Getting Things Done in Albuquerque, New Mexico

We have been in the Albuquerque area for about two weeks getting some dental work done.  I tried to get this work done at my favorite Mexican dentist in Tijuana but he was having some trouble with it and so after going to him two days in a row I decided to go back to my DDS. in ABQ.  This is one of the challenges of living full time on the road, health issues come up and you have to scramble to get things taken care of.  I don't think I'll be going back to the dentist in Tijuana just because of logistics. I drive the Honda over which means I have to buy Mexican insurance at $25 a 25 hour period, and then there is the hassle of getting back into the USA.  If you go into Tijuana Mexico for any kind of health related appointment the DR.s office gives you a MEDI pass which allows you to drive pass all the other poor schmucks trying to get across the border.  The San Ysidro border crossing south of San Diego is the busiest in the country, so having that pass is a huge time saver.  Never the less it stills takes about 45 minutes to get back across.  And on our first time crossing into the US the border guard was not very nice, it's a nerve racking experience in the best instances and when you get a guard that is having a bad day it is even worse.  This won't stop me from going to Mexico in the future but just not for short time MEDI visits.

When we arrived in the Albuquerque area we spent the first three nights at the Sandia Casino doing a little parking lot camping.  After that we moved out to Cochiti Lake for the 14 day limit.  During our time at the lake we have made several trips into Santa Fe to visit friends.  And one day our friends Joy and Dave came to visit us at the lake.  

We've had a little weather while here.  It has rained a few times on us at lake level but snowed in the mountains behind us.  I'm sure my readers Greg and Karen  got some of that snow as they are just up the mountain from us.

View from campsite.

Besides rain we have had wind.  I don't mean a slight breeze I mean full on wind gusting up to 40 mph. The worst wind was last saturday afternoon and night, which was a little challenging for the weekend campers in tents.  We watched one of our neighbors tie their tent to their car and our other neighbors took theirs down and slept in their car.  The wind is still blowing and is predicted to continue through this week.  

Did a little back roads driving.

Ten Rocks

We'll be heading back into ABQ for a few more days.

Be back soon.

Evie and Joy

 

The beautiful New Mexico sky. 

 Picture taken west of Albuquerque, those are cinder cones on the right.

New Mexico geology is all about past volcanic action.

The Desert's in Bloom

We're in Congress, AZ and there's quite a show going on here.  Todays post will be about the flowers.

Ocotillo leafed out and blooming. 

This is what an Ocotillo looks like about 90% of the time.

But after a rain look out they leaf out and bloom.

Not yet.

The state tree of Arizona, the Palo Verde.

Sometimes drama happens even before the flowers open.

And let's not forget the worker bees.

And never forget that a lot of the desert is "open range", 

which means that cows and anything else can wander across the road at any time.

See you later.

Evie and Joy