Back just in time looking at the weather!

I have a friend who loves a road trip and a good hike - she drove the entire 12 hours to BBNP and back!  I was the navigation and co pilot.  We went on a few nice hikes!

Here is the Wiki link:  Big Bend National Park - Wikipedia

We stayed about 70 miles away (this area of Texas is spread out and pretty isolated and the places in closer Terlingua, TX were booked up!) in a cute little Western Texas town called Alpine - we did a walking tour when we got there Friday afternoon.  

The next day we went to the park and the Ranger Station and got some maps and visited the Eastern most corner of the park, the Rio Grande Valley.  On the way there, we saw a fossil display area - really cool.  Describing how millions of years ago, this area that is now a desert was a shallow ocean.  The archeologist who discovered T Rex (unsure where) came here and found more T Rex and there was a dinosaur discovered here called Alamosaurus.  The display said (I think) in 1940 it took 6 men and a horse drawn wagon several days just to get the head removed and preserved!

This picture shows an TRex head (replica) a Deinosaucous (I think closest head) and a flying dinosaur replica - I almost think that flying one would scare me the most!

We drove past the Boquillas crossing (into Mexico) and saw the Rio Grande for the first time from the overlook near Boquillas, Mexico.  Then we hiked the Boquillas Canyon trail.  It was pretty!

We spent the entire first day seeing the desert portion of the park.  We went to lunch area and had our car lunch on a picnic table under the large cottonwood trees.  Then we started the 3.5 mile (one way) hike along the southwest trail, which was already pretty warm.  We hiked all the way to the overlook about 1.5 miles and enjoyed that pretty view and walked back.  Then we drove to the shorter 1.4 hike near the hot springs.  

The hot springs are a popular spot, we felt like we would rather sit in the 100 degree spring early in the morning or late in the day!

I was lucky enough to spot a road runner on our way driving to the closer hike to the springs.  I did not catch him with a photo though.  On our way driving to the park we also saw coyote, a wild boar and antelope.  The next day we would see mule deer, javelina and couple more road runners.

After the hot springs, we drove by the centrally located Chisos Mountains station to plan our 2nd and last day, on our way to catch the sunrise at Santa Elena Canyon, which is closer to the west side and also along the Rio Grande.

This is a pretty popular spot to see pictures taken in this park.  The taller cliffs on the left are Mexico and the cliff on the right is USA.  There is a hike that runs along the canyon on the right with steps and railings for a pretty overlook hike, but it was getting late in the day and although we both had lights, i was not really up for trying to walk more in the dark!

So we drove back along the very pretty scenic Ross Maxwell drive along the Nail and Wilson ranch sites, the Mule Ears mountain, the Tuff Canyon, etc to a really pretty vista called Sotol Vista Overlook where we finished up seeing the sunset and stayed until 9pm to see the dark sky light up with the stars, plants and part of the Milky Way Galaxy - next time I will take a good camera for that!

The 2nd to the last photo in these 4, the split in the canyon in the middle level of the horizon showing the cliffs is where Santa Elena Canyon is.  Just amazing to see!  This park is a designated "dark sky" area, where this is almost zero light polution, allowing one to see the stars all around, almost like a snow globe effect!

Hope you enjoy.  I will post more next week about our hike in the Chisos Mountains!

Getting ready for a road trip

 So, I am happy to say that as of Friday, I am getting 4 days off.  At least, I hope I am.  I requested 2 weeks ago, and of course have not received confirmation from work yet.  Jeez.

Last week I had 2 full days where I was on the phone literally ALL DAY with the help.

 desk.  The department help desk was trying to outsource my problem to a contractor who in turn, was referring me back to my department help desk.  So frustrating!  Essentially I was told I need a new computer, but evidently the federal government has a shortage of laptops - go figure!

Anyway, I need some R and R badly.  I am going on a 12 hour drive with a hiking friend to Big Bend National Park which is in Western Texas, where the Rio Grande River (which separated Texas from Mexico, makes a "big bend".  It is fairly isolated and already warming up, so we will be taking lots of layers and water and sunscreen!

Here are some pictures I found online and an article about the park Attractions in Big Bend National Park (usatoday.com)

I will hopefully be back safe and sound next week and will post photos.  

Back Home, then Work

Well, we got back home to my state Monday at 9:30am.  We left Arizona at 1:30pm.  My counsin's wedding was beautiful.  It was great to be able to spend time with family and friends of hers I knew and to meet distant relatives I had not met yet.  I met couple more of her friends from Colorado.  They were so nice, and a lot of fun.  Cousin and her groom seem really happy and in love.  I hope for her to have a wonderful marriage and feel unity with this man and security and grounded. 

We left Wed morning at 11am, got out there early Thurs morning.  We went through the upper east side of Arizona and got to see some elk and deer.  We saw some breath taking landscape.  We had all afternoon Thurs and Friday to help the bride and get some fun in the sun.  We had good food, got some good rest and thoroughly enjoyed it all.

My cousin rode with me.  She drove a bit of the time.  I was pretty nervous riding with her, but she was very helpful (can see better at night than I can).  For reasons I won't go into...but anyway.  We got back and she went on home to the city (she slept approx. 7 hours in the car).  I went home and sleep all afternoon, woke up and ate dinner with DH.  Then back to bed early last night.  I got up and drove to the city for work this morning early.

I really miss DH and our dogs.  Dogs were clinging to me.  DH misses me a lot.  This is going to be a long summer.  At least I had a yummy salad for lunch, made with lettuce out of our garden.  Have a great Tuesday evening!

Road Trip

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.   have had lovely 4 day weekend before my trip to Arizona.  Today I had to get a new crown.  It doesn't hurt much at all.  I am pretty happy with all my new medical providers I have found here in my new state.  Thst is important as you approach old age!

I had some nice lounge time with DH and we had our first watermelon of the season!  I also got a LOT of planting done.  I wrote DH cousin a nice note for the plants.   I spent 1 day planting the shade ones, one day planting the flowers in my new raised bed DH made me and I spent time yesterday mulching and adding borders (temporary) and more dirt.  Plus much watering and coaxing.  Pictures soon.

My cousin was supposed to drive from city to get here dinner time.  She is having car issues so fingers crossed.   We have s long drive tomorrow.   I guess worst case scenario we leave Thursday and get there Friday. 

Will hope she gets down here safe with working car and not too much stormy weather.

My prayers for all the people affected by storms, tornadoes and flooding.   The Arkansas river is cresting at highest levels ever, so awful.

Love Vacation, but Really Love Home

I took this picture of a beautiful park in Charleston, SC.  It is called White Point's Garden.  It is in the bay of Charleston full of beautiful huge live oaks and flowering azaleas, surrounded by huge stately mansions that look out over the park and out over the bay beyond.  The park has some very old statues.  One of William Moultrie.

William Moultrie (/ ˈ m uː l t r iː / ; November 23, 1730 – September 27, 1805) was a South Carolina planter and politician who became a general in the American Revolutionary War. As colonel leading a state militia, in 1776 he prevented the British from taking Charleston, and Fort Moultrie was named in his honor.

   -Wikipedia

This was our morning yesterday, walking around this beautiful area.  We had driven there from Savannah.  We considered staying a night or two in Charleston.  I wish we had.  But we were missing our dogs pretty bad and drove on home after a quick (too quick) dash around Charleston, stopping at this park and one other little park.

We came to Charleston after we drove from Savannah, GA.  On Thurs last week, we took the dogs to dog boarding and drove from Arkansas down through Texarkana over through Shreveport and over to Alexandria, LA and stopped for the night.  The next day we drove through Baton Rouge and stopped at couple stores, bought a shirt.  Then we drove on to Florida and down into Tampa were we have friends.  We stayed there a couple of nights and while there, we went in their boat through the Alafia river and Tampa Bay.  We went to an island in Tampa Bay, Fantasy Island.  We collected shells and walked the path through and around the island.  Then the Alafia.  We were enjoying just idling and visiting.  Having lovely weather and soaking up the sun, looking at all the neat houses.  Then we approached a couple other boats stopped and a couple of kayakers.  They pointed out Manatee!  We counted 15 or more.  They were just skimming along the edge, eating vegetation and easing up for air and just floating gracefully.  It was amazing.  We also saw an alligator sunning on a log.  It was about 5 or 6 feet long.  The first time, i am pretty sure for seeing an alligator and i know the first time seeing manatee.

We had a nice seafood dinner and had breakfast out Sunday before we took a little hike and then loaded the car to head on up the coast.  We drove through Orlando and Daytona and on up through Jacksonville to where we stayed in Savannah.  It was a great vacation.

The only thing I would change, is staying a couple days in Charleston and not driving all the way 1200 miles from Charleston to home in a single setting, but my husband gets the need to be home and just hightails it.  He used to do it when we toured on motorcycles too.  I guess it is just something i need to deal with.

I drove from Charleston all the way up, just south of Columbia SC, through Augusted, GA then all the way through Atlanta and to Birmingham.  We were doing to stay for the night there, but DH says "Oh, why don't i just drive us to Tupelo"?  So, then we get there and he says, "OK, Memphis".  Before we got to Memphis, i was like "We are going all the way in one drive, aren't we"?  We pulled into our drive 4am.

Our bed felt great!  We slept till 10 am and the picked up the dogs.  He spent the day washing the car we drove and i did laundry, unpacked and cleaned windows.  Hey, spring cleaning!

Hope you have a great rest of your Wednesday.  See you Thursday.  We are going to dig up some ivy at my inlaws and take them some grapefruit we picked from my friends' yard.

16 Days

This is a picture my girlfriend took of me driving us back to the city Sunday.  Yes, I am one of those people.  At least when DH is not in the car with me and can take our little female on his lap. 

Fall is in the air here in the Midwest.  And we have 16 more days.  I was thinking about the changing of the seasons and realize as we are going into fall this year, we are sort of going into the "fall" of our lives. 

I lived in Arizona for a couple years.  I missed the seasons there.  It was relentlessly hot.  Danerously hot.  Unforgivingly hot.  The scenery is mostly brown.  Lots of rocks and small shrubs dot the desert as you drive into town. 

It was 1999 and I drove into town with my dog and cat.  My significant other drove me out from Little Rock and stayed.  I had transferred with my job, so the movers would deliver my stuff.  I just had to unpack.  My convertible was brought out on a car carrier.  I rented a duplex.  It was weird having rocks for a yard.  I had grass in the back with olive and eucalyptus trees.  It smelled different.  There were also these large brown birds that sang weird songs that was really different from anything I experienced in the Midwest. 

I had a stressful job.  On weekends I liked to explore the area for relaxation.  Once I hiked with my boyfriend at South Mountain park.  We both took water and had sunscreen, hats, etc.  But how naïve we were.  We also had my dog with us.  My beautiful Golden Retriever.  My second Golden.  

We started out in the morning.  They trail we chose was downhill and back up.  I started to dread the hike back up.  Boyfriend decided he would give me the last of the water and I would go back to car with the dog and pick him up at bottom.  Thinking back I am not sure why we split up that day.  It does not sound like my idea.  He was a little impulsive and immature - that was the reason we broke up not long after.  I don't blame him for this day, I was stupid and unprepared too.

Anyway, I start back to the car.  It was just over the rise, I thought.  Water was running low, it was getting hotter.  My dog crept along and kept sticking his head in the shadows of the large boulders and small bushes that make up South Mountain landscape.  I thought to myself how awful I felt putting my dog through this.

I kept walking.  I started to wonder if I was lost.  The scenery all looked the same.  I kept topping each hill and more hills stretched out before me.  My had started feeling too small and I was feeling the sun burning my shoulders.  My sunglasses were sweaty and I had to keep pushing them up.  My mind started racing.

Pretty soon I started to feel panic creep in.  I wondered if I could carry my dog the rest of the way.  He was panting and seemed very focused on any shade he could put his head in.  I alternated thinking how stupid I was and how scared I was.  I could not believe what was happening.  I had never been lost before.  I grew up in the woods in the Midwest, where trees are tall and there are landmarks.

About the time I was wondering what to do and was on the verge of complete hopelessness, I topped a rise and spotted the parking lot and my car!  I never felt so much relief.  There was a while cinderblock building that contained bathrooms.  I ran in but there was no water coming out of the faucets.

I got in the car and blasted the ac to cool my dog down.  I retraced the drive we had taken into the park.  I saw boyfriend and picked him up.  He too had been hot and worried at the end.  He was quick to laugh and dismiss. 

I will never forget that day.  It was in late May, which is late to hike in Phoenix.  I also heard many times in the years I lived there that many people from back east/Midwest who are not accustomed to the heat/landscape die making mistakes like we made. 

I am so grateful that was not my fate that day.

Can This Day be Over Already

So, we had a great visit to another state to visit family and go to a relative's wedding.  The wedding was beautiful, the bride was stunning...Saw so many relatives, far and near.  It was just a great trip.  However, it was also tiring. I drove 8.5 hours Thurs and 9 hours back Sun.  We did take a 30 min detour and pop in to my retirement home on the way back yesterday.  My Uncle got to see my RH and we checked in on the tile work in progress. 
I think I am really going to love it.  Looks really nice with the cool gray and white of my bathroom.  The tile is warm yellowish beige tones.  Warms up the room.  My contractor complimented my choices.  I think all he has left to do is grout and clean up.
It was great to get home to my DH.  He stayed home with the doggies.  He was not thrilled at the prospect of being in the car with my VERY hard of hearing aunt and uncle.  And repeating one self over and over, practically yelling is tiring, but I was honored to be able to drive them and take care of them.  They have done so much for my sister and I.  Letting us come stay with them in the summer, showing me how much they love me, etc.  GREAT people. 
So, DH had dinner ready for me when I got home.  He even did grocery shopping and did some packing!  I was so proud of him and so glad to be embraced in a comforting hug.  Seeing my cousin's lovely young daughter and just all the reminiscing just made me tired and emotional.  So, I just chalked it up to that...then I relized that today is the day my Dear Belated Husband died in 1993 at age 32.  So, I have that making me blue, it is cold a raining here, so that adds to it...it is Monday, eta.
Except those things are not the main source of my emotion today...Our older dog, he is about 11 years old...well he is just not doing well.  He is declining in movement and sleeping a lot, but he still eats and drinks and gets around pretty good.  Well, DH said he has begun intermitten yelping once in a while.  DH thougth at first he was just dreaming, but he did it 3 or 4 times after I got home last night.  I was convinced he waited for me to get home and would not make it through the night, but he did and DH took him to vet today.  I missed 2 days next week, so it is hard to miss this week, but I am leaving early because while he is at the vet having tests, I am just sick to the point of distraction.  I realize he is getting older and I accept that dogs have a much shorter life span that I would wish...but I am really upset thinking it is so near and worrying that he is in distress.  Also, I told my DH I really am going to be devastated when he dies not matter what/when...but the possibility of it being so soon and before we move to Arkansas breaks my heart into a million pieces.  I see the pain in DH eyes too.  So, we have to be strong and grateful for every second with him. 
Wish us luck.  I will try to be back tomorrow.  Have a great Monday.  My lovely cousin is off to her enchanted honeymoon, where I bask in the happiness of my cousin - its her daughter and she is so happy.  I am going to hang on to that, because they are both special to me. 

Road Trip!

Driving with my Aunt & Uncle to a wedding out of state tomorrow.  Excited to have a couple of days away from work, it has been crazy.  Hope everyone is having a good week.  Sun is pretty today.  First day of Spring!