Plan B

 Mary has a plaque that says in part, "life is all about how you handle plan B..."

 Well we are executing plan B now. Originally we were going to head south,turn west and visit Balmorea SP for a couple of days. Did a drive by of the place but that was 25 years ago. After learning the nightmare of highway 285 to Pecos, we turned to plan B.The weather gods are predicted to wreck havoc on plan B, so there yet may be a plan C.

 You know it is going to crap when you spend the night near Big Spring Texas. Nice rv park, just not located in my top 1000 or so places I desire to be.

 Lunch date with a pretty young lady tomorrow so that will help


May 2017 road trip

this morning heater full force, now a/c full force



rosebuds have thawed...

Not real smart people

 We are not real fond of cold weather. It is however necessary to endure some to see things and be places we wish to be. So it is with Cloudcroft. Rain and sleet yesterday, lows down to freezing. It will be clear and cool today with strong winds. Maybe we should not have given away so many of our jackets and coats...

  Had an enjoyable lunch yesterday with friends Wes and Lee. They treated us at a restaurant inside a lodge that is supposed to be haunted. Good food, good conversation, about all anyone can hope for. They have plans to come visit the valley in January and we look forward to their visit. Tried to go to Ruidoso yesterday but weather really started to deteriorate so will try again today. Suddenly running out of time as we leave Friday morning.

 Back here in Scenic Canyon we have enjoyed some campfires and roasted marsh mellows. Jim has a RAZR, off road vehicle, which we used to go get some firewood up in the National forest. Have seen deer and elk visiting our campsite. Has been a fun, relaxing visit.

 Today in Cloudcroft high will be low 50's, back home in the valley it will be 100. Quite a difference



a little ice on those rosebuds...

White Sands

 A little background information might be helpful before we get to White Sands. As the crow would fly it is about 12 miles, as the car drives more like 16, between Cloudcroft and Alamogordo. In those 16 miles you drop 4000 feet in elevation, or climb, depending on direction. Today that change resulted in a 17 degree temperature change. Alamogordo and White Sands are in the Tularosa basin, formed in part by the Sacramento mountains.

 We had visited White Sands before 10 years ago but came again just because. It is pretty impressive to see.

Maggie at rest

carpe diem

Dos Cloudcroft

 Just did a little touring and wine and artisinal cheese tasting today. Cloudcroft is a popular place for Texans to spend the summer. Just as surely as the northerners come to the valley to escape cold winters, Texans come here to escape the heat. At 8000ft elevation summers are quite mild. In fact we will get near freezing before the week is out. Neat little village, touristy in some ways, quiet and comfortable in others. We have been here before and will return again. Also drove out to Bluff springs and ended the evening with friends around a campfire and the obligatory marsh mellow roast. Tomorrow we plan a return to White Sands National Monument, Maggie wants a new magnet.

acting silly with Jim and Renee

carpe diem

Cloudcroft

 We have made it to Cloudcroft safely. Staying at a small camground owned by a nice couple. They bought it as part of their retirement plan. Like the way they think.

 To wrap up Carlsbad we had a nice lunch with John and Pam. They are friends from Decatur and live in Carlsbad. If I had known about John's deep roots and history knowledge of the area, we would have drug him around. They want to meet us in DC so will work the plans together and try and make that happen.

 Enjoyed our stay at the ranch inspite of the hail cannons on two days.  They shoot them off during storms.Loud, probably propane, cannons used to accustically disrupt hail to protect pecan groves. Shaky sceince at best, but damn are they loud.

 We will be here in Cloudcroft for a week. Jim and Renee will be here and we will visit with Wes and Lee in Alamogordo. Cool temps at our 7927 ft elevation, highs in low 60's, lows in 40's and 30's.

Travel map


 More from this area tomorrow



gathering some high rosebuds,

Carlsbad

 It was funny on our way into the caverns when a couple near us said what we were thinking..."I don't remember this..." That thought was to be repeated several times. We agreed not to blame it on advancing age.

 We have been inside several caverns or caves: Carlsbad, Caverns of Sonora, Longhorn caverns, Onyx Cave in Eureka Springs, Ruby Falls in Chattanooga  to name a few. They are alike, yet different in many ways.

 We did make the hike in from the natural opening. Glad we did but boy were our knees and hips talking to us by the time we left. Lugged my DSLR camera along to try and get some photos. As luck would have it the best shots came from Marys phone grrrr, could have saved myself a lot of trouble.

 At any rate a good day to be alive

my hero's. Bob, Mary's Dad was in the CCC's and built a park in Phoenix

cabins built by CCC's still looking good

wire ladder used by early explorers, oh hell no!

On to Cloudcroft tomorrow after lunch with friends today. We do have our modified itinerary on the way home worked out. Believe I like it better than the original.

 Forecast for the RGV tomorrow: 96 for high, mid 70's for low. Cloudcroft forecast tomorrow 62 for high, upper 30's for low.

 What a difference 8000 feet can make.



carpe diem

Tourist day

 Nice not having to load up and drive 300 plus miles. Decided to play tourist and visit places and things we have not seen before.

 They call it Sitting Bull Falls although he never came close to being here. The Apaches call it gostahanagunti which means hidden gulch. Seeing as they are the local native tribe and it is at the end of a box canyon, I prefer their name. Interesting to find a waterfall out in the desert and otherwise barren land. Also did quick tour of Artesia. It has a nice little downtown area that you drive thru. Probably should have stopped and walked around a bit but a thunderstorm was closing in.

 Random shots of the Ranch and the misnamed Sitting Bull falls.

love the work these guys did. My ongoing tribute to them.

Plan is to revisit the caverns tomorrow. Also plan to eschew the elevator and walk the mile plus distance using the original entrance. Hope these old knees can hold up...



"...gather ye rosebuds while ye may..."