THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND RAIN IN THE DESERT

THE LAVA FLOWS ARE RIPE WITH COLOR

From our higher vantage point here at Valley Of Fires we were able to see the lights of Carrizozo last night shimmering in the night 4 miles to our east. Reminded me of the time a few years ago when we boon docked in the Tombstone hills west of Tombstone Arizona. The lights of Sierra Vista west of us looked like a long narrow string of pearls stretching across the desert floor at the base of the looming Huachuca Mountains.

Atop the rocky hill beside us are a couple reader boards explaining the surrounding landscape including Carrizozo which lies between the black lava flow and the distant mountain range in the photo below.

 

 

MODERN WARM AND SPACIOUS WASHROOMS COMPLETE WITH HOT SHOWERS…KELLY IS FILLING OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM FOR OUR TWO NIGHTS HERE 

Looks like I got something screwed up again. Kelly informs me that it is Glenwood New Mexico where the communication black hole exists and not here at Valley Of Fires near Carrizozo. Oh what would I do if it wasn’t for folks keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Noticed today we have 4 new Blog Followers.  We welcome Cathie, Penny and CJ, Dean, and HAPPY TRAILS to our travels. Thanks for dropping by folks and welcome aboard.

THE WHOLE TWO THIRDS OF A MILE LAVA FLOW WALK IS WHEELCHAIR AND SCOOTER ACCESSIBLE

We didn’t get too far on our walk this morning before Pheebs had a ‘pricker’ in her right paw.  We couldn’t locate it right away so headed a short distance back to the rig.  Try as we did we could not locate it but Pheebs was later able to get it out herself.

They have an excellent interpretive paved and wheelchair accessible trail that runs in a winding loop through the great lava field for two thirds of a mile.  The lava field stretches for as far as the eye can see to the northern horizon from whence it originally came.  At first glance from a distance it may not look too interesting but once afoot out onto the field itself a whole new ecological world of living wonderment opens up.  Kelly and I spent about an hour meandering along the trail. 

Plant life flourishes here.  Owls and bats live in the lava flows as do Lizards, Tarantula spiders and Rattlesnakes.  Coyotes, Mule Deer, Kit Foxes and Bobcats roam the rugged terrain along with a variety of flying creatures such as Warblers, Jays, Vireos, Shrikes and Great Horned Owls.  These lava flows are a fascinating place to see and off trail hiking is allowed. 

And despite the ‘old’ brochure telling you that only part of the trail is paved I am here to tell you that it is all paved now from start to finish and can easily accommodate wheelchairs or Scooters.  If you look at the photos you can see the trail even has safety curbs.

Once again I have too many photos of the Lava Flow walk this morning to put into the blog so I have created a photo album which you can see at VALLEY OF FIRES LAVA WALK.

Our briefly sunny sky this morning soon clouded over and the sky darkened.  Had a small rain shower quickly move through and figured that was it.  I had no more than got our satellite dish parts out of the Jeep when a fast moving desert thunder storm swept down upon us.  This one came complete with thunder lighting, heavy wind gusts and rain.  Pheebs and I beat a hasty retreat inside the Motor Home and sat out the storm.  It was the first thunder and lightning we Snow Birds had experienced in the Southwest.  The thunder didn’t bother the Pheebs but as usual it sure scared the holy Ba-Jeebers out of the Motormouse.

WATCHING THE STORM ROLL IN ON US THIS AFTERNOON 

The storm cleared for awhile and gave us time to set up our satellite dish and tripod.  I’ll just keep this short and say that after a couple of hours of total frustration we gave up!!  We’ll try our luck again in the morning.

We will probably roll out of Valley Of Fires Tuesday but haven’t decided where we will head for next.  Our travel plans are made of Jello and we both like it that way:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Late one night in Washington,D.C., a mugger jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs.
"Give me your money," he demanded.
Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a U.S. Congressman!"
"In that case," replied the robber, "give me MY money!"

---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL

FROM PETROGLYPHS TO A VALLEY OF FIRES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---------------------------------------------------------------
Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

WE SET OUT THIS MORNING TO FIND 21,000 PETROGLYPHS

SUNRISE AT OUR HOUSE THIS MORNING
I was simply bowled over by the number of stars in the night sky when I stepped out of the rig Friday night.  Haven’t seen a starry sky like that since leaving the southwest last March.  At home we are surrounded by Pine trees making the sky all but invisible.  I will have to haul out my constellation and star charts and re-familiarize myself all over again with who’s who and who’s where way up there in that beautifully clear night sky.

I was awakened several times in the night by what sounded like a low rumbling of distant thunder.  Thought that kind of odd considering the clear skies and time of year for here.  Then, I remembered….we are only about 30 miles from one of America’s top military locations…HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE.  It is here where the 49th Fighter Wing is based and fly America’s newest and later fighter aircraft, the F-22 RAPTOR.   It’s no wonder I heard thunder in the night sky:))

 
AROUND THE CAMPGROUND AT PETROGLYPH 
We are also located about 30 miles southeast of the Oscura Mountain range which helped contain the blast of our world’s FIRST ATOMIC BOMB on July 16th 1945.  The actual Trinity bomb site is about 60 or 70 miles from us as the crow fly’s.  Only open to the public twice a year.  Glad I was in Ontario at that time because that would have woke me up for sure.  I was just over 9 months old and about 1,800 miles away:))

I kind of got my Mountain Ranges mixed up in Friday’s post.  Always a bit difficult sitting down with my Atlas and magnifying glass at the end of a day trying to sort out mountain tops.  Luckily, I have a few Westerners like Ed and Red who keep pretty close tabs on my accuracy.  Red from over in California writes, “BTW you came off the West side of the White Mountains a sub range of the Sacramento mountains. The Capitan mountains are the only mountain range ,that I am aware of that runs West to East, They are only about 20 miles long and about six miles wide. When you drop off the mountains on US 380 you are almost at the junction of the White Mountains and the Sacramento Mountains. You are parked at the West base of the White Mountains. If you were in Alamogordo you would be at the base of the Sacramento Mountains.”

There are 21,000 petroglyphs here at the site  where we are are camped.  By the way, Pictographs are painted on rock & Petroglyphs are carved into the rock and that is the difference between the two.  We did our best to find all 21,000 Petroglyphs this morning but only managed to see about 50 or 75 maybe.  The numerous petroglyphs are scattered along a windswept ridge for about half a mile with a rugged trail leading through them.  This is the most Petroglyphs we have ever seen in one location.   We saw a bunch at ‘Painted Rock’ near Gila Bend in Arizona about 4 years ago but nothing like here.

For anyone interested in Petroglyphs you can see more of my morning’s photos here at my Picasa Album site….THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPHS
It has been one week now since leaving home and the crew is still working away at adjusting to the change of traveling.  New routines have to be established.  Different ways of doing things are slowly falling into place.  It can be quite a challenge swapping one’s at home hat for one’s traveling hat.  But, we’re getting there and things are falling into place.  All part of being a Snow Bird.

NO, NOT A PETROGLYPH…..JUST MY LOVELY WIFE KELLY:))
Came across this short post from WTTCS in the RV Net Forum this morning.  Made me think of our single travelers here in Blog Land and the sadness they have had to endure in pursuing the RV Lifestyle after a beloved traveling companion is gone.  I especially liked CRBuck’s response to Wttcs which incidentally stands for "wacky tacky traveling circus show."

Miss Lazee has just joined the Bunch as our latest Blog Follower.  Welcome aboard Miss Lazee.  Miss Lazee’s site is called, THE PRINCESS AND THE COWBOY.  Y’all might find it humorously interesting how this full time RV couple ever stayed together long enough to get their RV dreams off the ground in the first place:))

THIS IS A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE SPOT FOR FOLKS TO SEE SOME OF THE PETROGLYPHS FROM THEIR WHEELCHAIRS THROUGH BINOCULARS.
In the morning we are going to head north up the Tularosa Valley to a place called VALLEY OF FIRES for a look around.  No idea about Verizon coverage there so if you don’t see a blog Sunday night it just simply means we do not have a connection.  I will do a blog anyway and post it as soon as we get back on-line.

PHEEBS AND I HIKED TO THE TOP OF THIS HILL TODAY
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A woman becomes ill at home, and her husband calls 911 to get an ambulance. The operator says she'll send someone out right away.
"Where do you live?" the operator asks.
"At the end of Eucalyptus Drive," says the anxious husband.
"Can you spell that for me?" the operator asks.
There is a long pause. Finally the man says, "How about if I drag her over to Oak Street and you can pick her up there?"
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

TATUM TO TULAROSA NEW MEXICO….WE’RE HERE:))

WELL, I’D SAY THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD SIGN WE ARE IN THE SOUTHWEST NOW:))
Nice quiet night in Tatum New Mexico followed by a fine sunrise.  We went through another time zone shift and are now on Mountain Time.  That put us on the road earlier at 7:10 a.m.  Always figured the finest driving time for any day is between sunrise and about 10 in the morning.  With that thought in mind our way west was bathed in soft warming sunlight and pastel hues.  I kept my eyes riveted on the horizon ahead.  Topped a slight rise in the road and there it was.  Directly in line with the highway was the Capitan Mountain range rising up out of the Plains floor.  Time was 7:43.  The Capitan Peak I was looking at was probably another 50 or 60 miles ahead of us west of Roswell but there it was at last.  After almost 8 months………. my beloved Mountains:))
TIGHT SQUEEZE GETTING BY THIS HOUSE WEST OF ROSWELL NM
Another 45 minutes and we were making our way through Roswell New Mexico.  The long flat stretching Plains were behind us now as we immediately began to climb into the mountain foothills ahead.  This stretch of road between Roswell and Tularosa NM is an easy scenic 4 lane drive through the mountains.  No sheer drop-offs or tight nail biting curves or turns.  It’s a gentle road and carries you along in comfort.  Aspen and Sycamore trees are still wearing their golden Autumn coats.  Green horse pastures, mountain ridges and colorful rock formations compete for a driver’s attention.

THIS IS A TYPICAL STRETCH OF  HIGHWAY 380 HEADING WEST THROUGH THE CAPITAN MOUNTAINS EAST OF RUIDOSO…A NICE WIDE LEISURELY ROAD
The Alpine like town of Ruidoso nestles between forested mountains just east of the Apache Pass.  I remember coming through the Apache Pass on a homeward trek about three years ago with snow on the many pine bows along the highway.  I remember humming Christmas Carols.
Coming down the west side of the Capitan Mountains I kept my eyes peeled for another favorite view and then there it was far out along the horizon line.  The vast stretch of white sand for which the Tularosa Valley is known for.  Awww yes, we had made it back to our southwest home for yet one more winter.
Scouted out a possible boon docking site in a small Park near Tularosa’s police station.  Kelly had found this location in her book of secret places.  Park turned out to be too small for us so we headed north on highway 54 for another area she had found north of town.  Twenty two miles of good road brought us to the Three Rivers Petroglyph Campground.  It is BLM land located 5 miles east of highway 54. 

THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH CAMPGROUND IS JUST UP THE ROAD ON THE LEFT
A small campground but neat and clean with only 2 RV sites.  And they are both pull-thru sites with one being empty.  Now, how’s that for a piece of luck.  Only $5 a night with electricity, water and a pleasant camp host couple.
 
SMALL CAMPGROUND…PICNIC CASITAS ON LEFT, CAMP HOST CENTER AND WASHROOMS ON THE RIGHT
Mountain ranges to the east and west and there is even the excavated ruins of an old Indian Village here.  Figure we might just set us a spell for a couple days and poke our noses around the area.  Lots of sunshine and warming temperatures so we’re not in a big hurry to go anywhere anymore. 
 
TWO SITES = TWO RIGS
Sure is great to be back in the southwest again and as I walked around the old Indian digs and read the plaques I had that comforting feeling of the old west come over me all over again:))
   
 
I was happy to read this morning that John and Judy over at RV LIFE ON WHEELS are enjoying the CITY OF ROCKS STATE PARK in New Mexico as much as we did when there a couple years ago.  Anyone typing either City Of Rocks or Silver City into our site’s ‘Search’ bar can read about and see pics of our time in that area.
Noticed this morning we have another new Blog Follower.  The bunch here from Bayfield extends a warm welcome to W6PE:))

I SAVED THIS LITTLE FELLOW FROM DROWNING IN THE DOG’S WATER DISH THIS AFTERNOON AND YEP, THAT’S MY FINGER:))
To answer a few questions….I will change that top header picture as soon as I can find me some new scenic southwest photo’s:))  We haven’t heard back from the McNeal Ranch folks yet so not sure if and when we will be there this year.  Regarding the blogs picture sizing…..I’ve been having some problems with my laptop’s version of Live Writer. Can’t seem to get LW to accept changes and corrections. Picture sizing and text spacing have become a problem. Debating whether to uninstall and reinstall a clean version.  And yes, Roswell is where them there space Aliens are hanging out alright.
Say, did I mention how great it is be back in the southwest again……………:))
 
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A young minister, in his first days at his first parish, is obliged to conduct the funeral services for an eccentric man who has just died. At the funeral home, he stands before the open casket and tries to think of words to console the widow.
Finally, the minister says, "I know this must be a very hard blow, Mrs. Jones. But we must remember that what we see here is only the husk, the shell. The nut has gone to heaven."
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS FROM HASKELL TX TO TATUM NM….TOMORROW, THE MOUNTAINS:))

OUR FREE OVERNIGHT STOP IN TATUM NEW MEXICO….AHEAD IS THE COMMUNITY CENTER BUT WE NEVER SAW A SINGLE PERSON ANYWHERE ALL THE TIME WE WERE HERE.  GOTTA LOVE THAT……..:))
Cold night in Haskell but the morning dawned clear and bright.  Checked some areas ahead of us and see we can be in some warmer weather in a day or two.  That’s kind of a priority for us this year….go where it’s warm!!  The Quartzsite and Yuma areas are looking pretty good right now.
A brisk morning morning walk around the Haskell ball bark and we were on the road westbound again at 8:20 a.m.
I sure like this 397 mile stretch of highway 380 between Jacksboro Texas and Roswell New Mexico.  It’s a good road with very little traffic, varying scenery, interesting and tired little western towns along the way, rest areas and free Community parks.  We are currently in a little town in eastern New Mexico called, Tatum.  Kelly found a favorable internet review on it so we checked things out and decided to stay for the night.  The Park is called Rampy and has 5 pull through sites.  It’s an old site but we are on a hard level surface and have electricity. The water taps are long gone and I don’t know if the sewer pipes work on each site.  But, the Park is free and there is a large park here and lots of secure room for pets to run free.  Great spot for an overnighter if your not expecting fancy schmancy.
In the morning we will continue west on 380.  Shortly after leaving Tatum I will have my eyes glued to the horizon ahead for my first glimpse of the western Capitan Mountains looming up out of the flat misty plains.  That’s always a favorite time for me when we use this route.  Just love catching my first glimpse of the mountains.  It is this same stretch of highway where I have sadly watched the mountains disappear in my rear view mirror on several of our homeward journeys:((
Sorry about all the repetitive doggy photos this week but I just haven’t been taking a lot of time to find anything too creative. I will get the Nikons dusted off shortly:))

We will head through Roswell Friday morning and climb into the mountains passing through the little towns of Hondo and Ruidoso.  We will reach the summit of the Apache Pass in an Alpine like setting and begin the long drop down the other side into the New Mexican town of Tularosa.  Descending from Apache Pass I will be straining for my first glimpse of the White Sands far out on the Tularosa Valley floor.  It is at this point of our westbound journey that I feel we have finally arrived at our southwest winter home.  From this point on the rush is over and everything slows down to a relaxing winter pace for the next 5 months.    
As we draw ever closer to our winter home we still have no idea where we are going.  Should we head straight away to southern California and work our way back or should we hang out in southern Arizona for awhile and move further west later on.  What about Quartzsite this year or maybe try a new area up around Parker and Lake Havasu along the Colorado River.  Will we re-visit the area around Why and Ajo Arizona again?  How about the Patagonia area south of Tucson or the Vallecito Valley in California.  Checking ahead, I see Yuma is the warmest.  All these questions and southernmost areas are in our conversations these days as we plod ever further west.
Had planned on just letting my hair grow for the winter again but after nearly a week on the road and scaring small children and frightening elderly ladies in Wal-Mart the other day I knew it was best for all concerned that I get my hair cut.  Didn’t take Kelly long to shorten me right up!!  With most of the hair gone I later stood myself pretty darn close to my electric beard trimmer too:))
PHEEBS IS WONDERING WHY MOM IS CUTTING DAD’S FUR OFF
TRAVELER has joined the Bayfield Bunch as Blog Follower 350.  Welcome aboard Traveler and thanks for stopping by:))
And a big thanks to reader Butterbean for her generous invitation for the Bayfield Bunch to drop by and visit her Texas ranch southeast of Abilene.  (I’m assuming Butterbean is a female with the name Butterbean:)) In part, Butterbean said, “You'll get a BIG TEXAS WELCOME AND HOWDY, with plenty of room for the pups to play!!! You can stay as long as you want!!! Hot coffee, toast &
peanut butter & venison chili!!!” We did have a look at the map to see where you were BB and if we get down into that neck of the Texas woods sometime we would be happy to drop around.  We will hang onto those directions you gave us.  Keep that toaster and peanut butter jar handy:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  My husband had lost 50 pounds and after eight years of being a housewife, I had taken a job in a restaurant. When I returned home after my first day at work, I gave my husband a big hug.
He seemed to cling to me longer than usual. "Did you really miss me that much today, dear?" I asked.
"No," came the reply. "But you smell so much like pancakes that I hate to let you go."
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.