Sunday October 8
I always
like Sundays in state parks you get to see the weekenders pack up and move
on out back the their work-day-lives. That leaves the palce to us
fulltimers for the most part. We spent many a time leaving a state park
on a Sunday and hating it for the the opposite reason. Back to work we
went. Looking with envy at the fulltimers still staying on into the next
week. It has gotten dark overcast and will storm soon.
Holding
out for better weather next week. The news sez it is the El-Nino
effect that should last all winter. That means Quartzsite will be warmer
with rain. That's ok with us... We would like to see the desert green like
two years ago. Holds down the dust also. A quiet evening Terry tying more
flies.
Monday October 9
We
awoke this morning with the gentle patter of rain drops on our roof.
All day our truck sat in a shallow puddle of rainwater, with showers rolling
through as the day progressed. We had intended to do laundry this
morning, but with the rain and the prospect of a greasy clay road to get
out on we simply stayed put all day. Lucky for us we had power to
our site so we webbed it and watched tv.
Guess we won't be grilling
outside tonight. This is a pic from the 5er door. There is a shelter roof
and a picnic table in that water. Our neighbors have
on several occasions this afternoon wandured past on the road, they
seem to be lost, the river has gotten a bit off color with the run off
and the rain is interfering with the fishing. Earlier this morning
there were warnings about flash flooding.
We
also decided to bake a batch of rolls for supper and the next few days,
Who ever said you can't bake in an rv oven, we use the oven regularly for
rolls, roasts and the occasional casserole. The pic is of the small
second batch pan. The main one had about 15 rolls in it.
Think we will try to move
to a higher ground campground site on Tuesday and go to town and do laundry.
And check out the NEW Wal
Mart supercenter. This is the second one for Farmington, NM. I need new
reading materials.
Tuesday October 10
The
sun tried to come out this AM so we got up and packed up the laundry and
headed to Aztec. Had planned to get flu shoots at Safeway but were told
they were by appointment only and all their vaccine was accounted for already.
Hope this is not things to come again this year trying to get shoots. We
will keep trying as we head south. Went to the NEW Wal Mart and I got a
hair cut by if I remember correct Alford.
After
stopped at KFC for the Tuesday special of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes,
Cole slow, biscuit. for $1.99 WOW with drink $2.99. Now that was a deal
and very good. That was at about 2:30 PM so a very light supper tonight.
Terry is off to Abe's fly shop here in Navajo Dam, NM fly to check conditions
for fishing tomorrow.
8
PM
Posted
this to RV.NET forum and thought I would
share it here...
We
are at Navajo Dam, NM for trout fishing and met a couple in the laundery
at Aztec, NM and got to talking. I asked her if they were fulltimers and
she siad. "Oh God No" I could tell she did not want to do that.
They travel a couple of months in the summer and head home to Houston,
TX as she said the adult kids tell her you can come home sooner...
One look at him (retired NAVY cap and T-shirt) and I could tell he would
be a fulltimer in a second. BUT D/W and kids have the upper hand. At least
he got a few of days of blue ribbon fly fishing at Navajo Dam, NM.
And
you thought I hit the recliner and didn't surf the forums. Terry is cooking
a light meal (small salad and a few golden brown shrimps (Wal Mart) had
a large box of them.
Next
Terry gets the computer and I get the recliner... and will follow up with
late night TV (we have both east and west cost network feeds so if it is
too early for one show we can get it several hrs later on the west coast
stations. Many times we just turn the whole thing off and 'internet it'
and 'read' but when the mood strikes us, DirecTV can entertain.
OH..
My God... 'Boston Legal' just came on... so much for this
BLOG... I need to get a better TV schedule!
Wednesday October 11
Another
day in Blue Ribbon Trout water at Navajo Dam, NM Terry went fishing and
only got a few strikes.
So
I'm here reading the forums. I did a some posts...
One
was 30 or 50 amp service?
We
have 30 amp service and one a/c in our 35 ft HH II 5er and just don't need
more power. Can run the air and micro at the same time. The electric water
heater doesn't heat the water like the gas side does. Now if you have a
clothes washer and dryer or two a/c yes you will need it. BUT Being a little
more GREEN
as they say and living off the grid with solar power is a good feeling
way down deep.
Since
we boondock as much as we can we threw out the electric toaster. The $2
on top of the gas stove toaster works just as well and the lights don't
dim when using it. Now you guys with the D/W who has to have that hair
blower... guess you should just go with the 50 amps.
A
post on Flat Screen TV in an RV:
LCD
and boondocking... So you ask what is the point.
I
looked at replacing my 25" tube in the 5er. Thought I could get a bigger
one to fit if LCD (and lighter) but then after careful study found the
LCD used more power than the 20 tube. I was surprised since my 17" lcd
computer monitor runs off a low voltage converter. We are off the grid
and use solar with an inverter and the thing I don't need is a new TV that
uses more power than what I use now.
The
LCDs were wider but narrow and even with a bigger number for picture size,
it looked smaller than the square tube modle. And with DirecTV DVR receiver
and a perfect digital signal, converted for the analog tube set, the picture
looks great. And running the sound through my stereo amp to the overhead
speakers, even sounds good.
Still
looking from time to time but sort of dropped back and happy for now with
what we have.
Having
tacos for supper and will see what is on TV. Not boondocking so using power
for all its worth.
Not
feeling real GREEN
right now.
Been
reading the paperback 'Predator' by Patricia Cornwell
I got at Wal Mart and it sort of sucks.
So
may have to get out and go for a hike tomorrow. There are no morning papers
this far out.
Think
it is time to sign up for USA Today online.
Thursday October 12
So
what can I say we are STILL here and will be for at least the weekend.
Navajo
Dam, NM Cottonwood
State Park.
I
can get USA Today online, works great. It is not just the for free site,
but the exact copy of the newspaper you get out of the machine but online
with a newsreader program. I can get it whenever I want for the street
price or subscribe for a discount for 13 weeks. Right now it is a
day at time for reg price.. Don't want to commit as when boondocked in
the BLM in Quartzsite we can get the printed copy from a machine at the
BLM entrance station for the regular 75 cents. OH I know online is good
but there is something about holding a paper in your hands...
The cottonwoods are in full
fall colors. It is about 70 by day and low of about 40.
And the blue ribbon trout
water is even sort of blue in the picture.
Terry has not had much luck
today... sez he lost one as it broke his line.
Think we will head to town,
Aztec and Farmington, NM on Friday to break it up and go for a ride.
Will be ready for the friday
night influx of people, watching campers move in for the weekend.
We even picked up a bunch
of wood (at vacant sites) for that weekend fire pit thing.
Friday October 13
We dumped our tanks and moved
to another site. It was much less than a 200 mile day. More like
50 yards.
The view from our new site.
Much more sun no trees anywhere close and we get afternoon sun.
The fall colors are great
and it has been clear and no wind all day. A fantastic fall day in northern
NM.
You can see some of the
last rains that are still on the drive. Terry went fishing and got two
18" trout today. They have to be 20" to keep.
But what fun to catch those
on on flies.
We are thinking about going
for a drive to Pagosa Springs, CO via some back roads from Navajo Dam,
NM.
An overall map of the area.
 
There is s state HW 511 from
the dam that goes to Lgnacio, not show on the above map.
We would then take HW 151
to Arboles and a County Road 500 that followes the San Jaun River (road
not show on the above map)
and maybe come back via
US HW 84. On Streets and Trips some of the roads look like they could
be FUN.
Not pulling a 5 er and they
look paved so how bad can it get? Should be a good day trip. We shall see.
HW 160 to the west goes
on into Durango, CO. to get a perspective see the small map above.
Saturday October 14
We took the drive and lucked
out by just getting off the back gravel road County Road 500 and into Pagosa
Springs as it started to pour.
We drove back on US 160
to Durango in the rain and as we were heading into Aztec it stopped. But
now back at the campground it has been wave after wave of rain storms.
This place is very wet. The campers are NOT Happy. Most are very
wet. NO campfires tonight. And we feel sorry for the tent and popup units.
I spent many years camping in tents and went through two popups. As here
we sit in our 5er with the heat pump keeping us warm and me typing this
on the internet and a HBO movie playing on the tube. Terry is slow cooking
BBQ ribs in the oven, will serve with cole slaw and potato salad. Oh...
and a cold margarita in my hand.
We ran across Pagosa
Jct. along county road 500 and the remnants of the old Denver &
Rio Grande Western narrow gauge rail road.
Suprising that this short
section of rail and the car were left behind when the rest of the rail
was pulled up when the line was abandoned.
In the background one can
see the collapsed water tower. This was on the same line preserved
by the Durango & Silverton Narrow
Gauge RR and the Cumbres
& Toltec Narrow Gauge RR.
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