Albuquerque, NM

The weather forecast was for very high winds in the Albuquerque area, so we were up and on the road earlier than normal. It is a good thing we did that, because it ended up getting very windy soon after we arrived at Enchanted Trails RV Park situated on a mesa just west of the city.

We got set up and pretty much stayed inside out of the blowing sand. 

We did take a little walk through the campground and found these antique cars and trailers. The trailers are available for rental.

Tomorrow we will hit Trader Joe’s for shopping and hopefully visit a great restaurant we know of in Old Town.

Carlsbad, NM

We rolled in to Carlsbad, NM ahead of the rain. We had time to get set up, and truthfully we appreciated the rain. The Internet at the campground was very weak. Barbara was fit to be tied.

Most of the evening was spent on the phone with Dish Networks trying to get our service sorted out. We have “Distant Network Service” (DNS) rather than local network channels, which would require us to call in with our new address every time we changed locations. With DNS we get New York and Los Angeles network programming no matter where we are. This evening we were watching ABC New York. We were keeping up with DWTS and when it was over the New York feeds disappeared. Gone. I called Dish and spent nearly an hour and a half with several agents to no avail. They had a very poor understanding of the product and it drove me nuts. I finally gave up and we watched the LA feeds.

In the morning we drove to the caverns and were sorry to see that they suffered a severe fire last year. Much of the surrounding terrain was burned, but the service center was spared. One of the rangers said that they evacuated the cavern and service center in fifty minutes and had everyone off the mountain before the fire jumped the service road. Today new growth is evident, so the cycle continues.

Two years ago we walked into the cavern, but this time we took the elevator down so that we could see the portions of the cavern that we did not have time to by the time we walked in. If you have not been to the caverns you owe it to yourself to go. It is an amazing place.

We had time left in the afternoon and stopped by the Living Dessert Museum north of town. This is a sampling of dessert habitat containing animals that for the most part are rescue animals representative of the creatures found in the local desert. There were elk, bison and pronghorn on the larger side, and prairie dogs, cougar and wolves on the smaller end. The cougar, in particular, was gorgeous.

Dallas, Day Three

Saturday was the day of the big party at the park, but first Jack had to go to his swimming lesson.  Did I mention that this is his second birthday? When did you first take swimming lessons?

At 1:30 Chris and I headed to the park to get the tables set up and the Play Dough and bubbles distributed. Just as we got everything together Lisa showed up to tell us we were in the wrong pavilion. We made due, because kids were showing up. It turned out to be a great little party, just long enough for the kids to play with the Play Dough, make bubbles and play in the playground before they got antsy. Then we served them cake and juice and sent them home all jacked up (no pun intended) on sugar with their parents. It is a game young parents play.

We worked off Jack’s sugar buzz with the excitement of opening his gifts. This kid got a lot of stuff! The parents in Chris and Lisa’s circle give good gifts. They are fun, certainly, but they also offer some educational or developmental benefit. Me? I usually got trucks or guns of some sort, but maybe that explains things.

Lisa’s folks are helping secure their daughter’s future by giving Jack a basketball hoop and ball set. Jack went right for the dunk, but suffers from white man’s disease. He was better with the T-ball set.

I am sorry not to have pictures of Michael and Margie Rubin from this trip. They are Lisa’s parents and truly wonderful people. We are sorry that a continent separates us because we would like to spend more time with them. They prepared a Seder dinner for us Saturday night. It was our first, and it was wonderful to be able to share that custom with their family.

Dallas, Day Two

Friday was a day to catch up with Chris while Lisa was at work, and also a chance to re-hang that damn mud flap. We went to Home Depot and picked up a couple of shackles, then headed to Anamia’s for a wonderful Mexican lunch, the highlight of which was the guacamole made fresh at table-side in a stone Molcajete (mortar). It was most excellent! Here we go with the food again.

Finally the mud flap was hung, by the axle with care, no wait that is another story. That darned thing hangs too low now, but I am not sure what I can do with the tools at hand.

Dallas, Day One

Thursday was primarily a driving day, but it was not without its drama.

Things were routine until we were nearly through Dallas construction traffic. While approaching an off ramp to Hwy 114, the construction had us slowed up enough for the guy in the car next to me to get my attention and ask that I open my window. I regretted it when I heard him say, “The car you are towing is smoking!” We worked our way over to the shoulder. Happily, it was recently poured cement and relatively clean since I was soon going to be crawling under the coach. Turns out the heavy mud flap that hangs beneath the rear of the coach had once again come loose on one side and was dragging. Risking life and limb, I got my tools out of the compartment on the traffic side and crawled beneath the beast. The bracket had broken so there was no quick fix on the side of the road. I disconnected the good side and Barbara and I hauled the damn thing (all six feet and 60 or so pounds) into the coach.

We pulled up in front of Chris’ house feeling like we were home free. We disconnected the car and I started to back into Chris and Lisa’s driveway with Barbara guiding me in while standing on the lawn of the house across the street. All of a sudden she was doing the chicken dance and her arms were flying all over. That made directions hard to follow so I stopped until things settled down. Things did not get better, but we managed to get the coach in the backyard. It turns out Barbara had stepped into a large fire ant nest and got many bites. Within minutes she had hives over a substantial part of her body. She was really having a bad time, so I drove to the store for Benadryl. Thankfully she was feeling better relatively soon, but the rash persisted through the next day.

Finally we were snug in our spot behind Chez Ruburgner. (Rubin + Burgner)

Things got better when Lisa got home and we headed to Jack’s daycare for his Easter egg hunt. What a great time that was. He is a sharp young lad, and jumped right in to getting his share of eggs. 

As for getting his picture taken with the bunny, well there is always next year.

Natchitoches, LA. Home of Steel Magnolias.

All that weather that hit Dallas yesterday (minus the tornados) hit us at one in the morning. The lightening was non-stop. The flashes coming in through the shower skylight made it like a disco in the bedroom, and the rain was coming down like crazy. Worrying that the wind would pick up greatly I pulled in the slides to avoid damage to the topper canvas. It took forever to get back to sleep, but eventually we did.

We woke to the traditional coffee grinder alarm, but ended up waiting until after eleven for the rain to abate before leaving.

It was a good drive. A lot of I-10 through MS and LA was washboardy and irritating, but once past Baton Rouge and heading north on I-49 it was pretty nice.

Baton Rouge

We rolled into the Nakatosh Campground just before five and got settled in. 

There was a reason for stopping. Would you believe it was related to food? Oh, yeah! When we drove west right after retirement we stopped in Natchitoches and found a great Cajun restaurant on Front Street. Mama’s Oyster House is worth driving out of your way for. We are partial to the Catfish Supreme, a pair of fillets smothered in etouffee sauce. Spicy good stuff.

So today was pretty much driving and eating. We are excited because tomorrow we reach Chris and Lisa’s to spend time with grandson Jack.

Niceville, FL and Gulfport, MS

We have stopped in the Gulfport, MS area for the evening. We are staying at Southern Oaks Mobile home and RV Park. As it turns out it is a nice little place to stop when traveling on I-10. Once a FEMA trailer facility it is now transitioning to a commercial park. All the pads are cement and there is grass between the sites. There are many young trees, so it is a nice environment. Lots of full time residents, but there are some pull-through sites that allow those of us traveling pulling a car to stop for the night without unhooking the car.

I am sitting in the shade of the motorhome enjoying a beer while I write today’s entry. Although there is considerable highway noise from I-10 it blends into the background. In the distance I can hear the clang of a game of horseshoes being played somewhere nearby.

We spent the last two nights with good sailing friends Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski in Niceville, FL. Their home is on a short cul de sac with homes on only one side so there is room to leave the motorhome on the street.

The Kaiserski home is on a bayou off of Choctawhathcee Bay. What a wonderful setting. They have a great view out back across the creek feeding the bayou. They overlook a previously undeveloped parcel of land. Unfortunately, that is to be short lived since the owner has started clearing roads to build homes. For now, though, it is a little slice of heaven. One of the perks of this home is the ability to keep their boat docked out back. Sure beats the two-hour drive we had to visit Totem. If it were this handy we would possibly still have her.

Phyllis, Sonata and Barbara with Sisu in the background.

We had the opportunity to go sailing on Sisu yesterday. It was a wonderful sunny day with a brisk breeze. We took some cheese and crackers along and had a terrific time. Barbara and I have found the secret to sailing. Use OPB! (Other People’s Boats)

Jim and Phyllis introduced us to a new pizza place. Luckily it is a chain so you can look for one near you. It is called Papa Murphy's. What makes Papa Murphy’s so different is that they do not cook pizza! Huh? You say. Nope, YOU cook the pizza at home. Papa Murphy’s little helpers prepare the pizza to go. It is on an oven proof disc and over-wrapped in cellophane so it does not come apart on the way home. You toss it in the oven (without the cellophane) for 12-18 minutes and you end up with one very good pizza. I should have taken a picture. Not only do they taste super, they are gorgeous to look at. Look and see if there is one near you and give them a try. Unfortunately, back home the closest one is forty minutes away, so it would be a very special event for us when we get home. It is good enough to make the effort, though, and we will.

Someone mentioned that a common theme in my writing is food. I guess they were right, weren’t they! It always seems to work its way in there.