Park and hung them on a neighbor's clothesline.
Have you ever had deja vu...of the nose? The scent of those clean rugs dried by the sun and soft breeze (and low humidity!) took me right back to the south valley of Albuquerque where I grew up. We had quite the clothesline in our backyard; a huge one, what with a family of six and no automatic dryer. Man! I'm gonna be sniffing those rugs all night!
Another sentimental journey...or maybe I should call it a "scentimental" journey. Ha!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Missing Photos
Here are the photos I was trying to enter in my previous post. Click to enlarge (the photos, not me: I need no help there!).
Obviously, I need to work on formatting, don't I?
Obviously, I need to work on formatting, don't I? The top photo is us at White Sands National Monument, and the second is of us at Aguirre Springs State ...Park or Recreation Area, I can't remember which.
A Sentimental Journey
(Click on photo to enlarge.)These are the Organ Mountains, and this photo clearly shows why they were so named.
The dogs and I got up this morning, had breakfast before 8:AM, took a walk around the park, and decided to take a road trip for the day. I got out a magazine about Las Cruces and things to do there, and decided to take US Hwy. 70 northeast through San Augustine Pass, where you go over/through the Organ Mountains, to a place called Aguirre Springs. I had read on the internet that it's dog-friendly, and an easy hike. I figure "Aguirre" translates in English to "dry; never been any water here" because there ain't a drip to be found within sight of the horizon. We walked around for about 45 minutes; it was a steep hike on paved roadway and my legs were killing me by the time we finished. Can you say Out Of Shape?
Some friendly fellow touristas agreed to take a photo of the three of us. I'm having trouble loading photos, so it's on the next post.
It was still early so I decided to turn further east when we exited Aguirre Springs and see what we could see. Almost immediately, we had come to White Sands Missile Range. There's not a lot to see on the Range; for the most part, it's closed to the public. I knew Alamogordo wasn't too far, so we just kept going.
About 45 minutes into the Range, I came upon White Sands National Monument. I entered, of course; it had been roughly 50 years since I'd seen it. We paid our fee (dogs are permitted) and walked a little through their Dune Life Nature Trail. Now, you talk about a leg workout?! The dogs were totally into it; that soft, white sand, and they scampered up the dunes very quickly, while I sort of slogged after them. We came upon a family of two adults and four kids - the same configuration of my family when we made our trip so very long ago. Another tourist snapped a quick photo for us. Again, see next post.
By this time, it was about 12:30PM and I was feeling hungry. Just a few minutes further east on Hwy. 70, we came to Holloman AFB and the town of Alamogordo, which has, of all things, an Applebee's Restaurant, which Las Cruces doesn't. The dogs napped in the car (not to worry: it was only about 80 degrees F.) and I went in for a spinach and grilled shrimp salad, which just hit the spot.
We left and got back to Las Cruces by 3:30PM. The dogs are now napping, and I'm thinking of going to Walmart for a few groceries.
It's been a great day; I should take those one-day road trips with the dogs more often! Oh, by the way: Oor's gas mileage is terrific! That little thing runs for about a week or ten days before it needs refilling, unlike the beast, Van Go, which, when we're traveling, sometimes needs fuel twice a day. Yeah: OUCH!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Mail Call!
A large box courtesy of FedEx came today from Cynthia. My license plates for Oor were there; thank all the little state police gods. My temporary plates had expired on 03/08, which appears to mean March of 2008 in states other than Texas, for which I'm grateful: no citations for expired tags. Mounted the plates and thanked my lucky stars.
Several magazines were in the box as well, another thing to be grateful about: I was running out of reading material. Also, a sizeable check from the title company again: a refund of 2008 property taxes. Nice!
Took the dogs with me to mail the aforementioned goodies to family; stopped at the one-and-only Petsmart in town to get some of Annie's flea meds; and visited the local satellite installation office to get one of their techs to come point my dish in the right direction. I can pick up only El Paso's network channels otherwise, and not too well, at that.
I'm gradually learning my way around town; it takes a heck of a lot less time to get from point A to point B than I estimate, every single time. I keep thinking this is a big town, and it's really not. I'm not using much gasoline, for sure.
Did a little research on RV parks in Albuquerque on the internet. There seem to be about six or eight there, or at least there are six or eight with websites. I checked out the KOA campground there and, WOW! Must be a grand place: they wanted more than $1000 for about a 17-day stay! I'm continuing my search.
PostScript: The guy who came to aim my satellite dish couldn't quite get it right. I'm tired of having to pay people to aim the damn dish, and I'm tired of toting and storing the damn tripod, so I've ordered a KVH hard-mounted satellite antenna that aims itself automatically. I ordered it from an RV shop in Albuquerque, so will go there when it arrives.
Several magazines were in the box as well, another thing to be grateful about: I was running out of reading material. Also, a sizeable check from the title company again: a refund of 2008 property taxes. Nice!
Took the dogs with me to mail the aforementioned goodies to family; stopped at the one-and-only Petsmart in town to get some of Annie's flea meds; and visited the local satellite installation office to get one of their techs to come point my dish in the right direction. I can pick up only El Paso's network channels otherwise, and not too well, at that.
I'm gradually learning my way around town; it takes a heck of a lot less time to get from point A to point B than I estimate, every single time. I keep thinking this is a big town, and it's really not. I'm not using much gasoline, for sure.
Did a little research on RV parks in Albuquerque on the internet. There seem to be about six or eight there, or at least there are six or eight with websites. I checked out the KOA campground there and, WOW! Must be a grand place: they wanted more than $1000 for about a 17-day stay! I'm continuing my search.
PostScript: The guy who came to aim my satellite dish couldn't quite get it right. I'm tired of having to pay people to aim the damn dish, and I'm tired of toting and storing the damn tripod, so I've ordered a KVH hard-mounted satellite antenna that aims itself automatically. I ordered it from an RV shop in Albuquerque, so will go there when it arrives.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Las Cruces, via Tubac
The dogs and I left Tucson a day early and detoured to the south on our way back to Las Cruces. Went down I-19 to a little town called Tubac, which I call Arizona's answer to Taos. Charming little town in a shallow valley with a river going through it. Can't remember the name of the river, but one of their shopkeepers said Tubac boasts the longest stretch of cottonwood trees in the world. It was pretty, I'll admit that. The cottonwoods that far south have all sprouted green.
I found a couple pieces of jewelry and the dogs and I were headed back by 10:AM. Their shops open early just for folks like me who want to look, get what we want, and get back on the road early enough in the day to arrive wherever we're going at a decent hour.
The trip on I-10 headed east to Las Cruces was a journey through "All the Cacti You'll Ever Want to See, and Then Some". I'll bet I've seen more different varieties of cacti than I ever knew existed. Particularly pretty, in a sort of stunning way, are the saguaros. Some of them are twenty feet tall. I saw ocotillo, barrel, prickly pear, cholla, and others I can't name. A lot of them are blooming.
We arrived back in Sunny Acres RV Park in Las Cruces around 5:30 PM, just after their office had closed. Pulled into a pull-through space, looked at a few email and went to bed around 10:30. This morning bright and early I visited the office and got reassigned to a non-pull-through space (less expensive) and paid for a month's stay. I figure that's enough time for the cold weather to ease in Albuquerque and I can make my way north. There's a native American gathering I'd like to visit at University of New Mexico on April 26th, plus Marc and family and friend Deb are there. I figure I might stay as long as a month there as well.
The tulips and irises are blooming here in Las Cruces; it's those sunny days and cold nights that encourage them. Lots of the fruit trees here in the Las Cruces farming community are blooming, but I notice the pecan trees, of which there are groves and groves, and which are the latest greening of all the nut trees, never in danger of frost, are still barren, so maybe we're in for one last cold spell, even though daytime temps here in Las Cruces are approaching the high 70s.
Took out my maps and worked on my weak navigating skills last night and decided to go this morning to Mesilla, NM, just down the road from Las Cruces. It is, quite literally, just down the road from the RV park, come to find out. Mesilla has quite a history. After the Gadsden Purchase in the mid-1800s, Mesilla was the capital of the Confederate Arizona Territory, which included New Mexico and I think went all the way to California. It was destined to be the only territory of the Confederacy.
Mesilla Plaza, in the old town square, has become another Santa Fe, Taos, and Tubac. It being a holiday weekend, it was very crowded, and there were a good number of cars bearing license plates from all over. I found some goodies to send to family and a couple more pieces of jewelry and lunch at the Double Eagle restaurant, which used to be the largest house in Mesilla. Its construction was begun in the late 1840s and has since been put on the National Register of Historic Places. Judge Roy Bean got his start in Mesilla. Billy the Kid used to go there and raise hell once in a while and even stood trial there once. There is much original, very old art in the restaurant, from all over the world. The food's very good, but even if it weren't, the place is worth visiting just from an historic viewpoint.
After walking a good two miles at the Plaza, I'm back in the motorhome, and need to walk the dogs. I plan to try and get out and see as much of the area as I can and will report later.
Las Cruces, NM Elev: 2900' to 4200'
I found a couple pieces of jewelry and the dogs and I were headed back by 10:AM. Their shops open early just for folks like me who want to look, get what we want, and get back on the road early enough in the day to arrive wherever we're going at a decent hour.
The trip on I-10 headed east to Las Cruces was a journey through "All the Cacti You'll Ever Want to See, and Then Some". I'll bet I've seen more different varieties of cacti than I ever knew existed. Particularly pretty, in a sort of stunning way, are the saguaros. Some of them are twenty feet tall. I saw ocotillo, barrel, prickly pear, cholla, and others I can't name. A lot of them are blooming.
We arrived back in Sunny Acres RV Park in Las Cruces around 5:30 PM, just after their office had closed. Pulled into a pull-through space, looked at a few email and went to bed around 10:30. This morning bright and early I visited the office and got reassigned to a non-pull-through space (less expensive) and paid for a month's stay. I figure that's enough time for the cold weather to ease in Albuquerque and I can make my way north. There's a native American gathering I'd like to visit at University of New Mexico on April 26th, plus Marc and family and friend Deb are there. I figure I might stay as long as a month there as well.
The tulips and irises are blooming here in Las Cruces; it's those sunny days and cold nights that encourage them. Lots of the fruit trees here in the Las Cruces farming community are blooming, but I notice the pecan trees, of which there are groves and groves, and which are the latest greening of all the nut trees, never in danger of frost, are still barren, so maybe we're in for one last cold spell, even though daytime temps here in Las Cruces are approaching the high 70s.
Took out my maps and worked on my weak navigating skills last night and decided to go this morning to Mesilla, NM, just down the road from Las Cruces. It is, quite literally, just down the road from the RV park, come to find out. Mesilla has quite a history. After the Gadsden Purchase in the mid-1800s, Mesilla was the capital of the Confederate Arizona Territory, which included New Mexico and I think went all the way to California. It was destined to be the only territory of the Confederacy.
Mesilla Plaza, in the old town square, has become another Santa Fe, Taos, and Tubac. It being a holiday weekend, it was very crowded, and there were a good number of cars bearing license plates from all over. I found some goodies to send to family and a couple more pieces of jewelry and lunch at the Double Eagle restaurant, which used to be the largest house in Mesilla. Its construction was begun in the late 1840s and has since been put on the National Register of Historic Places. Judge Roy Bean got his start in Mesilla. Billy the Kid used to go there and raise hell once in a while and even stood trial there once. There is much original, very old art in the restaurant, from all over the world. The food's very good, but even if it weren't, the place is worth visiting just from an historic viewpoint.
After walking a good two miles at the Plaza, I'm back in the motorhome, and need to walk the dogs. I plan to try and get out and see as much of the area as I can and will report later.
Las Cruces, NM Elev: 2900' to 4200'
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Maintenance, etc.
The maintenance, I'm used to. It's the etc that sometimes stops you cold and makes you say "Huh?"
Spent yesterday doing little things around Van Go. Did laundry. Went for groceries and watched a man berate his wife in front of their children and the general public, and heard him say, "Well, it wouldn't have happened if I'd done it. Every time you use the computer, you release so much negative energy..." at which point she turned around and left.
People. Whad're ya' gonna do?
Spent yesterday doing little things around Van Go. Did laundry. Went for groceries and watched a man berate his wife in front of their children and the general public, and heard him say, "Well, it wouldn't have happened if I'd done it. Every time you use the computer, you release so much negative energy..." at which point she turned around and left.
People. Whad're ya' gonna do?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Compass-ion
My name is Lynne; I am directionally challenged.
I just spent from 8:30AM to 11:AM trying to find my way from the RV park to Pima Community College here in Tucson. I used Mapquest, the tool I use all the time to find my way around. Works like a charm every time.
My error occurred when I failed to realize that when I exited I-10 W in Tucson onto I-19, I turned practically from north to south. When I think of I-10, it's the nation's most southerly Interstate highway and it runs from the west coast to the east. When it gets to El Paso, however, it turns northerly to Tucson and onward to Phoenix, where it then continues westward again. When you get to I-19 in Tucson, where I had to turn off to get to the RV park, I thought I was making a huge left turn, when I was actually heading in the direction opposite from which I'd just come.
Anyway, I've been completely turned around ever since I got to Tucson, and this morning's adventures, what with every downtown exit on I-10 being closed due to construction, my frustration level met its limit. I stopped by the College long enough to get my registration stuff, and found Froggi Donna boondocking on the College campus and met and had a nice chat with her. But I'm not going back to the campus for the Conference; their scheduling is somewhat constricted and the two courses I wanted to sit in on were both scheduled at the same time, same day. My blood pressure skyrockets under the conditions I found myself today, so I'm just gonna save the headache. There's some sightseeing here in the Tucson area I'd like to do and if I can do it relatively painlessly, I'm gonna.
And don't give me any grief about my GPS; remember, I'm at my limit.
I just spent from 8:30AM to 11:AM trying to find my way from the RV park to Pima Community College here in Tucson. I used Mapquest, the tool I use all the time to find my way around. Works like a charm every time.
My error occurred when I failed to realize that when I exited I-10 W in Tucson onto I-19, I turned practically from north to south. When I think of I-10, it's the nation's most southerly Interstate highway and it runs from the west coast to the east. When it gets to El Paso, however, it turns northerly to Tucson and onward to Phoenix, where it then continues westward again. When you get to I-19 in Tucson, where I had to turn off to get to the RV park, I thought I was making a huge left turn, when I was actually heading in the direction opposite from which I'd just come.
Anyway, I've been completely turned around ever since I got to Tucson, and this morning's adventures, what with every downtown exit on I-10 being closed due to construction, my frustration level met its limit. I stopped by the College long enough to get my registration stuff, and found Froggi Donna boondocking on the College campus and met and had a nice chat with her. But I'm not going back to the campus for the Conference; their scheduling is somewhat constricted and the two courses I wanted to sit in on were both scheduled at the same time, same day. My blood pressure skyrockets under the conditions I found myself today, so I'm just gonna save the headache. There's some sightseeing here in the Tucson area I'd like to do and if I can do it relatively painlessly, I'm gonna.
And don't give me any grief about my GPS; remember, I'm at my limit.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Chances of Precipitation
When the weather forecaster in Houston says there's a 20% of rain, it means there's a 20% chance that there's going to be rain over 20% of Houston.
When they say there's a 10% chance of rain in Tucson, it means that if you go to Walmart and forget where you parked, there's a 100% chance it's going to rain steadily for just long enough for you to get soaked, walking up and down the parking lot aisles, looking for your car. Memo to self: Uh, catch the aisle number on your way in; saves you a lot of grief later.
Not only that: I always thought Tucson was that hot and sunny place down in southern Arizona. Today there's some kind of funky weather thing going on and not only is it raining, it's cold as a welldigger's belt buckle.
Dogs and I left Las Cruces around 8:AM yesterday (Sat, Mar.15) to get an early start before the high winds of yesterday came back. It was a nice drive; mild weather, no wind. A little boring; I guess I'm getting used to the southwest and its novelty has worn off. Lots of low mountains on every side, and we didn't really get into any wind 'til we'd passed the NM/AZ border. Did go through another one of those US Border Patrol check stations, but this time, they were just waving through any vehicle with a US license plate. Way to go, Homeland Security. So much for protecting our borders.
Mapquest had given the estimated travel time from Las Cruces to Tucson as a little over three hours. That must be only if you're driving the speed limit, which, in that area, is 75 MPH. I only push Van Go to 60 (65 max), especially when I'm towing Oor. It took me 'til after 4:PM, around eight hours, which I rarely do. Arizona has no Daylight Savings program, so I at least saved an hour on the clock and turned it back to 3:PM.
I'm in Rincon West RV Resort. They have over 1,000 spaces, all narrow and close together. The place is landscaped beautifully and they allow dogs only in one small corner of the resort. They have put me in space number 847, which is so un-level that I can't use my own shower. The water in the shower stall puddles in the rear so deep that it almost runs out onto the floor. I tried to change spaces this morning, but the space they wanted me to go in is worse than the one I'm in, so I'll stay. I'll use the resort's shower facilities. They have at least four buildings scattered around the resort, and each one contains an exercise room, a laundry, a wifi room, and men's and women's showers. I'll live.
The Life on Wheels conference starts Tuesday, so today, other than staying inside the rig and trying to keep warm, I'm reading and updating the blog. Have tentative plans to run down some of the Escapees Class of '08 members and have dinner one evening this week. I was going to stay here two weeks, but their rates are sky high, so I'm going back to Las Cruces March 22 and stay there for a couple weeks and see what the weather's doing.
While in Las Cruces, I went to Walmart and stopped in for a quick pedicure. I met a woman, Linda, and we chatted while our toes were done. We got to talking about the green chili in NM, and she invited me to lunch. She took me to her favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican food cafe. I had the stuffed sopaipilla, which was perfect. We must have sat and talked for about two hours. She's a very funny woman, divorced, a nurse, loves to talk as much as I do, and we had a good time. We exchanged phone numbers, and I'm going to see her again when I go back to Las Cruces.
Poor little doggies are lying in bed, cozied up in the blankets, trying to keep warm. I think I'll join them with a magazine.
Tucson, AZ Elev: 2584'
When they say there's a 10% chance of rain in Tucson, it means that if you go to Walmart and forget where you parked, there's a 100% chance it's going to rain steadily for just long enough for you to get soaked, walking up and down the parking lot aisles, looking for your car. Memo to self: Uh, catch the aisle number on your way in; saves you a lot of grief later.
Not only that: I always thought Tucson was that hot and sunny place down in southern Arizona. Today there's some kind of funky weather thing going on and not only is it raining, it's cold as a welldigger's belt buckle.
Dogs and I left Las Cruces around 8:AM yesterday (Sat, Mar.15) to get an early start before the high winds of yesterday came back. It was a nice drive; mild weather, no wind. A little boring; I guess I'm getting used to the southwest and its novelty has worn off. Lots of low mountains on every side, and we didn't really get into any wind 'til we'd passed the NM/AZ border. Did go through another one of those US Border Patrol check stations, but this time, they were just waving through any vehicle with a US license plate. Way to go, Homeland Security. So much for protecting our borders.
Mapquest had given the estimated travel time from Las Cruces to Tucson as a little over three hours. That must be only if you're driving the speed limit, which, in that area, is 75 MPH. I only push Van Go to 60 (65 max), especially when I'm towing Oor. It took me 'til after 4:PM, around eight hours, which I rarely do. Arizona has no Daylight Savings program, so I at least saved an hour on the clock and turned it back to 3:PM.
I'm in Rincon West RV Resort. They have over 1,000 spaces, all narrow and close together. The place is landscaped beautifully and they allow dogs only in one small corner of the resort. They have put me in space number 847, which is so un-level that I can't use my own shower. The water in the shower stall puddles in the rear so deep that it almost runs out onto the floor. I tried to change spaces this morning, but the space they wanted me to go in is worse than the one I'm in, so I'll stay. I'll use the resort's shower facilities. They have at least four buildings scattered around the resort, and each one contains an exercise room, a laundry, a wifi room, and men's and women's showers. I'll live.
The Life on Wheels conference starts Tuesday, so today, other than staying inside the rig and trying to keep warm, I'm reading and updating the blog. Have tentative plans to run down some of the Escapees Class of '08 members and have dinner one evening this week. I was going to stay here two weeks, but their rates are sky high, so I'm going back to Las Cruces March 22 and stay there for a couple weeks and see what the weather's doing.
While in Las Cruces, I went to Walmart and stopped in for a quick pedicure. I met a woman, Linda, and we chatted while our toes were done. We got to talking about the green chili in NM, and she invited me to lunch. She took me to her favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican food cafe. I had the stuffed sopaipilla, which was perfect. We must have sat and talked for about two hours. She's a very funny woman, divorced, a nurse, loves to talk as much as I do, and we had a good time. We exchanged phone numbers, and I'm going to see her again when I go back to Las Cruces.
Poor little doggies are lying in bed, cozied up in the blankets, trying to keep warm. I think I'll join them with a magazine.
Tucson, AZ Elev: 2584'
Thursday, March 13, 2008
This is a Test; This is Only a Test
Decided to take the dogs to Las Cruces yesterday morning to try to find a park to play in; it's only 20 miles from where we're staying.
Didn't find the park, but did find a small RV park I thought we'd enjoy instead of Camping World's. We stopped in a made the reservation for that afternoon. As I got into the car to go back to El Paso for the RV, the car wouldn't start.
When you buy a used car, you get what you pay for. Called a tow truck recommended by the repair shop; the tow driver said his company had just been approved by AAA for both towing and repair, so we went to his shop. Nice folks; Walker Towing and Recovery. They started out in Alamogordo in the '80s, and recently opened a shop here in Las Cruces. Their mechanic took the starter apart and said it wouldn't catch the flywheel. I love learning new languages, don't you? Anyway, I knew that was gonna take a while, so I had the owner's son, Sal Calmenero, drive me to Enterprise Leasing (I have a membership there) to get a car to drive back to El Paso. Enterprise had no one-way cars (so much for the value of my membership), so I called Hertz. They were happy to help; in fact, they came and got me from Enterprise (Sal had gone back to his shop) and rented me a nice little SUV.
Got the dogs and ran them back to the RV, then took the SUV to the Hertz office in west El Paso, right down the street from the microwave repair shop I had visited just a few days earlier. I'm learning my way around the west side of El Paso pretty well. Finished up there; they only charged me $38! Nice surprise, right in the middle of a nasty one, I thought. They drove me back to the RV where the dogs and I chilled for the evening.
After a crummy night's sleep, we left early this morning and went back to see how the repair of Oor was going. We arrived around 9:00 AM, and they were finished! When I got the bill, I got another nice surprise: a very reasonable charge for replacing the starter with a new one.
We're all nicely encamped in the Sunny Acres RV Park in Las Cruces, NM. It's a beautiful day: around 75 degrees F, mostly sunny, 13% humidity. Tomorrow and Saturday, however, the wind is supposed to pick up and my drive to Tucson will be in headwinds of around 40 MPH. I can hear the gasoline draining out of the RV already.
I'm happy, happy, happy to be back in New Mexico!
Las Cruces, NM Elev: 3900' to 4200'
Didn't find the park, but did find a small RV park I thought we'd enjoy instead of Camping World's. We stopped in a made the reservation for that afternoon. As I got into the car to go back to El Paso for the RV, the car wouldn't start.
When you buy a used car, you get what you pay for. Called a tow truck recommended by the repair shop; the tow driver said his company had just been approved by AAA for both towing and repair, so we went to his shop. Nice folks; Walker Towing and Recovery. They started out in Alamogordo in the '80s, and recently opened a shop here in Las Cruces. Their mechanic took the starter apart and said it wouldn't catch the flywheel. I love learning new languages, don't you? Anyway, I knew that was gonna take a while, so I had the owner's son, Sal Calmenero, drive me to Enterprise Leasing (I have a membership there) to get a car to drive back to El Paso. Enterprise had no one-way cars (so much for the value of my membership), so I called Hertz. They were happy to help; in fact, they came and got me from Enterprise (Sal had gone back to his shop) and rented me a nice little SUV.
Got the dogs and ran them back to the RV, then took the SUV to the Hertz office in west El Paso, right down the street from the microwave repair shop I had visited just a few days earlier. I'm learning my way around the west side of El Paso pretty well. Finished up there; they only charged me $38! Nice surprise, right in the middle of a nasty one, I thought. They drove me back to the RV where the dogs and I chilled for the evening.
After a crummy night's sleep, we left early this morning and went back to see how the repair of Oor was going. We arrived around 9:00 AM, and they were finished! When I got the bill, I got another nice surprise: a very reasonable charge for replacing the starter with a new one.
We're all nicely encamped in the Sunny Acres RV Park in Las Cruces, NM. It's a beautiful day: around 75 degrees F, mostly sunny, 13% humidity. Tomorrow and Saturday, however, the wind is supposed to pick up and my drive to Tucson will be in headwinds of around 40 MPH. I can hear the gasoline draining out of the RV already.
I'm happy, happy, happy to be back in New Mexico!
Las Cruces, NM Elev: 3900' to 4200'
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Horns, Bull, Taking
If you want the job done right.... or fast... do it yourself.
Spent half the day Sunday doing laundry and walking the dogs out on the mesa surrounding the place where we're parked, which under no circumstances could ever be called a "park". A huge slab of concrete (or what feels like concrete; I suspect it's caliche) punctuated by three-feet-tall utility poles every 25 feet or so apart, space enough for 300 to park. I can't imagine what it would be like if the place were that full; so far, this is a stay-and-go place. Stay here just long enough to see or do what you want/need, and get the heck out. Fortunately, there's a grocery and laundromat within one mile. I also found an outlet mall about five miles away.
Monday I decided that Camping World was going to take too long to take the microwave to a repair shop in El Paso to determine whether or not the thing could be fixed, so I took the bull by the horn and took it there myself. They called this morning (Tues) to let me know that the megatron (which is the thing that actually makes the microwave work and which sounds like the name of a science fiction movie (MEGATRON!!) to me) had to be replaced, to the tune of $215 (parts only). (Note to self: paperwork is in pending file.) Well, obviously, that exceeds the cost of the microwave.
I went to Camping World's service folks and they said they would have to let the RV manufacturer know and get permission to either repair or replace the microwave. They called and got an answering machine and left word. This was already taking too friggin' long. I've got to be in Tucson in four days. I told Camping World to forget it, went and picked up the old microwave and paid for the estimate, took its measurements and went and got a new microwave at Walmart for about one-eighth the cost of repairing the old one.
I couldn't get one with the same measurements as the old one (of course not! that would've been too lucky), so got one as close as I could and put it back in the RV. The faceplate doesn't even hold the oven in place, there's that big a difference in size, but I can either take it out when traveling, or push it far enough in that it won't come out in the event I make a turn so sharp and fast that the thing would come hurling out.
Well, what with Camping World's rule of sticking to what the manufacturer says, I'm not thrilled, but so what? I can adapt. As long as there's some kind of solution, I can live with it. I'll gripe and moan, curse and spit, but I can live with it.
I think I'll go fix a baked potato.
Two hours later: the following is an update to the morning's input.
That baked potato? I substituted a Lean Cuisine instead.
Using my brand new, $46 GE microwave, it did heat up. However, the indicator lights kept flickering on and off. I had no way of knowing when the time was up, or if it was even "cooking", so I opened up the door after about two minutes. It was hot. OK. I took the tray out and closed the microwave door. The thing kept on running! I pushed the "stop" and "clear" buttons, to no avail. I ate the dinner, took the faceplate off, took the microwave out of the cabinet, put it in its box and took it back to Walmart. I went to Sam's Club and found a much better, and right-sized, microwave, bought it, installed it and tested it. I just hope it continues to work. If this one goes bad, I'm gonna have to consider that there really is something wrong with that particular electrical outlet in the RV. Something expensive, I'll bet.
Spent half the day Sunday doing laundry and walking the dogs out on the mesa surrounding the place where we're parked, which under no circumstances could ever be called a "park". A huge slab of concrete (or what feels like concrete; I suspect it's caliche) punctuated by three-feet-tall utility poles every 25 feet or so apart, space enough for 300 to park. I can't imagine what it would be like if the place were that full; so far, this is a stay-and-go place. Stay here just long enough to see or do what you want/need, and get the heck out. Fortunately, there's a grocery and laundromat within one mile. I also found an outlet mall about five miles away.
Monday I decided that Camping World was going to take too long to take the microwave to a repair shop in El Paso to determine whether or not the thing could be fixed, so I took the bull by the horn and took it there myself. They called this morning (Tues) to let me know that the megatron (which is the thing that actually makes the microwave work and which sounds like the name of a science fiction movie (MEGATRON!!) to me) had to be replaced, to the tune of $215 (parts only). (Note to self: paperwork is in pending file.) Well, obviously, that exceeds the cost of the microwave.
I went to Camping World's service folks and they said they would have to let the RV manufacturer know and get permission to either repair or replace the microwave. They called and got an answering machine and left word. This was already taking too friggin' long. I've got to be in Tucson in four days. I told Camping World to forget it, went and picked up the old microwave and paid for the estimate, took its measurements and went and got a new microwave at Walmart for about one-eighth the cost of repairing the old one.
I couldn't get one with the same measurements as the old one (of course not! that would've been too lucky), so got one as close as I could and put it back in the RV. The faceplate doesn't even hold the oven in place, there's that big a difference in size, but I can either take it out when traveling, or push it far enough in that it won't come out in the event I make a turn so sharp and fast that the thing would come hurling out.
Well, what with Camping World's rule of sticking to what the manufacturer says, I'm not thrilled, but so what? I can adapt. As long as there's some kind of solution, I can live with it. I'll gripe and moan, curse and spit, but I can live with it.
I think I'll go fix a baked potato.
Two hours later: the following is an update to the morning's input.
That baked potato? I substituted a Lean Cuisine instead.
Using my brand new, $46 GE microwave, it did heat up. However, the indicator lights kept flickering on and off. I had no way of knowing when the time was up, or if it was even "cooking", so I opened up the door after about two minutes. It was hot. OK. I took the tray out and closed the microwave door. The thing kept on running! I pushed the "stop" and "clear" buttons, to no avail. I ate the dinner, took the faceplate off, took the microwave out of the cabinet, put it in its box and took it back to Walmart. I went to Sam's Club and found a much better, and right-sized, microwave, bought it, installed it and tested it. I just hope it continues to work. If this one goes bad, I'm gonna have to consider that there really is something wrong with that particular electrical outlet in the RV. Something expensive, I'll bet.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
El Paso, TX
Just got through spending two days without Verizon Aircard internet access, and decided to leave early and go to El Paso to get the microwave fixed.
Left Alpine early this morning. Hwy 90 west of Alpine, through Marfa and all the way to Van Horn is a nice, smooth ride. There are mountains, tho' not big ones, all the way. Lots of ranching, and I saw a herd of pronghorn antelope off the highway. As I was leaving Marfa, I thought I saw a small plane, flying ahead of me. After about half hour, though, I realized I was catching up with it. Turns out it was a dirigible. I couldn't tell if was anchored or what, but it seemed motionless. There were no buildings or vehicles around to identify it. I thought maybe it was a weather information-gathering thing.
I do see the oddest things from time to time: just outside of a very small spot in the road named Lobo, TX, and before I made the turn at Van Horn, where Hwy 90 turns into Interstate 10, there was a small building, adobe-colored, very neat, very trim, with a solid glass front. In front of the building was a large sign: PRADA. Sure enough, inside the window were three or four expensive-looking handbags. I wish I'd stopped and gotten some information, but there was no one to ask. There was no counter, no clerk, no cash register. This'll remain a mystery, for sure.
I saw a huge pecan grove along that same drive. Had no idea pecans grew in such a desert-y looking place.
Arrived in Anthony, TX, just west of El Paso around 2:30 PM. Made reservations for the staff at Camping World to pick up the microwave Monday and take it to a repair shop. Hope I'm not stuck here too long, because there is absolutely nothing to do in Anthony. I'd love to go to Juarez for the afternoon some day this week, but I can't find my damn passport. I have no idea where I put it. Ack!
Anthony, TX Elev: 3806'
Left Alpine early this morning. Hwy 90 west of Alpine, through Marfa and all the way to Van Horn is a nice, smooth ride. There are mountains, tho' not big ones, all the way. Lots of ranching, and I saw a herd of pronghorn antelope off the highway. As I was leaving Marfa, I thought I saw a small plane, flying ahead of me. After about half hour, though, I realized I was catching up with it. Turns out it was a dirigible. I couldn't tell if was anchored or what, but it seemed motionless. There were no buildings or vehicles around to identify it. I thought maybe it was a weather information-gathering thing.
I do see the oddest things from time to time: just outside of a very small spot in the road named Lobo, TX, and before I made the turn at Van Horn, where Hwy 90 turns into Interstate 10, there was a small building, adobe-colored, very neat, very trim, with a solid glass front. In front of the building was a large sign: PRADA. Sure enough, inside the window were three or four expensive-looking handbags. I wish I'd stopped and gotten some information, but there was no one to ask. There was no counter, no clerk, no cash register. This'll remain a mystery, for sure.
I saw a huge pecan grove along that same drive. Had no idea pecans grew in such a desert-y looking place.
Arrived in Anthony, TX, just west of El Paso around 2:30 PM. Made reservations for the staff at Camping World to pick up the microwave Monday and take it to a repair shop. Hope I'm not stuck here too long, because there is absolutely nothing to do in Anthony. I'd love to go to Juarez for the afternoon some day this week, but I can't find my damn passport. I have no idea where I put it. Ack!
Anthony, TX Elev: 3806'
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Brrrr!
It's cold here today. MSN weather says it's 36 degrees F., and we've got a little wind as well.
The dogs and I drove from Alpine to Fort Davis about 40 miles north of here yesterday. Charming little town, but not much to it. On the way back on Hwy 118, I saw a sign that read "Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute" so turned in to see what it was. A narrow dirt road led me the the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens, a really neat place. The dogs and I took about a 45-minute self-guided tour (read: "hike") through the place. Lots off botanical research is going on there, funded privately. The Institute was started by several professors at Sul Ross State University, here in Alpine. I saw at least four different varieties of agave, and went through their hummingbird and butterfly area. Unfortunately, it's still too cold for much activity there. I was a nice walk. I kept imagining a sunbathing rattler on every rocktop, but it must have been too cold. It got up to the mid-70s yesterday, and sunny. A beautiful day. The dogs acted like they were really enjoying the "wilderness"; certainly no blacktop nor fire hydrants there.
Today is laundry day; it's much too cold to be out running around. I think everyone in the park is laundering today: it's taking me twice as long to get one load of stuff washed and dried.
I've learned a new fuel-saving trick these last couple of days. The nights here are in the 20s and I can keep Van Go warm all night by using the little space heater I was maligning last month instead of turning on the furnace. Tried it last night and it worked great. I've got it on today, too; the dogs are actually shivering.
I did some research on Camping World's Anthony, TX location last night. They've got a huge RV park there, so I think I'll go there as soon as my mail comes here in Alpine, and get the microwave fixed. After that gets done, I'll head for Tucson for the Life on Wheels conference, then to Albuquerque and visit Deb and see Marc and family.
The dogs and I drove from Alpine to Fort Davis about 40 miles north of here yesterday. Charming little town, but not much to it. On the way back on Hwy 118, I saw a sign that read "Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute" so turned in to see what it was. A narrow dirt road led me the the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens, a really neat place. The dogs and I took about a 45-minute self-guided tour (read: "hike") through the place. Lots off botanical research is going on there, funded privately. The Institute was started by several professors at Sul Ross State University, here in Alpine. I saw at least four different varieties of agave, and went through their hummingbird and butterfly area. Unfortunately, it's still too cold for much activity there. I was a nice walk. I kept imagining a sunbathing rattler on every rocktop, but it must have been too cold. It got up to the mid-70s yesterday, and sunny. A beautiful day. The dogs acted like they were really enjoying the "wilderness"; certainly no blacktop nor fire hydrants there.
Today is laundry day; it's much too cold to be out running around. I think everyone in the park is laundering today: it's taking me twice as long to get one load of stuff washed and dried.
I've learned a new fuel-saving trick these last couple of days. The nights here are in the 20s and I can keep Van Go warm all night by using the little space heater I was maligning last month instead of turning on the furnace. Tried it last night and it worked great. I've got it on today, too; the dogs are actually shivering.
I did some research on Camping World's Anthony, TX location last night. They've got a huge RV park there, so I think I'll go there as soon as my mail comes here in Alpine, and get the microwave fixed. After that gets done, I'll head for Tucson for the Life on Wheels conference, then to Albuquerque and visit Deb and see Marc and family.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Alpine, TX
Got a good night's sleep in Marathon, and got an early start this morning. First thing I did was open the back blinds a little to see how light it was. The sun was well up, it being 8:15AM. First thing I saw was how much frost there was on Oor's windshield. Wow, I thought. Must be cold.
Well, yeah. I got dressed and fed the dogs, then ventured out to unhook everything. There was a very brisk wind. I went to unhook the water first and noticed that the hose connection was frozen to the spigot. Great. I opened the basement and took out the toolbox, and tried to get the connection off with a pair of pliers. Nope. By this time, I was freezing and had to go to the bathroom. Without a water source, I couldn't use the RV, so walked what seemed like a quarter mile to find the public restroom. Inside was a television with the weather station showing that the current temperature was 34 degrees F, with a wind chill of 26. No wonder I was cold. No wonder the connection was frozen.
I went to the office and borrowed a hair dryer to thaw the connection enough to get it off. Worked great, much to my surprise. Got the water hose off and stored it in the RV shower stall to thaw while we made our way up Hwy 90 to Alpine.
Found the Lost Alaskan RV Park in Alpine. Great place; very friendly, very funny, very efficient. These folks are the ones with the dog park. First thing I did after paying for a week's stay was to unhook Oor from Van Go and park the RV. While getting the only other key to Oor (the other one was in the ignition; it has to stay there while being towed), I dropped it somewhere while I was moving from the front door of the RV to the water/sewer connection area on the ground, not thirty feet away. I looked around for about ten minutes, then went to the office and asked them to call a locksmith to get Oor's door open, so I could move the car from the office parking area to the RV spot. While one of the park's guys was showing me how to connect to the water system, the locksmith showed up. He used a funny looking little bag, which he then inserted into a crack in the door, then inflated the bag which forced the door open just enough to slip a thick wire and hook thingy inside and spring the door open. Fantastic! I've got to get one of those.
Got everything hooked up (including free cable!) and took the dogs to the dog park. It's very tiny, no trees, no room to run, and no other dogs. Pretty disappointing. But I let them run (stroll, actually) free for about a half hour, so they could pee to their hearts content, and maybe tire out a little.
Got them in the car and went grocery shopping in downtown Alpine, about two miles away.
So now I'm settled, again, for a week. I'm going to try to get out and do some sightseeing, but Big Bend is at least a hundred miles away, and I doubt I'll go that far. I do like the topography here, tho'. Lots of mountains (not big ones) and lots of desert. I see that although the Mountain Cedar that I fought with in Hondo has finished blooming there, here in Alpine it's in full swing. Between the cedar and the pines, my allergies are killing me.
Alpine TX Elev: 4451'
Well, yeah. I got dressed and fed the dogs, then ventured out to unhook everything. There was a very brisk wind. I went to unhook the water first and noticed that the hose connection was frozen to the spigot. Great. I opened the basement and took out the toolbox, and tried to get the connection off with a pair of pliers. Nope. By this time, I was freezing and had to go to the bathroom. Without a water source, I couldn't use the RV, so walked what seemed like a quarter mile to find the public restroom. Inside was a television with the weather station showing that the current temperature was 34 degrees F, with a wind chill of 26. No wonder I was cold. No wonder the connection was frozen.
I went to the office and borrowed a hair dryer to thaw the connection enough to get it off. Worked great, much to my surprise. Got the water hose off and stored it in the RV shower stall to thaw while we made our way up Hwy 90 to Alpine.
Found the Lost Alaskan RV Park in Alpine. Great place; very friendly, very funny, very efficient. These folks are the ones with the dog park. First thing I did after paying for a week's stay was to unhook Oor from Van Go and park the RV. While getting the only other key to Oor (the other one was in the ignition; it has to stay there while being towed), I dropped it somewhere while I was moving from the front door of the RV to the water/sewer connection area on the ground, not thirty feet away. I looked around for about ten minutes, then went to the office and asked them to call a locksmith to get Oor's door open, so I could move the car from the office parking area to the RV spot. While one of the park's guys was showing me how to connect to the water system, the locksmith showed up. He used a funny looking little bag, which he then inserted into a crack in the door, then inflated the bag which forced the door open just enough to slip a thick wire and hook thingy inside and spring the door open. Fantastic! I've got to get one of those.
Got everything hooked up (including free cable!) and took the dogs to the dog park. It's very tiny, no trees, no room to run, and no other dogs. Pretty disappointing. But I let them run (stroll, actually) free for about a half hour, so they could pee to their hearts content, and maybe tire out a little.
Got them in the car and went grocery shopping in downtown Alpine, about two miles away.
So now I'm settled, again, for a week. I'm going to try to get out and do some sightseeing, but Big Bend is at least a hundred miles away, and I doubt I'll go that far. I do like the topography here, tho'. Lots of mountains (not big ones) and lots of desert. I see that although the Mountain Cedar that I fought with in Hondo has finished blooming there, here in Alpine it's in full swing. Between the cedar and the pines, my allergies are killing me.
Alpine TX Elev: 4451'
Monday, March 3, 2008
Westward Ho
Isn't that the title of a new country rap song?
Left Hondo this morning and arrived on Wagner RV's doorstep around 8:45. He was ready for me and installed the hitch on the RV in no time flat. That guy's a magician, and that system by Blue Ox, is just outstanding. I watched as he installed the hitch and connected everything to the tow plate, which had been installed on the car last week. By the way, I expected to see some really ugly apparatus protruding from the front of my sporty little car, but it is sharp! Two prongs come out of the grill, and they're removable if I care to. I think I'll leave them on: it looks like I'm spear-hunting.
The hitch assembly is so easy. I had heard people, women in particular, brag about how simple to join/separate the system is, but I'm still amazed. Sonny Wagner, who chose the system, really knows his stuff! I'm really happy with it.
Anyway, he was finished by 10:AM, so Van Go, Oor, Spike, Annie, and I set off with hardly a backward glance. I did email Shari at the Lone Star Corral and thanked her, Nancy and Bette for all they did to further my efforts to find the car and get it joined to the RV. I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.
After spending last night with the roof vents and one window wide open all night, I had heard it raining pretty well in the middle of the night. I bounced out of bed and closed everything up, and by the time we arose at about 7:30 am, things had already dried out. Not much of a rain for poor ol' Hondo, and they really need it.
We headed west, and by the time we got to Del Rio at about 2:PM, I needed lunch. We pulled into a Walmart there and picked up burgers. The weather had turned COLD! I didn't have so much as a sweater on and just about froze to death just getting from the RV to the store and back. We downed our burgers and headed out again.
Del Rio has an Air Force base, I noticed: Laughlin.
The wind had been blowing very hard to whole trip, and continued as we passed through Del Rio. Shortly outside of town, I thought I caught a glimpse of bright blue out the passenger side window. I looked a little harder and it was a huge lake. Turns out it was Amistad Lake, part of Amistad National Recreation Area. Very clear, blue water. The wind was so high the whole lake was covered with whitecaps. From a distance, it looked like boats, but it was much too cold for boating. The rest of the area, however, is desert. Not too attractive, unless you like deserts.
Further west on Hwy 90 is Seminole Canyon State Historical Park, at which we did not stop. I was trying to get to Alpine before dark. Just as we were approaching a very small town (?) called Langtry, we passed over a gorgeous red rock gorge, through which the clear, blue Pecos River was running. If I'd had a brain, I'd have taken some photos, but I breezed right through, oohing and ahhing the whole way. Idiot! Ditto Amistad Lake.
I saw many Border Patrol vehicles on this route, and didn't realize how near the Texas/Mexico border I was 'til I later looked in my road atlas. Just outside of Comstock, there was an immigration checkpoint at which I was questioned as to "the nationality of all those in the RV".
Pushing on and watching the gas gauge plummet, I filled the tank in Dryden, and saw a sign saying "Alpine 104 miles". By this time, the temperature has reached about 40 degrees F, and my tolerance for the monotony of the road, plus the pain in my hands from gripping the wheel the whole way, had exceeded what I was willing to bear, so I decided to stop for the night in Marathon. Not much to say about Marathon: I'm too darn tired.
We'll start fresh in the morning.
Marathon Tx Elev: 4055
Left Hondo this morning and arrived on Wagner RV's doorstep around 8:45. He was ready for me and installed the hitch on the RV in no time flat. That guy's a magician, and that system by Blue Ox, is just outstanding. I watched as he installed the hitch and connected everything to the tow plate, which had been installed on the car last week. By the way, I expected to see some really ugly apparatus protruding from the front of my sporty little car, but it is sharp! Two prongs come out of the grill, and they're removable if I care to. I think I'll leave them on: it looks like I'm spear-hunting.
The hitch assembly is so easy. I had heard people, women in particular, brag about how simple to join/separate the system is, but I'm still amazed. Sonny Wagner, who chose the system, really knows his stuff! I'm really happy with it.
Anyway, he was finished by 10:AM, so Van Go, Oor, Spike, Annie, and I set off with hardly a backward glance. I did email Shari at the Lone Star Corral and thanked her, Nancy and Bette for all they did to further my efforts to find the car and get it joined to the RV. I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.
After spending last night with the roof vents and one window wide open all night, I had heard it raining pretty well in the middle of the night. I bounced out of bed and closed everything up, and by the time we arose at about 7:30 am, things had already dried out. Not much of a rain for poor ol' Hondo, and they really need it.
We headed west, and by the time we got to Del Rio at about 2:PM, I needed lunch. We pulled into a Walmart there and picked up burgers. The weather had turned COLD! I didn't have so much as a sweater on and just about froze to death just getting from the RV to the store and back. We downed our burgers and headed out again.
Del Rio has an Air Force base, I noticed: Laughlin.
The wind had been blowing very hard to whole trip, and continued as we passed through Del Rio. Shortly outside of town, I thought I caught a glimpse of bright blue out the passenger side window. I looked a little harder and it was a huge lake. Turns out it was Amistad Lake, part of Amistad National Recreation Area. Very clear, blue water. The wind was so high the whole lake was covered with whitecaps. From a distance, it looked like boats, but it was much too cold for boating. The rest of the area, however, is desert. Not too attractive, unless you like deserts.
Further west on Hwy 90 is Seminole Canyon State Historical Park, at which we did not stop. I was trying to get to Alpine before dark. Just as we were approaching a very small town (?) called Langtry, we passed over a gorgeous red rock gorge, through which the clear, blue Pecos River was running. If I'd had a brain, I'd have taken some photos, but I breezed right through, oohing and ahhing the whole way. Idiot! Ditto Amistad Lake.
I saw many Border Patrol vehicles on this route, and didn't realize how near the Texas/Mexico border I was 'til I later looked in my road atlas. Just outside of Comstock, there was an immigration checkpoint at which I was questioned as to "the nationality of all those in the RV".
Pushing on and watching the gas gauge plummet, I filled the tank in Dryden, and saw a sign saying "Alpine 104 miles". By this time, the temperature has reached about 40 degrees F, and my tolerance for the monotony of the road, plus the pain in my hands from gripping the wheel the whole way, had exceeded what I was willing to bear, so I decided to stop for the night in Marathon. Not much to say about Marathon: I'm too darn tired.
We'll start fresh in the morning.
Marathon Tx Elev: 4055
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Eviction Notice
Sort of.
Most RV parks have a policy that prohibits renters from staying longer than a month. Management advised me yesterday that since I'd been here a month now, I'd have to leave if the park filled up and there was nowhere to accommodate new visitors who came in. Well, one came in this morning, so around noonish I was asked to give up the full-service connection I had and boondock for the rest of my stay.
"To boondock", in RV parlance, is a verb meaning "to camp". No electricity, no water hookup, no sewer. Well, I haven't had that experience yet, and would really rather do it on my own terms, with some planning and provisioning first. Plus, it's supposed to get cold tonight and no electrical hookup means no furnace. So I unhooked everything (including [gulp] my satellite dish and tripod), packed things up nice and tight, and left. I paid my rent and electric bill, which was very low, by the way, and decided to head into Hondo proper to see if there was a night's space in Countryside RV Park.
And there is! So that's where I'll spend tonight, and then head out early tomorrow morning to see if Wagner's got my car ready to go. I might go to Walmart and get a few victuals before I leave, hopefully early afternoon, for Alpine. It took me maybe ten minutes to get hooked up here; I'm gettin' good at this! 'Course, I didn't hook up the dish yet; I'm pretty much positive I won't be able to get it positioned right, and I really don't want to stand there, fiddling with it and looking stupid.
Most RV parks have a policy that prohibits renters from staying longer than a month. Management advised me yesterday that since I'd been here a month now, I'd have to leave if the park filled up and there was nowhere to accommodate new visitors who came in. Well, one came in this morning, so around noonish I was asked to give up the full-service connection I had and boondock for the rest of my stay.
"To boondock", in RV parlance, is a verb meaning "to camp". No electricity, no water hookup, no sewer. Well, I haven't had that experience yet, and would really rather do it on my own terms, with some planning and provisioning first. Plus, it's supposed to get cold tonight and no electrical hookup means no furnace. So I unhooked everything (including [gulp] my satellite dish and tripod), packed things up nice and tight, and left. I paid my rent and electric bill, which was very low, by the way, and decided to head into Hondo proper to see if there was a night's space in Countryside RV Park.
And there is! So that's where I'll spend tonight, and then head out early tomorrow morning to see if Wagner's got my car ready to go. I might go to Walmart and get a few victuals before I leave, hopefully early afternoon, for Alpine. It took me maybe ten minutes to get hooked up here; I'm gettin' good at this! 'Course, I didn't hook up the dish yet; I'm pretty much positive I won't be able to get it positioned right, and I really don't want to stand there, fiddling with it and looking stupid.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Eau d'What?
What is that smell?
Today's just about a perfect day. Here it is noon Saturday, and the temperature's around 70 or so, partly/mostly cloudy, and a breeze. Very low humidity, and the scent of something familiar is wafting in the wind. I could swear it's Russian Olive, but there are no Russian Olive trees around here, although I don't know why they wouldn't live well here; it's a lot like New Mexico, where the tree abounds.
Yeah, for this to be the day I should have been leaving for other climes, it's not a half-bad day.
I talked to Sonny Wagner yesterday. Instead of my being at his whim, I decided to take a more proactive approach and tell him when I'd like Van Go and Oor to be ready to go. I told him I'd be at his shop early Monday morning and that I'd like to be on the road in the early afternoon and he was quite agreeable.
I'm going to have to try that more often, aren't I?
Oh, yeah: those new summer shoes? They wore a blister on one of my Big Toes yesterday, sure as hell. Gonna have to wear a bandaid on it. That's gonna look nice.
Late note: That scent? It's Mountain Laurel. It's blooming all over the park.
Today's just about a perfect day. Here it is noon Saturday, and the temperature's around 70 or so, partly/mostly cloudy, and a breeze. Very low humidity, and the scent of something familiar is wafting in the wind. I could swear it's Russian Olive, but there are no Russian Olive trees around here, although I don't know why they wouldn't live well here; it's a lot like New Mexico, where the tree abounds.
Yeah, for this to be the day I should have been leaving for other climes, it's not a half-bad day.
I talked to Sonny Wagner yesterday. Instead of my being at his whim, I decided to take a more proactive approach and tell him when I'd like Van Go and Oor to be ready to go. I told him I'd be at his shop early Monday morning and that I'd like to be on the road in the early afternoon and he was quite agreeable.
I'm going to have to try that more often, aren't I?
Oh, yeah: those new summer shoes? They wore a blister on one of my Big Toes yesterday, sure as hell. Gonna have to wear a bandaid on it. That's gonna look nice.
Late note: That scent? It's Mountain Laurel. It's blooming all over the park.
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