Apricity West

January 15, 2020, Friday

 

Took Gracie (VW) for a ride today to Las Cruces which is about 50 miles east of Deming. We pulled off at a rest area to see a close up of the Road Runner metal sculpture. 

Also came upon a huge tumbleweed at the onramp to Interstate 10. Couldn’t stop for a picture but it was about 3 feet in diameter. 

 

We drove into Old Mesilla (Ma-saya) meaning side table to see the historic site where Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, and Poncho Villa lived. This was the first stage coach stop on the Butterfield Overland Trail in 1858 and the only one that remains. 

When you want to beat the crowd you go to outdoor dining for lunch at 11am at La Posta. 

Thus drinking margaritas so early in the day. 

A delicious lunch followed by a sopapilla each - they were 4" x 4” - not what I was expecting! But wonderful. 

 

Strolled through a coop art gallery and met a watercolor artist who lives in Deming, John Glass.

Rich chatted with him about a fellow artist in the area who he really admires, Robert Highsmith. There are three of his paintings in the camper that look just like a photograph. 

January 16, 2021, Saturday

 

Walked over to Brenda and Dennis Keller’s 5th wheel in the back of the park to reminisce about the time that Rich was manager of the park. Things have really changed!! They are another great couple with many talents and it was nice to hear the stories of old. Dennis makes beautiful wind chimes with a little bit of glitz added in. 

January 17, 2021, Sunday

 

Listened to First Congregational Church service today while crocheting. Thank you Marcia Eveland for describing the process to become a pastor in the United Church of Christ and what lies ahead for the selection of a permanent pastor for UCC Lee. In the meantime, it is good to know that Interim Pastor is a specific skill set.

 

January 18, 2021, Monday

 

We drove over to Columbus, NM and walked across the border today into Palomas, Mexico to take advantage of their medical services. It cost $45 for Rich to get his teeth cleaned and $140 each for new lenses for our glasses. The $25 exam was free if you bought lenses there. Both of our lenses were very scratched up so we got new ones with progressive vision and transition to sun glasses.

 

The Pink Store is the prize in this town - located in the same square as the dentist and eye doctor offices. It is owned by Ivonne Romero and her husband Sergio. They were on a buying trip while we were there. 

As you enter you are overwhelmed with bright colors on display on ceramic, enamel, glass, wood, vinyl, and fibers. The merchandising is magnificent; even the table cloths are brilliant, the margaritas salty and savory, and the meal delectable. 

We were entertained as well.

I managed to choose a trinket for each of the grandkids which was difficult with such a vast array of choices. 

Senora happily posed for a picture for a tip in her basket. Beautifully adorned in her native apparel as well as a New York sweatshirt (the hook?).

Stopped at the Art Gallery in Deming where John Glass displayed his watercolors this month. We were very impressed with his work and wish him well.

 

When we first met, I was showing Rich around the Berkshires and introducing him to numerous friends. He said he couldn’t wait to show me around his turf. This turf turns out to be most of the United States which he has traveled over the years. I am so blessed to have him to show me new places while feeling secure and safe. 

 

January 19, 2021, Tuesday 

 

Lazy pajama day today - very windy, dark and cold - probably the second non-sunny day since in New Mexico. The most I did was make mousse and tear out my crochet project and start over (Debbie Dutton 🤪). I finally had the pattern that I thought was right down pat, and looked at it more closely to see that it was no where near what it should have been. Watched numerous tumbleweeds roll by too.

 

January 20, 2021, Wednesday 

 

Inauguration Day!!! Yay… It was so uplifting to watch the new administration be sworn in and to hear the messages about our future. Lady Gaga looked and sounded awesome, singing with such passion. I wondered how Jay Lo could match that, but she did with her heartfelt rendition of This Land Is Our Land / America the Beautiful. The show stopper for me was Amanda Gorman - outstanding young woman who has such a strong presence and animated style. I'm sure we will be seeing more of her!

Our final mission of the day was to get our Covid tests before entering Arizona to see Terri and Jim. Successfully negative results...

 

January 21 2021, Thursday

 

Pulled up stakes and headed for Tucson mid-morning - a short 3 hour journey. The stand out photo op was the Texas Canyon - trouble is picking which shots to share...

 

Our home for the month...

We're in the thick of it here - can see and hear planes, trains, and automobiles.  The park is pretty much full and tight. A direct contrast to Deming. We will be doing a lot of day-tripping with Gracie. 

 

Finally - it has been 4 years since I have seen my sister, Terri and her hubby, Jim. 

 

We had a wonderful homemade Southwestern corn and potato chowder with wonderful fresh artisan bread by the propane fire pit. They have a lovely back yard in desert motif. Super cute couple 💕.

More pics to follow...

Apricity West

January 8, 2021, Friday

 

Somebody got a new bra! We brought it from Whitehall, but had to wait until we hit warmer weather so the leather would stretch. 

Had a distanced conversation with some very nice folks across the way - Mike and Michelle. They invited us to dinner tomorrow night. Yay!

 

January 9, 2021, Saturday

 

Talked to sister Terri in Tucson about our upcoming visit - food, logistics, points of interest, etc. Can’t wait to see her and Jim! It’s been a few years. We asked Walgreens about getting tested just before we leave for AZ. The pharmacist was very nice and explained that they would be starting on the 18th with the 3 - 4 day results. Since we are leaving on the 21st, she suggested making an appointment with a local doctor for the rapid test and we will have results within 15 minutes. All scheduled for 4pm on 1/20.

 

Had a wonderful dinner/visit with Mike and Michelle, Joe and Michelle (camped here a while ago and befriended Mike and Michelle), and Pat (neighbor camper). 

Yikes - Check out my hair - you can tell I'm in camping mode!

Mike is quite the entertainer and cook - delicious soft mini tacos and spicy wings followed by guest Michelle’s ambrosia. Host Michelle’s parents are in the RV next to them, but they were served inside by the fireplace. We toughed it out with great conversation and the aid of a propane fire pit for several hours in spite of 20 mph winds and temperatures in the 40’s! It was in the 60’s before the wind came up and the sun went down - that’s winter in New Mexico. Who knew? Good thing we talked about the packing of clothes before we left the East - I was all set to bring the summer wardrobe I had used for 3 weeks in Florida. 

 

January 10, 2021, Sunday 

 

I appreciate the virtual church services because I can “attend” two services on Sundays at my leisure. Today I zoomed into Church on the Hill to hear Liz Goodman’s sermon and see a lot of familiar faces that I haven’t seen in a long time. I was interested to hear her take on the tragic storming of the Capital last week. She is so shaken and sincerely passionate about what is presently going on in our world and doesn’t let us escape the fact that we are all responsible and accountable for our personal choices. Thanks, Liz. I will join the First Congregational Church service on Facebook later.

 

It was a cold blustery day even with full sun, so we stayed inside cozy until mid afternoon. Thank you Debby Dutton for the crocheted fingerless mittens. 

 

January 11, 2021, Monday

 

Woke up to frozen water as it was 19 degrees. We have been letting the water drip at night, but forgot last night. Rich was under the rig with my tiny travel hair dryer thawing hoses this morning. I stayed inside working on year end banking and tax preparation. Not sure who was worse off… trust me, he was. 

 

Mike and Michelle just recently retired in their early 50’s, sold their home, gave all of their furniture to the kids and hit the road. They left this morning for Tampa to visit his mother. Michelle’s mom and dad are staying here until late March, then go home to Albuquerque. We chat with them when they walk by to empty their daily trash. 

 

Keith and Zillah Karstetter (originally from Maine) came over this afternoon for a visit. Zillah is like the salt of the earth and reminds me of our neighbor, Betty, in Maine who used to make homemade bread and slather it with fresh butter. Zillah taught Rich how to weave the pine needle baskets when he was in this RV park years ago. 

She brought the few she has left out of hundreds made to show us, as well as pictures of beautiful table coverings that she stitched together. 

Her bird pictures are delightful too. 

 

Rich showed them his sketches and they exchanged one of each. Keith and I looked on, not having the same skill sets as these two. He retired from General Electric in Schenectady and his latest project was enclosing the bottom of their travel trailer to keep it warm. Now he is replacing the warped flooring with Pergo. A talent indeed. My attempt to crochet again is just frustrating 😒

 

Fed Ex delivered 3 packages a day early - it was like Christmas morning! Rich can’t wait to put the brush and pail to use to wash the rig.

 

January 12, 2021, Tuesday 

 

Hundreds of trains rumble by in the distance - depending on how many cars there are, you will see up to 6 engines placed in the front, middle and rear. 

We can see (and hear) Osprey planes over head  for the airport nearby. 

Saw my first live road runner today just outside of our front door. 

 

If you didn’t know, Rich and I were extras in a Christian movie, I’m Not Him, filmed in the Stockbridge area. It was a whirlwind affair for us as we were asked on a Saturday, sent in pictures to be accepted, poked around for funeral wardrobe (ugh), went for a rapid covid test on Monday afternoon, received the 93 page script at 9pm that night, arrived at the Red Lion Inn 6am Tuesday for wardrobe provided by Shakespear and Company. We were in the first scene shot (cemetery) which will be the last scene of the movie. So interesting to see all that happens behind the scenes. Some of the reshooting was due to noises of an airplane, truck, or Rich’s pant leg riding up. A cute young wardrobe girl would have to come over, have him stand up, and pull his pant legs down to match the prior scene. We all had a few good laughs over that. The attention to detail is astounding. Stay tuned for the premier in 60+ countries streaming on IMDb Easter 2021.  

 

January 13, Wednesday

 

Ordered our groceries through the Walmart pick up app again - great way to shop!

 

Well, the day warmed up and the hoses are thawed, so he is able to give Road Runner (the RV) a much needed scrub and shower. 

 

As we sit in the warm sun in the afternoon, occasionally another camper walks by and a simple wave or hello unleashes great conversation. We have learned a lot about our fellow campers in this park - everyone is trying to find their way. Some are dealing with health/aging issues, others with loneliness, others with boredom, and so on. But most people enjoy talking to someone - at a distance! By the way, we have seen a number of women traveling on their own.

 

January 14, Thursday (my birthday)

 

Say what? I was just getting used to being 72! Woke up to a plethora of birthday wishes (thanks to all) and a warm 49 degrees for starters. 

 

I have been walking around the park but miss my deep conversations with Kathy and Sharon! So listening to an audio book with earbuds is the next best thing. Just finished Eleanor (Roosevelt) which I highly recommend. She wasn’t perfect, but was so far ahead of her times and a strong humanitarian who fought long and hard for social justice. 

 

Also, trying to avoid a hip replacement by doing stretching and strengthening exercises suggested by my ortho surgeon and physical therapy. The left hip was a piece of cake, but don’t want to be sidelined at this stage of the game...

 

We weren't supposed to enter except to use bathroom...

Everyone talks about the Adobe Deli so that is where we went for my birthday at 4pm. 

Out in the dessert, outdoor seating with a dusty dirt floor, camouflage roof, and oversized portions - yum!

 

 

We ate all of our soup and took 1/2 portions of meal for lunch tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Apricity West

January 1, 2021, Friday

 

Happy New Year! 

 

Today we shared the 10 hour drive with frequent stops to gas up, walk around and stretch. We set the cruise control on 60 and stayed in our lane. I didn’t think I would like going that slow all the way, but it really works out well. Also, never drove a Mercedes before - sweet ride! Decided to push through and put up at Vicksburg, MS for the night with the casino lights burning bright across the street. 

 OTR (On the Road) talk of the day:

-lost an hour to time zones, now in Central Time Zone 

-unbelievable number of cars left on the side of the interstate. They must not have roadside service down here. 

-remnants of retreads everywhere - the trucks use them because they’re cheaper. Must not have clean up crews either.

January 2, 2021, Saturday

 

Rise and shine - slept like a rock! Crossed the muddy Mississippi River to enter the state of Louisiana. 

Bossier City, LA

We are off to meet Rich’s friends, Duane and Louise in Tyler, Texas. They have been full timing since 2006 when he retired from General Motors. They have a motorcycle (toy, in RV lingo) which they use to explore the areas that they visit. They do a daily blog and have been for 14 years!!

 

Recently Duane and Louise landed in Tyler where some of their family lives. Needless to say, there was no hugging though they haven’t seen each other in several years. They picked us up and took us to Cracker Barrel where we had a long lunch. They were not serving outside, but the tables inside were set up far apart. The sunshine was bright and warmed the chilly air allowing us to visit comfortably outside at the Texas Rose RV Park.

Rich feels like he is back home since he lived in Texas for 15 years in the 80’s. He has ordered a Texas flag to fly along side of the US flag. 

 

New terms learned:

Mobile home vs. motor home

ERPU - long term lease at Escapee RV park

January 3, 2021, Sunday

 

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the Texas Rose RV Park. Headed out to Riverway RV Park in Llano, TX before 8am. Breakfast today was apple fritters from an early morning Walmart stop… so much for the resolution to get back on track with Keto! It is true that if you eat sugar, you want more sugar. It's an addiction.

 

The landscape on Rt. 31W is flat winter-brown grass with occasional rises with one home, ofter brick, sitting atop it. It seems odd to see the Christmas lights outlining the houses. Neighbors are a good distance away and looking into the woods, the Red Bull Saloon entry way is gated now. RV Dealerships abound and have a very large inventory of all makes and sizes; tiny homes are plentiful too. Horse farms, cattle farms, cotton fields, mini oil pumps dot some fields, pecan tree groves, huge warehouses, Navarro College, Cowboy Church (non-denominational) with a hundred cars in the parking lot on Sunday morning, scrap yards, plowed fields as far as the eye can see (they use satellite to navigate the manned plows without steering them), cactus, 75 mph speed limit.

 

January 4, 2021, Monday

 

Today was a nothing to do morning, so I gave Rich a haircut and beard trim. Will do pedicures on another day. Gotta groom once in a while on the road. 

We met Monty and Betty for lunch at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, TX. Can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of their pie case - lemon meringue had 3 inches of meringue piled on top. Somehow the waitress convinced me to try the German Chocolate cream which was delicious. 

 

This is the couple that introduced Rich to the Escapees RV Club - an organization that provides benefits such as discounts, certificates, rallies, RV workshops (where Betty first learned about doing a blog) for a mere $49/year. They own the park we are in now. Most of the members are seniors and a lot are going off the road or dying off. In any event, the next generation has spun off to be the Escapers. 

 

Finally got to take a ride with the top down. The last time Rich did that was 1964… We truly enjoyed the ride. 

 

January 5, 2021 Tuesday

 

Interstate 10 is the most Southern continuous route from FL to CA. It is the best road we have travelled yet - wide open, little traffic (mostly RV’s and Semi’s), Fredericksburg (a shopping Mecca for the hill towns), mesquite trees, live oak, hill country, 80 mph, snow

 

Wind mills, mesas and plateaus 

Decided not to push through, so put up at Fort Stockton for the night. After a delicious breakfast (including grits and a biscuit) at the Road Runner Cafe in the park, we are on the road again. 

 

January 6, 2021, Wednesday 

 

Today’s travels are the last leg of the trip to Deming, New Mexico where we will put up for 2 weeks at Dream Catcher RV Park which Rich managed for about a year. The early morning view of West Texas is flat with sage brush and tumble weeds as far as the eye can see except for the shadowy outline of a mountain range on the horizon. And then there is El Paso...

Mexico cardboard shanties

Stock yards of cattle

Giant Metal art piece on the rise.

Border patrol check point. They saw NY plates and waved us through.  

Entering New Mexico

Dream Catcher RV Park

We lost another hour today from Central time to Mountain time. Put in our grocery order for pick up from Walmart and having Amazon deliver a few necessities to the park. Used Door Dash for a tasty meal delivery. Thank goodness for online shopping.

 

January 7, 2021, Thursday

 

Temperatures during the day are in 50s and 60s, but last night dropped to 27! We have not used the propane furnace yet, but have a powerful little electric heater to warm these 300 sq. ft. Finally had an early morning laundry run. And another 1st - we plugged in the 32” TV for the first time since he bought this RV a year ago. We have been watching Justified on HuLu on my MacBook Air after dinner. Any and all news updates are viewed on Facebook.

Had a great visit with Keith and Zilla Karstetter today. She taught Rich how to make pine needle baskets. More on them next week... 

 

Note- I have always enjoyed Riverboat cruises because you don’t have to pack and repack to move from port to port. Even though we had to work hard to pack for 4 months - this is the life!!! Can’t believe we have only been on this journey for 2 weeks. State lines crossed so far: MA, NY, PA, MD, W. VA, VA, TN, GA, ALA, LA, MI, TX, NM and never unpacked once.

 

PS -

I never read a blog before Amy Consolati’s when she battled and beat cancer. She did a terrific job of journaling the roller coaster ride she was on with her health, and still entertained you with her humor. I told her a while ago that she inspired me to do a blog one day.