Day 11

Got up at 6:20am took out dog, fed dog and cat and went back to bed. Though a little broken up, for the first time in a long time I got 10 hours sleep. Now to get ready for my day out with Heather.

Took dog for nice walk so she went potty. Feel like a mean mom leaving her without food, but she will be locked in 75 degree RV for 9-10 hours. This will be a good test on how long she can hold it.

Met a women over by bathroom who made fun of us people with AC running. Though today is actually a nice day and I explained that mine has to be on for pets. It is on for me only when temps go over 80. She thought dog was old and was surprised to find she was only 8.

Time to head south to Albuquerque. I think it is only an hour drive, but will give myself some leeway.

Wound up being an hour early, so getting a bite to eat in a sit down restaurant. Have not eaten in a restaurant since November 2011. Nothing fancy because I want to have room for dinner tonight with Heather and all her Partilite family of friends. So short stack and OJ only.

Heather arrived, I collected my stuff and got in her car. Don't know about her, but for me it did not feel like a first meet. Things flowed and was real comfortable from the moment I got in her car. We walked around Old Town and ate sopapillas. We stopped in the mall for Heather to get something from Bed and Bath. They were sold out. Ms Booth introduced me to her favorite clothes store. We shopped the sales and I now own my softest and most expensive pair or sweat pants from Hollister. Never heard of them till today as I am a bargain shopper not a brand shopper. I am told they will last a long time. We shall see. :-P

Next we meet up with M, Jimmy, Devon, Dustin, Liz and Rick at Boston Bar and Grill for dinner. Heather and I not that hungry, so we split 3 sliders. Heather ate the fries and I got a side of broccoli as I have been veggie deficient lately.

After dinner we drove up to Sandia Tramway way to look out over everything. One day next week we plan on going on tram just before sunset. Plus doing so scares me and I will face that fear.

Back at camp by 11pm. Dog did good for 12 hours. Only thing she got in trouble for was getting on couch. She knows better, but figured she was watching out window as I left blind up a little for cat to look out. I am sure my dog wonders how I always know. If she ever figures it out, she might learn to fix throw she messed up to cover her tracks. Lol

Now it is time to find heat wraps as I really need them tonight.

Day 9 Traveling Day

What a night. First to hot even with windows and vents open to sleep. Plus could not find a position that would help my back stop hurting. Then dog added to the mix because she was upset she could not sleep in her spot when slide is closed. Funny how animals make their own routine and get upset when broken. I know she wants to be close, but she can see me from living room. Not like it is far away. Finally started to fall asleep when my guts started up. Lets just say for next hour it is a good thing I have an onboard water closet. Don't know what was the cause, but almost afraid to eat. Will have a little oatmeal though, as I'm hungry.

Cat was funny in that anything not in its place or something new is cause to slowly approach and whack it. When she jumped in bed and saw an odd object near my pillows, she did just that. Now she has met my pocket pistol.

Upon taking the dog out this morning I found I did not lock door and that is something that is normally habit. :-(

Onboard generator has not been run in 7 month, so it was stubborn staying started at first. Tire was down 60 lbs this morning. Did something I never do. I left air in compressor just in case I need a few lbs before I park again for the night.

Stopped at Flying J in Amarillo TX to top off tank. Walked dog and then went in for.99 44oz soda. Fancy machine that had a syrup dispenser. So put 2 squirts of cherry and 2 of lemon. That was a really good Pepsi. Since pizza was a 2 for,  I got 2 slices. One for lunch and one for dinner.

Next stop was a rest area west of Santa Rosa NM. I was planning on staying there for the night. Plans changed for two reasons. One, when I took dog out and was hit by the heat, I knew we needed AC. Air hot, wind hot and hard to breath. Second, there was only 108 miles left to go. I will pay another $10 to have a campsite with power.

Upon parking last night the wind came and I have been dealing with it since. Driving in it with such a high profile rig is tiring and sucks up the fuel. Driving on hwy 285 was not bad as it was more tailwind that time.

Found out my $10 a night campsite with 50 amp power has no water. That is fine though. I unhooked car, backed into a site with water and put some in the tank. Of course the people from TX that reseved it came in while I was filling. They were nice about it, but I did not want to hold them up. I stopped at 2/3rd and got out of the way. Good thing to as more were coming in.

Even though my spot is on a hill where I picked to park in it was level. So I only had to drop jacks for support, for slides to be put out. Once power was hooked up, I got AC on and then finish setup. Cat is finally out of hiding. We all ate and now I am resting as my back not happy with me.

Since I am here for 10 days I am hoping to be able to meet up/hang out with Heather and Sarai, as well as see things I may have missed when here in 07 for a week.

Day 6

Going to be another fairly non active day. Not only because of feeling fatigued, but also because it is way to hot and humid.

Feels good being able to wear my favorite Levi cargo pants that I have not been able to wear for over 4 years when my body did a massive 20 lb weight gain in a week and slowly kept climbing and fluctuating since then. I guess herbs and actually eating more then once a day is helping a little.

Don't know why I showered and dressed today. Took dog for a walk to lake. She got in, but my dog won't really swim. She walks around biting at the water. I rarely wear shorts, so I just watched at waters edge. By the time we walked back, I was very damp. Need another shower now.

I have seen a lot of dragonflies in my life, but never so many different species in one place.

There are still a few people camping by the lake. I saw something I have never seen before. Tent campers in RV site so they could have power to run a 5 cu ft chest freezer they brought along. I guess ice chests and ice was not good enough.
The big cyclone fan in a campsite is another strange thing to see.

Cat was enjoying my comfy chair when we left. Came back and even though RV is not that big, I have no idea where she went into hiding.

Decided today was a good day to drive to WalMart and pick up a few things, leaving dog in AC of RV. It is so hot, even she doesn't want to go outside. The total bill was just under $115 and I'm a bargain shopper. What I got should (has to) get me through rest of month.

Now off to watch the 15 episodes still on DVR from years ago of 'The Legend of the Seeker' before I delete them. Once DVR is empty there will be nothing left to watch.

It is crazy to do especially in Oklahoma, but love standing outside watching the lightening. My dog of course won't go out and is hiding or so she thinks because of the thundering.

Day 4

Actually did not fall asleep until after midnight. Slept a little better then I have and did not get up till almost 9am. Dog needed out and cat wanted breakfast.

The nicer host asked me if I wanted to move to a site near the water tomorrow when people pull out. Said I was good where I was. Closer to water means more biting bugs. Here I have only had flies and dragonflies which is better then getting eaten. She also gave me a map and told me of trails and that if I get somewhere and have a problem just call and a ranger will get you back. Also if they see a car parked by a trail for more then two hours, they will ride in to check. I saw yesterday that some rangers ride the trails on golf carts.

Time to eat a little something and then get out of night clothes and then do something. Just know that I can't hike to Buffalo and Antelope Springs, with Paika,  because I just read that it is a no dogs trail once it goes east of Nature Center. It then becomes a wheel chair accessible trail. That also tells me that the hike is only a mile in from this area. Maybe park at Nature Center and leave dog in car under shade. Just random thoughts.

Tried to leave dog at camp in AC, but she was not having it. So loaded up and drove to Hillside Springs and parked. Paika decided she now had to pee so walked her to woods. Went to find the trail and remembered I forgot her leash on hood of car. Back we go, hook her up and start again. Hiked to Lincoln Bridge which is the entrance to Flower Park. Here we found the Vendome mineral well shooting water 3' in the air and running into a stream and healing pools. A women about a 100 was filling her jugs and swore to the healing properties. I drank about 1/2 cup worth holding my breath. If dog had any unknown ailments, she should be good from drinking and wading in it. Maybe I should return with a jug. ;-)

Then walked and found Black Sulphur Springs which is not running at leased not to the surface anymore. Rock Creek is a creek fed by 4 mineral springs and dog waded and drank from that too. We are taking a break in the shade as Paika was dragging arse. It is getting hot now.

Probably was a bad idea for break. By doing so mass fatigue washed over me. So calling it quits for now. Hiked back to car which we were happy to see. Dog so happy she could not wait to jump in.

Drove to parking lot near Vendome and put some water in a bottle to drink later. Now back at camp where I will remain for rest of the day. Since I missed ranger program last night, I will walk to Amphitheater for tonights program.

Only took 1 pic with phone today of Lincoln Bridge. Only took a couple more with real camera.

Did attend ranger program at Amphitheater tonight. On the walk over my dog got to see her first Armadillo as it crossed the road only a few feet in front of us. To dark to get a picture. :-( 
I was the only one that knew the answer to the question 'how many species were counted at BioBlitz last year'. Even though I was not able to attend as planed due to caring for my mom, I did read up on it after.

Talked to a few hosts afterwards. The one that I got in trouble with yesterday actually fell in love with my dog. When the other host found out I was walking, she said 'that's a long walk, do you at least have a flashlight?' No, but I will be fine as I have good night vision. I was told to be careful of snakes and such. I'll be fine.

Day 3

Got to sleep by midnight. Less tossing about and got out of bed by 8am. Made some Chai, ate some instant oatmeal, fed cat breakfast and took dog out. Sun is out today, so time to shower, dress and see what today brings.

Need to get back to taking my herbs. I've been bad about doing so lately. Got them out of cabinet and doled out a weeks worth. Those are sitting on edge of dining table as that is the most right in your face can't miss them spot.

Guess I picked the wrong time to look at my email. Such a loving missive from ex. (said very sarcastically) about divorce.  " I have waited almost 3 months for you to get the money to finish the divorce papers. I have done my part of paying and paperwork. It is your turn to finish it now."
My reply was probably to much information, but I tend to be long winded and explain. " No it is not. Original verbal agreement was you were to pay. Your words 'I did this, I should pay for it'. Right now there are more important things for me then our divorce or even the bathroom for that matter. I don't plan on getting involved ever again. No dating for me, so divorce not important. Only downfall is that if anything happens to either of us, we have spousal rights. I sat in that house dying, my spirit broken. From Jan-June I had only been away from Waldo 2x. Would only go to store when dog/cat food was needed. I knew something had to change when I would visit with the JW's that came to my door. So I got an equity loan to consolidate bills so I could get out of red every month. I got in the black, but barely. I got online and sold some of my scuba gear and a few other things, but not for divorce. It was so get car outfitted to tow. It will be slow going at one tank of fuel a month, but hoping I can make it to Cocolalla before I have to turn around and be back in Waldo for winter. I decided my mind, my crippled up body, my wounded heart and my spirit need attention now and that trumps all. I headed out Wednesday (paperwork left home of course) and only know I will try to return by winter. If I feel up to it and have the money (which I doubt) I may finish it then. If you want it done and over with, feel free to grab the ball and run. My life does  not revolve around you anymore. I don't need to do things for you or ensure your happiness anymore. My only job now is to do/care for Me. I am losing mobility, so the time for me is Now. Oh, had no where to have mail forwarded, so until I do it is just stored in Waldo PO. So if any mail is sent, I may not see it till I return. Bye"

That is out of way now. I could have ignored it, but to me that is plain rude. Also if I didn't reply it would have stayed with me all day. Now I can forget about it and enjoy my day. Off are the dog and I to places unknown to us. :-) Made a bottle of lemon water for me and filled another with plain water for her. 

Did not use maps or GPS. Today was just a fly by the seat of your pants day and see what I come across. Headed out of campground on a road we had not been on yet and found Little Niagra Falls. Got my walking stick, grabbed camera and then was a good girl and leashed up dog. On this walk we followed the sign to Travertine Island and Lost Cave Falls. Then went off trail following my ears as they heard more falls.

Headed next to Travertine Nature Center. Dog stayed in car as I was just after a postcard and park ink stamp. I try to collect one from all National areas visited. Ranger Vicki and I started talking and we talked about travels, pets, wildlife, what trail dog is allowed on and can get in water. She loved my Click It reading glasses and had me show them off to 3 other rangers. We talked about the different springs that the natives used for their healing properties. One for the sprint, one for the body, one for the mind and another for skin ailments. I need all of them. Ranger B. Rice even offered me a rescued box turtle to adopt. I declined, which was hard for me.

Next I saw a sign for Veterans Lake, so drove over to check it out. On the way stopped at Bromide Hill and stood close to the edge to take a picture of the view. Ran into a lesbian couple with 2 dogs and said hello, then continued the short hike. Did not feel like doing the longer hike as I'm getting worn out. Longer hike would get me to Bromide Springs. This one is for the stomach.

Stopped at Bison Lookout and walked about 1/2 mile of trail before turning back. Did not find the Bison. Maybe try the trail going other direction another day.

Stopped at Hillside Springs and could smell sulphur. Dog drank from this one. Sign said no drinking so I passed. Went over to Pavilion Springs a short walk away and even though I could still smell sulphur I drank a little anyway. Here there was no sign except for one that showed what all was in the water.

Want to go to Buffalo Springs but that is a 2.1 mile walk (1 way) from Pavilion and needs to also be on a different day.

Drove around and saw a sign for Turner Falls, so headed that direction. Did not find falls, 
but did find Turner Falls Park which is a tourist area. So turned around and headed back. Got a burger, tots and strawberry slush at Sonic in Davis for $3.06. Filled car up in Sulphur for $3.32 gal. Last time I put gas in car was March and it was $3.80 then.

Drove back to the Buckhorn Campground and as soon as I parked, opened door for dog to get out and got called out by a host to put her on a leash. I struggled to get out of car and stand up. Said she just got out of car, as I hobbled over to RV to open door. Did my tongue click (same as used with horses) and dog went in. Host said Thank You and that I need to get out first and leash dog before she leaves car. :-P

Now to relax and deal with pending headache. So that is it for today.

Took a few phone camera pics for this blog. Good pics are on camera and I can't do anything with them until I get laptop out and connected to internet. But all pics that are put on blog with phone will at least let you see a little of what I am seeing. Don't know why they always upload sideways, but my niece will get them fixed when she can. :-)

Updated Map

Now that Natale has posted some images, she's now officially on the map!  As she posts more in her travels, we'll get to zoom out on the map and see her overall journey.  But in the meantime, she's in the Oklahoma area, so if you'd like to see her, you best get a hold of her now!

Click on the map to see more details.

More to come soon, I'm sure!

Christina

Day 2

Going to be a fairly non active day.
Fell asleep by 10pm, guess I was really tired. But did not remain asleep long. Tossed around a lot due to back, hips, neck, shoulders hurting and the dang cat constantly jumping on my chest and kneeding. I did try to keep getting sleep and to the joy of the pets, got up around 8am. Made cappucino, gave kids their breakfast and then took dog on a potty walk. My shoes and jacket were shocking to put on as they are still wet.
It is still rainy out, but only a light rain. I am enjoying the coolness of it even if m ybody is not happy. Door and windows are open.
Time to hook up water and turn on water heater.
Put a harness on cat. She did not freak out like other cats have, but still funny watching her belly crawl around trying to rub it off.
Watched some old recorded programs on DVR and dosed every now and then. Guess still tired.
Decided to get out, so took myself and the dog for a short walk around loop D. Saw a lot of people, but of course talked to none. Well with the exception of a guy who asked 'are you the host'? No, but you can find her on loop C space 20. That was my only human contact today.
This evening dog and I walked loop C. Waved at people. Dog is more out of shape then me,even with all my ailments.
Sorry readers, but today is just a boring day. Hope my body and mind are more willing to entertain tomorrow.
Pictures of Arbuckle Lake and my campsite. Lake pictures are from loop D and loop C.