Friday April 5: Kind of a dark stormy looking sky when I go out this morning, creating a dramatic ambiance at City of Rocks New Mexico State Park where Clifford and I are camped.

After breakfast, my brother Rollie, who just arrived yesterday, and I drive around the lava knoll, about a two mile loop. There are lots of sites tucked in here and there in the rocks around the perimeter of the loop, but not many are suitable for motor homes or even rigs as big as Cougar.

Clifford has an assurance that the missing penny whistle is at the Deming post office, so he and Rollie run to Deming together and I have Cougar to myself for a couple of hours. That is a rarity! I listen to CD’s as I put away groceries from yesterday’s errand day, sweep, and dance to music. When they return, Clifford finally has his penny whistle. Rollie brings his instruments over and we get set up to play bluegrass music outside. After only a couple pieces, the wind comes up, so we pack everything up and move over to Rollie’s motor home to continue playing inside out of the wind.

We have a chicken dinner and then I play a game of cribbage with Rollie before taking care of dishes.

Saturday April 6: I have coffee with Rollie this morning at his rig while Clifford listens to his ham radio net. Back at our site as I’m making breakfast, the ham radio is especially static-filled, so I go out to the picnic table to eat and enjoy the sunshine.

After breakfast, Clifford and I take Rollie up to the viewpoint at the “Village,” as I call the nearby hill with the smaller cluster of lava rocks.

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Back down at the “city,” we walk through the Botanical Garden to a much smaller outlying group of rocks.

Clifford suggests lunch in Silver City, which sounds like a great fun plan, so off we go, driving about 30 miles to the Adobe Cafe, our favorite restaurant in Silver City.

After we return from Silver City, I take my viola over to Rollie’s to play music. We start outside, but soon move in out of the wind. Darn wind – it is warm enough to be outside, but the wind makes it hard. It is fun to be playing music with Rollie, whether we are inside or out. As usual, Clifford is our appreciative audience and we are glad he is there.

I walk in the rocks at sunset, my favorite time to be there, along with sunrise, which is also a good time.

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Before heading to bed, I review The Four Agreements: “Don’t Take Anything Personally.” Sometimes the events in our lives feel personally hurtful, but the wisdom of The Four Agreements is worth taking to heart.

Friday March 29: This morning at City of Rocks New Mexico State Park, I get up earlier than usual, still wanting to sleep, but also wanting to get photos at sunrise. Sunrise wins and out I go, taking quite a few photos, though the warm color doesn’t last long.

I walk to the Visitors Center and then around the loop as far as the Botanical Garden, taking a few photos before heading through the rocks back to our campsite.

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Clifford and I work on fund-raising campaigns for Carnicom Institute again today and I finish editing the book proposal for an author that we know. I send a few texts with photos and check Facebook, posting photos there, but cell service is not great at City of Rocks, so don’t spend much time fussing with the net.

We have to pull in the awning because of the wind, which is strong enough to topple Clifford’s radio antenna. In fact, it is so windy I don’t even go out to take photos at sunset.

Saturday March 30: The wind continues with jet trails marring the sky; I scarcely go out for photos today.

We both work on fund-raising campaigns and email for CI. I send texts with photos to family, finish a blog, edit more photos, and take care of phone calls. Clifford plays his dulcimer and works on the presentation he will be giving in Santa Fe. Chicken and left-overs for dinner. Although we accomplished some stuff today, it wasn’t exactly a fun photo-opp day.

Sunday March 31: It is a chilly 34 degrees this morning, but not quite so windy as I walk down to the Visitors Center this morning. I am happy to see a good blue sky as I walk.

Back at camp during my morning quiet time, I read the poem by Mary Oliver about the golden snow geese, which touches my heart, as I had that same experience at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico many years ago when snow geese were flying in right at sundown. Anyone who loves nature should read Mary Oliver’s poems. She has such a way of resonating with the soul.

Projects include another blog and working on the campaigns in preparation for the talk in Santa Fe. In the afternoon, Clifford and I both walk in the rocks, which is more fun than walking by myself.

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It is not quite so windy, and when we get back to camp, we take a look at the awning to figure out why it has been hard to get in and out properly. We discover the side arm is jammed into the boom on one side. Once we get that fixed, we make a flow chart of the steps required to get the awning in and out, and post it on a 4 x 6 card above the door.

Wednesday March 27: Clifford and I are up a little earlier this morning, our last morning at Rock Hound New Mexico State Park. I make tea for the road, we finish packing and are on our way to City of Rocks New Mexico State Park by 9:30. It is not a long drive, as City of Rocks is only about 30 miles north of Deming, New Mexico. When we arrive, there is only one first-come first serve electric site open, and just as we are about to pull into it, some lady comes and plunks down a chair and sort of says sorry, not that she’s really sorry. She’s glad she snagged it before we did.

There aren’t a lot of sites in City of Rocks that are suitable for bigger RV’s, not that Cougar is huge, but she still needs more level ground and room for slide-out. We drive around and see a couple campsites that could work, and in the end we pick one near the “kokopelli site” where we first camped with our old Terry Resort trailer several years ago.

It is tricky getting backed into this site, but Clifford does an excellent job. Cougar is leveled, slide-out out, awing up, and we are tucked into the rocks with much more privacy than we would have had in the electric site. Also, there is immediate access to the rocks for hiking. So, in the end, this is a better spot for us and we are quite pleased with it.

Once we are in place, I go for a walk in the rocks.

Thursday March 28: I get up earlier this morning so I can walk in the rocks at first light. Mucky haze on the horizon dampens the light, but I walk anyway, loving the meandering of the pathways through the rocks.

This boulder pile out in the desert basin was created by a volcanic eruption from the Emory Caldera, centered near Hillsboro Peak at the southern end of the Black Range, 30 million years ago, with wind and water erosion shaping these monolithic blocks, some 40 feet tall.

In the morning we work on CI projects: emails and a fund-raising campaign. In the afternoon, I edit a book proposal for an author and Clifford continues his preparation for the talk to be given in Santa Fe in later April.

Near sundown, I go for another walk in the rocks, as the colors at the last light of day are quite spectacular.

After a dinner of breakfast burritos, I complete and publish a blog while Clifford watches documentaries on some of his favorite musicians. This was a very enjoyable day.