Close encounter of Roswell kind

It was nice to wake up and not have to rush off anywhere. Jim has the satellite setup but we no longer get our local channels, we were getting from Palm Springs. So you were also hooked up to the cable here at the KOA. Watched a little TV until I got up the news shows were over, course we're not sure what time it is or when they come on here. I had cereal  and yogurt, of course Jim's Wonderful Coffee too  and he had some eggs a piece of my Texas toast from last night's barbecue meal. We also each had an orange we bought out of that pickup truck in Benson Arizona. I threw a load of dark clothes in the washer. Jim washed the dishes. And we got ready to head to Roswell, and check out the aliens.

Apparently in 1947 July 9th on the outskirts of Roswell there was a debris field that no one could explain the contents of, there lies the mystery. We went to the visitor center had pictures taken with aliens dressed up for St Patrick's Day. Walked around a lot of stores and shops, the ones I wanted to go into Jim didn't. We ate at a Subway for a late lunch was pretty good. We walked around a little more. Then we headed to Sam's Club, people always ask me what do you get when you go to Sam's Club and your Full-Time in your FW. We brought  bulk pack of magic erasers, too low sugar protein bars called detour very good for travel days, two big bags of kale salad mix, rotisserie chicken, bunch of mixed unsalted nuts and cashews, variety pack of batteries, big 36-count Diet Pepsi Cube. But I did want and couldn't find was unsalted shelled  roasted  sunflower seeds . We had a few snacks while we were in there drove back towards Carlsbad to our KOA, made me very sleepy, very rarely get sleepy  when Jim is driving. We stopped at the KOA bought two packs of firewood. Jim's jonesing for a fire. When we pulled in Jim Carried our Sam's Club items inside. Our neighbor behind us was about to start a fire,  and I could see all he had was paper towels. I asked Jim to take some newspaper over to him, was surprised when he did they chatted for a minute, he  got  their son to call him Uncle Jimmy. It was two brothers and their child for some reason he likes that a lot. He doesn't have any to call him that. I went in helped him put stuff away and he went out and started a fire. I sat out with him for a little bit then I texted my son and  DIL, she always gets back to me right away. So she texted me and we had a nice chat with everyone on FaceTime. It was really nice to see and hear everyone. Don't think they miss us too much. I always say I'm a good mother in law I'm  never around. I went in around 9 our neighbor came over we gave the newspaper to and borrow two more pieces of wood. He said you know what I mean by borrow we would only have coals In  return. It was getting chilly so I went in watch some of my TV shows Jim came in probably after 10 he went to bed later than I thought he would after getting up so early. I went to bed late.

New Mexico, Texas, New Mexico

Jim woke up around 4 a.m., concerned about our battery. We had the furnace on last night, should have been turned down a little more, it was warm in there. It ran a lot through the night. So I got up and looked at the battery, and it was at 58 point something. I got back in bed, we agreed the generator probably should come on sooner than later, so we can get a full charge before we left. So we both laid there a few minutes Jim got up, got dressed went out and turned it on, like the wonderful man he is. By then it was at 55%. Like the sleepyhead I am, I got up eventually over 2 hours later. This turned out to be a lovely Boondocking spot again. We did our normal routine when we Boondock rush, rush,  rush. I made Jim a quick breakfast of eggs made wraps to go. We were the only RV on our side except for a big older bus that was right in front of us and they had at least one child with them. We pulled out about 9:45 got through the construction fairly easy. Back on Highway 10 East. It was a fairly decent travel day, once we got on 62 towards Carlsbad NM there was a lot less traffic but we had to climb a little, a little windier than we would have liked. But all is well. The funny part was we left NM got into Texas and then back in to NM. We found a place to top off the tank a smaller gas station then what were prefer. We missed the Flying J that we were going to stop at . Jim felt better after we topped off the tank because there's a long stretch with nothing around. It's so flat around here  off in the distance we could see fire, as we got closer we realize there's a big pipe coming out of the ground with the Flames coming out. We're not sure if it has to do with the oil fields around or gas. We only stopped one other time had a quick lunch. Jim fix a strap that was part of holding up some of the underbelly. Which I saw it hanging when we got fuel but we only fixed it at our lunch spot. We arrived at KOA Carlsbad around 3ish, give or take. Really nice KOA,

90 sites all pull through, very large sites It's pretty flat. Nice views of the mountain all around. Went inside to register they take you to your site they also have a smoker going that you could smell as soon as you drove in. After we got set up we had some vegetable soup. Walked up took our trash to the dumpster and ordered barbecue to be delivered to our site later. Jim had ribs beans with a roll and french fries, I had a pulled pork barbecue the sweet potato fries and we also shared a key lime treat for dessert. All for $30 was very good portions not that large for the sides. But worth it not to have to cook. Jim can't wait to get his smoker cranking with something in it soon. He wants to in Texas, there was a guy with a big smoker that we walked by on the way back to our site we talked to her for a minute it's a really nice one. We had  a nice relaxing evening. Yesterday was the 14th which makes it one month until we have our first reservation in Hershey. We're trying to think of good things about that. 1 be nice to sit and not move around for 3 weeks # 2 to see Jim's mother and our boys and two granddaughters #3 turning the freezer on out front in the hole and shopping and fill in that thing back up again, will be really fun for me.

East bound and down

Loaded up and trucking ... Jim woke up first per usual, high wind advisory drive with caution. ( That's what  a sign said later, while I was doing the blog. ) after I got up I made a smoothie and some eggs. And my chicken barbecue traveling wraps for lunch later. Trying to leave earlier, not doing so well, this time we made it at 9:38 am departure, heading towards a boondocking spot at a Walmart that we used on the way here, We are  on our way to Carlsbad KOA.  We made two stops before we got to Walmart one for fuel, ( You've gotta keep that diesel truckin' ) and  one for potty. There was construction all around the Walmart where we enter, just like before.  We are  on our way to Carlsbad KOA.  We made two stops before we got to Walmart one for fuel, ( You've gotta keep that diesel truckin' ) and  one for potty. There was construction all around the Walmart where we enter, just like before. Had a late lunch when we got there, beautiful and warm out. We went inside to shop for a few things we couldn't find at yesterday's Walmart. Jim also wanted to buy wood glue and Brad nails. The slide right inside the door that has the table and our chairs in it, at the very top on the wood trim cracked about 8 inches from the top right down the middle. No idea why it did that, or how it would happen there.  So he wants to put a little glue and Brad nail it to secure it. Jim's mother called while we were in Walmart and he talked to her for a bit while I looked around and he pushed the cart. We parked at the same spot we did before,  there was only one other RV there when we arrived.  When we went to bed there was about 7 on our side and a few more on the other. Later we had dinner of veggie soup and salad. I also made a little macaroni and cheese in the instant pot, very small amount, and cooked some beef to add to it for Jim. Watched a little TV, got a lot of channels without putting the antenna up. That way you don't have to remember to put it down. Texted our oldest son Thomas trying to hook up and talk to him on the phone, which is not easy,  we never did get to. If my DIL ls reading this tell your husband to call his mother. I called Christine and talked to her for a while. My cousin Wanda, made a comment on a  Facebook post about Tombstone , we were there together when I was a kid. So I texted her if I could call, she is in Florida, so I called and talked to her for almost an hour and a half. Which I always love doing, it was nice to have a girl chat. Jim was very tired, he turned off the generator, and went to bed at 9ish. I sat on the sofa and read my blogs that I've been very behind on,  because of our travels, and now that  we are traveling full time, we are doing it,  instead of reading about others full timing. We got a long way to go and a shrot time to get there,

 

High Winds, Nail Day

This AM when we got up, we had a muffin and coffee. Watched The Today Show, he planned a few more days of our trip. Then we got ready and went to get diesel fuel. Then we went to the San Pedro Golf Course that has a lovely little restaurant inside, with a view and we had lunch there.

We each had a grilled sandwich and fries and shared Blackberry key lime cheesecake. Then we drove to Tucson back to the same place  I got my nails done about 2 months ago. It was very windy out today, glad we weren't Towing the FW. I got to the nail place, the lady that did mine last time wasn't there, so I went with another lady. She didn't use the gel like I wanted her to, I said the other lady did it. She did the dip kind that smells horrible, but it worked and I got out of there pretty quick. I will paint them at home myself later. While I did that Jim went to the post office, and mailed papers to get our taxes done. He picked me up and we drove back towards Benson. We stopped at a place that was selling oranges out of a pickup truck. Bought 12 really nice-looking oranges for $3, hope they're really good. Then me went  to Walmart and bought a few things, beer of course, also needed hand sanitizer, Kleenex, socks, mascara a few other things. Got a text from our friends Neil and Nancy, they are in Florida right now, I texted her that I would call her when we got back to FW. Then we topped off the diesel fuel again Jim wanted to leave tomorrow with a full tank. Got back to the FW put the groceries away, called and talk to our friends. Then I started the instapot and made some vegetable soup with smoked turkey sausage. Later we had a lite dinner  the rest of the chicken corn chowder soup I made, and the rest of the inside out egg rolls. We watched a little TV, I did four loads of laundry, painted my nails and crocheted a little. Jim went to bed first I had a few minutes quiet alone time I'm kind of missing right now. Don't tell him I said that.

Travel Day to Benson Arizona

Another travel day, made a smoothie and wraps for lunch later. We left at 9:45, it's always later than Jim wants to leave. We kept watching the clouds there was light rain on and off and few times it was heavy. There's clouds and blue sky on the right side and on Jim's side Wicked looking clouds.

We stopped for lunch at a rest area. He drove a total of 240 miles today. We arrived at the KOA here in Benson area. Our site was so muddy so I walked over and asked him if we could move to a dryer one, he would have to walk through a lot of mud to unhook.

Jim hooked up to their cable instead of messing with the satellite. When we watched  local news from Tucson they showed Flagstaff where we were yesterday, and all the snow they had received only letting cars through with chains or four-wheel drive. While we were watching the news my phone rang and it was Albuquerque KOA they wanted to know if we were going to be there before 6. During our prep yesterday for travel Jim was trying to find it, he had written it down and he said he only wrote down the ones he had actually made reservations for. Anyway I said that one got by us and they actually told us they refund the money, which they did already. Which was very nice of them. It was a good thing Jim could not find the email confirmation, because we would have had to climb that big mountain again with the high elevation,  and that's where the snow was and I really wanted to skip all that. I was  texting  our friend Sally and Bob  they are in Texas right now .  I accidentally called her, quick hung up and then she called me back , we had a nice little chat . Figured out we were both going to be  in Nashville Tennessee a day apart,  so we said we would change our schedules and come in a day or two early  so we could spend the day in Nashville together before our other friends come in from Pa. We said goodbye for now.  Then I served us dinner next, first we had a salad, and made  one for the next day too, I usually  make four at a time.  We had soup I just made in the instant pot, cream of chicken corn chowder, no bacon this time. Then we had an open-faced turkey burger and  chocolate chip  zucchini  cake, that I had taken out of the freezer yesterday, for dessert. With all the rain we had a beautiful rainbow out our back window. We called it a night.

Travel prep day

This morning after I got up I made us sweet Italian sausage and eggs with the rest of the potato from the instant pot for breakfast. Jim put a lot of things away drained or tanks, I did a load of laundry. We took a drive and went to Home Depot where to buy a small plunger kitchen sink wasn't draining well and we bought a vent for under the sink. We bought a vise grip too. We sat in  the parking lot for a bit, we were working on booking reservations for the next week we had to change a few things around, which always stresses Jim out for some reason. We filled up a couple water jugs, fill up with diesel fuel. Then we stopped at the big Activity Center on the way back into TT,   we hadn't seen inside any of the building is here yet.

We came back and heated up dinner, we only ate twice today. I made open-faced burgers and a salad and I made some Lactaid free pudding. Watched  a little TV and called it a day, very relaxing watching. Now we are  ready for the travel day tomorrow.

Grand Canyon National Park

Jim was up this morning around 7, I got up around 8. He made himself eggs for breakfast. I premade refrigerator oatmeal last night to save me some time in the morning. Plus it's really good.  I texted both my son and daughter-in-law  and wished them happy anniversary 12 years today. We both took showers, got ready left around 10 a.m. . From our TT it was about 147 miles away, two and a half hour drive to Grand Canyon. We paid $35 to come in for the day.

Was hard to find a place to park, a lot of the parking lots were full already. That's why we wanted to leave earlier. We  drove in pretty far found a spot that the truck would fit, sign said nothing over 22ft which is our exact length. Porta-Potty right there. Then we walked towards the South Rim, and followed the path to the first place you could view the Canyon. Of course it is just breathtaking. I have to count how many pictures we took.

We saw a lot of elk, first we saw their poop, it looks like large black jelly beans, very deep hoof prints because it's been wet around here.

Made us very nervous seeing people on the edge, or even near the edge.
Pictures don't even do it justice. I asked a mother with  three teenage daughters if I could ask them a question, we both forgot how to take a panoramic picture with our phones, we both did it before accidentally. She showed us it was very easy when you know how.  Hopefully we remember, Then we took some really cool pictures once we learn how to.

I called my brother Drew in upstate PA, Jim got on the Face Time with him, he held the phone up so he could see the canyon too, we chatted for a minute and said Goodbye. We went into a little Museum / gift shop area they had a big observation window, It kind of jetted out a little bit. Was very warm in there, went to bathroom, saw displays of the evolution of the canyon. Then we  started our walk back along the rim towards the truck. The walk back was  quicker. We got in the truck got situated got a soda and granola bar headed out for a drive home. We saw more elk on the way out, quite large herds they look like they had a rough Winter though.

A lot of the roads are kind of rough around here, on the way home we went through Flagstaff and we're up 8,000ft elevation there just snow everywhere. Amazing how many people live here all the different houses. We were on the historic Route 66 for a bit. When we got home a little after Dark. Jim put the grill on to slowly  caramelized are boneless pork ribs from the instant pot last night, makes them so perfect. I heated up the potatoes and the grilled zucchini we had dinner watch TV and relax the rest of the evening. We figured we walked about 4 miles today.