Weather is even more changeable than KS

During last week's blast of Arctic weather, one of my neighbors was shooting photos of the storm.  I walked into his shot with the two very cold dogs.

It seems strange to see snow on the cactus.

27 January

A perfectly glorious day here in the desert.  One of my neighbors swung by in a 4x4 

and gave me a ride.  See photos.  It was difficult to come inside as it started getting dark.  Made me think of all those summer days when we stayed out to play chalk rabbit or kick the can until Mom finally came out and got us.

Steve (left) and Mike

Muppet and Lola

Note the pink grenade in the lower right corner of the windshield.

January 28

Was invited to join a group going 4-wheeling.  What a fun trip!  I would not have believed that Larry's Geo Tracker could do the things he made it do.  

My limo - the white Geo Tracker

Several stops along the way.  This was the first one.

Spiral and diamonds - looks like New Grange in Ireland

Is this a pregnant coyote?

Grinding holes

More spirals

We went through Massacre Canyon and then on to Fort Cummings.  This is roughly the route of the Butterfield Stage through this territory.

Fort Cummings

More about Fort Cummings

The Butterfield Overland Stage Line stopped at the fort.

Source of water for the fort and the stage line.

The spring house.

Spring is still in use.

Remains of the US Cavalry's corral. Pipes brought water from the spring house.

Four troopers killed by Apaches.

 History of the Mormon Battalion

More interesting stuff from the desert

21 January 

Today it is a pleasant 9 degrees, with the wind chill.  Woke up at 2:30 am from the wind gently rocking my 7 ton RV.  By morning we had snow on the ground.  The photos below were taken two days ago on an outing of 4-wheelers here at the park.  It was in the low 70’s with bright sunshine, a perfect day to go roaming around in the desert, as long as you go with people who know where they are.    I understand a couple of people are working on getting maps of the trails but nothing is finished yet.

This is rough country.  Distances are deceiving.  What looks like a short hike away winds up being miles.  Once you lose sight of your landmarks, it's easy to be hopelessly lost.  A couple of years ago, a park visitor decided to go hiking and lost his way.  Fortunately, people knew he was overdue and set up a search party with the local sheriff’s office.  One of the HAM radio operators here at the park coordinated the search.  The hiker was found, somewhat the worse for wear.  You can’t be careless out here.  There is a very interesting book on this subject called Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten.  True story, two young guys from back East decided to hike in the New Mexico desert. 

And now, back to the 4-wheel adventure:

First stop

Muppet, Lola and Mike's black dog Indy.

I made an offer on a 4-wheeler that one of the park residents was selling but he didn't like my $.  So I am doing the homework to see about buying one to have transportation beyond the distance I can hike with Lola and Muppet.  (They got to go on the excursion Tuesday and are still noncommittal on whether they would like to go again.)

More photos:

Ore-loading chute at the abandoned fluorite mine.

This place is called The Hole.  

This area was very active during WWII.  Fluorite was a key component in a lot of war-related equipment and there were mines all over this area going full blast.  No active mines in the area any more.  The area we could see from the mine entrance was once a bombing range.  One of the guys said they practiced with concrete dummy bombs.

Fluorite

Several days later I was out with the dogs early (after sun-up but not much).  In the distance I could hear our local coyote pack barking and howling.  Surprised me, as it was the first time I had heard them during daylight.  

It's A New Year

It's been cold (in the 20's) with high winds so the wind chill is in the mid-teens.  I got up this morning, New Year's Day, to snow on the ground and overcast.  It snowed lightly as we trudged through the park and snow is forecast for tomorrow.  Cooke's Peak was completely shrouded by the low-hanging clouds.  The weather was so crummy I changed my New Year's Eve menu from teriyaki steak to French onion soup so I wouldn't have to stand outside.

The dogs are still recovering from all the excitement of last week in Albuquerque with Wyatt, Michelle, Taylor, Maddy plus Midget (the old dog) and Sharpie (the new dog the size of a Shetland pony).  They are unaccustomed to so much activity.

The day after Christmas I went New Year's Eve outfit shopping with Michelle, Taylor, and Madison.  Success!  Both girls found outfits.

Post New Year's Eve

The carport was delivered yesterday on the coldest, windiest day or the year.  I felt sorry for the guys who had to assemble it in the Arctic-like conditions.  Now my Jeep can take shelter from the intense sunlight/wind/whatever.  The addition of the carport makes my lot a bit crowded at the entrance.  Someday the lot next to me will be available and I will take a lease on it as well.  That will give me a bit more room.  When I was in Las Cruces two weeks ago for service on the Jeep, I found a big metal cut-out which I will mount on the carport wall which faces the road.

Several days later:

Well, it's sunny and the wind has finally dropped. Still cold but much better.  I am hoping the RV tech will show up with the part for the RPod so I can get the final stuff done and take my test trip.  I would like to go to Puerto Penasco for a month or so but don't want to go into Mexico by myself.  It's only 60 miles from the Arizona border to Puerto Penasco but a lot of bad things could happen in that space.  Better to go with friends, at least for the first time.

Update much later:

It's January 18 and the third beautiful day here.  Temps in high 50's, 60's, brilliant sunshine, and light breeze.  Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful as well and then back into winter.

One of my neighbors on B Court invited me to go rock hunting with him and his dog, Trip.  I took photos of the park from a new angle.  Found some interesting stuff which Ron will dump into his rock tumbler and we will see what emerges in a month or so.

Ron and his Trail Wagon

Trip seeking the deadly jack rabbit.

Can you see a frog in the mountain?

Another view of the park,

Local Color

I haven't talked much about the park and the surrounding area, except for the Luna Mimbres Museum.  If you have any interest in the Indian wars and the Old West, this is a good place to be.

North of the park are the remains of Fort Cummings and the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Road.

Fort Cummings

There are lots of folks in the park who have 4-wheel drive ATV's and Fort Cummings is a popular destination.  I am thinking when I return to the park next fall I will look into getting one, as there are lots of places accessible to the 4-wheelers but not to a nice Jeep Grand Cherokee.  And I can just picture the dogs riding shotgun.

If I had a 4-wheeler, I could pull out of my drive, turn right, and in 100 feet enter the wash.


Farther north of Deming is Silver City, one-time home of the notorious Billy the Kid.

Silver City and Billy the Kid

Silver City is a quaint little town and home to Western New Mexico University.  Lots of little shops, eating places, and activities associated with the university.

Western New Mexico University

Hidden Valley Ranch Overview

Here are a few photos:

Clubhouse

Since the park is remote from town, the clubhouse, laundry room/showers are open 24 x 7.  They do ask that you not do laundry after 8:30 pm or before 6:00 am.  Fat chance.

This is the main room of the clubhouse, complete with pool table, piano, and lots of tables.  The Friday night potluck dinners are held here.  

As you can see, they have hundreds of books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, etc.  There is a group of mad jigsaw puzzle workers who are usually at the card table.  Makes me think of Susie Cape and Grandma Shrum.

 Shanon (the owner) added this nice barn and corral area last year, replacing an old wire fence.

 He also runs a few head of cattle mostly for his family.  He told me it takes 70 acres per head to graze cattle out here.

Shanon and Jolene seems to attract strays and orphans.  The mini burro in the pen is pregnant.  Her mate has been moved to another area, as he is a pain.  See the small goats?  And in the pen to the right are llamas.  I expect an elephant any day now.

This is a roping steer, one of several left by the previous owners.  High school rodeo is a big deal in this part of the world.  Taylor and Tyler, Shanon and Jolene's identical twin sons, are getting big enough to want to participate.

The above two photos are my lot here at the park.  I am thinking of adding a small tool shed and perhaps a deck.  (It's a matter of time until I fall down the RV steps...the deck may keep me out of a cast).

My next door neighbors are from Michigan and arrived at the park a couple of weeks ago.  They went into Las Cruces to trade their old truck for an almost new 2014 Yukon.  As I have mentioned, the park is 7 miles off the highway on a country road which traverses BLM land.  A local rancher has registered Angus cattle (which are solid black) on the open range on both sides of the road.  They came back down the ranch road after dark (it is pitch black after sundown) and in a torrential rain shower.  They were moving slowly but a cow materialized right in front of them.  The cow was pregnant and had to be destroyed.  Jim is hoping his car insurance will pay for it.  

Shanon is capable of fixing just about anything and he has every piece of equipment and tools you can imagine.  There was a leak somewhere in the water lines yesterday.  One of the great things about this park is the owners live here.  Problems get immediate attention.  

Life in the Old West is very tiring for small dogs

Luna Mimbres Museum, Deming, NM

While the dogs were at the groomer (a two-hour stay), I decided to take in the local museum.  In some ways it reminded me of the Dalton Defenders Museum, a hodge-podge of unrelated items interspersed with some fascinating displays.  The volunteers who staff the museum are very friendly and helpful.  And I couldn't leave without buying myself a BRIGHT RED sweatshirt with the embroidered inscription:  "Red or Green?" and embroidered red and green chiles.  (For those of you unfamiliar with the significance of the question, it means would you like red or green salsa with your Mexican food).

The Mimbres tribe mastered pottery and ceramic design.  The museum has stunning pieces, many of which have holes in the bottom.  These pieces were apparently grave goods, buried with the deceased, purpose of the hole unknown.  The Mimbres tribe slowly disappeared or was assimilated into another tribe.

Man encounters giant squirrel?

At the main Deming Interstate cloverleaf, the concrete sections are painted with some of the designs from the pottery.

In another section of the museum, I met some old friends....yes, boys and girls, I did once upon a time know how to run a telephone plug board.

And there was another old friend across the "office"...an NCR cash register.

The weather has been quite cold in the past couple of weeks, like the rest of the US.  It's warming up and today was 60 degrees and bright sun.

In light of the improved weather, I joined a group for a day in Palomas MX, about 40 miles south of Deming.  This was today's destination:  a store with something for almost everyone except curmudgeons like me.  There is a small restaurant inside the store so I did buy margaritas and lunch.  The trip wasn't entirely a failure.  Any day with Mexican food and margaritas can be considered at least a partial success.

This post is specifically for Kathy Bosler.  Here are some photos of the inside of the RPod.

The "kitchen" area is in a slide which moves in when you are ready to travel.  The RV tech was here in the park a couple of days ago and he checked out all the systems.  The only thing he found was what the dealership told me.  The refrigerator wasn't working on propane.  Pat (the tech) called the manufacturer as this was a new model he hadn't seen before.  The technician knew exactly why it wasn't working, although Pat said he wouldn't admit there was a problem with a part.  Anyway, part is ordered. Pat has left on vacation so the repair will wait until he gets back.

I had thought I would take a shake-down cruise before I put the Pod away for the winter but with Pat's being gone, the trailer won't be ready until almost Thanksgiving.  And I am going to ABQ for Thanksgiving so will stay with Wyatt and Michelle.