Bits 'n Pieces and Weather in Tucson

The wind picked up yesterday in the Tucson area. I could tell by the sky that a change in the weather was coming. Besides that, the weather app on my phone was working just fine 

 I took my chimes and other decor down, rolled my awning in, and folded the chairs and set them against the RV.

The table was still setting near the outer edge of the mat so I thought that would hold the mat in place pretty well. Supper over with and the dogs settled until their last out, I thought I would use the time to prep more canvases for painting, and as I worked I watched the 85th Hollywood Christmas Parade on tv.

After going to bed I laid there and listened to the wind; felt the ever-so-gentle rocking effect on the RV, even though my stablizers were down. Sometime during the night I heard the rain come in.  I love listening to the sounds of nature during the night and you can hear things more clearly in a camper with its thinner roof. It really poured for a bit.... I rolled over and went back to sleep.

 In the morning when I went to take the dogs out, I opened the door to the sight of the mat blown up against the table and the chairs all down, not in the place they had been. My lantern cage was several feet away, and the welcome rug was over by the tree. Hmm, this weather reminded me of Pennsylvania in the fall or spring! I finished taking care of the furry members of the family and went out to straighten up the mess. I realized my arms and legs were aching. Probably from the change in weather. So I added Tylenol to the many vitamin pills I take daily. I don't think it got out of the 50's all day. The predictions are for in the 60's the next several days.

 I decided to finish the pencil sketch of a painting I am working on. I also had started a oil painting study of the same, but I would like to make a larger painting of it (this small version is not finished yet.

Other than that I spent a good part of the day just reflecting on life in general. My great granddaughter was at her graduation ceremony for RN school. I am so very proud of her! She and her husband have worked long and hard to make this a possibility. Also they are expecting their first child at the end of January! Seems like it was perfectly timed. So my family continues to grow and I am out here enjoying the days I have left with my travels and painting.

I may decide to put up a few decorations for Christmas and the New Year. We shall see how my body reacts with the weather tomorrow or Monday.... 

Thanks for visiting!

Isaiah 54: 5b Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the Lord God of all the earth

Clovis NM to Las Cruces, NM

As the winds rose and temperatures dropped in Mule Shoe, I made ready to depart and go into Clovis NM and then southwest toward Alamagordo by way of rt 70. There was no picture taking time as the wind seemed to prevent me from making any time on this leg of the journey. Going into Roswell the daylight was fading, I did make a quick stop to let the dogs do their business, however not finding a convienient place to park for the night and no real rest areas like on the interstates, I kept going. Getting into the mountains the traveling wasn't too bad, but I could not see a place to pull off in time to get off the road. (I know..... I really need to plan better) Up , up, and round and up somemore in the mountains, always warning signs when I came to a steep down grade. I let my past semi-driver  training kick in and finally spotted a Walmart up a the hill on the left coming into Ruidoso, A quick look at traffic and sharp turn to the left had me going up to the parking lot. I surely hoped they had no problem with letting RV'ers park there overnight. It was late and I was tired. My eyes were tired. dogs had been fed and pottied earlier and were settled so I just went to bed.... didn't even change into my comfy jammies. Hopefully the pups could hold till morning and not go in the kennel. 

I woke to sunshine and cold in the morning. Having not really seen the hills I had been climbing through after dark, I was a bit delighted at the scene that met my eyes in the morning.

 I love western mountains!

The openness and vastness all around makes me feel very peaceful!

I had brought the dogs out to potty but the parking lot was paved clear up to the guide rails. Now Izzy had no trouble scooting under to do her business, but Sasha was another story. She would not jump the rail and thats likely a good thing because it was almost straight down on the other side. I wasn't sure I could get her back over if she had jumped. She also would not potty on the pavement, being of the fine upstanding breeding she is (Haha) After coaxing her I finally took them back to the motorhome and proceeded to get on my way. I would just have to find someplace else safe to stop where there was dirt and/or grass.

This was Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation land. I

 had seen a few casinos I could have stopped at but I made my way down the mountains and pulled off where there was a very wide paved spot and relieved the pooches there.

Across the highway, down into the valley below

the purple mountains were very magestic looking....

Sasha looking for gophers!!

Mountains we had just come through...

The little town of Tularosa, just north of Alamagordo, deserves a revisit! A very colorful town with interesting shops that I glimpsed as I made my way through town. Just no place to stop...

After Alamagordo we drove through an area I had been at before, delivering military freight in the semi with hubby. I was not prepared for the memories it stirred up;  memories of when we were proud and humbled to be able to serve our country delivering military goods after 9-11. This was the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman AFB.

I was able to stop for the night near Las Cruces, letting my dogs out of the kennel for supper and some play time with me before retiring for the night.  Tomorrow we fuel up, get the propane filled and head over to Willcox, AZ for a few days of kick back before going further. I have laundry to do and bookwork to catch up. I'm sure Sasha and Izzy think its about time for some real outdoor exercise

Thanks for coming along on my journey....

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Paducah, Historic Section and River Art Wall

This is the rest of the pictures from my local tour of Paducah the other day. i was disappointed to find out that the Truck driving school where I had taken my training had shut their doors permanently a couple years ago. I would have liked to stopped in and talked to the instructors. However, maybe they had just retired and had no one to take it over.

Anyway I went down a couple familiar streets that I had seen at the time. The old section of town with its small shops looked somewhat the same, bringing a smile to my face. They were already putting out Christmas wares. A little early for my taste, but thats the way they do things now

I would have loved to have the time to look around this antique store! I can just imagine the treasures they would have inside!

I loved the structure of this warehouse type building turned museum. I wondered if it might have been a train station at one time, as the train museum was close by,

and an old locomotive was just up the street and around the corner. I saw one young girl and her mother exiting the engine. Again, I just didn't have the time but to snap a few picutres. Thats the way it is when you have fur-babies , and one in training, waiting for you to get back to camp 20+ miles away. So I went on snapping pictures along the river wall.

And there is the train up ahead.

I can remember living by the railroad tracks growing up and massive engines like this one would come roaring past the house!

After seeing the train I had to circle back and get pictures of the rest of the river wall.

Glory days of the river boats!

And the barges that carry goods up and down the river

Beautiful scenes....

....of  earlier times,

showing the colorful history of this area

To see this wall completed with quaint streetlights and all, made my delayed stop in the area worthwhile. I'm glad I didn't miss being able to visit.

That is one of my goals on this trip; to slow down, take each day at a time , and enjoy the journey!!

Thanks for coming along with me.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything,

 and there is a time for every event under the sun....

I've Hit the Road!!

I finally was all packed (unless there's something I forgot, which most likely there is) and was able to leave out about 3 pm Sunday afternoon, Oct 23. The first few days I was quite busy getting used to driving a Class A, but then I settled in as it became much like driving the Volvo 770 semi back many years ago. I began to be at ease with it all. 

The biggest challenge however was getting Sasha used to all the different sights, sounds and smells associated with roadside rests, truck stops, and traffic. So many people, so many changing scenes, such loud noises coming from humongous shapes rolling on so many wheels!! And then of course the ground all around smelled different than back in her familiar yard..... however, by the time one week had passed she had settled right in to the routine. First out to pee, back in to eat, second out for further elimination and a training walk. sleep until about lunch-time. Oh such is the complex life of our furry friends!

Meanwhile on one of those days we took a side-trip to visit the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. 

The old structures were quite interesting to me

....especially this one built with hand-hewn square beams!

 The beautiful split-rail fences reminded me of long ago unhurried times 

Practically everything they needed was supplied on the homestead.

A kind gentleman took my picture...

Time to get back in the motorhome, as we still had a ways to go before night fall.

Ps. 104:14 "He (the Lord) causes the grass to grow for the cattle,

 and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth"

Thanks for stopping by!

Exploring on the Backroads

My grandson came to visit me for several days. One day we decided to go exploring. He loves nature and the woodsy areas around where I live, so I took him to this newly discovered (to me) area I had found last spring. It was on Pump Station road off of Creek road. I should have gotten a picture of the pump station, which consisted of several about 6" or 8" round pipes coming out of the ground and joining about 3' above ground. The design was interesting.

There was a sign that said 'no motor vehicles beyond this point, walk in only", so we did.

However I did get some nice pictures of the water, trees and reflections.

Color up and down the creek....

Beautiful water reflections!

 We could also see where others had had campfires circled round with stones, and paths where they had walked back through, and bare areas that looked like someone had been tent-camping. But we just enjoyed the beauty around us, and PM even pointed out fish in the water.

Getting out in nature rejuvenates the soul. We enjoyed experiencing some of God's beautiful creation!

Thanks for stopping by. 

I hope you also enjoyed this little journey through our pictures!

Switching Blogs For a Time

As I won't be traveling til sometime next year, I decided to switch back to my former blog,

"Just Plain Country Living"

Just click on the name to go there.

I hope to record my adventures of making a go of it on 1 and 1/3 acres. I have some catching up to do, but it has been an exciting summer so far for me.

Thank you all for following along as I went through my adjustment to widowhood and learning about RV'ing.

Hope you all have happy travels and sunny days ahead!

May the Lord bless your journeys!

It can be a really good thing ........... or not

.... those rare times when I wake up in the middle of the night and get on the internet.

 

Tonight (today) was one of those times.

 

I checked my facebook notices and saw a post from one of my painter friends about a painting challenge. The idea is to paint thirty paintings in thirty days........ You can decide your theme (or the paintings could be random) and they can be small paintings. I had wanted to do this before and wasn't sure I could commit to it. So now is a good time to do so, right????

Hmmmmm.......... lets think about this...........

I am in the RV.... traveling some days... planning a couple long day trips with brother and wife...... hopefully CC classes here in AZ with brother..... walking the fur-babies 3 times a day...... trying to keep up with blogging my adventures.... AND just started another challenge of reading the Bible through in one year (I am a s-l-o-w reader), as well as all the other day to day routines I do at a much slower pace than 30 years ago..... hmmmmm.

 

Oh yes, I need another challenge......not! That would mean committment. I really like to run from that word. COMMITTMENT! So what do I do ?? I run headlong into it and sign up!! That means making a public announcement of my intentions..... whoa!!

 

Am I in my right mind? Do I have a mind left? Some days I wonder......

A partial quote from "Fiddler on the Roof" I like is when the Papa says, "On the other hand...."

So.... on the other hand, this painting challenge can push me to help me accomplish something that would be benefitial, and is one of my main goals and purposes of being out here RVing anyway. 

So I guess it might be a good thing ......this time.

Time will tell...

 

 

 

 



Another delay.....

Yesterday and today have been very busy days.

Yesterday, because I went to do my online banking and found several hits to my checking account that I did not, and could not, have possibly made. Long story short ......... someone, somehow, had gotten my debit card # and decided that it would be easier to live off of my funds than to work honestly to earn their own living. Having eight hits totaling $2028.00 between Nov 23 and Nov 26, my bank and I are glad I keep a close eye on my account. They found where the debits had been made from, put a stop on my card, and set in motion for me to be reimbursed said funds. There is only a 2 day wait on my funds, but a 7 - 10 day wait on my new bank card to arrive at my daughter's home where I have been camping out in their driveway. I had planned to leave later toward the weekend to continue my way to AZ. However I had 2 people I had wanted to visit before going very far, and now cannot as I have limited funds until my card comes in the mail. 

 

Today errands were to take the dog-pals to the groomer recommended by a near-by neighbor, a Chik-filet stop for the daughter and a StarBucks stop for me, then a doctor appt for my daughter, Wal*Mart shopping for a small electric heater and other needed supplies, a stop at the thrift store, pick up the dog-pals, pick up the Grand from the school bus, pick up the husband from work (hers.... not mine) Papa Murphy's for pizza supper, drop the husband , Grand and pizza at home where he baked the prepared pizza's while we drove to Aldi's for some grocery items and filled the car up with gas. Whew!! Wore me out. We were back to the house just as the pizza's were ready. The guys had ham and mushroom pizza and we girls had thin crust chicken, spinach, and artichoke pizza. Yummmmmy!!

 

At the thrift store I got a VCR movie for $1.49 (which will play in my tv set) of  "The Willows in Winter" and a cheerful Christmas cappucino mug for myself for $.89 .  I had picked up a documentary VCR film on the History of the Railroad Steam Engines, but had a notion to check it, and glad I did as it had on corner broken on the edge that fits into the player, so I decided not to chance it. I would have loved to watch it :-/

Daughter found a few clothing items. She always finds good deals at these places. We had wanted to hit another thrift store she knows of but there just wasn't enough hours in this particular day.

And my doggie-pals look just gorgeous! I will try to get a picture of them tomorrow to post.

 

Among all the busy-ness today, and the frustrations of the day before, I realize how very blessed I am. My troubles are few compared to many, and I am humbled by the goodness of the Lord to me.

I have so very much to be thankful for......

 

Count your blessings,

          Name them one by one........

 

 



Stop in Elkton, KY......

(I WISH I would think to take more pictures of friends instead of just scenery and animals....sigh.)

 

I ended up boon-docking at my old farm for 4 days, as I had forgotten that the electric plug-in in the carport no longer worked and the garage was locked up. Oh, well, good learning experience, right??

I had never tried out the furnace (by myself) and as it was I was having trouble keeping the fridge going on 'Gas'. I had even forgotten how (easily) the furnace worked in Baby Blue.

My mind was just still too busy from getting ready to leave on my trip.

 

Anyhoo, my friend Debbie, came to visit and between us we got the furnace going. It was windy and cold that day and I was glad to have that problem solved....... until I woke up at 3:15 am freezin' cold! A couple of nights of those 2 delemas and I finally figured out it was because the rv was not sitting level. So I moved it around to where at least the fridge would stay on, and the furnace worked till 4 am. Oh, yes, I am learning.

I had gone to town the first day and bought an 'air-card' so I could get onto the internet. But with all the other things I wanted to do I didn't get a chance to really try it out til yesterday. Its about half the speed of dial-up where I am right now, lol. The second day Debbie and I ran around W*M so I could get some velcro for my phone holder and several other things. Then she took me to her house to cook supper, and she did cook! Such a wonderful southern meal it was! I got to see her family of pups that were born last year as well as the 3 older dogs they have. Now there are 7 all together, and so cute!!I soooo wanted to bring "Curly Joe" home with me!

Thats him on the right. I bet him and Izzy could find more mischief to get into then I could keep them out of. But he is such a sweetheart of a pup!On Saturday I got to visit with a gal I had worked with at T-GASK. Emily and her husband insisted on taking me out to dinner that evening. Sunday afternoon I visited with my teamleader from the same place. Now SHE is doing something interesting...

Making a little mini-house. It is so cute, includes a little electric fireplace, room for a chair on her front porch. She is in the process of insulating the inside. I hope I can stopon the way back from AZ to see what she has done!

So good to see and laugh with old friends!

 

And now.... a final good-bye to the farm where my husband and I shared

 many good times and experiences.

I am more than ready to get on with my traveling/painting life.

 

Next post will be from Energy Lake at Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky.



Resting....

I need to stop and smell the flowers.

These daylilies are so sweet-smelling it takes my breath away.

They remind me of 32+ beautiful years.

Early  6 am photo of one of my weeping cedars. Looks like all 4 trees I  planted this year are going to make it.  The trees were in shock after first being planted, but with tender nurturing they will grow into a thing of beauty. So it is with our lives....

I love my tall massive oak trees.

I like looking up at the spreading branches....

and at the Lily-of-the-Valley sheltered at their feet.

The trunks of the mighty oaks are so strong... they remind me of my husband in his younger years, before sickness and pain took that strength....

There are two oak trees here, side by side, growing strong together through the years. That is how I learned to be strong .... from my husband. He taught me persistance, allowed me to lean on him when I needed, he sheltered me, loved me, encouraged me and gifted me in many ways not visible to the naked eye.

I am glad to have these 2 trees as a symbol of our life together. No, this is not our anniversary, not a birthday, no special occassion..... just reflecting.