Merry Christmas 2023

   2023  could be characterized as a year of  discovery and relaxation. The Texas relocation and sorting out our new priorities was behind us...this year could be summed up as enjoying our new environment without all the "hoopla" that usually comes with it.

There were numerous day trips to explore what Southern Missouri and our neighboring states have to offer. An area rich in history and landscape.  I did take camping trips , but most were from one to five days in duration and from two to four hours from home.  A new style from the  one and two month trips I took in the past.  Though it was a 'weaning' process. In April I took a trip to Death Valley and the Eastern Sierras. It took me through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and to California. One of the perks of taking that route was experiencing Old Route 66. 

It was also  a year of sharing the holidays, birthdays and other special "Hallmark" created events with most of the adult kids. Those are kodak moments that made the move from Texas the "Right Move" at this time in our lives. The only regret is that we didn't see our East Coast Clan this year. Hopefully next year we can resolve that. We are happy to report that all the Offspring are doing well both in health, work, and in enjoying their free time, to include trips to the Virgin Island, Caymans,  New York city(for work and play), Vegas, Bahamas', and points beyond.  

So as you can tell, this year didn't see a lot of "whistles and bells" but in its place was discovery, tranquility, and bonding.

I wish for each of my Blogging Family,  friends and  family  a wonderful, relaxing and blessed Christmas and may the coming year bring Good Health, much love and special moments!  Horst sends

Sunset in Arizona

 

Chasing Fall colors on Rt 66

   I've had another trip around the Sun. Amazing how fast time seems go by these days. The other day I was reminiscing about my trip with the grandkids 10 years ago and wondering if I could manage that adventure today. My ego says sure but my body says I don't think so.😃 The Kids and I still relive that trip every now and again and it always ends in laughter....Memories are a wonderful item in life's toolbox! 

Speaking of trips, I've taken a couple more short trips since my last post.  Mainly wanted to get out and try to capture some fall colors and see some of Old RT. 66 Stuff.  Rt 66 is right in our general vicinity so I made a couple   trips and captured a couple gas stations, a bridge and some fall color. The Route 66 trip was here in Missouri.

 What made it special was back in '62 my father was transferred from the Philippines to the Pentagon. I had made a friend  my first year at Oklahoma Military Academy with a guy from Stamford Connecticut. Going back to OMA in '62 we decided to drive. He had a 61 Chev. convertible...Long story short, he picked me up in DC and we started a trip of a lifetime. At one point we were on Rt 66 in Missouri and the song "Going to Kansas City" came on the radio. There was a line in the song 'they got some crazy little women there, and I'm going to get me one'. I said, we ought to take a right at the next road and head north to K.C. He did and we got there, stopped at a local drive-in....stayed up there about an hour(never could find 12th street and Vine) and headed back towards Claremore Oklahoma. 😃 Making memories... It was great traveling on that same road that we were on 61 years ago! 

Not my image

 

Not my image..'61 Chev Impala

   

 

 My next adventure took me south to Arkansas and I spent a couple days camping, relaxing and getting a few autumn shots  and camping on a lake.  Enjoyed pan fried ribeye one evening  along with some mushrooms, asparagus and a glass of merlot... by this time with our setting the clocks back  it was pitch black and the silence was deafening  except for an owl letting me know he was guarding the area.  

Time to call it a day. Got into the bed of the truck climbed up to the "Eagles Nest" watched the night sky some more while reflecting how blessed I am! 

Next morning came early with the howling of the wind...at least 25/30mph.  Decided it was too windy to hike or take photo's so I made myself some bacon, eggs, and hot coffee. Afterwards I packed up and headed north...three hours later I was getting a hug from my bride!!  No matter how long or how short a trip, it's always comforting to get home to a "loved one" !

Until next time .....Safe Journey, Keep making memories! Horst sends

 

 

From Soft Roading to Mud Bogging......Kinda, Sorta, Maybe

  The weather cooperated last week  and I decided to venture south to Arkansas. Three plus hour drive and I was in the Ozark National Forest. If that isn't "Sasquatch  Country" I don't know what is. The leaves haven't started any serious turning of Fall colors yet, but it was still a nice drive. I arrived in the area I had been researching mid afternoon,  found a small lake and a nice site...  parked myself there for two nights. First day and evening was overcast so no opportunity for a sunset or sunrise shot. No sunrise the second day, but a pretty nice sunset with what looked like some storm clouds moving in....of course I had to grab my camera and shoot a few pics. My idle time was spent hiking some easy trails, reading some books on the local area and cooking a few meals. 

Next morning again was overcast.....decided to venture to another location near some rivers to include the Buffalo National River. Had  bacon and eggs,  took my time packing up, cleaning up checking locations. The weather wasn't sure what it wanted to do....overcast and a few drops of rain. I decided to travel 100 or so miles somewhat north and west. South of Jasper, Ark. 

Not a bad view  .......

........from the camper

What a drive that turned out to be. Arkansas has a road definition system  that is different from anything I'm use to. Their definition of a "County" Road ...is in line to what I'm use to seeing as a single track trail...I was tested on my skill level or lack there of....Bottom line I was lucky not to get stuck and having to send a SOS message from my Garmin mini in-Reach.  A lot of water on the trail, rutted trails, deep muddy trails, numerous river crossings....The bottom line I averaged, at least according to my calculations, 2-7 miles per hour. No cell service. I used my in-Reach to send messages to my Bride. I did stop a number of times to see how deep the water was and how soft the trail  was....But I found a pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow, at least it seemed like that for me! 

Nothing like Country Driving...haha

Better parts of the trail

  

What a Vista. The photo's don't do it justice. The water was deep Aqua....I wanted to take a dip but knew how cold it most be. I believe that it is Spring fed stream.

Entering Shangri La

I did a little walk around/hike to get a feel of my surroundings, no sign of any human activity, the trail  oh excuse me "county" road  😇 looks about the same shape as where I just came from. So time for a sandwich I had made before leaving the last camp......close enough to five O'clock for a adult refreshment. All I knew is this was going to be a great stay.

But things don't always go the way of plans. Though it was overcast most of the day,  storms never were on my radar scope.  The longer I was there the more ominous the clouds layer got  and the  wind picked up. With no cell service I had no way of knowing what the current weather situation was looking like. I did not want to leave so I thought I would stay for a little while longer to see if this system blows over...or gets worse. 

My slice of paradise 

  However I knew that if it started raining  or worse storming that I could have a real problem getting out... not only with the deep muddy ruts, but also that the water crossing may become impassable due to water levels rising  and faster current.  I decided to error on the side of "chicken" and look forward to another visit in the near future.

The perfect "getaway" camping spot

As I was making my exit, it started raining The good news is the heavy rain didn't hit until I was back on pavement. Three plus hours  and I was pulling into the driveway, with outstretched arms of my lovely bride. Most of the drive back was with T-storms, and strong winds. 

Ahhh, back on pavement and civilization :))

 I will be back to that shangri la site very soon!....So stay toned...Horst sends

Fall Starts Today! Ok, for the Northern Hemisphere :)) Time to go and make some Memories

  Guess it's about time to put pen to paper and let  folks know what's been happening with "Opi"😊. I have been out exploring....and camping  2 and 3 day spurts, about every other week or so. Though up until recently its been too hot to do any camping, just piddling around the Home Front... I'm starting to get  somewhat comfortable on this style of camping. Haven't done much  photography. Need to get back to that. Mostly   relaxing sitting on a lake shore or river bank listening to the sounds of nature....and sipping a little whiskey. . I've confined my camping to Missouri and Arkansas  for the time being. 

Death Valley.....I liked the heart shaped rock

I'm still sharing my camping time with Dr. visits, and various and numerous tests.....as they say "practicing  medicine". I have had an angiogram, stress tests, Ct Scans, and a slew of pulmonary tests and continue to look at various "other stuff".The Cardio tests so far have not found anything other than stuff I already had and it was stable in fact looked good for a Grumpy Old Man hitting 81 years.   The pulmonary tests appear  that I 'may' have  had something of an acute nature(event driven) vs my chronic respiratory stuff(COPD). I'm currently on nighttime oxygen while they run some additional  tests, we'll see how it all shakes out.     So for the near  term they would like me not to take any trips requiring long distance travel....and that's ok , though I won't find the great vista's I'm used to visiting out West, there is always "Sasquatch Searching"  in the Ozarks!😁   

Dispersed Campsites...not complaining

 I did buy a drone recently....a Beginners drone as I am fairly certain I will slam it into a tree or take it for a swim in a river or lake. it's a mini drone (under 250gms), which means I don't need to register it, though in my haste I did .. You do have a test of sorts, and I did read all the restrictions, pamphlets, etc. Once I get somewhat proficient I will probably give it to one of the Grandkids, or their parents...the adult kids :)) and get one that has more "whistle and bells" on it. For a starter drone it's pretty robust;  camera, video, 4k photo's  high resolution videos, 2 batteries for an hour flight, etc.  Haven't had a chance to try it yet as the weather has been somewhat nasty. Wind, rain or thunderstorms. Hopefully in the next day or so I can have my 'maiden flight'. Wish me luck!!😉

             

                                                                   Memory Photo

 

Taken in 2009 at Seminole Canyon State Park...1st visit

  

Here's a photo of tree damage in our front yard from a recent storm.....straight line winds. They saved the tree, for now.

Well folks, I guess I've rambled enough.... Hopefully with beginning of Fall, the temps will drop and we'll have some nice weather for exploring, and I'll have something to post about! Till then...Keep making Memories! Horst sends

 

 

 

 

You Blink.....it's a Ten Year Anniversary....The Summer of "3 Amigo's"--------2013

 It's feels like it was just yesterday.....  one of the high points my life(being a Gpa 'Opi' is pretty fulfilling), and it came in the 4th quarter....which proves you're never too old to create memories!!  and today the Boys are almost finished with college and beginning to create their "own World of Adult Memories"....and so the cycle continues!😊

I'll do another post in the next week to give an update as to what's been going   here in our little corner of Missouri...Horst sends

The 3 Amigo's circa 2013

  

              

                 

 

  

I could post 100 more photo's of that trip and that still  wouldn't be all of them...... 😊   

They fixed me breakfast

Not What I Planned...But Still a Great Adventure

Alabama Hills, Ca

Not my Photo

 I am back Home.....Yup the trip was shortened by almost half. I arrived at Lone Pine early Sunday afternoon. I had a GPS route change in Kingman   that I thought was going to be a short detour due to traffic but ended up being a new route that Ms GPS thought I would enjoy more...Took me through Vegas and then south though Death Valley. I was not amused nor impressed driving through the middle of "Sin City".😁  The monument is from Mt Vernon, Mo and depicts the exact route that I took except I did not go to Los Angeles, I should of hit highway 395 to Lone Pine. I believe it was 1680 miles from Ozark, Mo.

Alabama Hills, Ca

Death Valley was overloaded with cars, vans, campers and RV's. several accidents on the switch backs and no available campsites. Someone had indicated that it was Spring Break starting that week....that was one thing I didn't check when deciding which week to leave. It became apparent that I wasn't the only one that had Alabama Hills as a destination point for the week.  I did a sweep of the area looking for a dispersed camping site.... and settled for an open spot, not a lot of solitude but a nice view of the Eastern Sierras.  

Alabama Hills, Ca

  

 I set up, and relaxed with a beverage and imagined folks in covered wagons being here 150 years ago wondering what was on the other side of those magnificent peaks. Early to bed and early to rise..

Alabama Hills, Ca

 Got up about  0530. brewed a pot of  coffee, set up a camera and watched the sun climb the eastern range until the first rays of light kissed the tips Sierras and Mt Whitney. Not a cloud in the sky...The morning show did not disappoint! The photo's weren't as dramatic as those I've seen, but that was do to "operator error". Photo's or not, the morning light show was just what the Doctor ordered!!  I was back in the "saddle"!  

Alabama Hills, Ca

I decided to make another sweep of the area to see if I could find better campsite.....The area was still full of folks enjoying their Spring Break, so I stayed where I was  and decided to do a scouting trip north on 395.

North on Highway 395

 I started climbing in elevation and before I knew it I was driving in newly fallen snow.....Oh my, this was the icing on the cake. pulled off the road and took a couple pics and pressed on.  I was close enough to Yosemite so i decided to see if I could possibly get in there. Didn't know if they had a lottery system going  this early in the season.....about a half hour more driving and there was a sign that said it was closed. I assumed due to snow and not people. Oh well, I decided to return to Lone Pine!

That evening I grilled a steak, added a salad and ate while watching the sun go behind  Mt Whitney....realizing what a lucky person I was to be still be able to partake in these adventures. Tomorrow I would drive to Trona Pinnacles, see what it was like and maybe spend a couple days exploring that area.

North on Highway 395

Woke up about 0600 hours and while jumping up and down the bed platform, I noticed I was running out of breath to the extent I had to sit down and rest in-between tasks....Mmmmmm the next hour or so didn't show any improvement. My first thought was that it must be the elevation and my COPD, though in the past I have never had this extreme reaction, even at higher elevations. 

Alabama Hills, Ca

My plan was to find a motel at a lower elevation, stay overnight and see how my shortness of breath is tomorrow. I found a motel in Barstow, and they also had a hospital....just in case. Next morning my problem was the same and I decided to go to the ER and see if they could figure this out. The staff and medical process was "top shelf". wait time was very short. Within 10 minutes I was being seen by a NP and Doctor. Gave me an EKG, chest X-Ray and did a blood workup. based on the blood workup they decided to give me a CT-Scan. There was some indication I may have a blood clot. The CT-Scan found no evidence of a clot. At that point they felt that my problem may be COPD, but stated I still could have a a cardio problem. Their recommendation was to return home and get further medical attn, with my Cardio folks and also my Pulmonary Doctor. Since it was mid day I decided to stay in the area one more night and head out the next morning....which I did and 3 days later was greeted by my lovely Bride.  Have an appt next week with the Doc's....I now know I am no longer "Bullet Proof"😊

Winslow, Az

Though I only was able to scratch the surface of what I had planned, I'm still very grateful for been able to made this trip and   spend time in the area! I'm currently planning some two and three day camping trips for  next month in Missouri and Arkansas. As Clint Eastwood said "Don't let the Old Man in"👍😉  

Thanks for stopping by.....and Happy Trails....Until next time! Horst sends

Somewhere north of Vegas