October 23, 2015 Tucson, Arizona

Observation area overlooks the RV park

Overview of the park

Some of flora and fauna

Lots of saguaro cactus

Our spot here in Tucson

Nice rest stop in Arizona

Travel day done!  We left Deming New Mexico and landed in Tucson Arizona.  Just a quick overnite stop, we aren't even unhooking the car.   Tomorrow we travel to Quartzsite, Arizona and will spend a few days there before heading on into California and HOME!

I absolutely hate to have my picture taken but Patty Mickler posted a bunch today on Facebook of our time in Kankakee and I took the liberty of cropping one to post here.  Sorry Pat - I cropped you out!!
I thought it was an ok pic of Gary and I, so for those of you who have been commenting on the lack of my pic, here ya go...........

 

October 22, 2015 Rockhound State Park, Deming, New Mexico

We took a beautiful drive out to Rockhound State Park and Spring Canyon.   Gary took some fabulous pictures.   It was so quiet out there, you could actually hear the birds instead of cars!  Imagine that people - there really are places to get away from it all.   You could see for miles and miles.  At the top of Spring Canyon we could see Interstate 10,  which Gary estimates at about 10 miles. 
There were cattle "free ranging" along the way.  Pretty awesome, this place called New Mexico!   

Only park we've ever been they encourage you to take 15 lbs of rock!

Fun road 17% grade

Our little spot (lots of rain puddles) It rained again last night

 

October 21, 2015 Deming New Mexico

Well folks before we started this journey we decided a NOAA Weather Radio was a must because we were heading east where they actually have weather.    We have not used that radio in almost 8 weeks but boy we sure pulled it out last night before retiring.  

New Mexico's weather changes on a dime.   We arrived in a bit of hailstorm, so that should have been our clue I guess.   All evening the clouds around us were darkening and we had Weather Alerts scrolling across the television.  We had lightning and thunder, a bit of wind, so Gary got the radio set up.   About 4:15AM we received the first alert - woke us both up - and almost immediately the storm was upon us.   The skies opened and the rain and hail were upon us.  I was a bit shook up (to say the least) but they had kept saying all evening there was a low level of risk for a tornado, and the wind wasn't too bad.  It was  just a "severe" thunderstorm.  So I hunkered down in bed and watched from my bedroom window and listened to the plummeting we were getting.   Gary had gotten up and listened to the radio, checked his phone weather apps and then just didn't come back to bed.  Here he was sitting up front in the passenger seat with the front shade open and watching the skies - in his underwear!     Yikes!   I would have thought if he was really considering that we might have to leave the MoHo, he may have put his jeans on but no.  He came back to bed and we got another alert on the radio.   Another severe thunderstorm with large hail in the area.   The registration desk at the RV Park told me in case of severe weather we could shelter in the interior portions of the clubhouse.   I didn't see a soul out and about or headed that way, so we sat it out.  But like I said wind was not a factor and that would really be the big issue for us.   The hail may break the air conditioning shrouds or the skylight in the bathroom but as far as we know no damage.

This is the aftermath, lots of puddles

So when we finally got up this morning we had planned to head towards Las Cruces and visit the Old Mesilla Village.  So we got ready, tried a local place for breakfast (not so good) and headed east on Interstate 10.   Well the clouds along the way were incredible and of course I had Gary snapping away.  

We found the plaza of the old village and started walking and exploring.  The dark clouds started rolling in.  We ducked into a fantastic Mexican restaurant in Old Town, La Posta.   Really pretty great food.   It had started to sprinkle a bit as we left the restaurant so we ducked into a pottery shop (where the potter herself was) and did some shopping and chatting.   We left there and it was sprinkling a little bit more.   We entered our address in GPS and headed out to the interstate - O M G!  The heavens opened up, the hail was tremendous, pounding on our roof, bouncing off the windows.  It was probably for me the worst weather I have had to drive in.   Semis were pulling over to the side and I quickly realized how slippery the interstate had become with all the hail on it.  I was not inclined to stop on the side of the road, my thought was to just get the heck out of there and hopefully out of the storm's path. Within less than 5 miles we were out of the worst of it.  Phew! No bueno.  

So here we are, safe and dry, inside but we are under a severe thunderstorm warning again!  Honestly I can't complain.  We have had fantastic luck with the weather this whole trip.  We don't leave here until Friday and we will be heading west, so hopefully we will miss any more of the nasty stuff.   

So here are some pics of Old Mesilla, quaint little village, established in 1838.   Mesilla was a stage stop for the Butterfield line that ran from St. Louis to San Diego from 1858 to 1862.  
Billy the Kid also stood trial in Mesilla and that building, the jail/courthouse, is now a souvenir shop.  The restaurant we ate in was the oldest building in Mesilla.

October 20, 2015 Deming, New Mexico

Travel day!  We packed up this morning and when I got the signal from Gary I went to work doing my inside job of "charging" the toilet (a very important job I might add).   I went to turn the water pump on and nothing happened!  Yikes - not a good thing!  So we pulled out the manuals and then phoned Newmar.   After getting the word from Newmar that they have had "trouble" with the controller that is connected to the water pump and being given some instructions on how to test for that - Gary got to work.   Unfortunately we quickly realized this was a job that was over our heads and we elected to continue packing up and moving on.  As long as we have water on board and we get to a site that has water for us to use, we are good to go.   We will get it looked at with we arrive home.   Newmar did say that if it is the controller it will be replaced at no charge.  Good to know!

So we headed south on Interstate 25 and then cut west on State Route 26.    I am so enamored with these skies and clouds.  So that's all I have for you today people.  My goal is to paint some of these, someday, so I need a lot of pics!  HaHa - lofty goal I know.
 Oh and yes we have been under a severe thunderstorm warning most of the day.  We arrived here in Deming in a pouring rain and hail.   Fun times  

We sat at a rest stop and watched the rain and lightning for a while

This is the view from our site

 

 

October 19, 2015 Santa Fe New Mexico

I fell in love today with Santa Fe, New Mexico.   This is a beautiful city with lots to see.  We visited the plaza and surrounding area, to include a chapel and bascilla as well as an amazing gallery.  I was struck by all the bronze statues displayed everywhere.  This gallery, that Mary insisted we go into, was amazing!  Beautiful bronzes and awesome paintings.   Wish I had a ton of money.   As you enter the gallery, the kiva is lit and the smell is amazing.  

This is a clay work in progress

This piece was a mere $125,000.00

Next up was the Loreto Chapel.  This chapel was built in the 1870's and had a major design flaw, a conventional stairway to the choir loft could not be installed without adversely impacting the diminutive Chapel's seating capacity as well as its aesthetics.

Taken from the bookmark I bought:

 "Seeking divine guidance the Sisters of Loretto made a novena (prayers over several days) to their patron saint, Saint Joseph the Carpenter.  As legend has it, upon the ninth and final day of the Novena a mysterious carpenter arrived to design and construct a circular stairway to the choir loft.  The tools upon his donkey were just a saw, a T-square, a hammer and tubs in which to soak the wood.  His "miraculous stairway" contains thirty three steps in two full 360 degree turns.  The stairway has no center support nor is it held from it's sides - it's full weight rest on its final tread.  Upon completion of the stairway the carpenter disappeared without seeking payment.  No records have been found for the purchase of the materials with which the stairway was built.  Many sisters believed that the craftsman to have been the embodiment of St Joseph the Carpenter.   Originally built without a railing its use was a daily reinforcement of faith by both sisters and students.  In the 1880's the banister was added. Engineers and architects marvel at the stairway;  there is no known duplication of it's design."  

People leave rosaries asking for prayers

We visited the bascilla as well, but I'm tired so I'll post pictures later, sorry.   We had intended to make it all the way up to Taos, but changed our plans.  So now I have a good reason to come back to this area!