July 23 & 24 -  Family Strong and Fun!

This is my niece Jennifer.  Gorgeous inside and out!  

We traveled to Buena Vista, Colorado specifically to be able to spend a few quality hours with this young woman and her long-time love Robbie.  We are so glad we did!

Jennifer is my brother Lee's youngest daughter.  I wish I could find one of the first pictures of us together, she was one years old, or nearly one years old, and I spent 3 months helping the family while her mother recovered from surgery.  She took her first wobbly steps in my presence!  

She has grown into an amazing adult, mom and partner.  I have seen very little of her over the years, but each time I do the connection is instant, the love is strong and I am filled with pride for the strong, beautiful, intelligent woman that she is.  (not that I had anything to do with it, just family pride, :) )

We spent two  evenings together, just hanging.  Her son Aidan  (17?) was away on summer vacay, and I'm super sad I didn't get to see him this visit, but we were thrilled to just get to hang out together for awhile and catch up on life.  

4 of 6, vs 1! I'd roll over on my belly too, wouldn't you?

One love we share is for our puppies.  Robbie and Jennifer have 6 dogs!  6 adorable dogs!  Two are young blue pitbulls, Kya (sp) and Zeke.  Oh my, these two pups are energy personified, incredibly handsome, intelligent and friendly.  They are going to be GORGEOUS adult dogs.  They call them
'the bigs'.   They also have 'the littles'; four jack russel terrier 'mixes', all distinct in their personalities.  (Excuse me for not remembering the names right now).  There is Momma dog, Auntie dog, and two boy dogs puppies (adults now).  Each one so unique not just in looks but in personality.  They obviously rule the house. 

So... imagine ... I arrive with Tucker!  He did not know what to think.  He wanted to play but also was obviously afraid. They all wanted to let him know he was a visitor in THEIR home.   Was I nervous?  You betcha.  You know how we are  with Tucker.  Spoiled doesn 't begin to describe it.  I wanted to let him 'play' but also really didn't want anybody to get hurt.  There were a few nerve wracking moments but in the end they really did well.  It was fun to seem them all eventually play.  (Sidenote:  I'm sure J & R thought I was a nutcase as my bossy alpha personality came out and I tried to play pack leader to their pack.  LOL.  Hey, I come by my alpha personality in a long line of strong alpha women.  My reality.  Just ask John. ) 

Ha.   Did I mention my amazing favorite oldest brother Lee was there during our visit?  Hey, other brothers, notice I chose my words VERY carefully there, you are all my favorites but he is the OLDEST.  Lee is our family's rock in many ways.  I never have enough time to enjoy his company but each time I do I'm reminded of what an awesome humane being he is.  It was really great of him to make the long drive down from Denver to see us and we really look forward to seeing him and hopefully Donna in the weeks ahead. 

What a great time together!   I love family, so awesome to spend time together in the 'workshop'!

Okay... these pictures of me suck.  I feel so old.  LOL.  I definitly need to make an effort to take more and better pictures.  I need to find and exploit my 'good side'.   Ha!  

July 14, 2019 - La Plata Canyon Off-Road Picnic

When I first met John, before we were dating even, he owned a Jeep CJ7.  That jeep had traveled every backroad, canyon, creekbed and rocky road that John could possibly find.  He still tells stories of it getting stuck in snow (he hiked out and came back for it weeks later),  losing transmission in Baja California (drove in first gear all the way home), numerous camping trips and fun times.   He traded it in just before we began dating and purchased a Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer Edition 4x4.  We had some great adventures in that Bronco... shooting adventures, desert camping, off-roading with the in-laws... great fun.  John has since always owned a jeep or a 4x4 of some type but our off-roading adventures have been pretty much non-existant for the last 20 years.

You can imagine then that it was no surprise to me that the vehicle we would get to tow behind the RV would be a jeep.  A jeep wrangler, 4x4, with lift kit and several bells and whistles that make it scream "take me off road".   It was the perfect "toad" for our RV and would certainly allow us to enoy some off-road fun this summer.

John could not wait!  He explored a little around Phoenix but the weather was just too hot.  We took it through Monument Valley but that road did not really feel like "off-road" though it was unpaved and extremely picturesque. Arriving in Colorado, we knew we would be able to find some nice trails.  Our first trip together off-road in this new to us jeep (its a 2004) would be to nearby La Plata Canyon.  The entrance was just 10 miles from our campsight, the trail follows the La Plata River, and although the pass was still not all the due to snow (still) it was the perfect day trip.

We packed lunch (our first of many picnics I'm sure), made sure we had plenty of fuel and extra water,  got Tucker on board and headed out.  What a fun day.  The road was well traveled and easy to manuever,  the creek and waterfalls were gorgeous, the wildflowers were blooming.  There were several areas where trees lay like toothpicks on the ground, 30 foot toothpicks, toppled by avalanches!   There was plenty of packed snow on the ground too.  We followed the trail all the way to where it was blocked by packed snow and then turned around to come back.

Sandwiches and green grapes taste extra yummy when served on a knoll top next to the river with no other day-trippers in sight.  Lunch was perfect, but next time we need to pack a picnic blanket!  Tucker loved running around smelling all the new smells.  It was a very fun trip.

I can't wait for our next off-road adventure.  I'm sure John is already looking for trails and hoping to find some that will make me just a little bit afraid!  Ha!   I was never really brave about the harder trails and have walked alongside the vehicle many many times!   Bring it!   I'll try again.

July 23 - On the Road Again

July 21.  When you play hard, you must rest hard.  On Sunday July 21, we had our last day visiting with friends.  We spent the morning and early afternoon just relaxing around the RV and then went back up to Hattie's place for another fabulous dinner created by Teddi!  Fried Chicken!  Delicious.  The company again was great, another couple joined us - longtime friends of Teddi and Hattie - and we had a great visit.  A storm rolled in and we enjoyed the lightening show until it started to get a little too close and we hopped in the jeep and headed home.   Hugs and Goodbyes.  Always sad but I know that these friends are friends we will soon see again.

July 22.  No matter if you are on vacation or not, there are housechores to be done.   Monday morning I did the laundry, cleaned up the RV (a small place gets cluttered quickly and I have to stay on top of it) and toured our little campground.  In the afternoon we had lunch in the cute little town and then took a short jeep trip (steep and scary for me... no big deal for John).   The road was very rocky and John REALLY wanted to continue up it another 9 miles, but when the afternoon rain started to fall and we could see lightnening again in the distance we decided to head back. 

Somewhere, between here and there.
This is how I roll!

July 23.  My niece Jennifer and her longtime love, Robbie, live in Buena Vista, Colorado.  It has been our plan all along to meet up with them in our travels as it has been far too long since we have seen each other (2008).  Turns out, Buena Vista is just 75 miles north of Westcliffe!  Instead of heading back the way we came we decided to head up to see Jennifer and Robbie and then take the pass back over to western Colorado.    On Wednesday the 23rd we loaded up and left the RV park just before noon and we were expecting a short trip of no more than 2 hours!  It took us 5!   I really have no idea how except that there was a ton of road construction, we also took a one hour unexpected detour (missed our exit and didn't realize it for a few miles) and we did a little grocery shopping.  Instead of arriving at 3:30 or 4:00 as expected, we got to Buena Vista at 5pm! 

My brother Lee (Jennifer's dad) lives about 3 hours north and he had driven down to meet up with us too so we all got together for dinner in town.   More on this cute town in the next post.  We only had two nights in BV (BOON-UH Vista) so we pretty much enjoyed time with family  . . . but there is so much to do in this cute town. I definitly recommend it to anyone that is looking for an off-the-beaten-path cute town in Colorado to spend a vacation at.

Don't worry- plenty of pictures in the next post.   I have one bar of internet service and downloading these photos is taking me ALL MORNING.   I'm going to save the next couple posts for tomorrow and go get ready for this beautiful day.  RV's around me have all left to their next stops, John is stirring (its 11:45!) and I've been typing for a few hours.  so... see ya... tomorrow.  XO, Always, Oz.

July 20 - Spaghetti & Meatballs, Our Anniversary and
                                  Crucian Pups and People

After the rodeo we were invited to the home of Steve (Hattie) Hatfield, a good friend of Teddi and Fred, who lives in a gorgeous mountain home in the hills near Westcliffe.  Teddi and Hattie 'go way back'!  Long-time friends are the best friends and it was fun to get together for an evening.  Hattie has not only a gorgeous home, but views to die for and that evening the sunset was perfect.  It was the last evening before a series of storms were to roll through. Deer were eating at the feeding station when we arrived.

Dinner was fabulous.  Fran is famous for her Spaghetti Sauce... it is a old family recipe that is days in the making and just oozes with the love of its creation.  Partnering in the food prep, Teddi made homemade meatballs that were simmered in this sauce and Fred made his delicious garlic bread.  I contributed an Olive Garden inspired salad that was a great complement to the rest of the food. 
Oh yumm, what a feast!  Homemade cookies by Teddi for the finale!  The best part of the evening was the camraderie though.  So great to be around great people.


Oh... did I mention that Tucker came with us?  Of course!  This was not only a re-union of Crucian friends but of Crucian puppies too!   10 years ago Asha and I were helping to place a litter of puppies that had come in to the shelter and were being fostered by Donna.  Teddi would up getting two of the puppies and transporting them to her friend Hattie.   Such lucky pups! They are named Hatfield and McCoy and they are the kings (both boys) of their mountain camp.   I'm sure they were not overly pleased when long-time friend Carina (Teddi and Fred's dog) and her buddy Angelo (Fran's dog) arrived on Thursday night.  Just as the house was settling in to the fun that is four small dogs in one house ... We show up on Saturday night and introduce Tucker to the confusion.  Oh boy!  There was some definite dog fun going on.  We 5 Crucian people loved having 5 Crucian puppies to observe enjoy the big yard and each other's company.  (Tucker loved Carina and Carina loved Tucker... Angelo loved everybody, and Hatfield and McCoy were tolerantly waiting for us all to leave).

One last thing... but a big thing... It was John and I's 34th wedding anniversary.   We were thrilled to be able to spend it surrounded by good friends, great food and the beauty of Colorado. 

We've been through a lot of adventures in our marriage.  Some have been great, some have been challenging, some have been unexpected, some have been heart-breaking.  We have been very fortunate and our life is charmed in my eyes.  Cheers to a lot more adventures TOGETHER, with love and respect for EACH OTHER!

July 20, 2019 - Rodeo Time!

Hmmmmm.  Rodeo.  I have mixed feelings.   Sports that hurt animals for the entertainment of humans are something I would normally rally against.  I'm definitly against dog-fighting, bull-fighting, cock-fighting and the like.  Rodeo's are a mix.  Somethings make me uncomfortable and other things are amazing. 

This is a small town rodeo.  It starts with a parade!   Young men and young ladies are decked out in their western finest!  I could not believe some of the beautiful riding wear that was on display.  Both humans and horses were decked out, braided up, sporting the leather and silver and tassles and such.  So much pride was on display in the faces of these athletes (they are indeed athletes) and it was a thrill to see. 

Yep. Me! Waving from the back of a
Colorado long-horn.  Not my best photo,
but fun and funny

The patriotism was rampant.  American flags and the red/white/blue were everywhere.  There was no politics, not left or right party propoganda, but the love of country was spread generously throughout the crowd, the advertising, the speakers.  This is the west, there was a whole lot of american pride on display.  The opening announcement from the speaker brought tears to my eyes!  They should have taped it!

One of the biggest parts of the rodeo was horsemanship. Mostly ladies.  Young ladies.  "The Royalty" of the rodeo ranged in age from 14 to 21 and they were amazing.  Many of them competed in more than one activity on horseback.  Their love for and partnership with their horses was visible.  The horses were some of the prettiest and talented I've everseen... performers for sure and obvioius pleasure in the doing.

The cowboys were a little less impressive than the cowgirls in my opinion. Or, maybe, I just prefer the horsemanship over the bronco riding or bull riding.   I was cheering for the calves and bulls in most of these cases, and I was happy when they often "won".   Oh my... those were some very fast 'little doggies' and some no nonsense bulls!  The only ones that appeared to be suffering any harm were the cowboys themselves as they got thrown and stomped on by the bulls that 'just weren't having it'.   Yes.  I could do without the bullriding but I honestly felt they did a good job demonstrating that these were working hand skills on display and that they had full respect for the health and welfare of the animals. 

One of my favorite things was the black Percheron working horse team.  A thing of beauty.  A team display of skill and handling and confidence... these horses were so amazing.  My favorite thing for sure.  Side Note:  My mother once told me about her fathers work horses in Oklahoma growing up as a kid and how they were valuable Percheron horses that were quite coveted at the time.  These were those horses and I loved the connection to Mom.  She would have loved seeing these beauties prance around the rodeo ring, working it!

Another funny thing that I loved was the kids, the cowkids!   Here is a bunch of them racing their 'horses' to the finish line.  So fun and these children were having a blast.  The rodeo clown was great in engaging them and making sure they had fun.  so cute!

Stick horses and kids under 7 years in age compete in a "horse race" at the Westcliffe Rodeo.  Love!

July 20, 2019 -  Rocky Mountain High!

Do you see this sign?.... 7885 ft in elevation!  That is HIGH!  And it isn't the highest I'll be this week either!  My normal elevation is less than 500 feet and just as often is ZERO!  Plus, I'm used to some humidity. 

Nope, no humidity here just pure dry air and altitude.  I've  never used so much skin lotion in my life and sometimes I still feel like my skin is cracked earth.   But the worst part is that my nose just will not tolerate this dry high. I seriously do not think it is ever going to heal and it is awful!

It started in Phoenix.  My nose suffered from the dry hot weather and I started getting the annoying nose bleeds.  Pretty soon I had a cracky bloody nose that would not heal.   Even after 3 weeks in St. Croix, it was still giving me discomfort.  I'm trying all the recommendations; saline spray, carmex, cocoa butter . . . but, I still feel like what I think a long-time crackhead or cocaine addict must feel . . . this nose will never be the same again.

Meanwhile...isn't this a cute hat!  I am in cowgirl country now.  This was taken on my way to the WestCliffe Rodeo.  John stayed home but I joined the gang and headed to town to check out what a tiny rodeo has to offer.   Next post!

July 19 - Friends are worth traveling for!

The girls!  So glad to be together again. What a fun weekend!   Thank You!

When last I left you, a week or more ago, we had just left Durango on our way to Westcliffe, Colorado.  Why Westcliffe?  This tiny town is located, reportedly, in one of Colorado's poorest counties.  I'd never heard of it before!  It is a cute small town with high hopes of someday being a tourist destination.  It has many many beautiful features, jeep trails, hiking trails and outdoor fun options.  But why were we going there?   Because we were meeting our FRIENDS there! and friends are worth traveling for.

When Hurricanes Irma and Maria ravished our little island paradise in Sept of 2017, it perpetuated a significant exit of longtime residents from the island.  If you've never gone through a hurricane, let alone two back to back category 5 hurricanes, you can't understand, but hurricanes have a way of forcing you to take a hard look at your life and are often a catalyst for change.  Three of my 'friends that are family' who were affected by "IrMaria" in this way were Fred H., Teddi M. , and Fran G.   Fred and Teddi moved to Colorado  in early 2018 and Fran relocated to Austin, TX.  Bold moves.  Big changes.  All three could not be happier with their decisions and are loving life stateside!   But, we do miss them.  They have all been part of my island family for more than a decade and I was not going to pass by an opportunity to meet up with them on this trip.

We didn't plan it.  Fred was aware of our travels (thanks Facebook) and when he realized we were going to be in Colorado he let us know that Fran would be up visiting them and that they had plans to visit friends in Westcliffe for an annual rodeo that they've long enjoyed there!   We looked it up and charted it out on the map.  Yep!  We could do it!   It was not on our planned path but we quickly re-arranged our travel plans and headed east.  We landed in Westcliffe on Friday the 19th.  A weekend of good times followed!  Woot Woot.

July 27 - OOPS " I'm Late!  I'm Late! 
                                        For a very important date!

Forgive me followers for I have ignored you!   It was not my intent.  I've got plenty of excuses as to why I have not been able to post for the last week, ranging from the VERY REAL lack of internet services to the MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE fact that I've been having some fun!   Oh my.  Lots of fun.   I promise to bring you up to date right now.

I'm currently sitting in Gunnison, Colorado.  My morning view is a grassy field, a large lake (the largest in Colorado I'm told) and beautiful mountains.  It's 7 am.  I've had my first cup of tea.  Now let me tell you about the last week.

I won't promise that I might get distracted by the gorgeous view and my loco pets who think barking at the birds at the bird feeder makes for a fun morning distraction.  Sshhhhhhh... people are sleeping!

July 18, 2019 - Falling in love with Colorado

Today was a travel day!   We left Durango at 11am and started our short drive to South Fork.  We only drove for 2 hours today and staying one night in the small town of South Fork,  just taking it easy and breaking the five hour trip to WestCliffe up into two easy travel days.

We traveled along Highway 160 and we went through some gorgeous land.   We both remarked multiple times how much we loved this rock, forested, river laden land.  Pegosa Springs was the cutest little town.  South Fork is a bit sleepier but we enjoyed a fabulous BBQ place, took an post-travel drive up to a local reservoir and found some gorgeous wild flowers (they are everywhere!) to bring home and brighten my table.

These are LUPINE , I believe, and there are fields and fields of them everywhere along the roads.  I had to pick a posy.

Colorado is impressive.  We can't wait to see more.

July 17, Tea Time is precious Time

Ok.  I know.  I've said this before.  I'm a morning person.    I love waking up at dawn and watching the sun climb over these Colorado hills.  I love watching the other "campers" emerge from their various homes (tents, tiny trailers, tent trailers, camper trucks, mini vans, rented RVs, old restored RV's, luxury RVs), and greet the day.  Kids emerge joyous and eager for adventure.  Young families prepare breakfasts on the picnic tables.  Young adults ready their offroad vehicles for a day of fun, whether it is pedal bikes, motor bikes, kayaks of 4x4.  Dogs get walked and people greet each other. Mornings are glorious.  Summer camping is full of excitement.

I sit in my captains chair and look our the big picture window.  Tucker has already been walked.  The tea is hot in my hand and sweet on my tongue.  A new day is about to  happen.  I have no plan.  I may go to town and explore the cute shops of Durango.  I may read a book or write in this little journal.  It is our last day at this gorgeous campsite which I have very much enjoyed and for now, for tea time, I will just enjoy sitting here, watching the world wake up and trying to catch a picture of the tiny little visitor at my hummingbird feeder.

Tea Time is precious me time.  I like it.   I caught this little bird checking me out...she enjoyed her morning sweet drink and I enjoyed mine. 

July 16, Mesa Verde, Colorado

I was 16 years old and it was likely an American History class that first introduced me to the existance of Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.  I've been wanting to visit ever since.

This is Cliff House, the crown jewel of Mesa Verde!

"Discovered" in 1888, the cliff dwellings were already a thousand years old and the ancestral Pueblo people that had inhabited them 800 years earlier were long gone, but the collection of sophisticated rooms, towers, plazas and keeping rooms hint at the daily life activities of these nearly forgotten people and of the community that was supported by these amazing cliff dwellings.   The Pueblo people lived in these cliffs for nearly 700 years!  The park contains more than 4000 archeological sites and at least 600 different cliff dwellings!  It is truly mind boggling. 

 I was mesmerized as a teenager by this beautiful place and it was definitly on my bucket list of places I wanted to visit!   Yay.   I got to go.

The drive from the visitor center up through the valley is absolutely stunning.  I swear you can see all of Colorado from there.   It is 15 miles of curving roads and around each corner you get a view either of the red canyons or the long view across the state.  Truly gorgeous.  We are unable to take the long hikes necessary to actually climb through the amazing cliff structures so we satisfied ourselves with the museum displays and the shorter hikes to view points.   It was a perfect day and I'm so glad to have gone.

July 15 - Monday - Hummingbirds

My morning view from co-pilot seat!

Liz and Denny Hanna have been our friends since we met 16? years ago at their daughters wedding.  A few years back they preceeded us in an RV adventure and had a great time doing what we are setting out now to do. 

They live in Phoenix and really helped us out this June as we prepared for this trip.  Lots of tips, suggestions, great dinners together ,and a few thoughtful gifts. 

Upon reciept of our RV, they gave us a gift of a box of gloves.  A box of gloves?   I wondered the same.  However, it became very obvious why a box of gloves was an essential item for first time RV'rs to become familiar with.  You see, when RVing you have a special relationship with your sewage system.  You carry it around with you and when your holding tank is full, it must be dumped.  When dumping, having gloves on gives you that extra sense of security in case ANYTHING leaks.  Thanks for the box of gloves! 

Another essential item they gifted us just before departure was a hummingbird feeder.  What a delightful addition it has been to the RV experience.   Each time we park at a new campsight we get out the rug, we get the chairs, we set up the grill AND we put up the hummingbird feeder.  We did not have much luck in the desert, but here in the mountains of Colorado, the hummingbirds are loving it and we are too!

Thank you Liz and Denny for your friendship and for these gifts that keep on giving.

July 13 - We are in Durango, Colorado and it is beautiful

Across the River looking back at us.  Awesome sound!

This is easily the best campsite we have had so far.  It loses a few points because of the proximity of neighbors and lack of cell service and internet, but scores super high in beauty.

This is a small RV park in a canyon just 3 miles west of the town of Durango.  The maneuvering was tight getting in, we nosed in to a gorgeous little spot right on a river.  Literally you look out the front window and the rocky river is rumbling by.

Down side is that our neighbors are close.  Up side is that our neighbors are super nice!   Down side is that is has rained here each afternoon and the first afternoon I got our chairs wet.  Up side is that we've been busy exploring so haven't missed much and the seats dried fast.

Coming soon: 
                      Hummingbirds! Finally!
                      Rough Roads & A First Picnic
                      Strolling through Durango
                      A Rodeo with Crucian Circus Friends!

July 13,   Bowl full of Cherries or Just the Pits?

As idioms go, 'Life is just a bowl full of Cherries' is one of the greats.  Hasn't everyone heard this experession of carefree living, all going well?  In opposition, the expression that something is 'the pits' means it pretty much is not going well.   So, when life gives you cherries, know that you will most likely have to deal with the pits before you can relish in the carefree deliciosness.

Our last day in Phoenix I was mesmerized by the produce section at the local Fry's supermarket and wound up bringing home a bunch of fresh fruit.  Cherries and strawberries, peaches and plums, raspberries and blackberries.. oh my.   The bag of cherries I got was huge and although I was eating a handfull a day, it did not seem like I was putting a dent in the bag. Something had to be done or I would lose these beauties,  so I decided to bake them!  Yum.

Before the pitting process.

How long do you think my fingers stayed red?

But first, you must remove the pits.  Yep.  This is no ones favorite pasttime.  Many cherry pie makers will simply refuse to use fresh cherries because of the time consuming task of taking out the pits.  No canned cherry pie filling for us! Let's do fresh.!
I did not have a cherry pitter and my attempt to use the sharp end of the kitchen scissors was not working out so I halved each cherry and removed the pit with a paring knife.  Big, juicy, job.  Look at the stained fingers! Labor of Love.

The end result is a bowl full of cherries!  Pitless (confession I missed at least two which I later found in my mouthfull of pie), and they are ready for cooking.

When life gives you a bowl full of cherries . . . make pie!   Hmmmm... pie requires an oven and we don't have an oven.    Micro-waved pie just does not sound good to me, so that idea was vetoed fast.    In my family we make cobbler.  Usually peach cobbler or blackberry cobbler, but any fruit will do.  My mom's cobbler is not like any other cobbler I've ever seen made.  It is kind of a cross between a pie and a cobbler.  Usually it requires an oven too, but I've made them all my life and I thought a crockpot cobbler was a definite possibility so I decided to just do it. 

Dump into crockpot:
    3 cups or so of fresh ripe sweet cherries, pitted
    1 tablespoon butter
    1 juiced lime
    3/4 cups of sugar
Set on high. Stir.  Let it come to a bubble.
Meanwhile take your 2 crust pie dough (I cheated and bought pillsbury pre-made).  Use the crockpot lid to cut the shape of the top dough and set aside.  When mixture is bubbling, drop big quarter size pieces of the remaining pie dough into the juicy fruit. Distribute but don't stir.   Use all the pie dough.  Cut some holes in the top dough piece and lay it on top of the mixture.  Put the lid on the crockpot, set to medium, and let it cook away for a couple of hours.

IT WAS AMAZING!    I wish I had the pictures to prove it but we devoured it warm with a side of vanilla ice-cream and completely forgot to take an after photo.  Sorry.   I promise I'll be making more all summer so I'll share a photo then.

One last photo about fruit.   Do you see how this (my breakfast today) just glistens with yumminess?

I love summer fruits.     This peach is the same peach pictured above with the cherries.  It was worth waiting for.

I promise to eat my weight in fresh peaches this summer.   I hope they are good for me.


P.S.  Sue, tell Kevin I nailed the cherry cobbler.  It was perfect, thick but not too, sweet but not too, doughy but not too!   It didn't even need ice-cream.   Proud of myself. :)

July 12, - Friday

Moving Day.

Well,  it was a fabulous morning!  Fabulous.

Most of you know that I am a morning person.  My day typically starts at 6am.  I love this time of day.   In the RV, I have a new routine.  I crawl out of bed as quietly as I can (which isn't very) and Tucker, Loki and I move to the kitchen... which is literally 7 feet away.  The teapot gets going and Loki gets some food in her dish.   I slip on my shoes and walk another 10 feet forward to the door where Tucker gets 'hook up', I grap a poop bag and out the door we go for the morning walk.  With the hot Arizona and Utah heat, these early morning walks are the best.  Tucker literally dances to go.

Once back in the trailer I get my cup of tea (in my beautiful new ceramic tea cup which I LOVE) and sit in the co-pilot seat.  I open the front 'window' and watch the world go by.  This is sometimes my facebook time or messages time too, but the most fun is watching the campground come alive with activity.  After an hour or so of this, I go about the rest of my morning which usually involves dishes and trash and clean up... some computer blogging (hello... its 10:45 right now... I'm late).  And a plan for the day is made.

Well... on July 12th, this was pretty much the scenario with the added element of it being moving day for us.  We would be traveling from Monument Valley,  Utah to Durango Colorado.  Its about a 3.5 hour trek.  Check out time is 11am.   John, who is definitly NOT a morning person wants to get up two hours before departure to have time to get woke.   Well... this didn't happen.

I was having a great relaxing morning.   Stowed everything away, got my tea, played on the computer, did a kick-ass Sudoku... just a great relaxing morning.  I lost a little track of time.  Time was a problem.  Arizona does not do daylight savings time and apparently is in a different time zone from Colorado.  Monument Valley does daylight savings time but is not in the same time zone.  My computer is still on STX time and my cell phone was on Phoenix time.   I remain firm in the fact that John did NOT ask me to wake him up yesterday.  I was letting him sleep.  I was happily writing to all of you (two of you)... when John did get up and asked the time.   My computer said 1:30... I subtracted 3 hours and told him it was 10:30.  He was NOT HAPPY... he wanted it to be 9am.  OOOPPPPS.  Further ooopppps when moments later he discovers that it is actually 11:30 where we are and we are suppossed to already be gone.  This not only makes us late to check out but puts our whole day behind schedule.  Sleepy, barely awake John was immediatly put into RUSH mode and rush mode and methodical preparations for leaving are not necessarily great companions.   FUN?  not so much.

Hey... but we did it.  45 minutes later we were rolling down the road.

Our travels took us through 4 Corners. 

I can be seen here kneeling with one paw in each of the four states - NM, AZ, UT, CO   .   I waited in blazing hot sun, in line with 50 other people, to get this shot.  No, John was not interested.  He did not have kind words for the kind of heat we experienced at 2 in the afternoon at 4 corners.   Bye Bye Desert... here we go to the mountains.

We had a great travel trip despite the somewhat not so great start.  Ally B did awesome, cruised right along with no issues while I chased her in the 'yet to be named' jeep.  We arrived at our new campground in Durango right at 5pm and got a GREAT spot with some nice neighbors.!

Weird think... there is a Silky Terrier on one side and a Yorkie Terrier on the other side.  Tucker is in dog friend Heaven!

July 10, Wednesday

 Monument Valley Day 

This is inside the Navajo Nation which take up the NE corner of Arizona, a bit of Utah (where park entrance is), and a bit of New Mexico. See map --->

The whole park is a holy site, protected by the Navajo people. Access to areas is limited.


Monument Valley is red.  Red dust is everywhere, this is desert sand and the sand is fine, almost silky,  and nothing is safe from it. 

Pictured here is our Jeep in front of the 3 Sisters monument. Picturesque for sure. 

Navajo guides will take you on trips into these restricted areas if you like.

We chose a self-guided tour along a 14 mile unpaved access road and we went early in the afternoon.  The sun was high. 
It was a fun road trip.

First time taking the jeep off-road and John had a good time with it.  He loves his new jeep!   Tucker and I had fun too and I handled the camera.  Dogs are allowed in the park if on leash.  There are many hiking trails, horse back trails and guided tours, but we were content with touring the main trail and getting lots of fun pictures; mostly of our jeep and our fur baby. LOL.

This is my favorite picture of the jeep... It got a bit dusty.

This picture was hard fought as we pulled up and no one was around.  This sight has a sweeping view of the whole valley and I got out to take a few pictures.  Of courser multiple tour vans pulled up just about that same time and we suddenly went from having the whole place to ourselves to sharing it with 3 dozen selfie snapping others.  Ha.  One of them actually was upset with me as our jeep (parked way before their arrival was in her way.  She snapped photos over the hood of the jeep.   I just patiently waited and then got this photo before the next batch arrived.

Note:  There was 50 yards in front of the jeep with the exact same view and clear... but somehow they wanted to be where we were.  It was a bit weird.

Here is an obligatory picture of yours truly.  I'm grimacing into the sun while John takes my picture from the jeep.  The momument in the background is the left mitten... so iconic.  This monument to this park is like the Eiffel Tower to Paris.  Pretty cool.

So... the park we are in with the RV is as picturesque as the actual Navajo Park.  It is up a basin with huge monuments on either side and a gorgeous view.   A bit crowded in spaces but nice amenities and very popular.  It fills up every night.

July 9, Tuesday - On the Road Again!

We plan to have a lot more days sitting at campsites than days moving down the road.  Moving days are really not much fun.   Yesterday was our second moving day so far.

We left the Meteor Crater RV park right on at 11:30am.   Of course I'd been up since 7am, done two loads of laundry and packed up our outdoor space.  Putting things away is a BIG part of travel preparations.  Driving down the road in a shaking tin can is not conducive to things staying in place unless a little bit of thought has been put into it.  I'm taking my packing responsibilities seriously! Besides putting everything away we also have to "un-hook" and run through a checklist. 

RV'ing requires that you manage your own waste.  Your trash, yes.... pack that and take it to the nearby dumpster.  Your gray tank (thats sink and shower water) and your black tank (that is the toilet flushings) must both be emptied.  This is a pretty simple task once you know what you are doing, but is daunting when you first do it.  There are hoses, and lifts, and levers, and see-thru elbows.  There is an order of flushing and the clear flush at the end.  There are enzymes to be added.  There are plastic gloves.   It is all quite lovely.   LOL.   No, really, it is pretty simple but definitly a required step before hitting the road.  Although I'm not opposed to doing it, and I certainly help, so far John has been in charge of the waste management pre-travel requisites.

Unhook the power, lock up all the basement drawers, bring in all the slides, bring up the jacks, check the air in the tires, fuel up and air-up if necessary.  This all takes time... we planned to leave at 11 and left actually at 11:38am.

We are traveling in "chase" mode at the moment still.   This is for two reasons..1) we still need one part to make the hitch work, and it should arrive today.  and 2) because we are still learning the RV driving characteristics and would like to feel 100% about that before adding 10 foot and 4000 pounds.  What this means is that I travel with Tucker in the Jeep and follow John and Loki in the RV. (Look for a future post on Loki getting lost in the RV on travel day).   We have handy/talkie radios and stay in touch.   It works but it will be nice to ride together.

We pulled over just north of Flagstaff for lunch after the first hour, stopped once or twice to refill our respective water bottles and pulled into Monument Valley just before 5pm. 200 miles traveled.

It takes about 45 minutes to set up again.  Then relax, dinner and bed.  Long day. 

Super beautiful area.  We can't wait to explore tomorrow.

July 8, 2019 -  Last night in Winslow

We love food.  We really do.   One of the things we look forward to on this trip is the opportunity to have some great meals that we would not normally be able to get on St. Croix.  We also look forward to some great home cooked meals, some nights grilling at the campsight, some packed picnics while on the road . . . and grocery shopping.   You can only relate to that last one if you have lived outside of the US for awhile and when walking into a stateside supermarket feels like an adult foodie's trip to Disneyland.   Grocery shopping is amazing, but I digress.

While in Phoenix we had some good food.  We found better sushi at the local Fry's SuperMarket than anything we've yet had on St. Croix.  We were introduced to a great Chinese food mini-chain, George & Sons and ate there a couple times.  (Thanks Denny!). John found a great hole in the wall Thai  restaurant in Fountain Hills that had killer Phad Thai, Le Me,  and another Mexican Restaurant,
El Encanto that he said had amazing tamales.  BUT. . . to be honest we really had not yet had a meal that we both felt worth raving about.  Until our last night in Winslow.

Winslow is not a town you really would expect a great meal at.  Besides 'standing on the corner' there is not much else there.  We really wanted a great meal and the reviews for La Posada were stellar so we decided to head in for dinner but we were not prepared for the amazing service and meal we had there. 

First, La Posada is a restored hotel located right in downtown Winslow.  It is gorgeous. 

I love this style of construction and the old details were preserved in the restoration.  You walk past a beautifly wildflower garden as you enter.  Just Beautiful.    The restaurant is called 'The Turquoise Room' and we were recieved and skillfully seated by a charming host.  Our server, Joanie, was amazing from the start. We started with a pitcher of Sangria.  It was perfect, not too sweet, potent and delicious.  Joanie introduced to the menu and told us of the specials.  We opted for her recommendations.  We started with fried squash blossums... oh my goodness.  Yumm.  John ordered the WILD WILD which was an elk, quail and bison plate that was SUPERB.   I ordered a chicken dish that included a fresh corn tamale and a green chile sauce that were equally impressive.  All the meats and vegetables are local arizona raised/grown in ethically sound ways.   We were so impressed by the kitchen.    This Chef is amazing.  The Hotel is beautiful.  If you ever find yourself going cross-country through Arizona, we would highly recommend this as a stop.  Perfect ending to our 3 day stay in Winslow.

Monday, July 8 - Falling Stars 

"Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day

For love may come and tap you on the shoulder, ...  some starless night,
and if by chance you feel you want to hold her,
you'll have a pocket full of starlight"

This catchy song has been going around in my head for days now since our visit to the Meteor Crater in Arizona.  Wow... talk about the ultimate falling star!   Meteor Crater is a big brown dusty bowl in the middle of nowhere and one of the most interesting things I've seen in awhile.  50,000, yes FIFTY THOUSAND years ago, a meteor zoomed through space, entered our atmosphere and at an amazing speed of 26,000 mile per hour struck the rocky desert plain with an explosive force of more than 20 million tons of dynamite.  The resulting crater is HUGE.  HUGE.. and was created in an instant!
Yet it is not the biggest one on Earth by a long shot.   I was not really expecting to enjoy this stop too much but I was wrong.   It was very interesting to see, the interactive museum was fun and the movie about the event (documentary style) was very informative.  It was a great visit.

A highlight for me was getting to touch this:

 

Its a meteor.  It is largest piece of this meteor found at the site.  It is dense.  It is about a yard long and 20 inches at the widest and it weighs about the same as a volkswagon bug.  HEAVY.    The song popped into my head (my Mom used to sing it all the time) and as the song goes, I wanted to put this not so tiny falling star in my pocket so that I'd always have starlight when I need it, but alas it was too well guarded and my pockets were too small.

Just kidding of course, but really . . . I was able to touch a piece of the falling star that created this amazing and scientifically significant crater... a piece of the raw material that makes up our galaxy.  It really was cool.  Have you ever touched a falling star?

 This is the meteor itself.   It is the best preserved meteor crater in the world and has contributed much of the knowledge about meteors now used to identify hundreds of meteor craters around the world.   There is still a lot of science research going on there.   Once mile across and three miles around... and 550 feet deep.  This crater is privately owned (not by our government, not a state park) by an individual who originally bought the land to get rich from mining the ore.  He, Hollinger, was among the first to verify that it was a meteor strike not a volcanic crater.

So... here I am trying to put this falling star into my pocket so I can save it for a rainy day,

"For when my troubles start a'multiplyn',  

and they just might,

It'll be so easy to forget'em without tryin'

cause
I'll have myself a pocket full of starlight"   

     ~     Perry Como

Please... I know there are two photos this week of me trying to take that are not mine... It's all in fun people... all in fun.   I'm an honest girl really.

Late Night Musings - July 6th - Meet "Ally B."

I know it's silly but I wanted a name for this big old bus. 

John was not opposed , so we decided on Ally Bee!  Ally is pronounced like Sally.... ride Sally ride... but ours is just Ally with no 'S', because she is a Tiffin ALLEGRO Bus.   See how we did that?  ALLy B.  Allegro Bus.

Ok.. so we are nuts.   Suits me fine.

Side note, allegro means happy - just saying.

Our 'Happy Place' for the Summer.  Ally B.   It's going to be an adventure for sure!

July 6th - Taking it EASY!

It's a vacation!  There is no agenda.  We don't have to do anything!  And we didn't. 

We slept in and enjoyed a slow morning.   Just the fun of watching other travelers pack up and go makes for an entertaining start of the day.   

I found out that nearby Flagstaff had an ART in the PARK event and we decided to check it out in the afternoon.   Just a 30 minute drive away.  We had identified a few things that we needed - a door mat to keep the dust out,  a sofa cover to keep the cats claws controlled, a wine bottle opener -because... yeah... you don't always have a Denny around to ask the neighbors for help. 

You know a few essentials.   So the plan was ART and SHOPPING... a perfect day in my books.

Really cute Fair! Beautiful Park!

My Purchase... a gorgous, big, TEA CUP.  Score!  Artist: Don Swanson - gorgeous stuff!

I LOVE OUR NEW DOOR MAT... AS YOU ENTER THE BUS!

Tucker guarding the "patio". Look Liz... I got a rug!

 SO... We feel pretty set up right now!   Yay for Day 1.

Love Always, Oz
☮💗🐾

July 5th, 2019  The Adventure Begins.

After 29 days of preparations and perspirations, (average daily high was 104 the whole month), we put Eagle View RV Park in our rear view mirror and headed north and east to find new sites and cooler temps.  First stop will be Winslow, Arizona to the Meteor Crater RV park.  As you can tell from the picture, we did not hook up the jeep for this first trip.  We are cautious like that!  That's me, Auz, in the jeep... and that was my view the whole trip!

Since this is our first RV, and we admit that it is a biggie... and this is the first long trip in the jeep as well,  we decided that it might be prudent to drive them independently at first.  Our intention was to drive an hour and then hook up in Payson... but once we were on the road we kind of liked the way things were going and stuck with it.  We had radio communication at all times and I was able to backseat drive from the vehicle behind. (Oh... yeah... you bet John loved that!), but it WAS nice to be able to head off traffic etc. for him as we get comfortable with the big girl.  Another plus was that I took the kids (Loki and Tucker) with me.   John did not have to listen to crying kitty or attempt driving for the first time with a furbut on his lap... seemed safer.   Both pets did great considering.

It was a great drive!   We departed Phoeniz at around noon.  Had lunch in the Payson Home Depot parking lot where we picked up a few essentials and then drove 87 all the way to Winslow.  Wow, the little town of Pine just outside Payson is super cute and the CocoNino forest was a welcome site of tall trees and greenery which we are missing.  We had no problems and arrived at the Meteor Crater RV park about 4:30.  Traffic Jam!!!!  Who knew there would be 5 other RVs in line to check in.  

Setting up was a breeze.   I held the dogs leash and watched, super simple.   In no time at all John had the RV hooked up, leveled, slideouts extended and patio chairs in place.  Home Sweet Home for 4 nights.   I made us a quick dinner of left-overs (YES CORN!) and they were DELICIOUS!  Tucker got to play in the big dog park, kitty eventually agreed to come out of hiding and we enjoyed a COOL and peaceful first night out.  Smiles on both our faces as the day ended.  

Hey... we are doing this!   

Peace, Love, Paws!
☮💗🐾

I'm back!  Apparently I suck at blogging.  My last blog post was two years ago and in it I promised to write again soon.  June of 2017.  Wow.  Two years is not so soon, but here I am. So much has happened since then.

• a new puppy to fill the void left by Frankie - July 2017
• two category 5 hurricanes; Irma and Maria - September 2017
• a roofless house and a destroyed island home
• the closing of our fun pet store 'The Blue Mutt' - January 2018
• John had a stroke in January 2018 
• the loss of another of our heartdogs; Speedbump in May of 2018
• St. Croix Animal Welfare Center became my passion 2017 to Current
• the struggle to rebuild - Sept 2018 toCurrent 
• and so much more. Big things and small things. Heartwarming things and heartbreaking things.  Things that make you hide and weep, and things to make you sing out in joy.  Planned things, unexpected things, scary things and amazing things.  

The last two years was full of challenges we would preferred not to have had.  We met those challenges as best way we knew how.    Life has a way of surprising you in so many ways.  I'm sure I'll fill in the back story as I go along, but 4 weeks ago, June 6th, somewhat unexpectedly, we bought an RV!  We are going on a summer adventure!  June was a whirlwind of preparations, purchases, plan making and worry, but here we are.  All of our little family.   John, Laura, Tucker and Loki ... all together in our 'new to us' Tiffin Allegro Bus... and tomorrow we will hit the road.

I invite you to join us in our journey as we explore our country and ourselves.  Who knows what we might find.  Let's hit the road.