It's Friday, New Year's Eve.
We did have the "big wind" event yesterday and it really turned much colder as the front came through. Watched the digital thermometer drop from 63 to 40 in a few hours then quit looking. Just a little "spitting" of rain and no snowfall as forecasted, but what rain we had was saturated with desert dust and really "trashed the RV". Could hardly see out of the windows.
Road trip into town (about 15 miles) last night for dinner and a movie but only managed dinner. Found a nice little restaurant and simply did not want to rush through the meal to get to the movie.
The winds were strong all night and this morning as well. Temperature about 24 this morning. But, the scenery is still beautiful even if not full sun and warm. The state park is 4 miles off the highway up an alluvial fan coming out of Dog Canyon and our view of the surrounding mountains and valley at this vantage point is hard to describe with words or pictures.
I washed the RV today while Ellen drove the car back to town to shop for NYE dinner. Watched ND kick Miami's ass and still had a short time to enjoy the late afternoon sun breaking thorugh the clouds. Dan, Ray, and Lindsey from Indigo gave us a bottle of Dom Perignon as a "going away" gift and we chose the late afternoon sun to sit for awhile outside and toast to the New Year. Thank you Dan, Ray, and Lindsey!
Another cold day in store for tomorrow but the sun should stay out making for a great New Year. May stay here another two day or move on to Las Cruces. Won't know until we talk about it more tomorrow morning. The next 10 days in the Southwest just keep looking better according to the weather channel so we are getting excited about the change to warm temps.
My plan was to post pictures yet tonight, but the Champagne is starting to make me lazy. I'll do it next year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR from Ellen and Jim
The best weather we found last winter was in the desert of Southern California at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We're going back!
The Weather We Left Behind
THE WEATHER WE LEFT BEHIND
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Oliver Lee State Park - Alamogordo, New Mexico
Thursday 12/30/10
When we arrived here Tuesday the only sites available were non-electric. We prefer electricity but can get by with our two generators. We checked on Wednesday morning and electric sites still were all full. The decision was made to stay here anyway because it is so beautiful. With the high wind warning out I spent the better part of the morning re-positioning the satellite dish and anchoring it down securely with chain and bungee cords.
Ellen was walking to the showers and discovered an electric site had been vacated. We grabbed it, but had to pack everything up and move. That required another couple hours to settle into the new spot. With all the trouble we went through it was decided to just stay here for the rest of the week and hold off on Las Cruces until Sunday or Monday.
Short story is I ran out of time to post any pictures. By the time I finished some personal online business and took the dogs on a short walk up Dog Canyon to get their paws wet in the stream it was too late in the day to get started on the pictures.
Today is to be the high wind event so it will probably be an indoor day with plenty of time to put up a few pictures.
First morning with above freezing temp outside but probably the only one until sometime next week as this cold front moves in and stays around awhile.
When we arrived here Tuesday the only sites available were non-electric. We prefer electricity but can get by with our two generators. We checked on Wednesday morning and electric sites still were all full. The decision was made to stay here anyway because it is so beautiful. With the high wind warning out I spent the better part of the morning re-positioning the satellite dish and anchoring it down securely with chain and bungee cords.
Ellen was walking to the showers and discovered an electric site had been vacated. We grabbed it, but had to pack everything up and move. That required another couple hours to settle into the new spot. With all the trouble we went through it was decided to just stay here for the rest of the week and hold off on Las Cruces until Sunday or Monday.
Short story is I ran out of time to post any pictures. By the time I finished some personal online business and took the dogs on a short walk up Dog Canyon to get their paws wet in the stream it was too late in the day to get started on the pictures.
Today is to be the high wind event so it will probably be an indoor day with plenty of time to put up a few pictures.
First morning with above freezing temp outside but probably the only one until sometime next week as this cold front moves in and stays around awhile.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Palo Duro to Alamogordo, NM
Left Palo Duro today and drove 325 miles to Oliver Lee State Park about 12 miles south of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Arrived in brilliant sunshine and about 65 degrees. Temp qucikly fell as we got settled in and the sun went down. Too much to catch up on after 3 days without communications or internet service.
Plan on posting all available pictures in the morning ir time allows - maybe (see below).
May spend several days here if weather permits. Cold front and high winds heading this way so we don't know if we will stay out here in the foothills. Could get very dusty out here by Thursday so may have to head to Las Cruces tomorrow before the big winds hit. It's not recommended to drive on Thursday so if we do not leave tomorrow we will be here at least until Saturday or Sunday. It won't be any less windy in Las Cruces, but should not be so dusty and we will not need to drive in it.
But, we are "out West" and mountains are in view. No snow. Warm sunshine in the days, however, still cold at night. We will get caught up with pictures shortly, but still may not happen tomorrow.
More soon.
Jim, Ellen, Isabelle, and Gracie
Arrived in brilliant sunshine and about 65 degrees. Temp qucikly fell as we got settled in and the sun went down. Too much to catch up on after 3 days without communications or internet service.
Plan on posting all available pictures in the morning ir time allows - maybe (see below).
May spend several days here if weather permits. Cold front and high winds heading this way so we don't know if we will stay out here in the foothills. Could get very dusty out here by Thursday so may have to head to Las Cruces tomorrow before the big winds hit. It's not recommended to drive on Thursday so if we do not leave tomorrow we will be here at least until Saturday or Sunday. It won't be any less windy in Las Cruces, but should not be so dusty and we will not need to drive in it.
But, we are "out West" and mountains are in view. No snow. Warm sunshine in the days, however, still cold at night. We will get caught up with pictures shortly, but still may not happen tomorrow.
More soon.
Jim, Ellen, Isabelle, and Gracie
Checotah, OK to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX
Let me start by saying we spent 3 nights in Palo Duro Canyon.
No cell phone service and no internet - so we have not been able to keep the blog updated until today (Tuesday).
We woke up on Christmas Day in the Checotah, Oklahoma KOA Kampground. We were the only RV'ers that showed up for the night. The owners of the campground cooked us breakfast as a Christmas "gift". Very nice people. We guessed they were happy to just have somebody there for company.
Anyway, we drove on from there to Palo Duro, about 360 miles. We were almost the only ones there also. It got a low as 17 degrees by morning but the next morning it was only 27, sunny, and got to around 62. We caught up on a few things needed to be done after getting out on the road again - including a little rest after driving so much for three days straight and some minor repairs. My back was killing me after the long days of driving and Ellen was just "wore out" after everything. She slept most of Sunday and I did everything I could do to not "sit". Since we did not see any of the Canyon on Sunday, we decided to stay another (3rd) day.
We have some pictures to post of the Canyon and will do so as soon as we can.
No cell phone service and no internet - so we have not been able to keep the blog updated until today (Tuesday).
We woke up on Christmas Day in the Checotah, Oklahoma KOA Kampground. We were the only RV'ers that showed up for the night. The owners of the campground cooked us breakfast as a Christmas "gift". Very nice people. We guessed they were happy to just have somebody there for company.
Anyway, we drove on from there to Palo Duro, about 360 miles. We were almost the only ones there also. It got a low as 17 degrees by morning but the next morning it was only 27, sunny, and got to around 62. We caught up on a few things needed to be done after getting out on the road again - including a little rest after driving so much for three days straight and some minor repairs. My back was killing me after the long days of driving and Ellen was just "wore out" after everything. She slept most of Sunday and I did everything I could do to not "sit". Since we did not see any of the Canyon on Sunday, we decided to stay another (3rd) day.
We have some pictures to post of the Canyon and will do so as soon as we can.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sikeston, MO to Checotah, OK
Change of plans for today.
For the second year in a row we cancelled plans to visit Galveston Island.
Weather did not look too bad, but not what we wanted for a 7 day stay there. Not that we had to stay that long, but the West is just too much of a "draw" for us - sunshine, something Galveston is not having.
So we satyed on I-40 West and ended up in Checotah, OK for the night. A KOA Kampground, but it's only for the night. Drove 480 miles today.
It's 40 and misting rain and going below freezing tonight, but it looks sunny and clear going West from here tomorrow.
We are making a return trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park tomorrow. It's in Texas up near Amarillo. Unbelieveable place. Google it for more info. We will spend at least two day there, maybe more. Last time here we were not "blogging" so no picures to look back on. This time we will take a lot to share the beauty of the canyon.
Another day of no pictures. Simply nothing of interest until we get further West.
More tomorrow,
Jim & Ellen & Pups
For the second year in a row we cancelled plans to visit Galveston Island.
Weather did not look too bad, but not what we wanted for a 7 day stay there. Not that we had to stay that long, but the West is just too much of a "draw" for us - sunshine, something Galveston is not having.
So we satyed on I-40 West and ended up in Checotah, OK for the night. A KOA Kampground, but it's only for the night. Drove 480 miles today.
It's 40 and misting rain and going below freezing tonight, but it looks sunny and clear going West from here tomorrow.
We are making a return trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park tomorrow. It's in Texas up near Amarillo. Unbelieveable place. Google it for more info. We will spend at least two day there, maybe more. Last time here we were not "blogging" so no picures to look back on. This time we will take a lot to share the beauty of the canyon.
Another day of no pictures. Simply nothing of interest until we get further West.
More tomorrow,
Jim & Ellen & Pups
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Elkhart to Sikeston, MO
Hello,
We did leave today! Yea!
Got out at 8:30am.
Really tough getting Ellen out of bed so early but I got it done without any physical abuse from her (yet).
Weather today was great for travel and roads were clear and dry.
A repeat of last year, we drove 475 miles to Sikeston, MO.
No snow here and 42 when we arrived at 4:00 pm local time (Central).
Some nasty "stuff" in the forecast for tomorrow but we will be out of here before it arrives.
Celebrated our first day "on the road" with a shot of Crown Royal Black (thank you Lindsey) when we arrived at the campground. Not our last drink of the night, however!
Dinner tonight is a still a work in progress. Ellen won't let me ask any questions about what she is serving so I am just drinking wine and tyring to stay awake long to eat and still finish this post.
Plan is to get to Texarcana tomorrow for Christmas Eve. Nothing to stay there for, so if weather is good will continue on to Galveston Island State Park on Christmas Day and hope weather is good enough for us stay awhile.
Nothing broke down today - great news while RV'ing.
You don't want to see pictures of Sikeston, MO so I won't post any.
Jim
We did leave today! Yea!
Got out at 8:30am.
Really tough getting Ellen out of bed so early but I got it done without any physical abuse from her (yet).
Weather today was great for travel and roads were clear and dry.
A repeat of last year, we drove 475 miles to Sikeston, MO.
No snow here and 42 when we arrived at 4:00 pm local time (Central).
Some nasty "stuff" in the forecast for tomorrow but we will be out of here before it arrives.
Celebrated our first day "on the road" with a shot of Crown Royal Black (thank you Lindsey) when we arrived at the campground. Not our last drink of the night, however!
Dinner tonight is a still a work in progress. Ellen won't let me ask any questions about what she is serving so I am just drinking wine and tyring to stay awake long to eat and still finish this post.
Plan is to get to Texarcana tomorrow for Christmas Eve. Nothing to stay there for, so if weather is good will continue on to Galveston Island State Park on Christmas Day and hope weather is good enough for us stay awhile.
Nothing broke down today - great news while RV'ing.
You don't want to see pictures of Sikeston, MO so I won't post any.
Jim
Saturday, December 4, 2010
I'm Shocked!
Wow! I just took a look at the blog site because (of the current weather forecast and really want to get going) we are now less than three weeks from departure and was shocked to see 151 visits to the site AND WE HAVE NOT LEFT YET!
Now the pressure is really on to provide exciting "stuff" once we get back on the road. Hope to live up to expectations. Thanks for all the interest.
Now the pressure is really on to provide exciting "stuff" once we get back on the road. Hope to live up to expectations. Thanks for all the interest.
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