Friday December 23rd – fog coming up off the river covers the campground this morning. For me, this is photo opportunity time, so I pull on sweats over my pj’s, grab a coat and a camera, and out the door I go. I walk along the river, appreciating the visual effects created by the fog.
Gnarly tree in the fogFoggy reflections on the riverTrees in the fogGrasses along the riverMesa reflection
As the fog lifts, things begin to look normal again, so I head back to our campsite. Clifford is up and has a great idea: we should go Christmas shopping for me. Now, I am not so much into shopping for stuff for myself, but this is an opportunity not to be passed up. We go to T or C again and have breakfast out to celebrate our 17th anniversary today. Then over to Walmart (what else is there in T or C?) where Clifford buys me a long sweater and a pair of shoes. Fun for me, for sure!
Highway to Truth or Consequences
On the way back, we explore the nearby dispersed camping area. No one is there now, but it is probably popular some times of the year.
Exploring the dispersed camping area
We are back to our campground early enough for me to play cello outside; some guy comes by and stops to listen and then asks if he can take a photo of me playing my cello!
I walk up to the top of the dam and even though I am there too early for sunset photos, it is a nice vantage point.
View of the mesa from the top of the dam
Friday December 24th – a short errand today: post office at Arrey, our last chance to check for mail here, as we will be moving soon. I find the most protected side of Terry and play cello outside in spite of the wind. It was a really good session and I almost didn’t do it because of the wind. In the later afternoon, I walk about to find the best vantage point to get photos of the mesa at sunset.
Mesa at sunset
Back at camp, we have a special Christmas Eve dinner – not nearly as fancy as the dinners that my grandma used to make, but pretty darn good considering we are in a little camper!
Saturday December 25th – Christmas Day: I decide to have a campfire this morning, as it is the last chance to use up all that wood I have stashed here. It is a nice quiet time, sitting by the campfire, meditating on the meaning of Christmas in my life, and writing in my journal. Today would have been my mom’s 91st birthday. I sure miss being able to call her to wish her Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas.
Christmas morning campfire
Between phone, text, email, and FB, I connect with family and friends. After dinner, I begin packing up everything that can be packed ahead of time. Tomorrow is moving day and the more I do tonight, the easier it is in the morning.
Monday December 19th- it was so windy in the night here at Riverside Campground in southern New Mexico that I didn’t sleep well and am awake by 6:00 a.m. I make tea and have quiet time while Clifford sleeps. Today I write greeting cards to send to my kids and close friends. These are cards that I have made using my favorite photos over the years, each one unique. After a trip to the post office in Arrey, even though it is only 55 degrees and breezy, it is warm enough on the protected sunny side of Terry (our camper) that I am able to play cello outside for a while.
Near sunset, the last rays of the sun light up the mesa to the east.
Mesa to the east near sunset
Tuesday December 20th, I walk down to the river in the morning, as it feels good to be out in the cool freshness that time of day.
A walk to the river
Today is another day of editing and blog writing, as well as getting current with the bookwork. Today I reorganize the spices, and in the afternoon, the cello comes out again.
Riverside Cello
In the evening I meet the neighbors when they make a campfire, two women who have just started the road-trip lifestyle. Always fun to get to know the neighbors, since we can all learn from each others’ experiences.
Clifford has been studying for his next ham radio test and doing some testing with his portable visible-light spectrometer. No end of projects for both of us, it seems.
Wednesday December 21st is an errand and shopping day for us – a trip to Truth or Consequences. On the way back to camp, we explore the dispersed camping area along Caballo Lake. This is probably a popular spot certain times of the year.
Dispersed camping along Caballo Lake
After unloading and putting away groceries and sundries, I take the Blazer to a dead tree in the nearby day-use area and load up small branches and bark, at least enough for two or three campfires. It is too late to play cello outside, but I do make a campfire and a cup of good organic French Press coffee, a little late in the day for it, but the perfect fireside companion.
Campfire at Riverside Campground
After dinner, while I work on a blog, Clifford takes his night-vision goggles for a walk. Since he kind of a night-owl himself, this night-time stuff is fun for him,
Thursday December 22nd – it rained all night; good thing I covered my woodpile with a tarp. I walk down to the river in the gently falling rain, loving the feel of it.
A gnarly tree in the rain by the riverRaindrops on the river
The rain continues throughout the day, which is good for the land, the river, the trees.
I back up my photos and documents to an external drive, as Clifford is going to do some fussing around with my laptop to get the internet card either reset or replaced. A backup is a wise thing to do in any case. Because of the rain, it is an inside day – editing, blog writing, and some research on the BLM long-term places in Arizona. They might be warmer than here, but other than that, they don’t appeal to me much – but I should wait to see them before I make such a judgment. My experience-less opinion comes from seeing photos of the area. Some people want to go to a new place every trip; me – I like going to familiar places that I know that I like, but I can see the value in trying new places, also.
It is just a short distance from Percha Dam over to the Riverside portion of Caballo State Park on the other side of I-25, but even so, everything has to be packed properly for safe travel. The site on the end of the loop is not available, so we take another with a cool old gnarly tree by the picnic table. Walk down to the river to check it out.
Rio Grande at Riverside Caballo State Park
Since we have neighbors on both sides, I am not as comfortable playing cello outside, but it is windy enough, I figure they can’t hear me anyway.
I hear from some of my kids and brother Rollie: it is cold and snowy in Montana.
Friday December 16th, I am up in time to take photos of a very colorful sunrise, which was much appreciated by my hungry photographer’s soul.
Terry and Blazer at RiversideColorful sunriseNourishment for a photographer’s soul
Even though the temperatures are relatively mild, it is too windy to sit outside. Other than a bike ride around the campground (the restroom is on the far side from where we are parked), activities are inside: write in journal, post blog of our one-night stay at Angel Peak, and backtrack our trip from the Hamfest in Quartzsite in mid-January to figure out when we have to leave here and where we will be staying on the way. I stay up late reading; Clifford stays up late trying out his night-vision goggles, as well as his usual studying and ham radio activities.
Rain in the distance
Saturday December 17th is a chilly day, even though the wind is from the southwest. Looks like rain in the distance.
We go to Arrey to pick up mail at the post office and then treat ourselves to breakfast at the Arrey Cafe. We seldom eat out, but it is nice now and then not to have to prepare and clean up after a meal. Back at camp, we go through the mail, taking care of business, and more editing, but no playing cello, as it is too chilly and windy outside today. Most of the US is much colder; we are fortunate not to have had to deal with the extreme weather.
Sunday December 18th, I walk down to the river first thing this morning to take photos.
Clear and calm at the river in the morning
Although the day starts out clear and calm, it changes to overcast and windy, so activities are inside projects – making soup, editing, and preparing the next blog. Clifford continues with his studies. In the evening, we watch the first segment of the series “Roots,” which Clifford has on DVD.
Sunday December 11th, 32 degrees this morning and calm – perfect for a campfire. By mid-day the temperature is in the low 70’s, a lovely day and very pleasant to be outside.
Evening light on the mesa to the east
Monday December 12th, about the same temps as yesterday, but windy.
Morning light
Today we go to Truth or Consequences for groceries and sundries, then stop at the Arrey post office to pick up our mail. Clifford has received a monster-size book “The Principles of Internal Medicine,” which will become part of his reference library. Not sure where we are going to store a book of that size in Terry.
Moon rising near sunset
Tuesday December 13th is laundry day. Of course, photography comes first.
Almost sunrise, glowing through the woods
The machines at the nearest laundromat are not commercial size, so it takes a LONG time to get our laundry washed and dried, and I even end up hanging some things on our clothes line when we we finally get back to camp. We needed to get this chore done, but I certainly didn’t expect it to take up so much of the day.
Wednesday December 14th is our last day here. I enjoy having a campfire first thing this morning and take photos of the brilliant sunrise and the more subtle setting of the moon.
Brilliant sunrise at Percha DamThe more subtle setting of the moon
After breakfast, Clifford and I go for a bike ride around the lower campground – the less developed area. Play cello outside, even though it is a bit windy, as the temperature has reached the low 70’s by afternoon.
Campsite at Percha Dam
The usual editing and blog writing takes up the evening hours, along with packing up as much stuff as I can to get a head start on the morning. Moving is always a big deal, easier this time because it is only a few miles away, but even so, everything has to be securely in place before we pull out.
Sunrise in southern New Mexico – looks like the clouds are being pulsed this morning
Tuesday December 6th, I sit by a little campfire with hot yerba matte in a thermos and my journal after taking photos of the sunrise. Great way to start the day.
Still some autumn colors even thought it is December
Later, as the wind picks up, I do inside projects: editing, checking email, and cleaning out the storage closet. It is too windy to play the cello outside today. In addition to his ham radio studies, Clifford is studying flavins, as they may play a role in detecting disease. This knowledge will tie in with his CI work.
Wednesday December 7th, I had a very good dream about Mom before I woke up. I saw her in the camper and I said “I wish you were really here” and she answered “I am really here,” and then I gave her a hug. There was more to the dream, but enough said. As well as the usual daily activities, we do some home repairs: reinforcing a shelf that looks like it might come down, fixing the toilet lid, making a cover for the outdoor outlet, and such things.
Thursday December 8th, I take photos of the rising sun showing through a break in the clouds, but it too windy for a campfire this morning.
The sun rises, silhouetting the old cottonwood trees
Even though the sky clears by afternoon, the wind continues all day, so I can’t play cello out. However, it is a far warmer cry than where we were a year ago at Three Rivers, New Mexico, not all that far from here.
Clearing of clouds
More editing, write another blog, and clean storage shelves today. In tiny homes, such as RVs, everything has to be stored just so, or it doesn’t fit. There is always some area or another that is ready for reorganizing.
Friday December 9th starts out as a chilly 21 degrees, but it is calm, hooray, and sunny. I try to get photos of the cranes as they fly overhead from wherever they spend the night to nearby fields, but my camera doesn’t focus as fast as I need it to, so I miss a lot of shots.
Cranes overhead
We make a trip to Arrey to see if we have mail and get a couple of items at the grocery store. On the way back, we check out Riverside, the lower part of nearby Caballo State Park to get a sense of the layout, as that is where we plan to go next.
I have a nice long session with the cello in the afternoon as the temperature reaches into the low 60’s. More editing, blog writing, and answering emails in the early evening, along with chatting with my daughter, Becka.
Saturday December 10th is sunny and calm in the morning. After breakfast, I clean the fridge, and then Clifford and I go for a walk in the woods along the river.
Rio Grande River below Percha DamWalking in the woodsCarol and Clifford in the woods along the Rio Grande RiverGood-bye to the river
We flush lots of birds, I’m guessing flocks of quail and doves, see abundant deer tracks, and best of all – we see a beautiful fox run across the little meadow area where we are walking. Back at camp, even though the wind has picked up, I play cello outside – a 5-clothespin day, which means I have to use 5 big clothes pins to hold the music on the stand, but it is warm enough to be doable. More editing in the evening. Being at a campground with electricity sure is a convenience.
Friday December 2nd, after spending last night at the Socorro Walmart, we arrive at Percha Dam State Park in southern New Mexico around noon. I am very happy that the site I was hoping for is available. It has a shelter with a rock wall windbreak, a campfire ring, and a big back yard, with woods beyond.
Campsite with stone windbreak and big back yard
After we get set up, it is still warm enough that I can play cello outside for awhile, serenading the trees and the birds.
Percha Dam cello in our big back yard
Lots of birds winter here, including Sandhill cranes, which we can hear not far away. After dinner, I read for bit before heading to bed. Clifford stays up late, working with his ham radio gear.
Saturday December 3rd, it was very windy and a bit of rain last the night.
A camp elf dances in the wind
We are grateful for Terry being dry and cozy, as it is chilly and windy all day – a good day for inside activities, including phone calls, emails, editing, writing and posting a blog, writing and posting a statement in favor of the Standing Rock people, and finishing the novel I started recently. The only outdoor activity is a bike ride down to the restroom at the other end of the campground. During my quiet time this morning, from the book “The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace” by Jack Kornfield, I read The past is over: Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past. That is very profound, knowing how hard it has been for me to accept certain aspects of my past.
Sunday December 4th, I walk down to the Rio Grande River at sunrise, hoping to spot the cranes that we hear and see overhead. No such luck and sadly, the Rio Grande River is exceeding low, the life nearly drained out of it with the dam and agriculture. Windy for much of the day, so spend time inside doing bookwork, editing for Ang, and working on CI email. In the afternoon, as the wind calms, I am able to play cello outdoors while there is still sunshine at the campsite. The late afternoon sunlight lights up the mesa to the east and the trees at the campground.
Mesa to the east at sunsetCamp trees at sunset
Monday December 5th, 19 degrees this morning and the frost is really quite pretty – probably as close to snow as we are going to get on this trip.
Frost in the morning light
The day is sunny and calm with the temperature reaching to 65 degrees by afternoon. We go to the nearby little village of Arrey to mail a few items and set up our general delivery address. Back at camp I play cello outside, with an audience – the fellow from the neighboring campsite comes over to listen. The blog for today was my trip to Montana – kind of a hard one to write, as my mom’s passing has been sad for me. Clifford continues to work with his radios and with a portable visible-NIR spectrometer for CI research. We certainly keep busy!
The mountain to the north as seen from our campsite
Friday November 25th, the morning is sunny and calm at Cochiti Lake. Today I start editing the next book in the Novels of Shannon series, an amazing epic fantasy series that happens to be written by my daughter, Angela MacDonald. In the afternoon, it is warm enough sitting on the sunny side of Terry to play my cello outside, even though the thermometer reads 54 degrees.
Warm enough to play the cello outdoors today
I search for the lost necklace I got from my mom and am sad that I can’t find it anywhere; the sadness is really more about losing my mom, and knowing that someday I will lose myself, at least in the way I know me now.
Saturday November 26th, I head down to the restroom at dawn.
Cochiti Lake at dawn
As the sun rises, the mountains to the north take on a pretty color.
First light on the mountains to the north
Today is windy, so no playing cello outside. Good day to be inside: write in the journal, edit a chapter for the Montana author, edit another 10 pages for Ang, send thank you emails to recent CI donors, post a blog/photos of Canyonlands NP on my website, and edit photos for the next blog. This evening a tooth is feeling very tender in spite of good dental care. Not a great way to end an otherwise very productive day.
Sunday November 27th – there was rain in the night and a dusting of snow can be seen on the mountains to the north this morning.
A dusting of snow
Our long-time Tesuque friend, John, comes out in spite of the very windy day. We get caught up on the news and I fix lunch for us. Then John, bless his heart, helps Clifford change Terry’s regulator. Hooray! No more leaking propane. In the later afternoon, Clifford has a business call, while I do another blog with photos for the website – Mesa Arch, which are some of my favorite photos on this trip so far. Edit several more pages for Ang. This evening, my jaw is a little swollen – not good.
Monday November 28th, a very pretty morning,
A very pretty morning
but we will not be here to enjoy it, as a trip to Urgent Care in Santa Fe is the priority for the day. See a good doctor at the Urgent Care; he prescribes an antibiotic for me and recommends his dentist, with whom I make an appointment for Thursday. On the way back to Cochiti Lake, we get groceries while picking up the prescription; not a happy shopping experience what with the pain and swollen jaw. Arriving at the campground, we find out that the campground is closing Wednesday, which makes for complications since I have a dentist appointment the following morning. Oh well, I am not up to figuring it out tonight. I make soup for myself for dinner and then go to bed, leaving the dishes for Clifford.
Tuesday November 29th, my jaw is more swollen than ever, but the Urgent Care doc warned me this could happen, so not to worry.
Dawn photos of Cochiti Lake – different day, different light, different color
Since the campground is closing, we will not be in the Santa Fe area as long as we had planned and what with this tooth issue, even the days that we have in the area will not be spent visiting friends. Bummer. Phone calls and texts give friends a heads-up that our plans have changed. With the weather being what it is, there is not really anywhere else near Santa Fe where we can go; we must head south instead. The dentist office calls; they can see me tomorrow instead of Thursday, which will work much better for us.
Morning view from our front door
Wednesday November 30th, we leave for Santa Fe as early as possible, as one thing I had wanted to do in Santa Fe was shop at Natural Grocers, Trader Joe’s, and Hobby Lobby – stores that are not in the smaller towns that we go through. After the errands, we head to the dentist office for a consultation; the tooth is pulled and bone graft material added. With Care Credit I have several months to pay it off. We go back to camp, unload the groceries, and then Clifford heads back to Santa Fe to pick up mail that John has collected for us; I just wasn’t up for waiting around that long. I have sweet potato soup and tea for dinner, talk to my daughter, Becka, and then read in bed until Clifford returns.
Wednesday, November 23rd, we take advantage of Walmart and Dollar Tree in Cortez, Colorado, after parking overnight at the Walmart parking lot. Heading south to Shiprock, New Mexico, and then east through Farmington to Bloomfield, New Mexico, I am dismayed at the unattractiveness of the scenery. The land, in its natural state, would have its own special kind of stark beauty, but the coming of the “white man” and the subsequent mining, drilling, and construction has left the land trashed. To see this is sad to me.
South of Bloomfield, in the badlands owned by the BLM, is the Angel Peak Recreation Area, our destination for tonight. The road into the campground is muddy in spots due to the recent rains, and I am a bit uneasy on the drive in, but we arrive intact and find a campsite with a great view of the badlands and Angel Peak.
Set up with a view of Angel Peak
After we get set up, although a bit breezy, it is mild enough that I can play cello outside for awhile.
Angel Peak Cello
Later in the afternoon, I hike out to a view point and strike up a conversation with a very friendly lady from Pennsylvania who is here taking photos.
Photo taken by a friendly lady
We have a nice chicken dinner with pan-roasted potatoes and carrots, kind of a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, since we will be traveling a longer distance tomorrow. Big gusts in the night cause Terry to shake now and then. Although this place has a unique beauty, I would not want to stay longer; something about it doesn’t quite sit right with me.
Thursday, November 24th, Thanksgiving Day. We have breakfast, pack up, and are on our way by 10:00.
Dawn at Angel Peak Recreation Area, New MexicoBadlands of New Mexico with Angel Peak in the background
We talk about environmental concerns as we drive, as the need is so obvious with the land being trashed, the sky polluted, and drought taking its toll. We arrive at Cochiti Lake Campground in the afternoon and find a good site with a view of the mountains to the north and an arm of the reservoir behind us.
Mountain range to the northAn arm of Cochiti Lake behind us
I send messages to my siblings and my kids, being grateful for them and wanting to know how they are all doing. Becka calls and as she tells me what she is fixing for Thanksgiving dinner, I am inspired to make a fancy applesauce to go with our left-over chicken. Matt also calls and almost everyone else sends me a text in reply to my message.
We hear cranes overhead – I wonder if they are stopping at the reservoir for the night; I think it is too far north for them to be wintering here.
We are glad to be here and looking forward to spending a few days with no travel.
Saturday, November 19th is a sunny day, so I take care of some CI business while my laptop is charged, even though I would much rather be outside. By the time this is done, even though the high today is only 53 degrees, it is warm enough to play cello on the sunny side of Terry.
Cello on the sunny side
With the steep mesas east and west of us, there are not many hours of direct sunlight, so as soon as the sun goes behind the mesa, I extend my outdoor time with a cheery campfire. When it is too dark to write in the journal, I head inside to fix dinner and later do some editing for the Montana author. Goodness, the days go by so quickly…..
Sunday, November 20th is a walk-about day, looking for wood and just enjoying being outdoors, even though it is overcast and not a great day for photos. It is warm enough to play cello outdoors, which is always a good thing. I start writing a blog with photos of our trip. Last year I did a daily post with photos, but not sure that will happen this year, as I am so far behind. Clifford is experimenting with ham radio antennas and studying for the next test to upgrade his license. Some of what he learns can be applied to work in the lab.
Monday, November 21st is a town day to buy supplies and do laundry. At the Visitors’ Center, using the free wifi, I am able to post the first blog of the Winter Journey 2016-2017 on my website with links to FB for those who want to follow along. After we finish up there, we walk in the pouring rain to the museum in the next block. The deluge of rain continues as we leave Moab, and heading up the canyon to the campground, we see numerous waterfall with water dropping hundred of feet from the cliff tops to the river canyon below. I want to take photos, but there are no safe places to pull over until we get closer to camp.
Numerous waterfalls appear and then are gone
By then, the rain has let up, and as unexpectedly as they appeared, the waterfalls disappear. It was quite a sight to see, while it lasted. Back at camp, I put away clothes, remake the bed, and clean the fridge. Clifford continues with his studies.
Tuesday, November 22nd is travel day. Since I am up before Clifford, I have time for tea and saying good-bye to the river. This has been a good stay for us; I’m sorry that we have to leave, but we are lucky to have had such mild weather this time of year and we need to move on further south. After Clifford is up, we begin packing up. As we are leaving, we take photos of an interesting rock formation/geological event: it appears the big boulder at the campsite probably fell at least 1,500 feet from the top of the cliff, perhaps eons ago.
Interesting formation on the cliff, at least 1,500 feet above the campgroundThe big boulder at the edge of the campgroundLeaving Big Bend Campground
I had called regarding camping at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado and that is our destination for tonight, but once we arrive there, we find that we were given misinformation on the phone and there are no campgrounds open. The only rest area in the vicinity clearly states no overnight stays, so we go on back to Cortez (Colorado) and spend the night in a spacious Walmart parking lot. This town is not a place I’d like to live, but we are grateful for a place to stay overnight.
Tuesday, November 15th, this morning I find a little yellow butterfly dead on the ground, but in perfect condition. Very special, as butterflies were Mom’s ‘thing’ and it is totally unexpected to find one here at this time of year.
A perfect butterfly
After breakfast, I make a thermos of tea and then walk down to the day use area where there is a gravel and sand beach. I sit there on a rock with the river right at my feet, drinking tea and writing in my journal.
Along the Colorado River
After a walkabout to gather abandoned firewood, I sit at a picnic table at a nearby campsite where I can see the river and write postcards to family.
View of the east mesa through the trees
Back at our campsite, I play my cello, sitting in the sun, while Clifford sits on the shady side to study until after the sun goes behind the mesa.
Sitting in the sun, playing the celloSitting in the shade, Clifford studies
This was really quite a lovely outdoor day.
Wednesday, November 16th, I am up in time to get photos at sunrise.
Photos at before sunrise
I make a cup and tea and start reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which I am sure I read eons ago, but I want to read it again now. After breakfast we head to Moab for errands and to use the wifi at the Visitors’ Center. We take a break from catching up with emails and other internet business to go to the Moab Brewery for lunch, then return to the Visitors’ Center to finish up our business. On the way back to the campground, we stop at a spring outside of town – water coming right out of the side of the cliff – to fill up our gallon jugs. Back at camp, I take photos of the river just before sunset.
Colorado River near sunsetOne minute later
I edit until the laptop battery goes dead and then finish reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull: seek your own highest level of perfection and don’t be limited by the flock mentality. Good advice for all of us.
Thursday, November 17th, we are up at 4:00 a.m. to secure anything that might be blown away and close the visor over the window at the end of the camper. Shortly after we go back to bed, the rain starts, light at first and then a real downpour. It is still raining when I get up; I go for a walk, taking photos in the rain. The rain has stopped by time Clifford gets up, but it is cloudy, windy, and chilly all day. Good day for inside activities: I reorganize some storage areas, write in my journal, and even play the cello inside. We are grateful for Terry’s sturdiness, as we stay comfortable and warm in our “tiny house.”
Friday, November 18th is another beautiful sunny day.
Sunny day along the Colorado River
Today we go to the Red Cliff Museum, about seven miles further out on Highway 128 from where we are camped.
Driving out Highway 128 to Red Cliff Museum
This museum features the movies that have been made in this area because of its scenic value. Starting in the early 1950’s and up to the present, about 60 movies have been made here, everything from old westerns to Thelma and Louise.
View of the the Colorado River and mesa from Red Cliff Ranch
Back at camp my laptop has been recharged via the solar panels and the hotspot is also working, so I check email and bank balances. I am glad that I was able to spend most of the day outdoors, and it is also nice to have the laptop and hotspot charged for evening activities.
