Nasty weather-November 30, 2014

At 4:30 this morning it was 53 degrees. It is now 22 and falling plus it could snow. This is one of the things we don't like about this area. If you like the weather, wait a few minutes and you won't like it at all!! We are having to buzz around here this morning and get everything done that takes water because we know it will freeze. I keep repeating my mantra, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". We are strong. We are strong. We are strong. Who am I trying to convince?

I hope your Sunday will be less of a challenge than ours. In fact I hope you have a wonderfully
peaceful day filled with many blessings.

The sun'll come out tomorrow......................

Yet another one-November 28, 2014

It's a sunset. Go ahead and delete now if you like. I just cannot believe these gorgeous sunsets keep appearing for me to enjoy and share.

Doesn't it look like the sky is on fire? This was taken from Derrick's house.

 

Our Thanksgiving dinner at Derrick's house was delicious. He is actually quite a good cook and is very creative. We had Cornish hens instead of turkey. Since then we have all been busy. But I'm never too busy to stop and appreciate a gorgeous sunset.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

Turkey Day-November 26, 2014

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

 

I wish everyone a wonderful day.

Please take a moment to say thanks for the blessings that surround you.

 



One more day-November 25, 2014

It's supposed to snow a little tonight, less than an inch. After that we should be into decent weather for a while. We can remember so many Christmas Days that were very pleasant and warm. We hope this year is like that.

We brought Hannah out to our coach today. She knew it, of course, but when it was time to go, she headed for the Cute Red Vehicle. Bless her heart. We confused her. But we still had fun. We played all sorts of things plus we danced the "party dance". A few days ago we had to do the "pumpkin seed dance". These are her titles, not ours. She is such a character.

I am so excited that I will be able to cook my favorite sweet potato pies this year for the first time in four years. I cooked the sweet potatoes today, so I am ready to get busy in the morning. I can hardly wait.

Wish you could join us for a piece of pie!

We made it-November 23, 2014

Look closely and look at our helper as were packing up to leave

Colorado City. He apparently lives in the park all the time because

people do not concern him. He was very calm. And cute.

 

The drive to Derrick's house was very windy and the traffic was really heavy. It was a relief to get here. We parked on the street to unhook the car. Then I put Hannah in the front seat and let her ride  while Jerry got it parked in the side yard. Her eyes got big and she just grinned. It didn't take her too long realize the view is very different than from a car seat in a car. It would not be hard to get her to ride with us on a trip.

We got settled in and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Then we went into the house and babysat both girls while their parents went to a movie. Hannah was hilarious and had as much fun as we did. Zoey is coming around and starting to know who we are. She was very good. It was so late when we got back to the coach but we didn't mind. We had a good time.

Now we settle into a different location and try to get past the next couple of cold days. After that we should be fine for a while.

We are grateful we had a safe return to Hurricane Hannah. She brings such a joy to our lives.

Making progress-November 21, 2014

We made it to Colorado City today very easily. There were no storms and no wind. It was partly cloudy which is always helpful.

I thought I would share a few pictures with you. In random order......................

This is a mackerel sky I spotted on Thursday. I was driving on I-40

while taking the picture. Jerry was in the passenger seat turning ashen

and holding his breath.

 

This walkway goes across I-40. It's not unusual for a walkway to

go across an interstate, but the metal sculptures seem odd to me.

Sometimes I think they look like free form dinosaurs.

 

 

And this metal sculpture which appears to be either

stainless steel or chrome is along side the highway.

It is built like a totem pole but has Hispanic symbols

on it. It must be really tall because this is an elevated

portion of the road.

 

I-25 in northern New Mexico. I have wondered many times why

they didn't go around this huge pile of rocks instead of blasting

a hole through it. All of the land around this is as flat as can be.

This just sticks up in the middle of nowhere like a blister on one's nose.

 

I didn't realize I was holding the phone crooked. This is on the top

of Raton Pass. The snow is still there from a week ago. I don't think

it will be melting any time soon. All along this part of the route there

was evidence that mag chloride had been sprayed to keep the road

from being icy during that snow storm. We are happy we missed that.

 

Jerry said going up Raton Pass is not bad. It's going down that is wild and harrowing. The road drops 1800 feet at a 6% grade. It really is something. And it's much more adventurous in a coach than a car. But we made it!

 

Tomorrow we have the thrill of going through Denver on a Saturday. That's always such a treat.

 

 

 

 

 

Going north-November 20, 2104

Do you see why we want to head north?

We are missing Hurricane Hannah.

 

We see an opportunity in the weather and we are going to seize it. God willing, we'll see Hannah in a couple of days. Prayers for safe travel are appreciated.

What to do-November 19, 2014

We both have developed OCD trying to keep up with the changing weather forecasts. We follow the predictions when two different people say the same thing. Having said that, our plans to stay another week are going to be cut short. High winds are moving into every part of our route starting on Sunday. Therefore we have decided to leave on Friday and head back. If the weather keeps changing our plans will do the same. We just don't like the wind.

The nights have been cold here, but most of the days are quite nice. It's not humid so the cold is more tolerable. We are warmer than most of Colorado. Most of the country is suffering with this Arctic front so we certainly cannot complain.

We have a fabulous lunch today at Nexus. It is not close to us, but it had such great reviews we hated to pass it up. The service was unreal and the food was phenomenal. I ordered red beans and rice which is one of my most favorite foods. However, this dish was too hot for me to eat. Jerry can eat it but I could not. The waiter said I would not be charged for the dish and I told him I most certainly would be. It was not their fault. I should have asked if it was spicy. So he charged me and then gave me a gift certificate for a free entrée on our next visit. Restaurants just don't do things like that these days. When we get back in this direction we most certainly will eat here again. Excellent!

Everybody stay warm!

Will keep you posted on our progress.

Staying put-November 15, 2014

We are trying not to be depressed that the bad weather is not moving anywhere. We are still not as cold as Colorado but it is not pleasant here. We are trying to tolerate. But we are missing Hannah.

I made a crock pot full of homemade vegetable soup before we left this morning. We consider that to be one of the most enjoyable cold weather meals. I am pleased with the results.

We have nothing on tap for tomorrow as the high should only be 45 degrees. That's stay in and stay warm weather. I hope the weather is better where you are.

May your Sunday be pleasant and relaxing.

Brrrrr-November 13, 2014

We always watch the weather wherever we may be as well as weather where family and friends are. We did not expect cold weather here until late last night when they changed the forecast. So, Jerry turned on a light bulb we keep in the wet bay. That 60 watt bulb is enough to keep everything in that bay from freezing. Then we dripped the faucet in the kitchen sink. It dropped to 21 degrees last night. And it was just below 50 in the bedroom when we woke up. That's cold in my book. It did not go above freezing until noon today. It was such a shock to people that there were frozen pipes all over the park. And there were frozen pipes in a number of coaches and 5th wheel trailers. The couple next to us who are on their way to Sedona, AZ had a frozen water pipe this morning. That's tough. We faired well though we were cold. It takes so little to prevent freezing so we are not sure why people don't take those small steps. Sunday night is supposed to be worse. We are a bit apprehensive about that.

When we did thaw out we headed to town. This park is just outside of the city limits up on a hill. The pollution in Albuquerque was so shocking we did not know what to say.

I was driving so I could not zoom in like I wanted to. The lower

level brown cloud in about the center of the picture covers up the city

of Albuquerque. It is disgusting pollution. It really gets to your eyes and throat, too.

 

We hope tomorrow is nice enough that we can go somewhere touristy though we are not excited about breathing that nasty air.

 

Before I forget again, please let me share with you what UPS told us. Starting January 1, they are going to change the way they compute shipping charges. Instead of it being done by weight, it is going to be based on the size and shape of the package. She said "it will be much more expensive" than it is now. So, we are already thinking of how to avoid UPS or FedEx. The Post Office is no cheaper. So, start planning ahead for next year's shipping. It goes without saying it will affect whatever you order online, too. Gotcha!

 

 

 

 

Nice here-November 12, 2014

Since we arrived here in Albuquerque on Monday afternoon, we have not had a reason to complain about the weather. It is definitely not summer weather, but it is oh so much better than where we left. We feel guilty for those having to tolerate the sub-zero weather there. We hope it changes soon but right now that doesn't look like it's in the picture. We can hang out here for a while but if it continues for a long time we might have to change our minds. We'll take it a day at a time.

I will say the fall colors here are beautiful. The gold and yellow leaves glow in the sunshine. I tried taking pictures but the glow does not show up so they just look like gold and yellow leaves.

It will be cool tonight and probably tomorrow. It will be 28 tonight and mid 50s tomorrow. That's our coldest night. In Colorado at Derrick's house it is 4, going to 17 below tonight and a high of 15 tomorrow with sunshine. We know we would not have survived that. If we did not freeze in our sleep, our pipes certainly would have. So, it is a big huge blessing to be here.

Yesterday we had a great meal at the Route 66 Buffet. But it was even more interesting to watch the people. There were so many different Native Americans there that it was just fascinating. Tomorrow we'll start scoping out Mexican restaurants.

If it's cold where you are, please stay warm. And if you're warm, pray for those who are not. Have a great evening.

Very long day-November 10, 2014

As pleasant as yesterday's travel was, today's was not. The crosswinds were absolutely terrible the entire day. Tumbleweeds were blowing all over the place. I felt so sorry for Jerry. There is absolutely nothing I can do except offer verbal encouragement. We did arrive in Albuquerque late afternoon. We connected in spite of the wind which was better here but still bad. Now we are recovering. I was able to take only a couple of pictures because the movement of the coach blurred everything.

These are the Sangre de Cristo mountains, part of the Rockies.

These are in extreme southern Colorado and into northern New Mexico.

Translated from Spanish to English it means "Blood of Christ".

 

At the top of Raton Pass (elevation 7200+) one sees signs warning

of elk and bears. I missed the bears sign. The bear sign is a bit alarming.

 

This interesting mountain is just outside of Santa Fe. I don't know yet what it is called. 

 

We have never driven in the coach from Colorado City south to Albuquerque. Everything looked very different. If we had not had such a rough ride we would have seen a lot more new sites. Still we are very grateful to have made it here safely.

 

We suspect we will be here longer than anticipated because that horrible Canadian front is really going to hang on up north. We are sorry for everyone who has to deal with that cold. At the same time we are missing our comfy "personal RV park" we were in. It was an excellent location with a fabulous landlord. Hopefully we can return soon. 

 



 

 

Colorado City-November 9, 2014

After we got on the road this afternoon, we checked and found that the temps projected for this week were lowered yet again and extended for several more days. How about a low of 1, yes one degree on Wednesday night after a wonderful high of 15 degrees during the day? No thanks. We knew leaving was the right thing to do. As hard as it was to leave there was a certain amount of peace as we drove south on the interstate. There were plenty of crazy drivers on the road but there were fewer cars in total. It was cloudy so that helped a lot.

I've always liked Pikes Peak and how the view changes as you drive south.

The first glimpse of Pikes Peak as you head south.

 

 

The view as you get close to the Air Force Academy. Lots of

zoom in this picture.

In the terms of the age of mountains, Pikes Peak is an antique

as evidenced by the round top.

 

Just about the last view as you leave Colorado Springs.

 

 

We arrived in Colorado City before the sun set. I was happy about that. As I have stated before this is the prettiest part of the entire state in my meager opinion. It is surrounded by the Green Mountains, still a part of the Rockies.

 



WARNING: I AM ABOUT TO POST ANOTHER SUNSET PICTURE.

 

Sunset over the Green Mountains.

 I just love all the different colors.

 

We have reservations in Albuquerque tomorrow. The weather there is to be quite nice. We hope it holds.

 

 

 

 



A quick trip-November 8, 2014

First please let me apologize to my Mother that she will probably read this before I can call her. We got home too late tonight to call. I'll call you on the way out of town if traffic is not too bad.

For the next few days here, let me show you the projected highs and lows. Starting with tomorrow: 71/36, 52/16, 27/9 with snow, 16/4 with snow, 25/10, 33/13, 31/4, 28/6, 31/11. We have been in temps as low as 17 degrees at night but warm during the day. We see no conceivable way we can stay in here with only an inch of Styrofoam surrounding us with a high of 16 during the day and as low as 4 at night. We are parked where the north wind would not bother us, but the cold still creeps in. These land barges are fair weather birds just as we are. After following the Canadian cold front dropping in on us for a week, we have finally come to our senses and figured out we need to get out of Dodge for a couple of days. Well, a week actually. We do not like to travel on Sunday but there are no options. We will go spend a week in Albuquerque and return when the weather warms. We will definitely be back here before Dec 1st. It has been emotional for us to make this decision, but at least our common sense won out. You may ask why Albuquerque? Because I finally learned to spell it without having to look it up!!

Therefore we went out to eat tonight with Hannah and her family. When we got to their house and we were saying our good-byes, I bent down to hug her and she touched my cheek and said, "You stay here." How I held myself together I'll never know. So I can assure you, God willing, we will be back here as soon as possible.

If we find anything fun and new in Albuquerque, you know I will post it. However, we have explored there before and we doubt there is anything new. However, their weather is definitely projected to be quite decent. We will just hunker down and hope time passes quickly.

I would be most appreciative of a prayer for our safety. We are quite unsettled about leaving though we know we have no choice.

I do hope you have a peaceful and quiet Sunday. And I hope the cold weather misses you.

A long time-November 6, 2014

We have been so very busy I had no idea how long it had been since I posted on this blog. We had about decided to stay another two weeks to get our Christmas shopping done and gifts wrapped. Then next week's weather forecast was changed drastically. There will be at least one day next week that does not go above freezing and it's down into the teens several nights. We cannot survive that. So, now we are frantically trying to figure out when to drive out if here and where to go. Without a doubt, we have ruled out winter on the southern border of Texas, Arizona or New Mexico. We know Las Vegas is in the crosshairs of some not too pleasant people so we are hesitant to spend the entire winter there. All the while we are trying to figure out where to go, we have Hannah asking us not to leave every time we take her home. It is heart breaking to walk away from her and that's when we are just coming back to the coach. Driving out of here for good is not something we can imagine dealing with. There are no more two conflicted people anywhere than we are right now.

Today was just gorgeous. It was so pretty we went out and chased bubbles. Hannah just loves bubbles, the bigger the better. And she ran until she wore herself out completely. We did not even need jackets today. That's how nice it was. But that is coming to an abrupt halt in just a few days.

I have to post one more picture of Hannah. It may be a long dry spell before I post another one if we have to leave here right away.

Besides chasing bubbles, Hannah loves playing with rocks,

all kinds of rocks. She loves all sizes and shapes. She loves to talk

about the colors of the rocks and I've been trying to teach her the

different kinds of rocks, well the ones I know anyway. She also informed

us this morning she LOVES red tractors! Funny little girl.

 

That building in the picture is on the property beside this one. It

is also on the market. It will take months to clean all the junk out of

that building if they ever sell it. Literally, months. Bless their hearts.

 

We will be babysitting both girls tomorrow night. That's always an adventure. Zoey does not really know who we are yet. She just knows that she has seen us before and will smile at us. She gets a bit bent out of shape if her routine is changed in any way. But we'll get through it.