London Bridge

Its been five days since our last entry. Five days of fishing, sightseeing, shopping, and just plain enjoying Lake Havasu. Its a nice place and a place where we could spend more time. We decided to extend our visit to a month.

We took the weekend off from fishing and the usual stuff and instead went to the London Bridge Canal and walkway. Its a sidewalk along the canal that starts beneath the bridge and goes for about a half a mile. Along the way are shops, ice shaving stands, and lots of people in boats. Here, the thing to do is to drive your boat to the canal, beach it on the sand, and people watch. Renita and I both agreed that there were many fine healthy looking people demonstrating swimsuits along the way. Renita managed to find some clothes that she liked and I enjoyed just hanging, (Our fishing boat probably wouldn't fit in).

On Easter Sunday we attended church at Our Lady of the Lake. The place was crowded with the average age being 60. Definitely a lot of snowbirds. After church we went home where we learned that there was a swap meet every Sunday so we went to that and saw every tool imaginable. (A bad place for me to go.) Renita and I agreed that we needed to return there next Sunday as we just started looking and the swap meet was over. It closes at 1 pm.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a return to normal. On Tuesday John gave me another lesson on smallmouth bass fishing and today he took me striper trolling. The fishing was good and a bag of fillets sits in the refrigerator, waiting to be cooked for dinner. Clear skies

Smallmouth Bass in Lake Havasu

The small mouth bass fishing, at Lake Havasu, quite simply is impressive. In two hours, we caught five and lost three, ranging from one to three pounds. It is another reason for coming here.

The morning stated early as I got out of bed at 3:40am, ate some food, took my drugs and drove to John's, to get bait and go small mouth fishing. I hadn't fished the day before as Renita and I had a honey do list day in which I took the truck for an oil change, changed the trucks fuel filter at the rv park, and Renita did the laundry. So when I had a chance I called John and he said the small mouth were biting,(He had gone out that morning and ran across a fishing buddy, named Doc. He had watched him catch four in a few minutes).

Anyway John told me that we needed to be at the dock early, so that we could net some threadfin shad, so I got to John's at 4:15 and we went to the dock. I was surprised to see so many people there so early. John said it was actually not many. We walked out, John put his bait net out, and we started to pull the net for bait. It turned out that the baiting was really slow. It took an hour to get a dozen shad, all about 4-5 inches long. It was really neat as we could see a lot but they were pretty quick and avoided the net. I did get to watch a man snagging bait. He would then throw out the bait while it was still on the snagging treble, and dang if he didn't catch stripers. He caught four while we were there.

We left the dock and drove to the park near the bridge. It was still dark as we tied on hooks, put a shad on, hook behind the dorsal, and cast out. The rig was really simple, a hook and a split shot two feet up the line.

Nothing happened for a bit, however the fish were hitting something on the top as we waited. About sunrise, John had a fish pick up his shad. It ran as he free spooled, and after a long time he set the hook and landed a nice small mouth bass. As he posed for a picture,(John is kind of upset with me for posting pictures of him with small fish. He is afraid his son Heath will see them and think that's all he catches),my line took off. I waited a long time, set the hook, and was rewarded with a nice smallie, about three pounds.

The morning went too fast. We even got a double. I had to laugh as people were walking by, jogging, boating, and we were catching really nice small mouth. An outstanding morning with a great friend and guide! Clear skies.

Lake Havasu's Friends

Leaving Phoenix we got onto the 101 loop and then turned west toward LA. The traffic started out slow but increased until we were in a gaggle of cars and trucks and it seemed like everyone in the world was on the road and heading west. After 140miles we finally got to Quartzite and turned north towards Lake Havasu.

Quartzite itself was actually pretty, at least to us. The desert reminded us of the Red Desert. In fact the entire trip was surprising as mountains and buttes and mesas gave the area a classic western feeling. It was neat to see all the boondockers/drycampers, scattered across the landscape.

We headed north on 95, fighting a lot more traffic along the way but still enjoying the drive as the Colorado River flowed by us. Parker and then finally Lake Havasu City welcomed us, as we found Prospector Rv Park and set up our house.

Now the reason for coming here was twofold. Of course we wanted to check it out but more important was to see our friends, John and Flo. John and Flo retired six years ago and we hadn't had a chance to see them in quite a while,(They winter here and summer at Glendo and Boysen, two lakes in Wyoming).

So we gave them a call and went to see their setup. The afternoon was really nice, more reminising about fishing tournaments, old friends, just good times. It passed too quickly....
The next morning John called and invited me fishing. Renita drove me there and dropped me off at Wheels, where I was treated to striper fishing 101, cut bait trolling. It was so simply and it actually worked. We caught three, released them and I had so much fun on a new lake with an old friend. Clear skies

8 Ball, gleaning, and Rockies Baseball

The rest of the week in Phoenix was full with busy days! On Thursday I played in an 8 ball tournament. Friday was our first day of volunteer work as we gleaned oranges and grapefruit. On Saturday we went back to the Rangers stadium and watched them play the Rockies!

Paul invited me to play in the 8 ball tournament, that takes place every Thursday morning. He is a member of the pool club at his retirement village and so with great trepidation I finally agreed to meet him and play. I say this because I was sure I would get beaten by a visous bunch of pool sharks. Instead the other players were nice, friendly and I even won two of the five games I played!

On Friday Renita and I joined Paul and Mary's volunteer group and gleaned citrus trees for a group called Second Harvest. The charity not only feeds local people but also trades the citrus with other foodbanks across the country. The pickers get a list of houses and trees to pick. Then they go to the house where they collect a ten dollar fee and then pick the tree, emptying the fruit ino the back of Paul's truck, ( The city is full of retired people who planted orange trees, which matured, produce a lot of oranges, which must be harvested. Why, cause if they aren't, roof rats move into the peoples roofs and eat the rotting fruit!).

We gleaned trees at four houses and filled his truck half full. Most of the trees were grapefuit, which were huge. It was wild, dodging big grapefruit! We had as much fun doing this as any experience on our trip.

On the last day in Phoenix, we went back to a baseball game. The Rockies, split squad, were visiting the Texas Rangers. The Rockies lost, but again it was so fun to realize that it was March and that we were watching spring baseball. Retirement is good:) Clear skies.

Cubs Baeball

The last couple of days have been busy. On Wednesday we went to a spring baseball game and on Thursday I entered a pool tournament at Lussows community pool hall. If that wasn't enough excitement we also got lost driving around the big city!

Paul had told us that spring baseball had started and asked if we wanted to go to a cubs baseball game. We like baseball so it was a no brainer and we headed off to the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cubs, in Surprise. The seats we got were great, right next to the dugout on the first base side. It was hot at first but the sun went behind some thin clouds and it turned into a really pleasant afternoon. The cubs lost, as usual, and so the largely cub crowd went home disappointed, but it was really nice to be watching a game at spring training. We had to remind ourselves that this was retirement and not a vacation.

On Thursday I went to Paul's house and he took me to the pool hall, where we warmed up before playing in a round robin eight ball tournament. I ended up 2-3, after winning the first two games and then playing like a klutz. Defense is the way to play! More important, the other players were friendly and I didn't mind getting taken for the buck entry.

After returning home we had some errands, getting flea meds for the dog and a black tank hose for the house. So we drove back to Surprise, where the animal hospital and Walmart are located. After spending too much money the fun began. I was tired and we came out a different entrance from the Walmart. I turned right and then decided that we were going the wrong way so I made a 180 and drove quite a way before realizing that everything was new. We made another 180 and after a while got back to where we should have been in the first place. Thank goodness the truck has a compass.

After getting back home a nap was in order and the rest of the day was mostly uneventful. Renita did get a call from her sister, Pam, who told us she was retireing! We have often talked about out past life, when we were working. Our jobs seem like a dream, even though it has been less than a year since retirement. Retirement is good. Clear skies.

The Waterfall Trail

Among the things to do in Phoenix, is to hike the trails of the county park system. Paul and Mary took us to the Waterfall Trail, which is located in White Tanks County park. Basically its a pouroff/waterfall with beautiful flowers, Teddy Bear Cactus, Petroglyphs, and tanks, which are pools of water at the bottom of the waterfall.
As we hiked the trail Paul pointed out the many different cactus and Mary named the flowers. We stepped off trail to see a bird's nest built in a cactus and I discovered that Teddy Bear Cactus seems to jump at you and embed itself in your body,(I just lightly brushed it with my leg). New lesson, how to get cactus out of your body! The easiest way is to pull it out with a cheap comb. No problem, oops no one brought a comb! Step two is to use sticks, which can break as the cactus is quite firmly attached. Method three is to use two rocks and pull it off being careful not to touch it with your hands. Step four is to have someone else pull it from your hands. Amazing cactus! All four of us got it on our shoes and we spent some time removing spines when we regained the trail.
We continued up the trail enjoying the flowers, cactus, petroglyphs, and birds,(We got a new bird a phainopepla!) arriving at the watertank. The water was surprisingly cold. The area was in the shade and decidedly cooler. After taking some pics we headed back down the trail. We didn't see a gila woodpecker so some more desert time is in order.
After leaving the park Paul and Mary took us out to eat at a Mexican grocery store and deli. They served everything including tripitas, intestine! The food was great, very inexpensive, and is a must eat place in Phoenix! Clear skies.

Phoenix, Surprise, and Friends

On Saturday we left Las Cruces, heading towards Phoenix. We drove a little farther than usual, 240 miles to a town of Benson, Arizona. It was a pretty uneventful drive until we got to Tucson at which time we were treated to Saguro Catus. We also saw some Gambrels quail at a rest area, along with people selling their silver jewlery.
We got into Phoenix, fought the traffic which was pretty heavy for a Sunday, and got to Pueblo El Mirage Rv Park. The park iself is over 1000 park models, doublewides, motorhomes, and fifthwheels. The park is a planned community and we are renting a person's vacant spot. Really nice facilities ! We set up, after narrowly missing a palm tree, and relaxed.
The next morning we were able to contact Paul and Mary Lussow, who are living in a planned commnunity nearby in Suprise, Arizona. They invited us over and they took us on a tour. They have a beautiful house, live in a really pretty subdivision, and they have the use of outstanding facilities! They even have pet gambel quail in their back yard! After the tour we visited and were further treated with an mexican dinner! However the best treat of all was seeing two more friends Don and Carla Watwood.
We visited about the old days, traded teacher stories,(boring Renita, but she was a good sport with it), and had a wonderful time! We have been truely blessed. Clear skies.

Las Cruces and Mesilla

After leaving Fort Davis we headed for Phoenix,( actually Surprise), Where some old friends and fellow teachers winter. As it was too far to drive in a day, we stopped for a couple nights in Las Cruces. We had passed through Las Cruces before and Renita wanted to check it out.
The next day we went to the town of Mesilla and it's famous plaza. Why is it famous?
Cause that's where Billy the kid was tried and sentenced to be hung. He had killed the sheriff in Lincoln,(See the comment below for a more accurate description), during a robbery.(No bullet holes visible).
Anyway Mesilla is a typical southwestern town that has been turned into a tourist trap, with silver stores and lots of stuff that looks neat but some was made in Vietnam! For example there were some really neat bamboo curtains with Our Lady Of Guadalupe painted on them. One would think they were from Mexico but the boxes had made in Vietnam printed on them. The only things that seemed to be from the southwest were some beautiful pottery,(the shopkeepers should label the authenticity and place of origin). (Renita loved the shopping and that's cool even though I got bored and started to get impatient)
There is one thing that's especially neat. The church of San Albino, which is located at the north end of the plaza. It was built in 1908 and had a beautiful wooden altar. The church historian informed us that the great great grandson, of the original altar artist, showed uo unannounced and had polished the altar wood. The simplicity of the inside gave the church a unique charm. She also informed us that the congregation is seeking basilica status due to the history of the church.
(I did see a new bird, a gambrel's quail, as I walked the dog in the rv park, so that was neat. Gambel's have a feature plume on top of there head). Clear skies

Fort Davis and The Mcdonald Observatory

We headed north, to Fort Davis, to see the Mcdonald Observatory. We also planned to visit the Fort itself and the state park. Little did we realize that Fort Davis is the highest town in Texas, at 5000 feet, nor did we remember it was still winter. Yup, it snowed! It go so cold that the water line, outside the house froze.
The snow blew but luckily did not accumate. The line thawed with no damage. The weather turned warmer and cleared so we stayed another day and headed to the observatory.
The McDonald Observatory tour. started with a solar viewing and discussion. The guide was knowledgable and passionate about his subject so it was good. The neatest thing was being able to see the prominances! After that we drove to the 107 inch telescope. Which is currently searching for dark energy. The guide explained that a new energy has been discovered and that it is pushing apart the galaxy groups. I started to laugh,( I later apologized and explained that I was taught that there were four fundamental forces, not five. Oh well, good thing I retired! While I enjoyed the tour it got me thinking about how much I enjoyed teaching, but I also remembered my frustration with gand banger wanabees and the reason I retired. I couldn't go back to that. Retirement is good. Last, we visited the 10 meter telescope that is built like the Keck Observatory comnpound telescope. Amazing to see a ten meter telescope.
We also stopped at the Fort and viewed their museum. The museum has a nice display on Buffalo Soldiers and the history of the fort. It reminded me of Fort Atkinson and Fort Laramie. The fort has been reconstructed, to a degree. The reconstruction has attempted to remain accurate. so that was good.
Last we stopped at Fort Davis State Park in an attempt to spot Montezuma's Quial. No luck there, but we did see a lesser goldfinch, an acorn woodpecker, and a black crested titmouse. Three new birds are always a good day! Clear skies.

The Burro Springs, Pouroff, and Santa Elena Trail

3/01/2008 The Burro Pouroff, Burro Spring, Santa Elena Canyon
“Did you hear the Canyon Wren?” (Renita is getting to be quite the birder! ) We spent our last day in Big Bend by walking about six miles along three Trails, Burro Spring, The Burro Pouroff, and Santa Elena Canyon.
Burro Spring was the longest hike, 2.2 miles. It wasn’t supposed to be that long but we walked past the dried up spring and were rewarded by a pair of canyon wrens, who were nesting in a crack on a cliff face. We were able to watch them carry bits of nesting material and got a good look at them through the binoculars. There was not much other wildlife but there was some javelin scat along the trail.
Up the road a bit was Burro Pouroff. It was a real treat. The roundtrip hike was only 1.5 miles. We spotted a black chinned sparrow, a canyon towhee, and listened to more canyon wrens. I was able to climb up the pouroff, a little bit, as I wanted to see the undercutting. You just don’t see dried up waterfalls that often. Lots of conglomerate and breccias in the rock layers. Again we realized the need for a second pair of binoculars as I spotted a pyrrhuloxia on the canyon side just before it hid behind a rock. As we neared the truck Renita heard a flock of scaled quail flush. We were able to spot them but didn’t get a good look, as they were running.
The last hike of the day was up Santa Elena Canyon. The trail guide said it was 1.7 miles but our gps said 2.3. Earlier we had hiked the first part of the trail but wanted to walk to the end, (we had the dog in the truck and dog’s aren’t allowed on park trails). We took our lunch, hiked to the end of the trail and sat down to eat it on a large rock, watching the Rio Grande flow past, (In a earlier blog, I talked about the border so I won’t say anything here.) There were a couple of men floating the canyon in their kayaks. Next time we must have a kayak or canoe! Clear skies.

The Windows Trail

2/28/2008 The Windows Trail
There is so much to do here! Our next thing on the list was the Windows Trail. We had first heard about it from Chuck. We had met him in Iowa, at Red Haw State Park, and he told us we must see the Window, ( the Window is a pour off from the Chisos Mountains).
So we got up, packed our day packs, and drove to the Chisos Basin. Our first stop was at the visitor center where I asked the ranger if we needed a permit, no, or a permit to climb, no but not recommended, or if the bear signs were real, not likely as there are about 15 bears in the park.
We had a little trouble finding the lower parking lot. I drove the wrong way on a one way lane and got yelled at by the camp host and a ranger, oh well. Finally we found the trail head , parked, and started the downhill hike.
The trail is about 2.2 miles long with a vertical drop of 440 feet and is well maintained. Going to the Window is downhill all the way with the knowledge that you will have to climb back out. What a beautiful hike and the destination was well worth it. Along the way Renita spotted some strange scat, bear or javelina? I also got a brief glimpse of a Mexican jay.
We reached the windows about noon and had it to ourselves for lunch. The pour off itself is slippery and polished from the flash floods. It’s not as long a drop to the plateau below, about a short repel. The wind was howling through the opening but blowing uphill so it was safe,(It reminded me of the Devils Tower climb on Weisner, where Matt and I stopped below the summit as the wind was too strong to top out). As we ate lunch a canyon wren flitted above us. We met a nice couple from Oregon and finally started hiking out.
The hike out was uneventful. We took pictures and stopped often, to drink water and rest in the shade. It was nice and the uphill walk turned out to be easy. When we got to the truck a pyrrhuloxia and cactus wren landed on a bush nearby. We saw three new life birds on one hike. We stopped at the store on the way out as Renita insisted we get ice cream bars as a reward. This trail is a must do in Big Bend National Park! Clear skies.

The Road To Presidio

2/27/2008 The Road to Presidio
One of the ways to get out of Terlingua is to go east to Presidio, through Big Bend Ranch State Park. After hearing that is was considered a scenic drive we decided to take a day and explore it. I am sure glad we did as it’s no place to take our house!
The road is good condition and is wide ,but the grade is 15% through the canyon Both up and down. A drive not for the acrophobic to say the least. It parallels the Rio Grande for most of the way and the image above is of The Rio Grande. Not an imposing barrier,(Because of the water use the river is one sixth of its old flow).
The park is actually a working ranch which holds yearly roundups of longhorns and lets greenhorns dude at the ranch, for a hefty price! Not our cup of tea. We did discuss volunteering with a volunteer at the welcome desk. The volunteers work 15 hours a week for their full hook up spots,(so a couple works 30 hours). Behind the visitor center is an extensive cactus garden. The river in the park is also floated by many! More possible adventures for future visits.
One stop along the way was especially noteworthy, the closed canyon! It is a slot canyon that is so narrow you can almost touch the walls and ends in two pour offs before you reach the Rio Grande. The floor is polished clean fro flash floods and is littered with rocks that fell from above. I found it a very scary place, not from the claustrophobia
But I was worried about flash floods and rock fall.
Presidio is a border crossing and we drove to the crossing but didn’t cross as we forgot our passports, duh.
There is an rv park, supermarket, and place for diesel as the town has a population of about 4000.
I was able to connect with the internet and check out our bank statement but it was too slow for email and most stuff. Renita drove back and she stopped so I could take pictures of the canyons and some pretty hudos,(sp), which are balancing rocks. Another exciting day! Clear skies

Luna's Jacal

2/26/2008
Luna’s Jacal
The original plan was to hike the Window Trail , but that was quickly changed due to the cold windy conditions and the smoke from the Odessa fire. So we decided to drive the Old Maverick Road to Santa Elena Canyon and make a loop on the Ross Maxwell scenic drive. What a drive!
I was a little concerned as we turned down the gravel on the Old Maverick Drive as the ranger had warned us that it was a good road but rough in spots. It was a gravel highway by Wyoming standards! As we drove we stopped several times to admire the desert but the first real point of interest was Luna’s Jacal,(pictured above). It was the house of a farmer who raised a large family in it and lived for 108 years! He used irrigation to farm the river bottom, if you want to call it that. Truly amazing.
We continued driving and stopped at a deserted place called Terlingua Abajo. A small group of one room rock farm house long ago abandoned. The place once was the site of irrigations and farming, raising crops for the mercury mines,(The mines were closed in 1943, the land was abandoned as the climate changed. The countryside is filled with collapsed stone houses).
A little further down the road we finally reached Santa Elena Canyon. I think the canyon was used as a backdrop for a John Wayne movie. It hard to believe that across the small river,(Rio Grande), is Mexico. The border here is closed due to a decision from Homeland Security. It is hard to believe that people are proposing a fence along the border. What a shame it would be to destroy the natural beauty. There are two towns on the Mexican side that you used to be able to cross into but the government closed the bridges and even put in tank barricades,(according to a ranger). The small villages lived off the tourists and they now have nothing. It would have been fun to cross into a small village and try our Spanish. Sad.
We hiked a portion of the Santa Elana Trail before returning to our vehicle and driving to Castolon. After purchasing ice cream sandwiches we finished the day by driving along the Ross Maxwell highway. It was one incredible view after another. Mules Ears, Emory Peak, Goat Mountain, the Chicos Mountains, and Elephant Tusk were just s few of the sights. Climbing places everywhere. We took 72 images. One lifetime isn’t enough! Clear skies.

Big Bend National Park

2/25/2008 Big Bend National Park
On Sunday we left Seminole Canyon and headed for Terlingua and Big Bend National Park. The road, (90), was really good and the drive to Alpine was uneventful. The Border patrol is everywhere so we felt safe Finding fuel in Alpine was another matter. There were several places that sold diesel but only one into which we could fit and it was 30 cents a gallon higher! I can see the toolbox tank combo is definitely needed.
After fueling we drove south on Texas 118, climbed a steep ands curvy road, before finally reaching the plateau and becoming easy. From there it was another easy drive to Terlingua and Study Butte... We passed some land that was for sale on eBay and is still for sale……… We got to the rv park, checked in, and then changed spots as we couldn’t fit in the spot they gave us. After we unhitched I discovered their cable didn’t work, oh well. All in all it is kind of a dump, but it is only three miles from the park.
The next day we got a late start, 9:30, and drove through the park to make a list of the things to do. The park is a desert and reminds us a lot of the Red Desert in Wyoming. The first stop was at the visitor center where we bought a good map and talked with the ranger about hiking and four wheeling. After getting about a month’s ideas of things to do the next drive was to Rio Grande Village, (Among other things we were told, before we got to the park, that the south rim is awesome. Hiking to it is closed, with no reason given. We were also told that the National Guard is rebuilding a 52 mile road for the Border patrol.) Home land security has closed the border here. It is disappointing as there are two small villages that tourists used to visit but are now off limits.)
At the village we checked out the campgrounds, the store, watched an old video and drove to Boquillas Canton. A road runner greeted us and went into his display! The cottonwoods showered us with cotton and we saw a wild boar in the picnic area. A place to come back to! The temperature reached 97 so it was time to go back home and get into air conditioning. Clear skies.

Seminole Canyon Pictographs

2/24/2008 Seminole Canyon Petroglyphs
We had quite a day yesterday, first hiking 5 miles roundtrip to a junction of the lower Pecos and then 2 miles to the Seminole Canyon Petroglyphs. A neat day filled with lots of new birds, slot canyons, and prehistoric history.
The morning broke with high winds and clouds so we decided against the 10 am tour. By 11am it cleared off so we took the dog for a short hike, 4 miles roundtrip, along the upper trails that lead to the junction of the lower Pecos to the Rio Grande.
There are two branches on this hike, one to the Rio and one to a junction called the passé. We went to the passé as it was a shorter hike and we wanted to be a little rested for the afternoon tour. The hike was easy but it did get hot.
We spotted a grey vireo, a cactus wren, and a black throated sparrow, all new birds for us. We had brought water so
The hike was fine although a bit longer than we planned. The view of the slot canyon was impressive! Imagining a flash flood filling the canyon was scary. It actually happened in June of 2006! No wonder it was scoured so clean.
After returning to our house, we had lunch and as it was 2 pm, it was now time to meet for the petroglyphs tour.
The tour was much shorter, was well guided, and a delight! The hike left from the park headquarters involved a couple of hundred feet of steps and was about 2 miles roundtrip. The guide explained the plants along the way and talked of how the people used them for food, weaving, and to make paints. He also described the hallucinogens they used for their visions.
The cliff paintings were quite a bit different from the ones we had seen in the Red Desert. There were actually three different periods represented with the oldest being 4000 years in age and representing shamans and their visions. Pretty weird, but drugs will do that. I thought the fights with the centipedes and the portals to the, “other side” were the strangest. The site had also been extensively robbed by modern Texans, as the owner of the ranch let friend dig in the 12 feet of accumulated rubble.
Besides the paintings there were many grinding holes and two places used for butchering. All in all a great tour!
We returned and finished the evening with some birding around the camp, spotting scaled quail watering behind the restrooms. Clear skies.

Seminole Canyon State Park

2/23/08 Seminole Canyon State Park
After a normal and uneventful drive, 210 miles, we arrived at Seminole Canyon State Park. The countryside changed dramatically from live oak trees to desert brush. It really reminded us of Wyoming, only with bigger cactus!
I did see a Says Phoebe along the road. It was a new bird for me so that’s always neat. Oh, and we almost had a wreck in Del Rio as a person drove through a stop sign and almost broadsided us, but it was ok as we didn’t get hit. (We saw two people drive through stop signs in Del Rio).
As we got to the park we registered and went to our campsite, number 27. I had a heck of a time backing in as the park people put a post up, but I finally succeeded and all was well. We took the dog for a walk and met Sandra and Lyle from Vancouver, BC. We also saw a new bird, as scaled quail! Renita spotted it first and I chased it after it went into the brush, finally catching a good viewing.
We returned to camp and drove back to Del Rio to fuel as it’s a long way to Big Bend, 250 miles, and I have heard that the fuel prices are really high along the way. After returning we went back to Lyle and Sandra’s, where Lyle showed me his battery system. He uses 4 t105 gulf cart batteries, with a 1750 watt inverter and a 40 amp charger. A pretty neat system. I need to set up something similar for boondocking.
Looking forward to today as we are going to hike to the pictographs at Fate Bell, about 1.2 miles. Really windy so I hope that settles down. Clear skies.