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Birds of a Feather, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010
Birds of a Feather, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010

A list of the pages in the journal of my travels with a 1992 Lazy Daze 26-1/2MB recreational vehicle I've named LD

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

May 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

  • Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • I'm back. At least I think so. I left Red Rock on October 16th with no interest in continuing this daily journal of my winter travels and decided to drop it. But then this week I stopped back at San Antonio NM and the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in a couple of years and find I'm out taking pictures of those magnificent Sandhill Cranes again and I want to share some. So I will, at least for a while. We'll see how it goes. Image: Night Watch, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, October 31, 2012.

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

October 2011

May 2011

  • Sunday, May 22, 2011 - Red Rock, East Chatham NY
    • That's it - I'm back in Red Rock for the summer. Cell phone and internet access is not available here so Journal updates will be sporadic at best. In fact if this summer's posts follow last years pattern, I won't be posting again until I head back out on the road in the fall. We'll see... Image: Enough already - can we move on?, San Antonio NM, April 21, 2010.
  • Saturday, May 21, 2011 - Sayre PA
    • Image: Visit Hoover Dam, April 2, 2011.
  • Friday, May 20, 2011 - Mansfield PA
    • Image: Untitled, Hoover Dam, April 2, 2011.
  • Thursday, May 19, 2011 - Warren PA
    • Image: Shout Out, Red-tailed Hawk, Dugway Recreation Area, North Platte River, Sinclair WY, May 1, 2011.
  • Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - East Liverpool OH
    • Image: Overlook, Red-tailed Hawk, Dugway Recreation Area, North Platte River, Sinclair WY, May 1, 2011.
  • Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - Millersburg OH
    • Image: Camped, Dugway Recreation Area, North Platte River, Sinclair WY, April 30, 2011.
  • Monday, May 16, 2011 - Marion OH
    • That's enough said about my black tank collapse for now. While I drift along in the rain, heading toward New York, I think I'll just post a few old pictures and let it go at that. Image: Camped, Dugway Recreation Area, North Platte River, Sinclair WY, April 30, 2011.
  • Sunday, May 15, 2011 - Celina OH
    • I like stuff accessible. Simple. Discovering that completely inaccessible 1/4 inch carriage bolt holding the front of the black tank in place really puts a knot in my shorts. It's one of those things all manufacturers do, I guess because it's cheap and easy. When the bolt was installed through the floor the fresh water tank hadn't been mounted above it yet. No problem - drill a hole in the floor and drop a 1/4 inch carriage bolt through it. The nut is accessible from below and unless the bolt rots it's not likely it will ever need to be replaced. Image: Lazy Daze Torn Apart Bathroom, May 13, 2011.
  • Saturday, May 14, 2011 - Marion IN
    • That the black tank dropped and rested on the rolled under fiberglass body panel for a good many rough country miles before it finally slid off on a swelteringly hot bone jarring ride on one of those poorly poured concrete roads in Iowa is pretty amazing. I think a couple of factors contributed. Image: LD Lower Panel Detail, Sewemup Mesa Canyon, Gateway CO, April 28, 2011.
  • Friday, May 13, 2011 - Lafayette IN
    • I can't remember when I first noticed the curious concavity in the fiberglass of this lower body panel but it was back in late April during my travels up along the western edge of Colorado, about the time this picture was taken. I can't remember when I first noticed the black tank dump valve sitting askew, but it was a long while back. I think I was still at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park in San Antonio NM. I left San Antonio NM back on March 15th to go up to Albuquerque for a new refrigerator. That seems to imply that that damned inadequate and completely inaccessible single 1/4 inch carriage bolt holding the front of the tank up broke long ago. Image: LD Lower Panel Detail, Sewemup Mesa Canyon, Gateway CO, April 28, 2011.
  • Thursday, May 12, 2011 - Lafayette IN
    • Oh shit... part 5: After cogitating overnight I decided not to drop the tank and attempt the plastic weld repair. Right now I have a tank that functions, at least in a limited way, and there is the risk that the welding will make things worse, or that something unforeseen goes awry, leaving me with no usable black tank and no easy way to get a new one out here any time soon. That's not a spot I want to find myself in. Image: Lazy Daze Torn Apart Bathroom, May 13, 2011.
  • Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - Bushnell IL
    • Oh shit... part 4: I spent the day bopping across rural Iowa and Illinois with an eye peeled for a hardware store where I could replenish my stock of emergency repair supplies, in particular an RV dealer who might have a roll of that incredibly useful Eternabond roof sealing tape in stock and some advise on how to deal with this leaky tank. Image: Lazy Daze Structural Repair, September 22, 2007.
  • Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - Centerville IA
    • Oh shit... parts 2 and 3: So here I sit on the edge of the road with a black tank full of "stuff" dragging on the ground and no great desire to work on it right here. The tank is on the driver's side of the rig, much too close to passing traffic for comfort crawling around under there with my feet hanging out. Plus there is a pretty fair chance of losing it's contents whilst trying to get the situation under control. To say nothing of the attention mucking about under there will likely draw when I'd really like to work undisturbed. Some things are hard to explain to the helpful. Image: Lazy Daze Structural Repair, September 22, 2007.
  • Monday, May 9, 2011 - Clarinda IA
    • Oh shit... Some time early in the sweltering hot humid afternoon I pulled off the road for a pee break and to refill my water cup. Funny smell in the bathroom - guess the airflow has reversed for some reason. It happens. Ah well. I pull back onto the road and hear a funny scraping noise, look in the mirror and see a scrape in the dirt and a small dust cloud where I left the verge. Image: Power & Light, Hastings NE, May 8, 2011.
  • Sunday, May 8, 2011 - Hastings NE
    • Image: Power & Light, Hastings NE, May 8, 2011.
  • Saturday, May 7, 2011 - Hastings NE
    • At the filling station this morning, I punched the button for the lowest grade, started pumping, then noticed the price was $0.15 higher than advertised. Grumbling I quite the fill-up. It seems the Lowest price is for the mid-grade. By a lot. That's deceptive I concluded. Later I continued my fill-up at a station of another brand in another town, Hastings NE, and surprise surprise the same pricing scheme holds. What gives? Image: Hastings Air Force Station, Abandoned 1968, Hastings NE, May 7, 2011.
  • Friday, May 6, 2011 - Kearney NE
    • Humid. The party is over. I'm barely halfway across Nebraska and already I'm in the soup. Image: American Robin, Dugway Recreation Area, Sinclair WY, May 1, 2011.
  • Thursday, May 5, 2011 - North Platte NE
    • Image: Layers, Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY, May 2, 2011.
  • Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - Lingle WY
    • The end. Today I saw the last day of this winters adventures in the west. Heading eastward across Wyoming I leave the mountains behind and head down onto the great plains and see the last of the western culture this trip. Image: Rain, Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY, May 4, 2011.
  • Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY
    • Image: Grow up? Why?, Western Juniper, Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY, May 2, 2011.
  • Monday, May 2, 2011 - Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY
    • Image: Nightfall, Alcova Reservoir, Alcova WY, May 2, 2011.
  • Sunday, May 1, 2011 - Sinclair WY
    • Geeze it's cold - 10 degrees or so at dawn - but with a bright sunny sky emerging. And, a nice surprise, three American White Pelicans sleeping on the riverbank. Image: Greeting a New Day, Canada Geese, Dugway Ramp Recreation Area, Sinclair WY, May 1, 2011.

April 2011

  • Saturday, April 30, 2011 - Sinclair WY
    • It snowed last night in Meeker CO and it's been a gray day with snow squalls off and on all day. Like yesterday, today took me much farther than I had hoped. I was on the lookout for a place to boondock all day and didn't see anything promising until I got here. This will do nicely for the night. It's not hugely picturesque but there is a river right outside my door. We like that. Image: Camped, Dugway Recreation Area, Sinclair WY, April 30, 2011.
  • Friday, April 29, 2011 - Meeker CO
    • I'm moving too far too fast. I thought I'd easily find dry camping boondocking spots along my route north today. I passed through some beautiful country but I didn't find anything suitable and ended up driving late into the day all the way to Meeker CO where I stopped at a most unlikely campground, Wilderness Rendezvous RV Park. Image: Camped, Wilderness Rendezvous RV Park, Meeker CO, April 30, 2011.
  • Thursday, April 28, 2011 - Sewemup Mesa Canyon, Gateway CO
    • Hoo boy, this looks like trouble. I noticed a new creak as I went over a bump pulling into a roadside Point of Interest back in Uravan CO. The pan the generator mounts to cracked and is threatening to drop it on the road. Image: Boondocked, Sewemup Mesa Canyon, Gateway CO, April 28, 2011.
  • Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - Recapture Dam Recreation Area, Blanding UT
    • Which way from here. Tomorrow my mail should be in at the Blanding postoffice and I can head out. In a few days I need to start the push to get back to New York around June 1st. The rough plan has been to head north from here to skirt around the Rockies. It's really a bit early in the season to be going through them and it now looks like it may be a bit early in the season to be going around them to the north, up along the western edge of Colorado and across southern Wyoming. Image: White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Tuesday, April 26, 2011 - Devil's Canyon Campground, Blanding UT
    • What is that I see? Down there. In the crick bed. Amongst the wonderfully multicolored tumbled sandstone river rocks. Those harder, slicker, gray rocks. What are they? Here's my guess. Uranium. Well, uranium bearing rocks. Image: Sandstone Plus, White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Monday, April 25, 2011 - Devil's Canyon Campground, Blanding UT
    • Clever cactus. Found a nice warm microclimate in a hole. Got a couple weeks head start on spring. Things might get a little tough later in the summer. Tradeoffs - it's all about tradeoffs. It rained hard overnight. There is water in the crick. A couple feet of it. There won't be any exploratory hikes for a day or two. Ah well, I'm outa here - gotta go pick up my mail in Blanding. Image: Microclimate, White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Sunday, April 24, 2011 - Jacob's Chair Trailhead, Fry Canyon UT
    • It rained a little overnight. Inexperience with the weather and the threat of flash floods here make me think it prudent to continue to delay any more hikes in the canyon until the skies clear. The high water mark in the canyon is surprisingly high and in some areas it could be hard to get above it in a hurry. There's a lot of neat stuff to explore down there - maybe tomorrow... Image: White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Saturday, April 23, 2011 - Jacob's Chair Trailhead, Fry Canyon UT
    • There are only a couple of places to cross White Canyon along here. Behind me in this picture, where I'm camped, is the one known as Gravel Crossing and is the trailhead for the popular OHV trail that encircles Jacob's Chair. Jacob's Chair was named after one of the first settlers in this area. He was killed in a flash flood in 1940 while crossing White Canyon on horseback. Image: Jacob's Chair from White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Friday, April 22, 2011 - Jacob's Chair Trailhead, Fry Canyon UT
    • This looks like a good place to spend the weekend. There's plenty of parking on the rocks at the edge of White Canyon with a great view downstream from my livingroom windows. And the of road vehicle trail/road heads down into and across the canyon right below me, making an easy walk down to the canyon floor. Time for a hike. Image: Camped overlooking White Canyon, Fry Canyon UT, April 22, 2011.
  • Thursday, April 21, 2011 - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Hite UT
    • This is a one night stop as I make my way slowly east toward Blanding UT where I've made arrangements to pick up my mail next week. On the way I hope to find a camping spot or two along White Canyon and hike the canyon floor. There are ruins of Anasazi cave dwellings in the canyon walls I'd like to have a look at. Image: Camped at Glen Canyon, Hite UT, April 21, 2011.
  • Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT
    • The 2,000 trees in the old orchards in Fruita are in pretty good shape, bearing apricots, apples, plums, etc available to the public in season. The campground is set amidst the orchards, horses are in the paddocks. Cool. Image: Fruita Orchards, Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT, April 20, 2011.
  • Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT
    • After spending a few days on the ridge east of Escalante UT I needed some supplies. Groceries mostly. And the cell phone and internet service I assumed I'd find in town. And a laundromat. So off I went, first to Torrey and when that didn't pan out I continued west to Loa where I found groceries. Sort of - the selection is rather limited in this rural area. Then back to Bicknell, between Loa and Torrey, for a serviceable laundromat at a motel, and great 3G Verizon broadband service.. Image: Dawn on the Ridge, Looking West, Escalante UT, April 14, 2011.
  • Monday, April 18, 2011 - Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT
    • I've been here long enough. I need a new view fix. Today I drove out into that scene on UT 12 and made my way up to Torrey UT and Capitol Reef National Park, where I ended up at Fruita Campground. I'll stay here a few days, out of contact (there's no cell service here). Image: Ridgetop View, Escalante UT, April 17, 2011.
  • Sunday, April 17, 2011 - Utah Rt 12, East of Escalante UT
    • You may recall I lost most of my nesting Great Blue Heron pictures a while back to that certain fuzziness caused by forgetting to turn the auto stabilization off when I had the camera on the tripod, trying my darndest to get some nice clean shots from farther away than I would have preferred. Well, this morning I went walkabout with the camera, took some neat shots... and forgot to turn the stabilization ON. The sun was low in the sky and the shutter speed was adequate with image stabilization. But not without! Image: Desert Catfish, Dead, with Toes, Escalante UT, April 17, 2011.
  • Saturday, April 16, 2011 - Utah Rt 12, East of Escalante UT
    • It was blustery when I rolled in here Wednesday. The rocking and rolling are long gone. It's a beautiful day on the ridge! Image: Mostly Cloudy, Escalante UT, April 13, 2011.
  • Friday, April 15, 2011 - Utah Rt 12, East of Escalante UT
    • The views are fantastic in every direction, the hiking out the ridge is great, there is practically no traffic (and what little there is is out of sight and sound over the hill). This is about the nicest boodocking spot I've come across to date and it seems to be seldom used - I haven't seen another living soul since I rolled up here mid day Wednesday. Maybe I'll stay the weekend. I've got plenty of supplies and no need to be anywhere else. Image: Sunrise on the Ridge, Escalante UT, April 14, 2011.
  • Thursday, April 14, 2011 - Utah Rt 12, East of Escalante UT
    • Image: Bloomin' on the Ridge, Escalante UT, April 14, 2011.
  • Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - Utah Rt 12, East of Escalante UT
    • The grass may be growing in Zion Canyon but it's winter at Bryce Canyon National Park. The extra 4,000 ft above sea level makes a bit of a difference. Most of the park is closed. I'm outa here. Image: Sign of the Times, Bryce Canyon National Park, April 12, 2011.
  • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce UT
    • Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva and Pinus aristata) are among the oldest living organisms on earth. Clone-creating plant species like Quaking Aspen live to be much older if you age their root systems. Bristlecones are only found in six states, Utah included. Image: Great Basin Bristlecone Pines, Bryce Canyon National Park, April 12, 2011.
  • Monday, April 11, 2011 - Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce UT
    • Image: Hangin' in There, Zion National Park, April 11, 2011.
  • Sunday, April 10, 2011 - Zion National Park, Springdale UT
    • Let's catch some rays. Ahh... I can feel the sun's warmth already! Image: Sun's Kiss, Watchman, South Campground, Zion National Park, April 10, 2011.
  • Saturday, April 9, 2011 - Zion National Park, Springdale UT
    • Just in time the Feds agreed on a budget late last night and Zion is open. But nearly everybody left the campground yesterday and today. It's about 5 pm and this campground is usually filled by now. Not today. Question: so was it the atrocious weather or the threat of a shutdown that sent them packing? Anyway, I'm pleased not to have to travel up the hill over the weekend before the storm clears. Image: Five pm at South Campground, Zion National Park, April 9, 2011.
  • Friday, April 8, 2011 - Zion National Park, Springdale UT
    • Plans, we don't need no steenkin' plans. Sheesh. I tend to travel with only a general idea where I'm headed, maybe just a tad more of an idea than my father who, when he wanted to get away for a few days, would drive up to Albany Airport and take the next flight out, sure of an adventure wherever it took him. Just a tad more. Image: Morning Snow, South Campground, Zion National Park, April 8, 2011.
  • Thursday, April 7, 2011 - Zion National Park, Springdale UT
    • After April first no one is allowed to drive up the canyon but the shuttles are great - they come by every few minutes and make stops at all the trailheads and points of interest. I hopped on one this morning thinking I might get in a couple of short hikes ahead of the rain and snow storm due in this afternoon. That worked all too well - it's now 4:45 and the storm still hasn't arrived. Image: Angel's Landing, Zion National Park, April 7, 2011.
  • Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - Zion National Park, Springdale UT
    • I haven't posted here since way back on March 26th. It looks like I'm going to have a few quiet days ahead of me so maybe I can fill in those missing posts. I came into Zion early this morning to make sure to get me one of those scarce first-come first-served campsites available this time of year. As I was setting up it slowly sunk in that the sun was not shining anymore. Why's that? Hmm... it seems there is a major storm front headed this way. So I decided it might be better to sit out the rain and snow forecast for southern Utah down here in Zion Canyon rather than up on the plateau where I'm headed. There should be plenty of time to catch up. Image: Watchman, Zion National Park, April 6, 2011.
  • Tuesday, April 5, 2011 - Zion Canyon RV Resort Springdale UT
    • It's a short flight home The herons are gathering nesting materials from plants and shrubs growing right on the craggy cliff face within a few hundred feet of the nest. Image: Gathering, Great Blue Heron, Burro Creek AZ, March 28, 2011.
  • Monday, April 4, 2011 - Echo Bay Campground, Lake Mead NV
    • It's a short flight home The herons are gathering nesting materials from plants and shrubs growing right on the craggy cliff face within a few hundred feet of the nest. Image: Gathering, Great Blue Heron, Burro Creek AZ, March 28, 2011.
  • Sunday, April 3, 2011 - Boulder Beach Campground, Boulder City NV
    • It's a short flight home The herons are gathering nesting materials from plants and shrubs growing right on the craggy cliff face within a few hundred feet of the nest. Image: Gathering, Great Blue Heron, Burro Creek AZ, March 28, 2011.
  • Saturday, April 2, 2011 - Boulder Beach Campground, Boulder City NV
    • It's a short flight home The herons are gathering nesting materials from plants and shrubs growing right on the craggy cliff face within a few hundred feet of the nest. Image: Gathering, Great Blue Heron, Burro Creek AZ, March 28, 2011.
  • Friday, April 1, 2011 - Boulder Beach Campground, Boulder City NV
    • What's with the fuffy beards? Most of the heron pictures I'm getting show these long beard feathers, often puffed out in the presence of a mate. Is this a nesting display of some sort? Image: I'm off - that nest needs a few more sticks, Great Blue Herons, Burro Creek AZ, March 28, 2011.

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

  • Monday, January 31, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Diversion, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Sunday, January 30, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • It's a close call but I lean a bit toward the subtlety of the American Wigeon over the brashness of the Mallard for best-of-class in duck design. Those are two magnificent birds, but now if I were to take the subtly complex design of a Wigeon head and neck and stick them on the slick Mallard body I'd have a... Image: Wigeon v Mallard, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Saturday, January 29, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • I don't think I had ever heard of the American Wigeon until I started identifying the birds from my morning taking pictures at the Bosque last Monday. Image: American Wigeon, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Friday, January 28, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Why do ducks swim in a row? Is it really as simple as follow-the-leader being the easiest way to move a group through the reeds as suggested by Yahoo!7 Answers? Sounds good for followers but what's in it for the leader? Image: Mallards, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Thursday, January 27, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • My site redesign is coming along. Light may appear at the end of the tunnel any day now. I surely hope so. Remember a couple weeks ago I said I was going to redo the bones of this website to make it easier to maintain and update? What a ride that project has turned out to be. Image: Blue-winged Teal Female, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • It should be a simple matter to take this photo into Photoshop and remove the weed off this guy's bill, and I'm sure it is, but I'll be darned if I can do it without investing the time to learn to navigate that bloody obtuse program. I find Adobe's software interfaces in general to be arrogantly obtuse to navigate and Photoshop is especially so. Image: Mallard, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Tuesday, January 25, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • After posting yesterday's picture of the Mallards and Wigeons I waded into my pictures from yesterday's shoot looking for some I could zoom in on to show off the bird's wonderful green iridescence that caught my eye in the reflected morning light as I was snapping away. Well, the glow I thought I was capturing came out a little flat and mottled. Image: Mallards, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Monday, January 24, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • On a whim I ended up spending the day down at the Bosque today. That wasn't my intent when I crawled out of bed this morning but what the heck, I'm retired, I can play my whims as they come. My intent was to run up to Socorro to see if I could find a replacement for the balky DeLonghi radiant heater that started acting up a couple nights back ( just as a cold snap set in don't you know) but I have other sources of heat; that could wait. Image: Mallards & Wigeons, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2011.
  • Sunday, January 23, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • When I was rummaging through my files looking for a picture to put up yesterday, I stumbled on a series of pictures of this crane moving in a strange way. Drinking I decided. I guess it wouldn't work to sip through that long beak, hence the dip-and-swoop to let water run downhill. Image: Glug, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Saturday, January 22, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • What do cranes eat anyway? From what I can see, here they seem to be eating corn, which is grown for them, and the tubers of marsh grasses. Image: Foraging, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Friday, January 21, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Have a Nice Day, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Thursday, January 20, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Breakfast at the Roost, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Untitled, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 19, 2011.
  • Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Thyme is my favorite herb; I use it in everything. Last summer I picked up a big container of organic thyme at a local farmers market. It's almost empty so when I was in Deming I put it on my list for a trip to Peppers, the local supermarket. Guess what? They had no thyme, unless you count those little McCormick "samples." Image: Going to Breakfast, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Monday, January 17, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Happy to be back and anxious to see what the cranes have been up to I set off before first light to the first pond. In the past I would usually walk down - it's only a mile or so - but today I drove down and ended up spending half the day there. In my excitement to be back I took way way too many pictures and then spent the rest of the morning trying to deal with them all. Image: First Light, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2011.
  • Sunday, January 16, 2011 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • When I left Percha Dam State Park this morning I had no intention of driving up to the Bosque today. I was headed up to Elephant Butte State Park, with a stop for groceries in Truth or Consequences on the way, to hang out there for a few days to finish my project refining this website before descending on the birds. But was a beautiful day, I missed my turnoff to the park and it was only another hour up the road to the Bosque... Backtracking is a waste of gas, right? Image: Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 15, 2011 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • Back on January 9th I started a project to update the bones of this website. There were lots of things bugging me, the big one being poor navigation. Stuff accumulates and there are now about 1,500 pages here on lots of unrelated topics. It's a mess. Image: Rio Grande River, Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM, March 26, 2009.
  • Friday, January 14, 2011 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • More onions please. Eleven months have passed and we see the same onion field, shot from a different perspective. We ate last years crop; we need more onions. We have burgers to top. Image: Onions along the Canal, Arrey NM, March 26, 2009.
  • Thursday, January 13, 2011 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • No Percha Dam, no onions. No pecans. No cotton. No chili. No whatever. Not in the Rincon Valley. A little about Percha Dam swiped from the US Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Reclamation, Cultural Resources Program website... Image: Rincon Valley Main Canal, Percha Dam, Arrey NM, April 26, 2008.
  • Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • It's deja vu all over again. Looking for a picture to put up today I discovered I spent a couple of days here at Percha Dam State Park on my way up the Rio Grande valley to the Bosque National Wildlife Refuge a year ago to the day. I knew it was about this time in January when I passed through but didn't realize the timing was spot on. Ha! - so what? Image: The Hand of Man, Percha Dam, Rio Grande River, Arrey NM, January 12, 2010.
  • Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • Now that it's here I'm torn. This day has been in the wind a long long time; now it's here. Verizon announced today they will be selling iPhones beginning February 10th. I've been hanging on to my old LG cell phone for years in anticipation of this day. Now that it's here I'm torn. Trading in my old phone for an iPhone instantly makes my constant companion, my dedicated iPod Touch, redundant. That's ok. The thing is, though, the great leather case I lavished a week developing and making won't fit the new iPhones. So that becomes instantly redundant as well. Arrgh..... Image: Leather Case, iPod Touch, February 15, 2009.
  • Monday, January 10, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Tomorrow I'm outa here. It's time to get a move on. I'm beginning to develop a case of what Brian Gore calls "hitch itch" on his goin' RV Boondocking blog, and I need to get moving before I break into a rash. I want to start my trek up the Rio Grande valley to San Antonio NM. I'm getting anxious to get up there to spend a month or so photographing the Sandhill Cranes wintering at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge before they head off for their summer nesting grounds in mid February. Image: Condemned, San Antonio NM, January 30, 2010.
  • Sunday, January 9, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • The state of this old website has been bothering me for a while now and today I set out on a project to finagle the underlying structure a bit to make it easier to maintain and update. Bear with me. I'm doing this live and there will be some wacky looking pages here until I get the basics under control. Image: Catching Some Rays, Western Scrub-Jays, Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM, January 30, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 8, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • If I stand right .... here .... And hold my camera just .... so .... the moon looks like a lollypop on a stick. How cool is that? I stumbled on a series of pictures I took of this moonset while looking through my Bosque pictures for some more birds to put up here. I just couldn't resist playing with it. It reminded me of a series of moonset pictures I posted on an old version of this website back in January 2001, almost exactly ten years ago to the day. Image: Moon on a Stick, Sunrise, Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM, January 30, 2010.
  • Friday, January 7, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • If I stand right .... here..... And hold my leg just .... so .... my reflection will align with those weeds in the neatest way. How cool is that? Cousin Ken alerted me to this magic in the picture in yesterday's post. Somehow I had missed it entirely. Image: Reflection, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 5, 2010.
  • Thursday, January 6, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • There's been some discussion on one of the Lazy Daze forums lately about replacing light bulbs with LEDs to conserve energy. This has been on my mind lately in light of my recent experience with limited power available while boondocked and I ordered a couple to try. They came today and I installed one in the light in the stove exhaust hood. It lasted about ten minutes. Phsst... Image: The Itch, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 5, 2010.
  • Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Now that I'm caught up here I'm going to try to get caught up with the posts I let slide while I was boondocking over at Leasburg Dam State Park without enough power to comfortably keep the laptop running. If you want to follow along, start with the December 6th post. You'll find some info in those posts about my experiences with winter boondocking. Image: Late Snack, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Here's another picture from my February 4th shoot at the Bosque last year. The sun will set soon and the Sandhill Cranes are beginning to come in from their feeding grounds to roost in the ponds along the highway at the Bosque. Image: Final Approach, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Monday, January 3, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • This picture will give you an idea of the scene at the roosting ponds along the highway through the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge a few miles south of San Antonio NM. This picture was taken about a minute after the Snow Goose series I pulled the picture from for the posts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Birders gather here to watch the Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese coming to roost at sunset and again in the morning to watch them wake up and take off for their feeding grounds at sunrise. Image: Bird & Birders, Sunset, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Sunday, January 2, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Here's an even closer crop of the Snow Goose picture I put up yesterday. This picture is taken from a sequence of 24 pictures of this Snow Goose swimming to shore and climbing the bank. It would be fun to figure out a way to stitch them together without a huge amount of work as a series of panels to show the bird's movement. A flip-book sort of thing. I have lots of image sequences that would lend themselves to some kind of comic-like display. Hmm.... Image: Portrait in Blue 2, Snow Goose, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 1, 2011 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Here's a closer crop of the Snow Goose picture I put up yesterday. This picture is one of a sequence of 24 shots of this Snow Goose swimming to shore and climbing the bank. Sorting through that February evening's shoot I was set to toss the whole bunch but zoomed in to full size on a few first and found I had something pretty good on a couple of them with some major cropping. I have a still closer zoom of this picture I'll put up tomorrow. Image: Portrait in Blue, Snow Goose, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.

December 2010

  • Friday, December 31, 2010 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • Only twenty thousand pictures to sort. Ha! I was so busy playing with the new Canon EOS 7D I bought from Amazon last January I didn't take the time to organize the thousands of pictures I was taking. Big mistake. (...) So here I sit, throwing away tons of junk and stumbling on a few keepers like this one. Image: Snow Goose, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 4, 2010.
  • Thursday, December 30, 2010 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • I'm moved. By the fierce wind. By the dust blown in by the wind. By the cold weather predicted for the next few days. The combination sent me fleeing over to Site 8 for its electric hookups. Image: Tracks Through Time, Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010.
  • Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • This morning I stopped at the tire shop JT's recommended, Tinley-Tee Tire & Auto Services, to see what they recommend to replace the worn rear duallies on the Lazy Daze and to see when they might be able to put them on. They recommended Firestones, had them in stock, quoted me a fair price, and put them right on. There. That's done. Now everything is ship-shape and I'm ready to roll roll roll. Image: Snow Geese, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010.
  • Tuesday, December 28, 2010 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • There. That's done. After a morning at JT's Auto Service LD now sports a fine newly rebuilt air conditioner compressor and a new belt tensioner pulley. That quieted the belt just fine. Now it's on to find replacements for the rear tires which are getting down to their last 10% or so of tread depth. That's plenty far enough for me. I'll sacrifice that 10% for a little peace of mind out on the highway. A flat dually will often disintegrate before the driver even notices it has gone soft. We've all seen those road snakes out there. Trouble is, a disintegrating dually can do major damage to the plywood wheel wells on the Lazy Daze. I'd rather not deal with that if I can help it thank you. Image: Snow Geese, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010.
  • Monday, December 27, 2010 - LoW-HI RV Ranch, Deming NM
    • I'm still here at Leasburg Dam State Park on my favorite site but I have go somewhere - my three weeks here are up and I have to move. One is allowed a maximum 3 week stay then must leave the park for at least a week. Usually I just move on to the next park in the general direction I'm headed. But now I'm undecided whether to head up the Rio Grande valley now or head over to the Deming NM area for a while first. I want to spend time at the Bosque National Wildlife Refuge again this winter. But I also need to get my rig serviced and find a source of new rear tires. . Image: Down by the Roadside, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010.
  • Sunday, December 26, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Image: Cow's Tongue Cactus, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 25, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Merry Christmas. Image: Desert Christmas Cactus, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Friday, December 24, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • . Image: Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 23, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Where have I gone? Nowhere - I'm still here at Leasburg Dam State Park on my favorite site. This site has no electric hookups and I've been struggling with power management. Image: Organ Mountains from Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Life can be a struggle out here in the desert. Those pesky creosotes, in taking over so much of the desert, haven't made life easy for the natives. Some don't survive. Others put up a valiant struggle against long odds and manage to barely hang in there. Like this Prickly Pear cactus. Image: Hanging in there, Prickly Pear Cactus, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 23, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 21, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Spring is in the air by April in the Rio Grande valley. Here's a little wildflower I came across while looking through the pictures from my April 2008 stay at Leasburg Dam State Park. Image: Hint of Spring, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, April 25, 2008.
  • Monday, December 20, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Earlier this month I commented on the trickle flowing in the river. Today I ran across some pictures I took back in April 2008 with the am up at Elephant Butte open. The river was full and green was spreading across the landscape. Image: Leasburg Dam, Rio Grande River, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, April 21, 2008.
  • Sunday, December 19, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • There were several skirmishes between the Apaches and the Army in Dog Canyon back in the day and they weren't particularly successful from the Army's point of view. I can see this would be an easy canyon to defend with its sheltered glade, perennial water supply and constricted points on the trail below. Image: Line Camp, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, February 2, 2008.
  • Saturday, December 18, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • I don't know who built this stone cabin in Dog Canyon but whoever it was chose a beautiful spot in this glade, mid way along the trail up into the Sacramento Mountains. This canyon with it's perennial stream and springs has been used to get from the desert of the Tularosa Basin to forests of the Sacramento Mountains for thousands of years and this is an obvious place to take a break. Image: Bedtime, Line Cabin, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, February 2, 2008.
  • Friday, December 17, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • The picture I posted yesterday was taken facing down out of Dog Canyon toward White Sands. This picture was taken at about the same spot on the Second Bench but facing up trail towards the line camp about 1/4 mile farther up the canyon. Image: Mile 2.75, Second Bench, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, February 2, 2008.
  • Thursday, December 16, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Looking through some old pictures I came upon a sequence of shots I took on my February 2, 2008 hike up the Dog Canyon Trail at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park south of Alamogordo NM and it dawned on me Photoshop might be able to stitch them into a decent panorama. Image: White Sands from the Second Bench, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, February 2, 2008.
  • Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • This is the view I have from here. Part of the view anyway. The part to the northwest overlooking the Rio Grande River and Leasburg Dam. That white streak in the picture is a huge geo-thermally heated greenhouse across the river from Radium Springs belonging to Masson Farms of New Mexico. There's a picture of it on their website; it's quite impressive. Image: Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • As you can see in this picture, Site 11, where I camped in January 2009, has a really nice view looking northwest out across the Rio Grande. That's my favorite site with hookups. Site 9, where I am now, is just off to the right of this picture and has an even better view. We like it here. Image: Camped at Site 11, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Monday, December 13, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Image: Site 3 $10, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Sunday, December 12, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Creosote has taken over vast areas of the desert out here in New Mexico. I understand it emits a chemical from its root system that is inhospitable to other plants. And to itself I guess - the creosote bushes seem to be spaced at regular intervals with generally bare soil between bushes. There is the occasional exception like this nice ocatillo. Image: Ocatillo, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 11, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • I'm slowly getting used to living with the limited solar power I have available this time of year and I think I will stay here even if a good site with hookups becomes available. It's a good test of my winter boondocking skills with my imperfect setup. I should learn where I might focus power system improvement efforts in the future. Image: Century Plant, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Friday, December 10, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Here are some thoughts on winter boondocking and power consumption. I've been watching where my power consumption is going. Running off just the battery I can turn things on & off and read the ammeter and see what draws significant power and what does not. It surprised me to find my 15 inch MacBook Pro and the portable hard drive I keep my pictures on are by far the biggest power users in the rig. Image: Prickly Pear, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 9, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • As you can see last January there was some flow in the Rio Grande River. Now it's almost completely dry, with most of what is flowing diverted into the irrigation canal at the dam. My guess is the dam at the large Elephant Butte Reservoir is closed. I saw a recent picture on the web of the Rio Grande taken upstream near Taos where the river is flowing full tilt. Image: Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 11, 2010.
  • Wednesday, December 8, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • There are implications of a short day and a low winter sun in a boondocker's world. By noon yesterday it was clear the solar panels were not going to recharge my depleted batteries without some help. so I shut down every electrical drain I could find and ran the generator for a couple of hours. That helped but I was still no where near having full batteries by nightfall. No computer and internet for me tonight. How do you spell "withdrawal" anyway? I may be needing that word. Image: Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, December 5, 2010.
  • Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • This winter boondocking routine is going to take some getting used to. I awoke this morning to seriously depleted batteries. I'm so used to firing up my inverter, laptop and wifi router and letting them run 24/7 when I'm parked that I forgot to shut them down last night. Image: Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, December 5, 2010.
  • Monday, December 6, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • Today I moved over to Leasburg Dam State Park in Radium Springs NM and found my favorite site 11 occupied. The park is quite full. I settled on Site 9 for the time being while I wait for a better site to open up. Site 9 offers no power hookup so I'll be boondocking; running off my solar system for electric and propane for heat. We'll see how it goes. Image: Tularosa Basin from Second Bench, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, December 5, 2010.
  • Sunday, December 5, 2010 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Today was a beautiful, warm, mostly sunny, day and I got a hankering to hike the 3 miles up to the line cabin on the Dog Canyon Trail. It's a nice hike and it's been a couple years since I was last up there and I wanted to make the hike before I head over to Leasburg Dam State Park in Radium Springs NM for a while. Image: Tularosa Basin from Second Bench, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, December 5, 2010.
  • Saturday, December 4, 2010 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Image: Indian Wells, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 20, 2009.
  • Friday, December 3, 2010 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Image: Going 'round the Bend, Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 20, 2008.
  • Thursday, December 2, 2010 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Image: Abandoned, Hoosic Reservoir, Cheshire MA, September 20, 2010.
  • Wednesday, December 1, 2010 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • That's one heron you see there. As an experiment I stitched together two pictures from a sequence I shot of this heron flying off into the misty morning. Image: Double Vision, Great Blue Heron, Hoosic Reservoir, Cheshire MA, September 6, 2010.

November 2010

May 2010

April 2010

March 2010

Winter wheat, San Antonio NM, March 1, 2010
Winter wheat, San Antonio NM, March 1, 2010

February 2010

Birds of a Feather, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010
Birds of a Feather, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, February 1, 2010

January 2010

Late January, Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM, January 28, 2010
Late January, Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM, January 28, 2010
  • Sunday, January 31, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Man o man - I shot this handheld with George's Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens on my new Canon EOS 7D camera. Zoomed all the way out to 400mm. Other than cropping this image is right straight out of the camera. Amazing. Image: Sandhill Crane, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 30, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 30, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Glide Slope, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 30, 2010.
  • Friday, January 29, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Messing with my new camera yesterday morning whilst trying to get the hang of this new-to-me dSLR business, I vastly overexposed a few shots. Here's one. I like it. Image: Windmill (exposed), Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM, January 28, 2010.
  • Thursday, January 28, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • We got a little snow in San Antonio today. Not a lot. Images: Snow, Local Color, San Antonio NM, January 28, 2010.
  • Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • The birds here at the Bosque National Wildlife Refuge live in a closely monitored and managed environment. The staff is constantly moving water around and a day or so ago they started a big pump to send water down through this meadow and into the shallow ponds where so many water birds roost and get their pictures taken. Image: Leak, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 27, 2010.
  • Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • I like this silhouette enough to put a larger copy over at my Birds Series of photos. The new camera I ordered yesterday, a Canon EOS 7D, arrived from Amazon this afternoon and I managed to get a battery charged and learn enough about the camera to go off with Kate & Terry on a sunset photo shoot at the Bosque. Image: Coming to Roost, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 26, 2010.
  • Monday, January 25, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • I've been walking down the highway to these Sandhill Crane roosting areas near sunrise or sunset for some exercise - this is the scene I'm usually greeted with. People come here from all over the world. I'm told the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a rare opportunity for birders to get this close to the birds so easily. It certainly is a treat for me. Image: Birding the Bosque, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 25, 2010.
  • Sunday, January 24, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Startling how some days one can get lucky, swing the camera and pull the trigger, timed just so.... Image: Taking Fright, Northern Pintails, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 24, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 23, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Last night about sunset I walked the mile and a half from the RV park down to the first pond to watch the Sandhill Cranes come to roost and managed to get this fun shot in the fading light. Image: Coming to Roost, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 22, 2010.
  • Friday, January 22, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: A Sniff in the Mud, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 20, 2010.
  • Thursday, January 21, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Kate did a fine writeup of the Throwdown! with Bobby Flay at the Buckhorn Bar in San Antonio on her blog last year and tonight Kate & Terry and I went up for some of those winning green chili burgers, my first and not likely my last! These things are wicked good! Image: Blind, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 20, 2010.
  • Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Last night's storm front moved on and today I signed up for another three weeks here at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park. I like it here, the birds are endlessly entertaining, the price is not hugely more than the New Mexico Parks, and my stay will extend beyond the next NM Parks furlough closure February 8th and 9th. Kills many birds this on stone does. Image: Departing Storm Clouds, San Antonio NM, January 20, 2010.
  • Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Creosote, San Antonio NM, January 19, 2010.
  • Monday, January 18, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Days End, Sandhill Cranes, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2010.
  • Sunday, January 17, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Image: Duck Soup, Bosque National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 17, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 16, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • This darned camera I'm using, a nice little Panasonic DMC-FZ28 with an 18x zoom is frustrating me. It's a pretty good camera for what it is designed for but I see now I'm trying to work outside it's design envelope. Image: Bosque Dawn, San Antonio NM, January 16, 2010.
  • Friday, January 15, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • Yesterday my friends Kate & Terry invited me along for a sunset photo shoot of the Sandhill Cranes gathering to roost in the shallow ponds along the highway at the north end of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. I've seen the cranes flying between their roosting and feeding grounds down at Percha Dam State Park and at Pancho Villa State Park and I've seen them feeding with the cows here and there but this was my first experience of them roosting. Image: Gathering at the roost, Sandhill Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio NM, January 14, 2010.
  • Thursday, January 14, 2010 - Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • These colorful little Vermilion Flycatchers are quick to launch out from a perch to snatch an insect out of the air 40 or 50 feet away. This little guy let me snap away at him at work for the better part of an hour but my little Panasonic DMC-FZ28 at 18x wasn't really up to the task. One could easily lust after better equipment at times like these. I caught a few in flight shots that could have been spectacular with a better camera. Image: Vermilion Flycatcher, Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM, January 12, 2010.
  • Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • Image: Suppertime, Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM, January 12, 2010.
  • Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM
    • Headed north today - to Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM. Image: Conserve Water, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, January 10, 2010.
  • Monday, January 11, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM
    • I'm out of here today - off to find some Mobil 1 for an oil change and someone to do the job. Then I'll probably head over to Leasburg Dam State Park in Radium Springs NM for the night, with the goal of finding myself up at the private Bosque Bird Watchers RV Park in San Antonio NM for the January 14th and 15th NM employee furlough when the State Parks are closed. Image: "What" Will You Drink Next Year ???, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, January 10, 2010.
  • Sunday, January 10, 2010 - Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM
    • I wonder whose project this wonderful cistern is. Image: You Are Drinking Ice - Age Water, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, January 10, 2010.
  • Saturday, January 9, 2010 - Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM
    • The weather seems to be colder than usual all over this winter and here is no exception at the moment. Below normal temps (in the 40s) and a breezy wind chill kept most folks inside today. Even the long-eared owls who usually spend the day in the evergreens here found shelter elsewhere. Brrrr.... Image: Hooking Up, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, January 8, 2010.
  • Friday, January 8, 2010 - Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM
    • This will be a nice quiet place to take a break from all the traveling of the last couple of weeks and I think I'll stay through the weekend. If I didn't have to be out of the park system for the next New Mexico employee furlough on the 15th I might stay longer. All the parks will be closed the nights of the 14th and 15th and I'll have to find a night camp elsewhere those nights. What a pain. Image: Office, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, January 8, 2010.
  • Thursday, January 7, 2010 - Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM
    • Today was a day of domestic catching up - doing laundry, stocking up on supplies - and by the time I finished and wandered over to Rockhound State Park I found all the hookup sites spoken for. Rockhound is a popular park and I wasn't surprised to find it full but the much larger Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus NM is nearly empty. I wonder why. Image: Fiber Arts, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM, February 27, 2009.
  • Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
    • Yesterday I mentioned the spectacular ride up through the Apache National Forest to Mule Creek NM. I had forgotten how spectacularly beautiful the rolling grasslands are along the New Mexico stretch of Mule Creek Road. It's rare to find grasslands like these out here that are not overgrazed. As usual I spent all my time gawking and I have no pictures to share with you. Image: Poolside, Mule Creek Road, Guthrie AZ, March 30, 2008.
  • Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - Mule Creek Road, Guthrie AZ
    • Today I thought I might spend the night at the Walmart Supercenter in Safford AZ but, alas, I'm not welcome to overnight there. So I headed up to the AZ border near Mule Creek NM. It's colder up here but the ride up through the Apache National Forest is spectacular and worth a bit of suffering. Image: Camped along Mule Creek Road, Guthrie AZ, March 30, 2008.
  • Monday, January 4, 2010 - Prescott AZ
    • RV is on fire! RV is on fire! Those words, yelled with urgency, will blow you right out of the sack! They'll make you a tad grumpy too, once the adrenaline wears off and the kid who yelled them is long gone.... Image: Dawn at the Corral, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 24, 2009.
  • Sunday, January 3, 2010 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Snow, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 24, 2009.
  • Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Ghost of Chimney Rock, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 27, 2009.
  • Friday, January 1, 2010 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Flying to Phoenix, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 27, 2009.

December 2009

Dawn at Site 42, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009
Dawn at Site 42, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009
  • Thursday, December 31, 2009 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Cottonwood Chair, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 27, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Life is Good - No Exceptions, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 28, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - Henderson NV
    • Image: Early Morning at the Corral Block, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 27, 2009.
  • Monday, December 28, 2009 - Winslow AZ
    • Image: Ghost Ranch Campground, Abiquiu NM, December 27, 2009.
  • Sunday, December 27, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • Brrrrr... 1:30AM and it's already 5 degrees below zero. Last winter, camped down at Leasburg Dam State Park, I met fellow fulltimer Jan, living in his Honda sports car, who observed that the temperature drops noticeably an hour or two before sunrise. Will tonight's low break LD's record 10 below set just last night? Image: Photo Shoot, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 22, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 26, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • Ten below zero is cold for this old rig. That's what the thermometer read this morning here at Ghost Ranch. My 3,000 watts of electric heat is barely adequate and would only hold the rig to about 60 degrees inside. That translates to a drafty 45 degrees down at floor level. Brrrrr... Image: A Ghost Ranch Christmas, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 25, 2009.
  • Friday, December 25, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • Image: Christmas at the Corral, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 25, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 24, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • This 4 inches is more snow than I've seen since I took up this fulltiming life a few years back and it energized me to get out early with the camera. I could hardly wait for the sun to lighten the sky enough to fling photons at the camera. Kate & Terry and I spent the morning out and about taking pictures of this magical world. I set up a Ghost Ranch Series over in Photography to hang a few favorites of the nearly 500 images I shot today. Image: Dawn at the Campground, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 24, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • It snowed quietly here last night and all day today, about 4 inches. That's the most snow I've seen in 3 years, quite beautiful. Tomorrow Kate and I hope to get out for a drive around the Ranch to see how this gorgeous scenery looks under a blanket of snow. Image: Crosshatch v2, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 22, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • Ghost Ranch is the most photogenic spot I've been in in a long while. I drove through Abiquiu on a road trip back on April 5, 2006 and I somehow forgot just how gorgeous the scenery is here. Driving US 84 through the valley is beautiful in itself but getting up close and personal with the multicolored rock formations here is something else entirely. Image: Crosshatch, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM, December 22, 2009.
  • Monday, December 21, 2009 - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu NM
    • Today I headed up to the Ghost Ranch Conference Center in Abiquiu NM to spend a few days with Kate & Terry. Image: Biking the Bosque, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, December 20, 2009.
  • Sunday, December 20, 2009 - Bosque Bird Watcher's RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a must see if you are into birdwatching. I'm not really a birdwatcher but today was such a beautiful sunny Sunday I couldn't resist taking a bike ride through the refuge before I head off to Ghost Ranch. Image: Bald Eagles, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, December 20, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Bosque Bird Watcher's RV Park, San Antonio NM
    • {Shiver me timbers!} I stepped out at dawn to toss my trash and just as I reached the cans a nearby pack of coyotes set up a howling racket, touching off a lengthy conversation with their neighbors. That sent a shiver down my spine I'll tell ya! At least it wasn't one of those big kitties so common out here sneaking up on me.... Image: Dawn at Fort Stanton Cave, December 19, 2009.
  • Friday, December 18, 2009 - Fort Stanton Cave Campground, Lincoln NM
    • Today I planned to head up to Valley of Fires. I never made it. I got waylaid by the jaw-dropping beauty of the rolling desert and grasslands along US 380 between Roswell and Carrizozo NM. I stopped to see what this Eve Ball roadside marker was all about and discovered I could camp right here. Image: Eve Ball roadside marker, Lincoln NM, December 18, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 17, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Back on December 5th I mentioned New Mexico's plan to close the park system December 23rd and 24th this year as part of an employee furlough program the State put in place to help deal with their budgetary shortfall. It's time to start drifting toward a solution to the problem of where to make my Night Camps those nights so tomorrow I'm going up toValley of Fires Recreation Area in Carrizozo NM. Image: Lava field dawn, Valley of Fires, Carrizozo NM, April 28, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 16, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Boy, can I procrastinate! "X" commissioned me to design a Christmas present for "A" way last summer and I finally finished it and shipped it today (FedEx, don't fail me now!). She wanted to present him with a custom fitted leather knife roll for the favorite kitchen knives he travels with. Image: Traveler's leather kitchen knife roll, December 16, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Another Lazy Daze rolled in this afternoon, a Blue & White Mid Bath, not one I recognize. I wonder who it is - that makes three of us Lazy folks here now. Image: Available, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009.
  • Monday, December 14, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Image: Afghan Pine, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009.
  • Sunday, December 13, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Image: Sunrise, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 12, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • There isn't much color in the landscape in southern New Mexico this time of year. The often colorful sunrises and sunsets are a special and welcome treat. Image: Early Dawn Sky, Site 42, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009.
  • Friday, December 11, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Ah! to awaken to a gorgeous sunrise, the sweet smell of crude on the breeze, the gentle sound of a make-or-break pipeline pumping engine thump...thump....thump thump......thumping in the background - 'tis comfort food to the fulltimer rolling into a peak oil future. Image: Sunrise, Site 42, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 11, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 10, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • This was a nice quiet day, much of it spent working at straightening out the mess over at my Clippings and Collectanea pages. I made some headway but there sure is a lot to do to get those pages in order. What a mess! Image: Sunset at the dam, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 10, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 9, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • I'm going to take a break and kick back for a few days. It's been a long time coming and finally, knock-on-wood, there are no pressing rig repair crises looming over me and I want to get some sort of equilibrium back into this crazy life. Image: Dawn, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 9, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • I rolled out early this fog shrouded morning to breakfast at the Pecos River Cafe before heading across the street to Forrest Tire to see when they might have time to rebalance the front tires. Image: Remembering Site 37, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 7, 2009.
  • Monday, December 7, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Today they crew at Forrest Tire in Carlsbad will install new front shocks and rebalance the front tires in an effort to eliminate the right front tire bounce and cupping that has been plaguing me for some time now. Image: Blue Monday, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 7, 2009.
  • Sunday, December 6, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Yesterday dawned bright and sunny - then clouded over and stayed cold. Today dawned bright and sunny and the sun stayed around most all day, and took the rest of the remaining snow over the hill with the sunset. We like it. Image: Dawn, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 5, 2009.
  • Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • New Mexico has implemented an employee furlough program to ease its budgetary shortfall and will be closing the State Parks on those furlough dates. I sympathize with the State's need to trim their budget but these closures are sure going to complicate life for us full-timers a bit. We can't just go home. Image: Replacement Shurflo water pump, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 5, 2009.
  • Friday, December 4, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • This year I was determined to leave the northeast a month earlier than my usual November 15th departures. I didn't make it - the grinning gods kept me busy with mechanical problems - it was November 20th by the time I tamed them enough to dare head out. Image: Snowsbirds at rest, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 1, 2009.
  • Thursday, December 3, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Amazon has shipped the new water pump. Image: Wiring and water pump under the sink, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 3, 2009.
  • Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • I guess I get at least one more turn in the barrel (where does that expression come from anyway). I woke up about 4:00am - cold. The power is out again. But just in my rig this time - the lights are on at the bathhouse and in a few rigs I can see from here. Sheesh - what is it now? Image: Snow in the park, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 1, 2009.
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Yesterday I got nicely settled in here at Brantley Lake State Park, hooked up to electricity for the first time since I left NM last spring and what do I awaken to? Snow. More snow than I've seen in years. Image: Snow at dawn, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, December 1, 2009.

November 2009

Hasty Retreat, Salem AR Park, November 27, 2009
Hasty Retreat, Salem AR Park, November 27, 2009
  • Monday, November 30, 2009 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • After being startled on an earlier trip through the west to discover you can actually see the Texas/New Mexico border on the ground I've been watching for it ever since. I saw it again today crossing from Texas into Hobbs, New Mexico. Image: Google map of the TX border at Hobbs NM, screen shot November 30, 2009.
  • Sunday, November 29, 2009 - Lubbock TX
    • I made good time today, taking US 62 through the cotton growing region of the Texas panhandle, heading southwest toward Lubbock. Image: Google map of cotton growing region northeast of Lubbock TX, November 29, 2009.
  • Saturday, November 28, 2009 - Chickasha OK
    • Someday I'm going to have a travel day with no issues to think about. Really. Image: Hey Wally, what's with the windmill?, Rogers AR, November 28, 2009.
  • Friday, November 27, 2009 - Rogers AR
    • This can't be happening - I'm dreaming, right? It's 4:00AM and the Walmart parking lot here in Poplar Bluff is already half full and filling fast. I gotta get outa here - it won't be long before I'm blocked in. Image: I'm outa here!, Salem City Park, Salem AR, November 27, 2009.
  • Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Poplar Bluff MO
    • I took a few hours this Thanksgiving day to watch the tugs and tow boats go about their business at Fort Defiance Park at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in Cairo IL. Image: The Little Tug That Could, reworking a tow, Fort Defiance Park, Cairo IL, November 26, 2009.
  • Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - Paducah KY
    • Makes me twitch, a looming holiday does. This wonderful Lazy Daze, LD, where I make me home is teaching me great respect for her holiday tradition of breaking down in a "you-ain't-going-anywhere until-I'm-fixed" way. Image: Searching for tires in Paducah KY, November 25, 2009.
  • Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - Leitchfield KY
    • What a disappointment I suffered today when I tried photographing my new workshop open for business. I couldn't find a way to show the magic so startling to my friends who have seen the 10 second transformation. Image: Overview of new workshop open for business, November 24, 2009.
  • Monday, November 23, 2009 - Ashland KY
    • Let me introduce to you my new metalworking/leatherworking/maybe-even-woodworking (heaven forbid) foldaway travelling studio workshop and storeroom. This is an evolving project but I think I have a framework in place with good bones to build on. Image: Overview of new workshop closed for travel, November 23, 2009.
  • Sunday, November 22, 2009 - Clarksburg WV
    • These first few days on the road out of the northeast are no fun at all. I've tried several routes over the years and they all suck. There is way too much traffic on the few good routes in and out of the northeast for my taste. Image: Cleared out cabover junkroom before renovations, July 19, 2009.
  • Saturday, November 21, 2009 - Chambersburg PA
    • I woke up this morning gung-ho ready to put some miles on... only to run out of steam a hundred miles down the road when I stopped at a rest area for a break. What the..? Image: LD Study with some mods to be describe, November 21, 2009.
  • Friday, November 20, 2009 - Hazleton PA
    • This trip to winter in the southwest has gotten off to a late start, much later than planned, but at last I'm under way. Image: Faulty MLP/TR transmission lever position sensor about to be replaced, November 12, 2009.

Travels takes a break

Travels With LD took a break while LD and I summered in Red Rock, then on November 20th we headed out on our sojourn to the American southwest for the winter.

August 2009

July 2009

Along the drive, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, July 31, 2009
Along the drive, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, July 31, 2009

June 2009

Camped, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, June 4, 2009
Camped, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, June 4, 2009

May 2009

A Fine Spring Morning, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, May 24, 2009
A Fine Spring Morning, Home Farm, Red Rock, East Chatham NY, May 24, 2009

April 2009

Camped at Site 32, South Monticello Area, Elephant Butte State Park, Elephant Butte NM, April 16, 2009
Camped at Site 32, South Monticello Area, Elephant Butte State Park, Elephant Butte NM, April 16, 2009

March 2009

Dawn at Site 12, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM, March 14, 2009
Dawn at Site 12, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM, March 14, 2009

February 2009

Camped at Site 14, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM, February 17, 2009
Camped at Site 14, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM, February 17, 2009

January 2009

Camped at Site 7, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 8, 2009
Camped at Site 7, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 8, 2009

December 2008

Stopped along TX 118 north of Ft Davis TX, December 31, 2008
Stopped along TX 118 north of Ft Davis TX, December 31, 2008
  • Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat TX
    • Today I took the beautiful drive from Ft Davis TX to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and ended the drive with a blown transmission seal. Image: In pig heaven, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis Texas, December 31, 2008.
  • Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis TX
    • I've been hanging out in Marathon TX long enough to get bored. Today I made the loop down through Big Bend National Park and up through Alpine to Fort Davis. Image: Untitled, Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis Texas, January 12, 2008.
  • Monday, December 29, 2008 - Marathon Motel & RV Park, Marathon TX
    • Today was a wonderfully sunny and quiet day at the RV Park which I spent in part resealing the roof air conditioner to the roof. Image: A walk in the park, Marathon Motel & RV Park, Marathon TX, December 29, 2008.
  • Sunday, December 28, 2008 - Marathon Motel & RV Park, Marathon TX
    • Today promises to be another quiet day at the Park. Image: Railroad trestle over the Pecos River gorge, east of Langtry TX, December 26, 2008.
  • Saturday, December 27, 2008 - Marathon Motel & RV Park, Marathon TX
    • I've been on the road too many days. It's time to kick back, have a quiet day at home, and maybe catch up on domestic chores. Image: Roadside Rest, US 90 east of Langtry TX, December 26, 2008.
  • Friday, December 26, 2008 - Marathon Motel & RV Park, Marathon TX
    • Ah - I'm out of the trees and into western sunset country at last! I arrive just in time to grab a quick picture of the sunset before it faded into the... er sunset? Marathon is the gateway to Big Bend National Park. I'll probably hang out here a few days to let the holiday rush subside then go down to have a look around the park. Image: Sunset at the Marathon Motel Campground, Marathon TX, December 26, 2008.
  • Thursday, December 25, 2008 - Uvalde TX
    • Today I took some secondary roads from San Marcos TX in a loop around San Antonio to US 90 at Uvalde TX. I'm happy to report the new throttle position sensor I installed yesterdays works better than expected. Image: Flying Low, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 1, 2008.
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - San Marcos TX
    • Yesterday I replaced the throttle position sensor and today I'll see if that cured the problem. Image: Faulty Throttle Position Sensor, December 24, 2008.
  • Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - Brenham TX
    • Today I replaced the throttle position sensor that started acting up yesterday. Image: Sunrise at Okatibbee Lake, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS, December 8, 2008.
  • Monday, December 22, 2008 - Brenham TX
    • Today I'm going to try a poor-man's GPS mapping experiment using my iPod Touch and try to find a Ford dealer to replace the throttle position sensor that started acting up again today. Image: Flyover, Melville LA, December 20, 2008.
  • Sunday, December 21, 2008 - Livingston TX
    • I just crossed the border into Texas on US190 and found a nice Roadside Park to take a break and do a bit of research. There's a strong Verizon EVDO signal here and I'm going to take advantage of it. Image: Historic Roadside Park, US190, Newton County TX, December 21, 2008.
  • Saturday, December 20, 2008 - Eunice LA
    • I was on the road at 7:00 this morning and quickly crossed the Mississippi River into Louisiana and headed south on LA15 to explore the country down along the west bank of the river. Image: Breakfast Camp on the Levee, Black Hawk LA, December 20, 2008.
  • Friday, December 19, 2008 - Natchez MS
    • Today I resumed my journey westward journey. I took a leisurely jaunt a hundred miles or so down the Natchez Trace to its terminus in Nachez MS. Image: Knarl along the Trace, Natchez Trace north of Jackson MS, January 4, 2008.
  • Thursday, December 18, 2008 - Richland MS
    • The Bilstein shock bushings came in mid morning and Shipp's installed them this afternoon. Image: Spike, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS, December 9, 2008.
  • Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - Richland MS
    • Shipp's Truck Specialists in Florence MS rebuilt and aligned the front end of the Lazy Daze today. Image: Loblolly Loop, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS, December 9, 2008.
  • Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - Richland MS
    • McGivney Tire Service in Carthage MS couldn't do the alignment work on LD. Their rack is too small. So they sent me off to GCR Tire Center in Jackson, MS. Their alignment rack is too big... Image: Morning at Twiltley Branch, December 15, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Monday, December 15, 2008 - Richland MS
    • Today I drove over to Carthage MS to drop in on the tire shop that replaced the catalytic converter on the Lazy Daze for me last January to see if they could do the alignment I need so badly. They couldn't, and sent me off to a truck tire shop in Richland MS who can do the work. Image: Okatibbee Mist, December 15, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • I spent all day working on the Travels with LD archives and I finally came up with an architecture that should work. Have a look. Image: Full Moon Rising, December 12, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Saturday, December 13, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • Today was a quiet day here at Okatibbee Lake, spent making some behind-the-scenes upgrades to this website. Image: Okatibbee Lake, December 11, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Friday, December 12, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • We didn't get the snow forecast for yesterday; we didn't even get very much more rain. Today it cleared off and I taped with Eternabond the questionable seal I found the new Fantastic Fan. There is a good chance I've found the source of the leaks that have been haunting me. Image: Questionable seal at the new vent, Dec 12, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Thursday, December 11, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • It rained all night. LD's pesky leak leaked all night. Today snow is forecast - up to 5 inches. Not good. Come on gods, I need sun. There are leaks to patch. Image: Water on the floor by the door, Dec 11, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • The blow forecast for last night passed us by. There was a tornado warning that sent me off to the bathhouse for shelter and later a severe thunderstorm warning but nothing came of either one except for some heavy rain later in the night. So of course one of my elusive two leaks leaked. Image: Water on the floor by the door, Dec 10, 2008, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS.
  • Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • There's a storm brewing, even a tornado watch for tonight. I'm going to stay here a few more days and wait it out before resuming my travels westward on Monday. Image: Site 39, Twiltley Branch Campground, Okatibbee Lake, Collinsville MS, Dec 08, 2008.
  • Monday, December 08, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • I awoke to a rosy dawn here at Twiltley Branch Campground in Collinsville MS and spent the few minutes before dawn trying to grab a few pictures before the sun came up. Image: Sunrise at Okatibbee Lake, Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS, Dec 08, 2008.
  • Sunday, December 07, 2008 - Twiltley Branch Campground, Collinsville MS
    • I've accomplished all I had in mind for my visit to Tuscaloosa so today I'm heading west to Twiltley Branch Campground in Collinsville MS. Image: Taking Flight, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, Dec 01, 2008.
  • Saturday, December 06, 2008 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Well look who's here. Team Trails spent the night with me here in Wally's parking lot. They must be heading for their Jourdan River bass fishing tournament today in Waveland MS. Image: My overnight neighbors - Team Trails, Dec 06, 2008
  • Friday, December 05, 2008 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Yesterday when I got in to Tuscaloosa my first order of business was to buy some acrylic paints to use on accents in LD's new kitchen paint scheme. Today I'm going to play with paint. Image: Passing Towboat, Foscue Creek Park, Dec 02, 2008.
  • Thursday, December 4, 2008 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Today finds me leaving Foscue Creek Park and headed off to Tuscaloosa to pick up some supplies before heading west. Image: First look at the new kitchen paint, December 4, 2008.
  • Wednesday, December 03, 2008 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Before I leave Foscue Creek tomorrow I wanted to finish up a roof sealing project I've been working on. I found a couple of questionable spots around the Fantastic vents I thought might be leaking and resealed them with Eternabond tape. Image: On the Tombigbee, Dec 01, 2008.
  • Tuesday, December 02, 2008 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Today I did a little more painting in the kitchen. The light yellow I'm putting on the walls is a huge improvement over the silly fake wallpaper panelling Lazy Daze used. Image: LD at site 37 at Foscue Creek Park, Dec 01, 2008.
  • Monday, December 01, 2008 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • The Thanksgiving crowd has left and the Christmas On The River crowd is moving in for the festivities and parade on the Tombigbee River next weekend. Image: Tombigbee riverfront, site 51 at Foscue Creek Park, Dec 01, 2008.

November 2008

Camped at Site 45, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, November 22, 2008
Camped at Site 45, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, November 22, 2008

Travels takes a break

Clark Road looking west, May 8, 2008
Clark Road looking west, May 8, 2008

Travels With LD took a break while LD and I summered in Red Rock, then on November 14th we headed out on our sojourn to the American southwest for the winter.

May 2008

  • May 07, 2008 - I'm back home in Red Rock
    • Today completes my winter 2007 - 2008 adventure traveling the great American southwest with LD. Image: Parked in the lower driveway for the summer, May 8, 2008.
  • May 06, 2008
    • Today was a bone jarring trip across the southern tier of New York on my return east, taking me from Edinboro, PA to Painted Post, NY with a in stop Olean, NY to have the rig inspected before I get a ticket for an out-of-date inspection sticker.
  • May 05, 2008
    • Today was an easy travel day on my return east, taking me from Englewood Ohio to Edinboro Pennsylvania.
  • May 04, 2008
    • Something tied traffic up for miles east of Dayton OH this afternoon so I called it an early day.
  • May 03, 2008 - Terre Haute IN
    • Terre Haute, Indiana takes me into the eastern time zone for the first time since last November 30th and Google messes with Wal-Mart store locations again.
  • May 02, 2008
    • I decided to hole up here for a day to let a severe weather front break up ahead of me and to check on a ticking sound in the left front wheel of the rig that has me a little concerned.
  • May 01, 2008
    • Today I gave up my plan to take US 54 east to St Louis. From Elk City State Park I dropped down to US 160 east to I-44 east toward St Louis instead.

April 2008

March 2008

Camped along Mule Creek Road at the AZ border, Mule Creek NM, March 13, 2008
Camped along Mule Creek Road at the AZ border, Mule Creek NM, March 13, 2008 (Google map)

February 2008

January 2008

Moundville Archaeological Site, January 2, 2008
Moundville Archaeological Site, Moundville AL, January 2, 2008
  • Thursday, January 31, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Yesterday I enjoyed one of those serendipitous events that make traveling about the countryside such fun. Image: Setting up, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordon New Mexico, January 30, 2008.
  • Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Let's talk oatmeal. Image: Breakfast at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 29, 2008.
  • Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • The excitement promised by yesterday's wind advisory was a bust. There was some wind during the afternoon, enough that I could see and smell dust in the air and the White Sands would disappear into a white cloud now and then but nothing worth commenting about. Let's talk coffee. Image: John's RV coffee, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 29, 2008.
  • Monday, January 28, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • It doesn't take a strong wind to set this old Lazy Daze rocking. If the wind advisory for later in the day is right. I may find out if I'm closer to seasickness than to open water. Image: Just passing through, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo New Mexico, January 28, 2008.
  • Sunday, January 27, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • I've hopped from gotcha to gotcha but the gotcha is not so obvious this time. Image: Untitled, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 23, 2008.
  • Saturday, January 26, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Gotcha, best laid plans department. Last Tuesday I went into town to run some errands. Stocking up on groceries was one of those errands. Image: Sunset, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo New Mexico, January 23, 2008.
  • Friday, January 25, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • It's nice here at Dog Canyon and I'm staying put a while, at least for the 5 more nights I signed up for this afternoon. Image: Sunset, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 23, 2008.
  • Thursday, January 24, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • We have a little weather here at Oliver Lee today. No much. Just some clouds and the occasional shower. Just enough to keep me sitting here at the dinette catching up on journal entries. Image: Untitled, Davis Mountain State Park, Fort Davis Texas, January 12, 2008.
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - Oiliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • Not much excitement today. I spent most of the day working here, updating this travel journal Image: Untitled, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo New Mexico, January 23, 2008.
  • Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • I'm going into Alamogordo today. I need to do laundry, get some groceries, and most importantly test a credit card I haven't used in a couple of years. I need to make sure it is still good now that my primary card was compromised. Image: The first bench, Dog Canyon Trail, Oilver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo New Mexico, January 20, 2008.
  • Monday, January 21, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • It's a balmy 41 degrees here at Dog Canyon this morning. We like it after the cold snap of the last week or so. Image: Campground from Dog Canyon Rail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 20, 2008.
  • Sunday, January 20, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • I'm staying put. Today I signed up for 5 more nights here at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. This is a nice park and I might stay here two or three weeks. We shall see. Image: Dog Canyon Trail, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 20, 2008.
  • Saturday, January 19, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • This Verizon BroadbandAccess is the cat's meow. When it works. Here I have a strong EVDO signal, and it works splendidly. I've been delayed in keeping this travel journal up to date by poor internet access throwing me off kilter. It's good to be back on line. Image: Almost there, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 18, 2008.
  • Friday, January 18, 2008 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
    • It's deja vu all over again - eight degrees again this morning. I'm outa here. Not only is it cold here as I'm sure it is all over at the moment, but it isn't a pretty or interesting park. I'm heading west over the mountains through Ruidoso to Alamogordo, New Mexico and Oliver Lee Memorial State Park to see what I find. Image: Untitled, Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, Texas, January 13, 2008.
  • Thursday, January 17, 2008 - Bottomless Lakes State Park, Roswell NM
    • The southwest and I are suffering a cold snap. Eight degrees it is as I write here at Bottomless Lakes State Park out side Roswell, NM. That's darned cold in this under insulated RV. Oh, the Lazy Days are pretty tight but still there is a strong draft down off the single pane windows I like so much. Image: Dawn at McDonald Observatory, from the trail above Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, Texas, January 13, 2008.
  • Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - Bottomless Lakes State Park, Roswell NM
    • I've had enough. It's time to move on. The poor internet access here just won't do. I need at least dial-up speed somewhere. The signal here is reasonable and I can connect ok but there are such frequent signal drop-outs that the connection is useless. I'm gone. Image: Thumper, near Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico, January 16, 2008.
  • Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Today's journey: None, I stayed right here in camp. Image: Untitled, near Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico, January 16, 2008.
  • Monday, January 14, 2008 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Today I went in to Carlsbad to shop, access the internet for a bit, and have a talk with my web host about a persistent outgoing email problem I've been having. That all accomplished I visited the Living Desert State Park just outside Carlsbad on my way back to Brantley Lake. Image: Feeling prickly, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, January 15, 2008.
  • Sunday, January 13, 2008 - Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM
    • Today was a travel day and a fairly long one that took me north up TX 17 from Fort Davis, Texas to Pecos, Texas then north up US 285 to Brantley Lake State Park, a few miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Image: Dawn, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad NM, January 14, 2008
  • Saturday, January 12, 2008 - Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis TX
    • Last night while at the McDonald Observatory for their Twilight and Star Party programs I signed on for their excellent and usually sold out 36" Telescope Special Viewing Night. Images: Davis Mountains State Park, and The 107 inch Harlan Smith Telescope, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis Texas, January 12, 2008.
  • Friday, January 11, 2008 - Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis TX
    • Oh my, what to say about Marfa, Texas and The Chinati Foundation. The Chinati Foundation is a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas, based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald Judd. A visit to Marfa and the museum has been one of the stops on my itinerary for some time and I've been looking forward to my visit here. Images: Marfa, Texas, January 11, 2008 and Untitled, Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis Texas, January 12, 2008.
  • Thursday, January 10, 2008 - Alpine TX
    • Today took me from San Angelo TX to Alpine TX. To this layman, Texas' oil fields appear alive & well. There are service trucks running all over the place, fixing up old pumping equipment, repairing tanks, etc. Image: Untitled, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 22, 2007.
  • Wednesday, January 9, 2008
    • Yesterday was the first day of my quick blast across Texas. Not wanting to go through Waco, from Mexia TX I took TX 14 south to TX 7 west to I35 south to US190 west to US 87 to San Angelo, Texas. Image: LD at Gum Springs Recreation Area west of Winnfield, Louisiana, January 8, 2007.
  • Tuesday, January 8, 2008 - Mexia TX
    • It rained on LD's new sponge bath. One should know better than to wash the rig. It's sure to provoke the rain gods to play with me and carefully wet the roads. Not with a hard rain mind you, an occasional sprinkle will do fine. Image: Texas State Railroad, Rusk, Texas, January 8, 2008.
  • Monday, January 7, 2008 - Gum Springs Campground, Winnfield LA
    • LD got a sponge bath. Without the sponge. There's no water available here at this primitive campground so I used a rag dipped in a dishpan of water with a little Murphy's Oil Soap and distilled vinegar in it. Image: Untitled, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 19, 2007.
  • Sunday, January 6, 2008 - Gum Springs Campground, Winnfield LA
    • Slow down John, you're driving too fast. You're getting too far over that darned 40 miles per day budget, says I. Image: Paddle wheeler crank, Grand Gulf Military Park, Port Gibson, Mississippi, January 5, 2008.
  • Saturday, January 5, 2008 - Jena, LA
    • My stay at Grand Gulf Military Park was ok but not really my style. The campsites in the lower campground where I am are in a bit of a hollow with no views and none of the wildlife I enjoyed so much at Foscue Creek Park in Demopolis AL. Image: Through a dirty windshield at 50 mph, Natchez Trace Parkway, Southern Mississippi, January 4, 2008.
  • Friday, January 4, 2008 - Port Gibson MS
    • Today I had the catalytic converter replaced on LD at McGivney Tire Service in Carthage MS and then headed slowly down the beautiful, quiet Natchez Trace Parkway. Image: Don't feed the aligators, Natchez Trace Parkway, Southern Mississippi, January 4, 2008.
  • Thursday, January 3, 2008 - Carthage MS
    • This was a day spent investigating the engine hesitation problem LD has developed. The folks at Patriot Ford in Carthage MS diagnosed the hesitation as a faulty throttle position sensor and helped with a couple of other issues as well. Good people. Image: Moundville Archaeological Site, January 2, 2008.
  • Wednesday, January 2, 2008 - Philadelphia MS
    • Last night was one of the coldest I've experienced with LD and it wasn't much fun. Today I'm moving on. Image: Moundville Archaeological Site, Moundville AL
  • Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Last night I zoomed in on Midtown Village with Google Earth and was a bit surprised to find a newly bulldozed vacant lot. Google Earth is only a bit behind with their imaging though; construction is in full force and only a few stores are open now. Image: Untitled, Midtown Village, Tuscaloosa AL

December 2007

  • Monday, December 31, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Today is a quiet one, hanging out at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the new Midtown Village mixed use community in Tuscaloosa, catching up on the last few days Travels with LD pages and waiting for this year to end. Image: Hot Delicious Soup.
  • Sunday, December 30, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Camera shake on my new Canon SD1000 pocket camera is something I'll have to get used to. I'll miss the electronic IS (Image Stabilization) built into my old Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom, one of it's finer features. Image: The World at sunset, Tuscaloosa AL, December 30, 2007.
  • Saturday, December 29, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • I'm staying put a few days. Somewhere between Friday and Saturday I decided I'd rather stay here through the New Years holiday and leave on January 2nd. Image: Haybale figure at Jim Bird's Acta Non Verba, Forkland AL, December 26, 2007
  • Friday, December 28, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • I've been a touch frustrated with my old (ancient by todays standards) Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom digital camera. Always have been. I've been drifting toward finding a successor for it and am trying to figure out what my requirements are. Image: Bird, at Jim Bird's Acta Non Verba, Forkland AL, December 26, 2007.
  • Thursday, December 27, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • The website is back up. Sort of. There were some DNS server problems too technical for me to follow and they are not completely resolved (as of 11:29 EST). Image: Interstate, at Jim Bird's Acta Non Verba, Forkland AL, December 26, 2007.
  • Wednesday, December 26, 2007 - Tuscaloosa AL
    • Today is moving day. My wonderful Site 42 and its neighbors are reserved for a few days. Image: Taking flight, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 23, 2007.
  • Tuesday, December 25, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Here's a quote from the Poet: An Essay, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844. Image: Nightfall on Foscue Creek, December 23, 2007.
  • Monday, December 24, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • It's cold here in Demopolis this morning - 26 degrees - with a full moon lighting the mist over the glassy calm inlet. Beautiful. Image: Dawn at Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 24, 2007.
  • Sunday, December 23, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • I'm at a loss for words. Some days if feels as if keeping a daily journal going is beyond my capacity for words. This is one of those days. Image: Demopolis lock and dam.
  • Saturday, December 22, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Yesterday on my way back from Wal-Mart I took a ride down to the lower pool below the lock and dam to see what I could see. Image: The Bobby Joe James pushing its charges out of the lock at Demopolis AL, December 21, 2007.
  • Friday, December 21, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • We must be having a winter solstice along about now. It sure will be nice to see the days begin to lengthen. Image: Site 51 overlooking the river, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 21, 2007.
  • Thursday, December 20, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • As usual I took an early morning walk. Early morning is my favorite time of day. I get great joy watching and listening to the world, particularly the natural world, awaken and begin a new day. Image: Towboat Heloise passing Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 20, 2007.
  • Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Ah, yes, the green chair. Let's have a little fun with the green chair. Image: Green chair, on the peninsula behind LD, site 42, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 15, 2007.
  • Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • The temperature is a much more reasonable 35 degrees this morning, but there was still some frost. Ah, but the sun is coming out. It promises to be a fine day by the lake. Image: Fallen, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 18, 2007.
  • Monday, December 17, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Brrrr.... it's only 25 degrees here this morning. This may be a bit colder than is really comfortable for the Lazy Daze but at least it's a cut above the winter storm conditions the northeast is experiencing. Image: Sunrise at Site 42, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 17, 2007 (Brrrr - open the door & shoot).
  • Sunday, December 16, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Sunday dawned cold and blustery and foiled my plan for an early walking photo shoot. I've been thinking the last couple of days that I want to add more photographs to this journal. Image: The new, lovely little towboat Gretchen T pushing a load of xylene up the river, Demopolis AL, December 16, 2007.
  • Saturday, December 15, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Today marks the beginning of my second month on this excursion. Images: Armadillo and Site 42 at Foscue Creek Park.
  • Friday, December 14, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • I was up early again this morning for a walk out to the observation deck by the Tombigbee River to see if I could catch a passing barge. Image: Cove at Foscue Creek Park.
  • Thursday, December 13, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • This day dawned cloudy with a touch of mist in the air but the clouds now seem to be breaking up a bit. Maybe I'll get in the hike I have planned. There are some trails down near the lock I started to explore yesterday and I want to take an extended hike through the woods down there this morning. Image: Fungus, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 13, 2007.
  • Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Good morning from Foscue Creek Park, site 42. Once again I was up early this morning - about 5:00 am - for a walk out to the observation deck by the Tombigbee River. This morning was quiet compared to yesterday morning. Image: In the woods, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 13, 2007.
  • Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • I've been up since before dawn and spent a couple of early hours sitting out on the observation deck out on the point at the junction of the campground cove and the Tombigbee River. Listening to owls hoot, great blue herons honk. Image:US Coast Guard boat house, Demopolis Lock and Dam, Demopolis AL, December 13, 2007.
  • Monday, December 10, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • I've decided to stay another few days and to move over to site 42 which is out on a peninsula and laid out in such a way that I can leave my curtains open at night without losing privacy, and have a view of the cove on three sides. Image: LD set up on Site 42, Foscue Creek Park, December 12, 2007.
  • Sunday, December 9, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Today I spent some time cleaning the RV, walking around the park, and generally taking it easy. One could get used to this. Image: Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 13, 2007.
  • Saturday, December 8, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • I like this place and I think I'll hang out here a while. I'm on site 22 with the tail end of the RV with its wrap-around picture windows hanging practically out over the water. Image: Campground surrounding inlet, Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL, December 13, 2007.
  • Friday, December 7, 2007 - Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL
    • Today is a domesticus day. It's time to dump the tanks, do laundry etc. An internet search for local (to Demopolis AL that is) dumping stations turned up a couple of US Army Corp of Engineers campgrounds right near here on Demopolis Lake. Image: Foscue Creek, Demopolis AL, December 12, 2007.
  • Thursday, December 6, 2007 - Demopolis AL
    • Darn. Thirty degrees and the furnace didn't ignite last night. Makes me glad I have my Olympian Wave 6 catalytic heater to fall back on. Guess I might be here at Wally World a while this morning while I try and diagnose my furnace problem. Image: Foscue Creek, Demopolis AL, December 12, 2007.
  • Wednesday, December 5, 2007 - Demopolis AL
    • Before leaving Calera AL this morning I took a look at my road atlas to see where I might head. Oh boy - Talladega National Forest, the section south west of Birmingham AL, lies right in the path of AL route 25 I've been following. Image: Wal-Mart Supercenter in green, Demopolis AL, December 21, 2007.
  • Tuesday, December 4, 2007
    • Last night was cold - 30 degrees or so - and I barely had enough propane to see me through the night.
  • Monday, December 3, 2007
    • I've had enough travel for a bit and as long as I have a nice Lowe's next door to the last night's Wal-Mart I've decided to stay here for the day and catch up on some domestic chores.
  • Sunday, December 2, 2007
    • 9:05 am. As I write this here in the Wal-Mart parking lot I just looked up and noticed smoke coming from the chimney of a restaurant next door - they must be stoking up the fires for a barbecue.
  • Saturday, December 1, 2007
    • Today I decided I was in major need of a quiet few hours in a bookstore.

November 2007

  • Friday, November 30, 2007
    • Back on the Wal-Mart trail...
  • Thursday, November 29, 2007
    • Today I decided to move on out. My black tank was full and it's time to find a post office to mail a couple of letters, find a laundry, get some groceries.
  • Wednesday, November 28, 2007
    • Spent another quiet day at the Norris Dam State Park, catching up on domestic tasks. Took a short hike in the morning. Another beautiful fall day.
  • Tuesday, November 27, 2007
    • Spent a quiet day at the Norris Dam State Park, catching up on domestic tasks.
  • Monday, November 26, 2007
    • Today I found the Norris Dam State Park just outside Knoxville and decided to give Wal-Mart a break and stop here a few days.
  • Sunday, November 25, 2007
    • Still trying to get ahead of the encroaching cold weather.
  • Saturday, November 24, 2007
    • Not much to report this day.
  • Friday, November 23, 2007
    • Finally got my brakes back in order after a rather frustrating period of hard work and diagnosis by the mechanics here at Pro 1 Automotive.
  • Thursday, November 22, 2007
    • Happy Thanksgiving. The mechanics are off today.
  • Wednesday, November 21, 2007
    • About those squishy brakes. Squishy; is that a technical term? Not really, but it pretty well describes the feel of the brake pedal. Image: Critter, Fosque Creek Park, Demopolis AL.
  • Tuesday, November 20, 2007
    • Brakes, we gotta have brakes. Lost my brakes wandering around in the dark looking for the entrance to Wal-Mart. Image: Berry, Fosque Creek Park, Demopolis AL.
  • Monday, November 19, 2007
    • Slowly, slowly moving southward. I'm trying to keep a balance between quickly pushing south and taking my time to keep my expenses under control. Image: Pilings, Fosque Creek Park, Demopolis AL.
  • Sunday, November 18, 2007
    • I'm heading south. It's always been my traveling style to head off in a general direction and let the winds carry me along wherever my whims blow. Today my whims are blowing south. More or less down along the western flank of the Appalachian mountains. Image: White Sands NM, taken Feb 20, 2007.
  • Saturday, November 17, 2007
    • My trip to Ikea was a flop, from here I'm thinking of heading down along the Ohio River. Image: Squirrel's nest at Foscue Creek Park, Demopolis AL.
  • Friday, November 16, 2007
    • My immediate goals are to beat the weather south and to visit an Ikea store on the way. Image: LD set up at Foscue Creek Park in Demopolis AL.
  • Thursday, November 15, 2007 - Oneonta NY
    • Finally, after getting everything in order, I'm off on my first extended trip to the southwest with "LD," my old 1992 Lazy Daze RV. Image: Shoe fence near Vidal Jct CA.

Sell Them Down the River

Brown had in his camp a fine-looking Negro, who said he had run away from his master in Platte County, Missouri, because the man was going to sell him and his wife to a dealer who would take them south to the Louisiana sugar plantations. The average Missouri Negro looked upon being sold south as one or two degrees worse than being sent straight to hell. This viewpoint was fostered by the masters, who always threatened, when things went wrong, to sell them down the river. ...

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