Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico

We have spent four nights here split between two different camp grounds.  We started out in the Lions Beach campground loop B for the first two nights across the street from Betty whom I met on one of the Facebook pages I belong to (Solo Women RVers).  Both nights she had a campfire and we roasted marshmallows and talked about our adventures.

From there we moved over to SoMoPo(south Monticello point) campground at the north end of the lake where two of my fellow bloggers were staying.  So for the past two days I have had the pleasure of getting to know Christine and also The Good Luck Duck.

Christine drives the little Winnebago and 

The Good Luck Duck drives the Prius with the tent on the back.

They were sharing a spot so we moved in next door.

We've had a nice time here sharing meals and talking.  I will miss them when we leave in the morning headed south.  It has cooled off a little but we will continue to take our baby steps south. Only going about 20 miles down the road to Caballo Lake State Park (pronounced Ca bi o) where we will hang out for a few days under trees near the Rio Grande.

Until next time.

Evie and Joy

I wonder who lives here?

Cochiti Lake State Park and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

We were able to get out of Albuquerque for two days after Rose died.  We went an hour north west to Cochiti Lake State park to rest our souls.  It was very quiet and restful.  I only took pictures of plants.

Pretty little rocks under plant.

Same flower but going to seed.

There's still lots of yellow flowers around.

Apache Plumes flower up close.  (Apache Plume)

Apache Plumb plant.

Coyote Melons all over the country side. (melon)

Jimson weed  (Datura stramonium)

Bread ovens in backyards of local residents.

Bread from ovens.  Yum, was it good.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (tent rocks)

The Cotton Wood trees are putting on quite a show.

Note Cochiti Dam in background.

It's easy to see where the Rio Grand is.  Just follow the yellow trees.

It's not very often you get to see a freeway bridge.  

We were on state highway 1 looking at Interstate 25.

Old church in Socorro, NM.

A little wild life.

Until next time.

Evie and Joy

Leaving Las Vegas

When we left Las Vegas we took highway 3 south towards Interstate 40.  Highway 3 follows the Pacos River and is a very old route. There is an Historical marker in a small town stating that it was a toll spot where travelers from Mexico had to pay a toll to continue their travels on to Santa Fe, in the 1600's.  It is a narrow well used road and very scenic.

This is what I was taking a picture when I turned around and snapped the last picture of Rose.  

The Pacos River. Or the Rio Pacos.

They do high tension wires different here.  What you can't see is that these towers come to a point at the ground and then the four guide wires are holding them up straight.

Here is something you don't see every day.

I just can't resist a picture of a straight road going off into the distance with a pretty sky.

Do you see the hood of our truck at the bottom of picture and on the left of hood a little black thing? That is the antenna for our XM radio.  It is sitting on a little metal bracket that is mounted under the hood and sticks up through the space between hood and left quarter panel.  I bless the day I decided to get that radio.  It is worth every penny.  We are able to listen to the San Francisco Giants with our home team announcers, Krukow and Kuiper.  Life is good.  Go Giants!!!

After this pretty drive we spent the night at Santa Rosa Lake State Park.  A very nice place for kitten Rose to spend her last night.  The next day we drove into Albuquerque where we lost her.

Until next time.  

Evie and Joy

Gas prices at Albuquerque Costco.

Rose, April 1997 - Oct. 2014

It is with a very sad heart that I tell you that my beloved cat Rose has died.  I can't at this time tell you any of the details but we are in Albuquerque and this is where it happened.

Last picture of Rose.

Sunrise on her last morning.

I will be taking a few days off from blogging.

See you next week.

Evie and Joy

My yellow Rose.

Highway of the Legends (again)

In May 2014 we traveled this scenic highway going south to north.  Today we drove it north to south. In May not all the trees had leafed out and on this trip the aspens are yellow and the scrub oak is red. It doesn't get much prettier that this.

Spanish Peaks here we come, again.

A bit of Dakota sandstone rock.  There is a strip of this Dakota rock formation that runs along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains but it is only visible in a few places.  

Here and Garden of the Gods are two places where it can be seen.

I think you can see New Mexico from here.

One of the Spanish Peaks can be seen through the trees.

More Dakota sandstone formations.

Yes it sprinkled and hailed on us today in between the sun showers.

Had lunch beside the same stream that we did in May.

The scrub oak in Colorado is very different from what grows in California.  

This turns many shades of red and orange.  It looks like a patch work quilt on the hillsides.

Thanks for reading.

Evie and Joy

Odds and Ends

Here are some plant and flower pictures that I've been saving for a rainy day.  For me that is today.

Coyote Melon plant, these grow wild all over the southwest.

Coyote Melon click here for more info.

A member of the prickly pear family (there are hundreds)

Another prickly pear.

Yucca gone to seed.

Ghost Girl in a southern Colorado State campground.  

This is where I took all the above plants and flower pictures.  They are all in this picture plus a cholla that can be seen to the right of the green cedar tree at front of GG.

Until next time.

Evie and Joy