Traveling Is A Challenge

Traveling is challenging; sometimes, it takes rolling with the punches and keeping going.  Walt and I had planned about a month away during December and January as we hadn't been out in a while, but Claire's doing mostly.  So we were looking forward to getting out.  We've been to Arizona before during this time of year, and it's relatively dry and pleasant.  That means the lows are in the 40's, and the highs are in the 70's.  That's a nice drop in temperature, but this is the dry desert.  

Our first day was to visit family in Dallas, share some Christmas time, catch I-20 out of Dallas, and be on our way. We decided to make West Texas, Midland, or Odessa for the first day. Unfortunately, the traffic didn't have the same time schedule we did. Even getting into the metro area is challenging with Gainesville all blocked off, but getting out was another definition of a traffic jam. Walt's son just shook his head when he heard our route.  I should have paid more attention to that.

Notice the big yellow road before you get to the circle of our destination.  That took us about 3 hours to get through that part of the DFW area. 

The traffic from the Geo. Bush to junction up to I20 was a nightmare.  It took us 3 hours to get out of Dallas.  This is the worst part about being in an RV when you get stuck in these spaghetti-highway metros and have to navigate all the junctions and exit/entrance ramps, but the traffic.  

But we made it until we had to back up the trailer because we missed a turn and discovered one of our tires had blown. Most likely, we hit something on the road because the tire was perfectly sound and had a ridiculous depth on the tread. We were next to a Pilot parking lot, almost full of truckers who were getting a little shut-eye. It had lovely bright lights and looked pretty safe to me.

From the guy who can do anything, after driving eight hours, gets out the jack and starts jacking up the RV and changing to the spare under the rear of the RV.  I am continually amazed at the things that aren't so daunting for him.  But the other side of the coin is that if a sleeve is way too big, put on a colossal shoulder, that's no problem cause I know exactly how to fix that.  

But one lugnut got the better of us. After being tightened up by a garage shop's air compressor, the torque on that puppy was so tight that it stripped the hex grip on the lugnut. We could not remove it without a professional clamp or digging into the lugnut.  

So, there was no changing the tire tonight. We settled into the RV for our first night of boondocking, even though the Pilot station was open 24/7 and provided a nice facility, goodies, water, and just about anything else we needed—except an air compressor lugnut remover! So we just slept in our comfy RV.

The following day, we called the West Texas Flat Service, and he came by with an air compressor and a gripper to grab that lugnut and get it off and got the spare on in about 30 minutes.  The right equipment makes all the difference in the world.  We were off to a local shop the West Texas Flat Service guy recommended, and again, it was like another friendly face.  This is a part of the world where trucks, trailers, and truck beds carry large, heavy oil-field equipment.  This shop had its fair share of this kind of tire, so we equipped the RV with the best heavy-weight tires an RV could ask for.  

A personal note from Claire:  Men love to talk about engines, wheels, tires, heavy equipment, and all sorts of heavy mechanical things.  Walt was in heaven with his own kind!  Me, I was bored!  For me, tires are tires:  Are they good?  Are they going to last?  Are they the right size?  Fine, put them on, and I'm out of here.  Not men.  Not only do we have to have these excellent tires, but we also have to have special lugnuts that won't strip the grip by some over-zealous air-compressor lugnut tightener!  

We're back on the road, this time with a decent time schedule, from West Texas to Las Cruces, NM.  By the time you get to West Texas, you're halfway through New Mexico, so going for Las Cruces, which is practically on the border, and less than an hour from El Paso, which is on the border, it's not that hard.  Unfortunately, our first time boondocking (without sewer, water or electricity), showed us how inexperienced we are at this. 

Who wouldn't be absolutely charmed by this sunset?  It was truly gorgeous.  There's only one problem.  After the sun sets, the only light you have is man-made.  And since we hadn't given the RV any juice in 48 hours, the battery went down.  Well, OK, I forgot to turn off the lights and other things, which drew down the battery charge.  The truck wasn't set up to fully charge the RV, and our trailer lights were not working in the dark.  We crept through El Paso and then Las Cruces, and the minute we plugged the RV into the socket in Las Cruces, I was practically blinded by the lights on the RV.  I was secretly worried that the rubber on the blown tire had flapped against something electrical in the RV, and it would have to be totally rewired.  Whew!  So glad the lights came on.  

Our following day was uneventful and an easy 3-hour drive into our RV Park.  

But the RV Park is a whole other story.  Just enjoy the beautiful sunset and that we are making progress!

The Country Vet

 Both Walt and I are from the country.  We know the lay of the land, and sometimes manure smells mighty pretty when you're in the country.  We also know that the vets in the country are in serious business. Think about a real estate loan officer in a big-city bank; you have the caliber and importance of a country vet. 

We're here in Arizona, and when you're in the country in Arizona, you're really in the country.  The closest city is an hour away, and those services (like Sam's) are also an hour away, so you make a serious list when you trek into Sam's from where we're staying.  But the weather is terrific.  A little chilly in the mornings, but it's about 70° almost every day, so leaving the door open and having fresh air is really great, until...

Little Bruno has pancreatitis, which can act up for no rhyme or reason, and that's what happened yesterday.  Our excellent vet back home was as helpful as he could be, being far away, so we called all the vets here close by.  The "local" city vet was booked up, and so sorry, but I recommended a "mobile vet."  At this point, I'm desperate cause the trick with this condition is stability.  So I get the vet's number, call him, and yes they can take us.  So out we go into the wild, wild west of the country to find a vet.  We pull up, and Walt and I immediately realize we are in the right place.

Look at that grin.  It's like he's home in the panhandle.  It's hard to see, but there's a horse in the area (I wouldn't call this a regulation coral as there wasn't a fence around it; we were just all out in the open together.  

He didn't look very well.  This lady was keeping the animal for a customer.  He was only 6 months old but seemed to have some joint or hip problems.  So we stood back, trying to be grateful for the help and not wanting to piss off the vet.  

Then, the piglets arrived.  From out in the country -- literally half a mile away, I see these little things scurrying around in the grass and can't wait to see the new curiosity that has entered the central area.  The horse is apparently old news to the piglets.  

Then I see this...

And I'm on alert.  I figure that Bruno tackling and killing a group of piglets is not going to put him in good stead with the vet after killing and mauling some of the vet's hopeful income.  

The next thing I think is this....

Awwww - great - I can't get Bruno off the piglets while they are prancing around the drive in front, and Bruno is NOT going to be denied the opportunity to chase at least a little and possibly even a little treat.  Just because Bruno has pancreatitis, he does not associate that with his appetite, and we've had him off food for about 24 hours already, trying to get his system to settle down.  Claire immediately goes to the thought that this is going to cost more than the medicine and the doc's time.  

Walt is like this.....

He's all proud of Bruno's killer instinct, while I'm working to keep a pork baby ribs barbeque from breaking out.  

So I'm circling the piglets trying to keep the dog who is barely in control, with Walt enjoying the show.  

Fortunately, they get the horse in the trailer, and we're next.  I say pancreatitis, and then Cerenia, and they agree and offer a shot (which is a great way cause that bypasses the GI tract and lets Bruno's system settle way down), and then we can start the pills tomorrow.  They are a lovely couple with their son playing in the yard probably 5 y/o, and we both think about the times when we were kids out in the country and what an idyllic life that was.  Anytime I wanted, I could hike and discover new things.  I had a "living room" set up in the woods and would always have make-believe friends over to chat.  Walt was probably shooting mischievously at a horse his father was trying to teach his brother how to break.  Somehow, the horse kept jumping at just the wrong time!

In the end, everyone walked away unscathed, while the vet complained that he needed to get out and neuter those piglets before something prolific happened.  As a matter of due diligence, the vet in OKC had sent a script for Bruno to Chewy, as they are the cheapest game in town, but that would run only $70 for the pills.  The vet in the country charged us less for the pills and shot than Chewy, and I was so enthralled with the whole setup that I just tipped him and made them keep the change.  They sent me a statement to my email.  The vet's wife had a tablet on which she was taking all the notes and messages, and the truck had the most organized mass of drawers and compartments.  

It's always a treat to meet the vet in the country.  They do know what they are doing, and they are glad to get something that's fixable and will not be a huge deal.  This vet was awesome, and I'll write a great Google review for him.  The best way I know to reward great service.  

Fungi Alert

 No, this isn't an athlete's foot alert; this is the real cool fungi that is everywhere here in the campground.  Fungus has always been fascinating to me, cause they are neither plant nor animal, but they grow a lot and fast.  They acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment - hence they are the great decomposers of the natural world. Fungi do not photosynthesize like plants, and growth is their means of mobility, except if they have spores.  

OK - enough science stuff, here's just some of what's out there on the campground floor.  

They are everywhere, and if one wants to pop up, then no matter what's in the way, it gets moved.  

This one looks fresh -- probably this afternoon's crop!

And then next to all the fungus are about 5 different varieties of mosses which are plants - very simple ones.

But that's not all there is. The forest is teaming with lovely little flowers that are so delicate you wonder how they survive.  

And the best for last.  The best my books can ID is the it's a Butterfly Pea.  Click here for more info.

It looked like an orchid to me, but is related to the pea family, and there's nothing prettier than a sweet pea blossom, but was fun to find this out in the forest today on our walk.  

We tried to do the North Rim, but our goal was to get some photos along the edge of the rim.  Apparently this part of the trail, is far in from the edge.  We'll try again tomorrow from the other end - at the Visitor's Center.  

A Quiet Place For The Summer

 I'm a little hesitant to describe or say too much about this spot because it's refreshing, but I'm not sure I want a lot of folks to know that. It's a little secret gem nestled in what they call the Ouachita Front Mountain Range. It's a state park with a lot going for it because most state parks are delightfully small, secluded, and usually nestled in very lovely surroundings. 

Ooooooo - that's tight!

As usual in a state park, it's hard to negotiate into the space for an RV.  We have a 5th wheel, which is purposely shorter to accommodate these state parks.  Set up is always work, but it is made easier by the shade of the campground's trees, although they did make it harder to get in.  Even though we plugged in the A/C the first day, we didn't need it.  It's a bit warm outside, but there's a good breeze, and it's not all that bad.  

The first day was reconnoitering around the area to see what's what.  Just off the paved path for the vehicles is a short path to the "Amphitheater," a lovely spot to watch the sunset or, some mornings, the sunrise.  I sat down and just enjoyed the mid-afternoon view. 

A good shot of the view from the Amphitheater.

Bruno says it's time to go home and time for dinner!

More coming.

Through The Way-Back Machine

 CWUAP was originally an abbreviation of Claire's and Walt's Underwater Adventures in Photography because we were doing a lot of underwater photography.  We needed a place to put up our photos which we thought were pretty darn good.  On a return trip from Indonesia (see the photos here) which was spectacular with Island Dreams Travel out of Houston,  TSA broke my regulator, which was so awesome I felt like I was never having to breathe, broke in several places, and Walt and I were having consistent problems with TSA and traveling was becoming a huge hassle.  We decided to start doing above-ground photography, and that's how we transitioned into the photography we do today.  

But even before Indonesia, we were doing some very fun diving.  One year, Claire decided it would be fun to do a shark-feeding dive.  Now here was the thinking on this:  it was in the Bahamas, and if it was in the least bit dangerous, then it would be all over the newspapers:  HEADLINE:  

DIVERS MAULED AT 

SHARK FEEDING DIVE 

IN NASSAU, BAHAMAS!!!

Right?   So what could go wrong?  Really!  

Nothing, except that you felt like you were in the middle of a National-Geographic special on TV on you were right in the middle of it! 

It was a fantastic experience.  We, of course, had our cameras, but we bought the video of us diving and have never been sorry - along with some priceless photos.  

Here's the video:

This came with some excellent photography!

Proving once again, it's great to take trips and always take photos of your trips so you can enjoy them over and over.  

The Eaglets Are Fledging - Sorta!

 So another trip to our friend's farm in the eastern part of the county and we see some pretty neat stuff.  We were told that crows were attacking/dive-bombing the eagle nest, which we thought was weird, but not unheard of.  Since we are new to this sight (this spring was our first time there), that could be happening.  But once we got there we saw the typically black juvenile and realized that it could easily be mistaken for a crow.  

It's really easy to tell if you see the two birds together.  But if you don't the beak is the tell-tale sign.  A bird of prey, hawk, owl, peregrine, and eagle will all have that curved tip on their beak, while the crow or raven or any of the crow family, will have a beak that has no curve at the tip of the beak.  If they are side-by-side, like above, it's easy to see that the eagle is a lot larger than the crow, which is another difference.  

Even though the bird we saw on the nest was smaller than an adult eagle, the crook of the beak told us that it was one of the eaglets from the nest, but it was all black and from a distance, may appear to be a crow, except for one thing.

An eagle has distinct phases of color.  An eagle right out of the nest on the verge of fledging will be all black.  This is to protect it from the elements because the eagle has a huge wingspan - 6.5 for the males and 7 for the females (and no snide comments about the women needing a larger wingspan for their larger size!!!)

There is a fabulous article here, but here's a quote from the article that makes you appreciate eagles even more than their stellar beauty.  This blog location is Washington State so therefore some of the dates are off a bit as compared to Oklahoma.  

Some eaglets take their first flight and have no issues, but some may go crashing through the branches and injure their wing and won’t make it. Sometimes eaglets will fall out of the nest, due to some disturbance like fireworks, or a rogue puff of wind, and fall from the nest before they are ready or even able to fly. Those massive wings, 6.5 feet wide for males, and 7 feet for females, have their large feathers full of blood prior to being ready to fly, so if they are forced from the nest too early, they just can’t fly, and if not rescued will hide in the bushes, and usually will not make it.

So if you see an eagle on the ground, try and stay as far away as possible. It’s normal for eaglets to stand on the ground for 20 to 30 minutes while they are finding their way in the world. If you see a eagle on the ground for over an hour, then contact a professional or state or local game expert who can come asses if the eagle is injured and in trouble, or just resting and will be fine.

This makes you appreciate the eagle-fledging process even more.  Another fact that really makes you think, is that mature eagles only store enough energy to fly for 28 minutes a day.  So any extra stress or worry on the bird will cause the bird to use energy that they may need to feed themselves or their eaglets.  

So here are the shots of the juvenile that is attempting to leave the nest, however, is not quite ready.  The caretaker on the property noted that last year the adults left for about a week and then came back to help get the last one out of the nest.  When we first arrived the juvie was flapping his/her wings to try and get out of the next, but I know we alarmed him/her so we decided not to cause any more alarm and left.  The truth is that we don't stay long so as not to cause any additional stress to the stress that nature causes.  

But as usual Walt did get some killer shots.

A little wing-flapping action.  Eagles don't really flap and the lift off the nest, they sort of point down and then grab a wind current and start soaring.  So I guess you would call them soarers more than flyers.  

Aaaah - either the morning gargle or call of the wild!  The later is probably more appropriate.

And this is what finally did it for us.  This juvie is getting that "discriminating eye" that the mature eagle is so well known for.

In comparison, here's the parent (perfecting that "discriminating eye" look) and a pic of the nest which seems so much larger than this spring.  This is about two months ago.  

We might get a chance to watch the last one fledge, but depends upon the bird's and our schedules.  

 

Fun In Our Own Backyard

 Even though there have been rumors of an albino eagle in the eastern part of the state, that was all it took to get us back on the road.  Bald eagles are such a majestic species and they have this look like:  "Who gave you permission to take my photograph?!" while checking out the local stream for the best fishing!

But much to our surprise the eastern part of our very own county has some interesting eagle action, and we were lucky enough to receive an invitation to an eagle's nest not far from our home.  We were in for a treat.

The eagles here are on a farm and because the small farm has about 11 dogs, and people wandering around, planting rye, cutting and bailing hay, and well, doing all the stuff farmers do, the eagles were rather blasé about humans.   Then suddenly these weirdos show up with the lends that are about like an eagle's wing-span, and whoa!!!  It's a whole new game.  

And so the eagles had to put on a show for us.  

Aren't their "fingers" pretty?  They really are beautiful birds. 

But we're getting the hint.

We're getting the feeling that maybe we're not all that welcomed.  

Then suddenly Walt sees something really interesting over at the nest.  Now this is my effort at making this fun, but if you look really hard at the left center, you can see something popping its head up and down.  

In case you're not sure where to look, here's where the little eaglet is.

We'll travel out again, but we didn't stay long.  Mothers have enough troubles they don't need these weirdos with huge long tubes on a three-stick stand poking into their business.  So we let them get back to the dogs, Kubota, and running the farm!  But with a little homemade blackberry preserves bribery, we've been invited back!