Its Cold.....Can I go Home... NOW

Kansas City Christmas Lights.. Plaza...not my photo

First I want to welcome Lynn for following/ joining this Blog and you can see her Blog on Casita in the Desert casita in the Mountains , Great folks with their 16 Ft  Casita...please take a look...again thanks Lynn for taking the time to stop by...I really enjoy this "Casita " Community!!!

We are still in KC...and the weather has turned frigid....lows in the 20's. highes 40's.......my  daily walks came to abrupt halt....and the treadmill is not working...oh well it gives me more time to munch on an assortment of Thanksgiving leftovers....it still amazes me on the variety of stuff one can do with turkey....I still hope to get down to the Plaza and take some photo's of the lights...but not when its in the 20's.....
Had a great Thanksgiving day...FIL, Kids and Grandson....and a lively debate with SIL on politics...I enjoy throwing a hand grenade in the middle of the discussion and seeing how he responds....hope he realizes half of what I say I don't really believe in...it was a fun day!!!!....have been doing some errands for FIL, setting up appointments, grocery run, winterizing sprinkler system, refilling meds., etc....."The Greatest Generation" though decreasing in size is still vibrant and full of spunk...and that's a good thing!!!..I enjoy our time together....

I suppose this evenings  dinner will be another creative creation of some sort of turkey meal...I can hardly wait...NOT...I may sneak out and get FIL and myself a juicy, messy, over the top, bacon, mushroom, cheese and onion hamburger...cheesy fries...a local beer brew...and sneak down in the basement and enjoy our "Last Supper"...lol

The plan is start heading back Tuesday morning...I wouldn't mind taking a side trip as we meander south...if anyone has any ideas, please share them...we do have Rt.66 south of here....till then there is still lots to do here....BTW some asked about my Santa Fe trail title...FIL lives on the "Old Santa Fe Trail" on the Mo. side about 1.5 miles from the State Line ...kind'a neat....

I just tried to load some photos and it came back and said I've used up my space...what gives...probably large pixel files, but I didn't realize it would  be this soon...anybody have any ideas and/or  options...this is a PHOTO Blog...Mmmmm, woe is me.....Happy Trails...Horst

Bedded Down at Old Santa Fe Trail...Kansas City Mo..

I know, I'm late....but you know how hectic it gets when you arrive with waiting in-laws and Kids, etc....the trip from Ardmore to K.C. was uneventful...arrived around 1500 hours, unloaded the car and relaxed with Father-in-law....decided to get some carry out "good eats" from Smoke Stack BBQ in KC, Mo....pricey... but not bad...still not as good as Texas BBQ...though I can't say that too loud...as I will have to then stay at a motel...

East Glacier..Horst Kelly Photographer

Spent the day getting all the food for tomorrows feast....what a pleasant, serene experience that was....I thought I was  on the Jerry Springer show instead of being at a Super Market...Aisle 6 seemed to be having a slug fest over the last can of green beans, or was it the can of Cranberry Sauce.....I decided to get a fifth of Makers Mark Whiskey(which you can buy at a grocery story in Mo.)....sit on a display box of Ritz crackers and have a couple of "Gentleman's Sips" from the bottle and watch "Tag Team"( husband & wife teams)Wrestling over the last box of stuffing....it does work well on ones Blood pressure....got home way to late....decided to take a long walk......lasted two hours, took a shower, refreshed, time for a Loooong Happy Hour.....leftover BBQ...still good..

Glacier..Horst Kelly Photographer

Can't wait until tomorrow....Macey's Day Parade, family, love, laughter, and rehashing of memories from years long past...the sound of a cracking fireplace, football, and the sound of snoring of us old folks at the middle of the forth quarter...it don't get any better then that..

 I do hope to get down town during the evening hours and take some photo's of the Plaza with all their Christmas lights....BTW I found out a little more on the "Pile up" accident on I-35...it involved 13 vehicles, nine autos and four 18 wheelers...so far one person confirmed as dead, several in hospital and it took 9 hours  or so to clear the highway.....very, very sad...as I suspect most where, like us going to visit family....though they say Thanksgiving is the worst holiday for auto fatalities(800+).....

I wish all of you a Healthy, Happy and fun filled Thanksgiving....God Bless...Horst sends

Thanksgiving Trip to Kansas City

I know..its been a while since my last post, and there is no excuse...got back from my Charleston S.C. trip and it seems time just slipped away...doing some mods on the Casita, work around the house and testing my ability to capture some gophers that are doing a number on my front yard...I'm having a flash back to "Caddy Shack" ...and my outdoor cat has decided to go into retirement....was asking where his annuity check was...oh bother.

Arches..Horst Kelly Photographer

So today we pulled out of the driveway about 1000 hours and the GPS was showing Kansas City, Mo. as a destination...layover Ardmore, Ok....pulled into Ardmore around 1600 and are now relaxing...no Casita this trip.....one major accident which backed things up...lucky for us we where 1/2 mile from an exit and stayed on the access road for a couple miles...I'm thinking some of the folks in that accident where seriously injured and may have died....its never good, but its especially sad during the holidays.....
Ardmore is pretty much a half way point between home and KC...we use to drive it in one day...Why...and we don't anymore
I guess a history lesson about Admore, population around 23000...
Ardmore, Indian Territory began with a plowed ditch for a Main Street in the summer of 1887 in Pickens County,Chickasaw Nation. It owes much of its existence to the construction of the Santa Fe Railroad through the area during that time. It grew, as most frontier towns grew, over the years into a trading outpost for the region. A large fire in 1895 destroyed much of the fledgling town, which forced residents to rebuild nearly the entire town.^[7] In the early 1900s, Ardmore became well known for its abundance of cotton-growing fields and eventually became known as the world's largest inland cotton port.

After the fields were stripped of their fertility, however, the city found itself positioned next to one of the largest oil fields ever produced in Oklahoma, the Healdton Oil Field. After its discovery in 1913, entrepreneurs and wildcatters flooded the area, and Carter County quickly became the largest oil-producing county in Oklahoma, and has remained so ever since.^[8] Ardmore has remained an energy center for the region ever since, with the region's natural wealth giving birth to such energy giants as Halliburton and the Noble Energy companies, among others. Ardmore also learned the perils of being energy-rich with yet another disaster in 1915, when a railroad car containing casing gas exploded, killing 45 people and destroying much of downtown, including areas rebuilt after the 1895 fire.^[9] The disaster, which made national news at the time, gave residents the resolve to establish the city's first fire department to ensure that such events would not recur in the future. The city has not experienced any major setbacks since the 1915 fire, save a 1995 tornado that nearly destroyed the Uniroyal Goodrich (nowMichelin) Tire Plant in west Ardmore. Despite a shift at the plant working at the time, miraculously no one was killed as the tornado ripped through the area, due to the public being alerted by area news and tornado sirens.

On April 22, 1966 just outside of Ardmore was the site of the worst plane crash in Oklahoma history, when an aircraft of theAmerican Flyers Airline crashed and killed 83 people. There is a memorial to the crash just outside of town.

Arches...Horst Kelly Photographer

East Glacier..Horst Kelly Photographer

Ardmore became nationally famous in 2003 when 52 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives, known as theKiller Ds, left Texas for Ardmore to deny the Republican-controlled House a quorum when Republicans attempted to pass a redistricting plan for U.S. Congressional Districts. Redistricting of Congressional seats is traditionally done following the decennial U.S. Census; the 2003 plan, which had been engineered by U.S. Representative Tom DeLay (R-Texas), would have been an unprecedented second redistricting in the same decade, and was promoted as a way to increase Republican electoral success. By leaving the state to stay in an Oklahoma hotel, Democrats temporarily delayed passage of the redistricting plan the Republican-controlled House. Republicans eventually succeeded at the re-redistricting, although in 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that new borders of the 25th Congressional District, a long thin chain of counties from Austin, Texas to Mexico, dubbed the 'Fajita Strip', was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1963, since it divided up predominantly Hispanic areas into multiple districts, and a U.S. District Judge ordered new boundaries favorable to incumbent Democrats Ciro Rodriguez and Lloyd Doggett to be drawn.

^{OK....plan on leaving around 0700 tomorrow morning....BTW those that live in the San Antonio area, the 130 toll road now begins in Seguin, Tx and ends at Georgetown....speed limit for the first section is 85mph....no I didn't reach that speed....there are also feral Pigs crossing the road...have had  in numerous accidents...it's not a pretty sight, auto traveling at 85mph hits a feral hog....Have a great week...till tomorrow...Happy Trails...Horst sends}

Dodging the Storm...Not

My internal alarm went off at 0530...got up, made some coffee, watched the news...first mistake...reminder to self, watch the weather....did all those "manly" things one is suppose to do...loaded the car, checked out and was on the road by 0700....The sun was shining bright in my rear view mirror...for the first 40 miles....I crested a hill and boom...the sky was a pitch black..and the clouds where low.....no one told me about this...I click my heels to make sure I'm not in Kansas....and then the sky opened up and sheets of rain fall for what seemed like eternity...ok, it lasted until about New Orleans...some 3 hours....at one point I was about ready to call it a day and check into a motel.....lets recap...why didn't I take I-20...weather..Mmmm, was it as bad as this...oh well, what is.....is.  I traveled about 480 miles and ended up in Jennings, Louisiana ...and a short 365 miles from La Vernia Texas...so all is good....

Historic Charleston

I call my bride, then my daughter...go out and get a taco salad....and here I am, writting this blog..the sun is setting..I go outside and notice the Motel is adjacent to approach 270R at the local airport....though I haven't heard one aircraft take off or land...which remindes me, I stayed up somewhat late last night watching the tv movie Amelia Earhart...something I don't normally do...but this captured the adventurous side of me...and I wonder....where did she go down..Mmmmm

I suppose I better get myself ready to put on "snoze"....I appreciate everyone that took the time to visit  and especially those that left a comment...I will do a summary of the trip this weekend...Tom Mix says Happy Trails...so how many folks know who Tom Mix is????....go for it Barney.

Historic Charleston

Back to the Alamo....

Last evening we all decided to do Chinese...the amount of food we ordered was down right "Pigish"...is that a word....there was so much left over it would feed a Third World Nation....I think all the food cooked or bought the last week...the Kids willl have left overs through the New Year...I haven't got on a scale, but with the lack of my daily walking and the amount of  intake of delicious food...I probably gained 10-15 lbs......woe is me....but it was worth being with the Kids, Grandkids and meeting all their friends....

Way to Early for a "Grandkids" Photo Take

With all that was going on last night, I decided to pack this morning....got up at 0530, wanted to make sure I was up to see the SIL off to work....then it was pack, give the Grandkids hugs and one last photo.....daughter and I sat around and talked, laughed, and re-lived the last several days....and then it was off to head home....after seeing the weather, I decided to go home the same way I came...really wanted to do I-20, but saw some bad weather towards the west, between I-40 and I-20.....don't need that...so its off to Jacksonvillle, then I-10 west.....I called it a day in Marianna, Florida...about 470 miles from Charleston...easy drive...just relaxing now....we'll see where tomorrow finds me....Happy Trails...Horst

Horst kelly photographer

Party, Grandkids, Oysters, Walking the Historic District

I know, I know...haven't posted in a while.....I guess I've been having way tooooo much fun....Arrived in  Charleston about noon last Wenesday....we all relaxed that day....picked up the Grands from school and the fun began...they are 10 and 8 now...they had to show "Opi" their rooms, every computor and X-Box game they had, their favorite ones, what the object of the game is, etc.....then off to do homework, supper and then the games....the hand, eye coordination  8 and 10 year olds have is amazing....I remember having problems keeping up with the Pong Game.... Atari and Nitendio where my undoing...and I always was told I had great reflexes and hand eye coodination....but its nothing compared to these two....

Playing XBox and another game on computor

Thursday...my daughter and I took the kids to school, did some shopping, mainly for the party, pork shoulder, baby back ribs, chicken legs and 2 bushels of fresh oysters in the shell(to be steamed and or grilled)....Iced them down in a huge cooler.......I tried to talk her into a brisket but my SIL voted me down...damn Navy pukes..got the kids from school...same routine as the day before...though we did go outside to the backyard lake and fed the ducks....afterwards we all set up the oyster tables and other stuff...forgot to mention, SIL is off this week, but is getting Certified to be a Staff Instructor for Scuba Diving...its his second love...in fact thats how my daughter met him..he was teaching the diving class that she signed up for.... some 18 years ago....how time flies...

A GREAT Navy Team

So lets move on to Saturday...its scamble  day...need to set everything up, start the smoker, etc...SIL is still in class, expected home at 1530 hours...0730 put on the 2 pork shoulders 250 degrees of heat, for 10 hours, ribs will start later, chicken last thing on.....we cleaned the house, set up the tables, got the sides going...by 1530 SIL came home, we set up the oyster table and got the final stuff going....they have a large home and also outside deck...about 40-50 folks coming...all is well...

Lake Backyard

By 1700 the first folks show up....all the meat is done...and I forgot to take photo's of it...wanted to have Jerry..Eggrolling, to judge it, haha...well I think  we would have won....but then I smoked it...lol..we had the cememony, toasts and then all relaxed and spent the rest of the evening telling "war stories"....though I will say that I was on the edge of being thrown in the lake by all those Navy folks, as I kept telling them how inferior Navy was to Air Force, lol....it was a great night of "jabbing" on both sides...

Sunday, SIL had to take 2 finals...or so he said, while daughter and I cleaned up the mess, another Navy trait/tradition...be slobs.  By noon all was done including yard, deck, smoker, grill, etc...the rest of the day we "grazed" on left-overs, and reminised about days gone by.....The new Lt. Commander came home around 1500....we decided it was time for happy hour, did games with the Grands, and before you know it we where all on the sofas..watching T.V., half a sleep...in fact one of the kids fell asleep....What a great weekend is was.....I plan on leaving Wednesday....next two days will be doing some sight-seeing in Charleston, relaxing and being with small adults....

Charleston Historic District

Charleston Historic District

OK...I haven't posted yet...its now Tuesday....will not be going to Hilton Head...its back to Texas...should be home Friday or Saturday...may take a different route home that takes me through Macon, Ga..south of Atlanta, then down to mobile...or may take I-20 all the way into Texas and head south prior to getting to Dallas.....will post and blog tomorrow evening....Happy Trails

I-10 to the Atlantic Ocean…North on I-95

One minute I was in a deep sleep, the next I jumped out of bed thinking I had overslept…and thought I was home….for a “Nano” second I had no clue where I was….now that was a comforting experience….. it was only 0400, but I now was wide awake….lets see what's on the tube at this time in the morning….Wow…..if this a reflection of our country, we’re in trouble…..I thought the recent surge of “reality shows” was going to me be the demise of this country…but I now believe its the early morning “infomercial's”….its Iran's secret weapon against the West…not Nuclear Reactors .. Below is a photo of a Navy Blue Angles jet at the Florida Welcome Center…..

So I clean up and load the car and at 0700 I’m on the road, heading East on I-10…..lose an hour and around early afternoon hit Jacksonville Florida…..gas is closing in on $3.80…wow…I take I-295 north…get on I-95 for about 20 miles and exit at Kingsland Ga…a great town and close to numerous places like Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, St Mary's, Jekyll Island, etc…in the Spring of 2010, I took my first extended trip in the Casita and this is one of the places I stopped for 3 days…the area has wildlife, History, The early 1900’s “Rich and Famous” summer homes, etc…a definite stop on a trip in this area…though to me it’s a lot more rewarding doing it in a camper…


Tomorrow will be a short drive to Charleston…a little over 200 miles…will keep you posted and hopefully share some photo’s…especially with the Grandkids…..Happy Trails…Horst sends

On the Road Again....SIL Getting Promoted...Navy

So you thought I would be home cutting grass, Trimming Trees, Waxing the Casita...or judging  Brisket/Rib events(the devil made me say that Jerry..haha)...none of those...I'm on the road again...off to Charleston, South Carolina....my SIL is getting promoted to Lt. Commander in the Navy and asked me to do the pinning on....I am really proud of his accomplisments...though there is a  inter service rivally...me being Air Foce Blue.....I have told him more than once that his career didn't take off until he married my daughter and the "Air Force culture" rubbed off on him..haha...all good natured fun..... his present assignment is a joint tour and his immediate Boss is an Air Force Member.....life is Soooo good for this old father-in-law..

Horst Kelly Photographer

So I began my trip this morning(10/8) at 0700...no I didn't take the Casita...just the lonely old mule(Xterra) and me....drove to Ocean Springs, Ms...600+ miles...not the same 200-250 miles at 55mph when pulling the wagon, which by the way is a lot more relaxing then going down the interstate at 75mph...the area is having some sort of car rally, motel prices are sky high...105 bucks to be exact..and that's with a discount....why didn't I take the casita and boondock at a Cracker Barrel ....tomorrow I plan on stopping at Jacksonville, Florida...though I could make it to Charleston..I told my daughter I'd be there Wednesday ..so I'll make it a short day....

Horst Kelly Photographer

Since I didn't take any photo's today, I post some old ones...Happy Trails...I-10 heading east

POSTSCRIPT…..Better than Winning the Mega-Lotto

I suppose I need to provide a summary of the trip….and what better way then going down memory lane with a few photo’s…OK, OK… I’ll provide some “Basic”  facts first:

Miles Driven: 9400(car miles); Casita miles: about 7400 miles…six weeks

Gas expenditure: around $1100

Meals out: $42.00
Campgrounds: less than $300…I think
Continental Divide crossings: 8
Misc./Other Stuff: About $600…not included are items for auto or memory
Cards, etc….ok, there it is…I’m sure I missed something, but how can you put a price on a GREAT adventure….now for the photo’s…BTW I’ve posted some on my website under “Trip 2012 Gallery”

    

 

    

   

Horst Kelly Photographer

Horst Kelly photographer

Horst Kelly Photographer

That’s all for now…Again I want to thank everyone that took the time to stop by and also those folks that left those GREAT comments…..until the next time…Happy Trails!!! Horst sends

Judge Roy Bean, a Last Sunset, and a Loving Homecoming from the Bride

This is  my last post before getting back home.....left early on the 10th to head to Seminole Canyon State Park...my  favorite winding down place...took Rt 118 south out of Fort Davis...from Alpine it was east on US 90......and not many towns between their and the campsite....did have one Border Check-point....all they wanted to know is if I was a US Citizen.....that took all of a nano second...though they had a dog sniffing the Mule and the Wagon.....these folks are doing a tremendous job here in Texas and providing a safety net for all of us......

The Law West of the Pecos...Horst Kelly Photographer

Got to the park around 1300 hours and asked for my favorite spot "E029"...I've had it the last five times I've been here...mind you there is only one other camper here....not even a Camp Host yet.....and what does the Ranger tell me...that spot is taken......came in half hour ago.....it can't be...I'm sure I have earned "Squatter's Right's" to that site....can we negotiate....but it was not meant to be.......so I chose what turned out to be a great private spot and the great news...I have "coupons" that let me get a second night free.....or maybe they just felt sorry for me and gave me that second night.....no matter I was smiling all the way to a sun set.....

Since I didn't have my trout last night, I made it this evening, along with slaw, sliced tomatoes, toasted french bread...and a Guinness Beer...Mmmm, Mmmmm good! I watched the sun set.....took a short walk and called it a day....didn't feel like messing with the computer...hit the sack around 9pm...

Justice is served..Horst Kelly Photographer

Got up on the 11th around 0600...must be the time change......made my coffee..oh the smell of fresh brewed coffee...in the wild.....doesn't get any better....decided to do my usual 6 mile hike in the park...and to my surprise they have added a new trail.."The Rim Trail"...the total walk is now 7.5 miles...my ankle is feeling good so I went for it...what a great walk...the solitude and scenery is second to none...whenever I take this walk and see the 12000+ year old cave dwellings my mind wanders as my foot steps are stepping over those 12000 year old foot prints....

After my walk I went to Langtry to Judge Beans place as they have done some rehab since my last visit...it still interests me, especially the saloon/courtroom...again knowing 120 years or so ago they where passing judgements on people in this very building....got back to camp around 1600 hours....did some prep work for my departure on the 12th...decided to make my chicken stew dinner, and just sat outside as the sun dipped below the horizon and a million plus stars came to the forefront....then an added attraction of some "shooting stars"" as they crossed the horizon...couldn't have asked for a better ending  for my trip....

His Home and Opera House..Horst Kelly Photographer

Got up at 0530 on the 12th...sat outside to watch the a new day approach...had my coffee and then hitched up...departed around 0800, later then usual...but there is no hurry...another 200 miles I was  backing my rig into the driveway....and a loving greeting from my bride.....I decided not to tackle the unpacking for a day or so....its time to relax, reflect and get reacquainted...

In a couple days I will do a post and reflection of this Journey...it doesn't seem like I was gone 6 weeks, yet it also feels  a lot longer than that..Mmmmm.....More to come..I want to thank all of you that followed the Blog, especially those that took the time to comment.....Later  Horst sends

Last Sunset of my Journey.....Horst signs off

My Almost Alien Sighting....Beam me Up Scotty

Had a pretty fair storm last evening(7 Sept) but it was over in short order.....what came with it was a pleasant surprise..a temperature drop of 15 to 20 degrees.....woke up this morning with the temp. somewhere in the high 40’s....and windy....since I have only 90 or so miles to go, I was in no hurry to hitch up....did a little cleaning.....very little...and then had my first “speed bump” of the day...the frig. was off.....my tank was empty and I had forgotten to open both tanks....it was 60 degrees inside and stuff in the freezer compartment was just about defrosted......didn’t feel safe in keeping most of the stuff, except what had been in the freezer....which meant I had some cooking to do this evening....the positive side is now I know approximately how long a tank of propane lasts me for refrigerator use....ha

My Alien Landing Craft...Horst kelly photographer

Left around 1000 hours, gassed up and went south on Rt 90...not much going on that road.....only saw about half dozen cars the entire trip....only town of any size is Valentine ....about half way between Van Horn and Ft. Davis.....the landscape is flat with the mountains as a backdrop....did have 30+ MPH side wind, but with my sway bar and only going at most 50 mph..everything worked fine....

And there it was...in the middle of hundreds of acres of nondescript landscape...a “blimp”...or at least what I thought was a blimp...the closer I got, I knew it was not your regular “over the stadium” blimp.....maybe I found an alien landing site....seems to meet all the requirements of seclusion, miles of flat, open space, very little population , wow, getting a photo of an alien space craft will be right up there with my Bear Cub photos....

AF TARS Craft...Horst Kelly Photographer

My approach was the same as taking wildlife shots....start at a good distance and if I wasn’t noticed, then move closer.....this was working great...I haven’t been beamed up yet.....as it turns out it belongs to the Air Force and its called “TARS”, which stands for Tethered Aerostat Radar System, is used as a surveillance radar...there are 8 different sites around the United States.....oh, well no alien photo ops today.....there are always the Marfa mystery lights......

Got to the park around noon and decided to stay for a couple of days...got a pull through site at the end of one of the rows...nicely treed ..and the weather was perfect....went to Alpine to try to replace some of my lost frig items...by the time I got back, I put the pork loin in my toaster/convection oven...45 minutes later it was done...tender, juicy, and good...also had some pickled beets and asparagus....A great day....we’ll see what tomorrow brings..BTW, want to thank Barney (OFM Adventures)....am going up to the lodge today to get some wifi...my 3g on the smart phone is at about 0g..though my cell is working at my site...The Wilson Sleek Booster is doing a good job...so far....Happy Trails...Horst

My Camp-site Buds...Horst Kelly Photographer

 Its now 9 Sept...have not had an opportunity to go to the lodge so I thought I’d go ahead and write todays blog and get it on line all at one time...I am winding down...didn’t get up until about 0700...no early morning sunrise photo’s.....made coffee and called a friend that lived next door to us that moved here earlier this year...met for breakfast at a place called the “Drug Store”...great food and nice conversation....also went to Marfa and Alpine, just driving and some photo’s...came back and did some some reading, down loaded a couple pics...and its now time to eat...think I’ll pan fry my last trout.....may try to take some evening shots...then get my stuff together for tomorrows 200 mile trip to Seminole Canyon State Park....

My Prairie dog Buddy...Horst Kelly Photographer

Winding Down...Homeward Bound....one last Adventure

I made it to to Truth or Consequences in record time...did not unhitch.....the park sat up on a hill, no shade...and very hot.....the AC could never get below 82 degrees until early evening....the place reminded me of a Airport "tarmac"...the way  we are all parked...on the positive side, clean bathroom with shower; 24/7 use of the community room, to include tv, pool table, etc....nice, friendly host.....

Famous Hotel El Capitan, Van Horn, Tx...Horst kelly Photographer

So why the name Truth or Consequences...for you old enough to have listened to the radio in the 40's early '50's, there was a show by that name..on the 10th anniversary, the host of the show Ralph Edwards made an announcement  asking if there was a town that would like to change its name to the name of the show...whatever town won would get national publicity and the show would do a broadcast  from there...Long story short. the town of Hot Springs New Mexico won and the rest is history....

7th Sept,  got up and pulled onto I-10 around 0715 and decided to travel to Van Horn Tx, home of John Madden's favorite Mexican Restaurant...and the Tequila Lady at the RV park...well she is gone and I didn't make it to the Resturant...I did drive the Butch Cassidy look alike bike again...reference my blog last Sept/Oct.....Made beef stew for dinner and had a GREAT coversation with my bride....early night and then the wind and rain storm started...woke me up around 11pm...the rain didn't last long what the wind is still kicking around 30-40 mph...

John Madden's favorite Chow down place Van Horn Tx 

To day my goal is to go to Ft Davis State Park...only about 90 miles from here...so there is no hurry..since I probably won't have internet, the next blog will be written at my wind down site of Seminole Canyon State Park...Until then Happy Tails...Thanks for stopping my...Horst

A Teton Memory...Lake Jenny..Horst Kelly Photography

Gallup NM it was....

I really hated to leave Goose Island BLM CG...but The Homesteading Act has long passed me by....Got up about 0430 to get myself organized and also wanted to try and change out the Tongue Jack...at 0600 I started that process...thought I would try something new and read the instructions..a novel concept for me....I try and remember that the USA gave the Chinese the instructions and China then rewrote it into chinese so that their employees could grasp what to do...when finished the Chinese then took those instructions, got a first year English Major to translate it back to English....I'm thinking that something is lost in this process...and therefore take the instructions with a gain of salt....my conclusion is don't mess with this until you get to civilization...the jack was working better...no "BB" bearings where falling out...so Tim as in Allen....leave well enough alone, and I did....was all set to go by 0715, took one my last pic of the campsite and rolled down the road.....

The Colorado River, The Cliffs and the Casita...Heaven it is..

The trip was uneventful...I debated as to going to Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and Mexican hat...but knew I needed to head South for a bit longer...so at about 1500 hours I rolled into Gallup NM...and the USA RV Park...29.00 a nite with hookups.......doesn't have the "Wow Factor"...but had a BBQ Dinner and Ice Cream Social...whichI didn't participate in, but was a nice touch...even had a CW band....

Pulled in, didn't unhitch, got my towel, soap, etc and headed for a Loooooooooong shower...boy did that feel good......relaxed and started my mini grill and going to have the other Monster Hamburger I got at Moah....life is good...tomorrow I think its to Truth or Consequences...we'll see...Thanks for stopping by...Horst sends

Maintenance and Logistics Day...

4 Sept and the weather is hot...by 0700 it was raising to almost 80 degrees...at least at my location....decided to go to Arches a capture a shot I have always wanted to get...but when I couldn't find how to  get to the back of one of the windows arches....after what seemed like an hour I gave up..took some other photo's...and headed back into town...

Canyonlands...Horst Kelly Photographer

I have been having a slow leak in one of my tires and decided today was the day to get it fixed...mission accomplished....second was a problem with my tongue jack..it has been getting increasingly more difficult to raise and lower it...when I unhitched her, I noticed "bb" sized ballbearings dropping out of it....I found a  place that had a plate mounted manual jack...will try and get it on prior to leaving tomorrow...should be fun for spectators..as I have been called Tim Allen(Tool Time fame) more then once....
Not much else has been happening...sort of a wind down time...Rob Rupp and I are keeping in touch...he just left Glacier and is also heading south...since I have very slow internet, I haven't kept up with my favorite Blogs...have no idea where Jerry and Wanda are..or the orther folks I follow...tomorrow I plan on getting to Gallup NM and staying at a commerical CG...hopefully some better wi-fi capability...or maybe not..and just call it a day at Monument Valley or Mexican Hat...we'll see....

Tetons...a lot of haze....Horst Kelly photographer  

Tonight I plan on pan frying some trout, a salad...and maybe, just maybe a glass of wine....until tomorrow..happy Trails and Safe Travels...Good Night John Boy.......Horst sends

Two Summits and the Colorado River awaits me....

So where do I start....1 Sept sounds about right...I was going to get up early and try to find my evasive Moose and or Elk....well it rained most of the night and was looking like it wanted to start again around 0600 hours....so my plan was to forego the Moose and hitch up and head south....by 0700 I was on my way....hoping I would find something that would change my mind...... I headed south on Rt 191....Wyoming did not disappoint me...let me down easy and showed me a serene ride with either the Snake or Hoback Rivers running parallel to Rt 190....wow is all I can say...

Hoback River...Horst Kelly Photographer

The farthest point I wanted to travel was Vernal, Utah.........by around 130pm or so I came to the north end of Flaming Gorge National ReReservoir...a huge lake that is damed...I had run through a lightening storm and was pretty well beat..I pulled over at a hill top and wondered if there was a camping area on the lake... quarter mile south I was rewarded with a 5 mile trip on a "washboard" road to a COE campground on the lake...30 minutes later I backed into a  super spot...my back window looked directly onto the lake...no hookups, but I can run the Genny.....bathrooms.....what a great site.....a storm blew in, but by nine pm all was quite, so I  thought...then the icing on the cake, across the lake a "fireworks display started"...I made the decision to watch the show instead of trying to set up my camera equipment...what a neat display...then off to bed and see what tormmow brings...

Campsite at Flaming Gorge....Horst Kelly Photographer

Its now early morning on the 2nd of Sept....great looking day....I had my coffee watching the sun peek over the horizen...by 0715 I was rolling on the 5 mile washboard road unto Rt 191...about 20 minutes later  I was driving across the top of the Dam...what a site...I stopped at the visitors center, which was closed...tried to take a photo or two of the dam, but it was directly in the sun....so you'll just have to imagine what it looks like...and then the climb started...from the north side you don't get an appreciation what to expect....plus I thought I had researched enough and didn't think I was going to be tackling any major summits....was I in for a shock...what seemed like an eternity, but probably closer to 45 minutes of 3rd gear climbing...it becamed very clear that this wasn't just a "Butte".....though I wasn't able to pull over to snap a shot...let me say that I was looking at the cloud cover and it was below me.....15 switchbacks and anywhere from a 6 to 8+ degree downhill run I made it safely to Vernal, Utah....2 hours to go about 60 miles.....But now the the drive should be a breeze....I should be at Moah my early afternoon....all was going well between Vernal and Duchesne...quaint small towns, nice sceanery, cruising along at 55mph. Thought I would gas up at Duchesne, since it didn't look like there was any other towns for a while....and now I know why....
Soon after leaving the comfort of an open road, I once again started climbing, and climbing.....I was absolutly sure this was not going to be a major summit....but at 9400 feet I finally saw the other side and this time only 7 switchbacks and about 6 or so miles down to the floor...the rest of the trip was uneventful and I rolled unto main street Moab about 1530 hours....

Just another Great Sunrise....Horst Kelly photographer

I had remembered from a previous visit..several COE or BLM campgrounds along the Colorado River north of town....all appeared full or at least the entrace signs said they where...I turned around at about the 16  mile marker and concided that I woukld probably have to stay at a commerical CG at premium Labor Day rates...the first COE  CG is called Goose Island and even though it said "FULL", I decided to venture in and what do you know, a large site awaits ...what a deal...I put my 6 dollars in the enevlope, didn't unhitch as I was not sure of my plans for tomorrow...sat outside and watched the sun set...

At Moab....evening shot...Horst Kelly Photographer

and the best part is I have cell coverage and 3G...though very slow....another great day of Adventures...and it ended so well....maybe I'll float down the Colorado a bit.....Thanks for stopping by...Horst sends