Aug 14 - To Cimarron Canyon State Park, New Mexico

Sunday morning we headed out from Pep to Cimarron Canyon State Park, near Eagle Nest, New Mexcico.  We took SR 209 north from Clovis to SR 409 through San Jon to Logan.  We came off the Caprock Escarpment, the transition point between the level, elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain, near San Jon.

Coming off the Caprock

 The city park at Roy, New Mexico

After crossing the Canadian River we connected with Hwy 39 north to 412 and then to I-25 at Springer.  After gassing up it was short hop on I-25 to Hwy 58.  There is a whole lot of nothing on that drive, let me tell you.  There is the Kiowa Nataional Grasslands, but they don't look a lot different from the surrounding ranch lands... and near Springer the Santa Fe Trail crosses the Canadian River... but we didn't know that at the time.

Bryan, Hannah & Maggie at Eagle Nest Lake

Eagle Nest Lake

Some kind of beautiful grass with daisies at

Eagle Nest Lake

After arriving at the Cimarron Canyon State Park alongside the Cimarron River.  The Park was pretty small, squeezed between Hwy 64 and the Cimarron River.  Our site was #41 and butted up against two small lakes - which we learned were prime trout fishing spots.  We parked the camper, and then drove up to Eagle Nest for dinner and to see the lake.  Upon our return, there was another car parked in our camping spot, next to OUR camper.  And then the fun began...  The back of our camper was about 4 feet from some bushes lining the the lake - which turned out to be a trail for everyone to use to access the lake. We placed a chair there and they would just step over it and keep going - giving us dirty looks every time the dogs barked at them.  Like, really?  YOU walk through OUR campsite and get mad at us.  Bryan was furious and getting madder, I was getting mad at him for being so mad... so at 8:30, we just went inside & went to bed instead of enjoying the 60 degree weather outside.  The next day we decided to check out the NRA Whittington Center, about 45 miles away near Raton (that's another post).

Bryan & the girls at the Cimarron River

Palisades Sill at Cimarron Canyon State Park

Camp site 41 at Cimarron Canyon

State Park

The lake behind our campsite

Aug 13 - The Pep Hillbillies

Well it wasn't discovered by shooting at some game but the biggest change at the ranch was the oil derrick sitting just off the corner of the corrals.  Weird and exciting.  I wish my Grandpa were here to see it, he always wanted an oil well (or three) on his land.  My Dad loves it as he has befriended all the rough-necks and supervisors out there and they let him see up close what they are doing and how.  


I call us the Pep Hillbillies.  :-)

The cousins playing - Hannah, Maggie & Jake

Dad and the well

The well (hopefully it will be a well) is named after my Grandma since its on her land - the Lillie Belle 1.  She says she thinks it would sound better if it were the Lillie Belle 5 or 6.  haha    

Grandma & the Lillie Belle #1

Dad & the Lillie Belle #1

The oil company put in a nice new road to the oil well just south of my Mom & Dad's place and built up a nice berm for him to use for his target practice.  He said he's hit it every time he's aimed at it!! LOL

Dad's shooting range.

 Everything else is just the same.  While they haven't been as hot I think this year they have gotten more rain than we have in the DFW area, at least this summer, we probably have more for year-to-date total.  So its all brown and crunchy just like here.  


Dad is adding on to their building out there - making a bit more livable.  It will have a bedroom, bath and kitchen just off of the main building.  It's coming along but I wish I lived closer so we could help out.  Mom & Dad's getting too old to keep up all this work but I can't seem to stop 'em.

The new addition

My parents' good friend Mary & Mom

Pin cushion cacti Dad dug up from the pastures

These go to my sister, Shirley

Derrick & the sunset

Storm clouds to the east

Moon over the shop

Derrick at night... almost.  We were all set up with 

a tripod when it started pouring rain. This is the

only shot I got before we sprinted to the house.

Aug 12 - To Pep New Mexico and Beyond

So, Friday evening we headed to Pep to visit with Mom, Dad & Grandma before we went into the cool mountains for vacation.  The weather was fine until we hit the state line and then the wind and rain hit.  We drove out of it for a bit, but by the time we got to Mom & Dad's to set up it was pouring.  It never lasts long and within 30 min or so it had blown on through.

We left around 4:30 PM and got in just before midnight.

Sun streaks on the road to New Mexico

Hannah trying not to fall asleep

New wind towers going up near Olney, TX

At the Narrows rest area - see the rainbow?

View of the Narrows

Another view of the rainbow

Maggie sitting quietly in the back unlike her wiggle-wort 

sister who has to sit up front.

Playing With My New Camera

Well after much whining on my part and research on Bryan's part...  I (we) got a new digital camera.  It's new, but an older model that has been getting rave reviews online - Canon EOS Rebel XS (or 1000D, depending on what site you read).  It's our first DSLR and I have a lot to learn but love it so far (I've had it for 2 days).  It's pretty slick and hopefully won't be too hard to learn (I want to get off the pre-programmed settings).  But I think I need a zoom... :-(  Maybe Bryan will forget this is supposed to be for my birthday and I can ask for it in September.  haha

Here's a few random shots from today as the sky darkened and the winds blew.  Nothing fancy, artistic or particularly good but...

Looking north at potential rain.

As the storm comes over head

Moss rose

Free US Map of Where You've Been

Bryan found this site where you can mark the states that you have visited and then save it to post to wherever you choose to post it...  Probably not a big deal to most of you, but for us RVer's....  for some reason we like to mark where we've been.  Maybe we see the empty map as a challenge.

http://www.visitedstatesmap.com/index.html

Anywhhhooooo - Here's where we've camped in the truck & camper.  Looks a little lopsided and there's a hole in the West but hopefully we'll get it filled in eventually.

Camping in the United States

P.S.  They also have a Canadian map as well.

Camping in Canada