Seattle to New Mexico (and on to Texas)

New Adventures (Work-wise)

2012-02-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

I got a new job! Very excited about it although I am a bit bummed it is not in the respiratory field. After months of searching fruitlessly for a respiratory job closer to home and even looking in the 'business' sector I was approached by T-System, Inc here in Dallas about a project manager position (I guess they pulled my resume off of a job board as I hadn't applied to them... yet). They liked the fact I had my PMP, business knowledge AND I had clinical experience. It all happened so quickly, my head is still spinning - within a week of talking with them, I had a job offer I couldn't really refuse (without getting divorced). :-)

T-System is a small company (probably the smallest I've ever worked at) with about 250 employees located in Dallas, TX. They develop software used in emergency departments across the country. What will I be doing? Managing internal projects for the most part. I'll learn more once I actually start - February 13 is my first day.

I am going to miss my co-workers at Mercy Hospital but I am hoping that once I get settled at T-System, I will PRN once or twice a month up there to help keep my RT skills in place. We'll see how it all goes. I will NOT miss the 80 mile drive up to Ardmore each week - did I mention T-System is 24 miles from our house? About 4 miles from where Bryan works now? Hopefully our schedules will coincide so that we can carpool some of the time.

And I've Got Nothing

2012-01-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hmmm..... nothing to report here. Yesterday was beautiful, today was windy. Working nights for the next 3 weeks which doesn't put me in a creative mood. I just want to sleep... All. The. Time.

Maybe someday I'll have something cool and exciting to write about again. Bear with me.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

We opened our "family" gifts on Christmas Eve - Hannah & Maggie LOVED their stuffed Beaver & Raccoon. I think it took 'em less than 24 hours to pull the Raccoon's head off and less than that to tear a hole in Beav's belly and remove an eye... But they had a fun time doing it and still love to fight over the pieces.

Hannah & Maggie and their stockings

Maggie and her toy

We spent Christmas Day with Bryan's family. It was a nice, low-key day watching the kids play.

Melanie

Anita & Julie

Newt & Jay

Anita & Melanie

Julie & Melanie

My New, Fun Christmas Project

2011-12-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

I bought one for a pattern at the Portales (New Mexico) Peanut Festival back in October. Finally had a chance to make a few - once I got it down, they were a snap to make. Untie the ribbon and the basket will lie flat for storage.

I call them cookie or candy baskets:

I tried to show it lying flat but the pic isn't very good.

Aug 19 - Deer in Camp

2011-11-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here's what we were treated to almost every morning & evening at our campsite at the NRA Whittington Center:

Look closely in the bushes

Mama Deer

Baby Deer

Aug 18 - The Vanhouten Mine

2011-11-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Taken from the website: www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/vanhouten.html because I can’t find any of my notes… Please check out this website – it has lots of information regarding the ghost towns of the US and Canada (you can sort by state) and allows you to submit new ones and details that may be missing. Very interesting site for sure.

Below the info on the mine are some of the photo’s (remember you can click on any photo to enlarge and see a slideshow version) we took around the towns that sprang up near the mine. I remember reading somewhere (aka Whittington Center I’m sure) that many of the workers were of various ethnicities and tended to live together in different ‘towns’ along the valley – Whittington Center is actively working on adding more signage indicating the townships and if they can, identify the various building ruins. The Visitor’s Center has old photographs of the mine during it’s heyday. While it’s true there isn’t a lot of complete buildings left – there is still a lot of foundations, crumbling walls, steps to nowhere and old mining equipment to give someone with a good imagination hours of entertainment and speculation.

Please note that the mine is entirely on the NRA Whittington Center property. Check in at the entry booth to get a visitor's pass to explore the area. Just pay attention to these signs:

NAME: Vanhouten
COUNTY: Colfax
ROADS: 2WD (Raymona says – for the most part but in spots you’ll need higher clearance)
GRID #(see map): 3
CLIMATE: Mild winter, warm summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Spring, winter, fall

COMMENTS: The property is privately owned.
REMAINS: Nothing remains.

“The coal mining camp of Willow lay dormant until 1902 when operations were revived by the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Company. The name was changed to Van Houten in honor of the then company president. In 1910, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad extended a branch line into Van Houten and the community began to grow. The town increased in size to about fifteen hundred residents in 1915 and supported two hotels, the Blossburg Mercantile Company among a number of other businesses. The town was largely populated by Germans, Austrians, and Italians all of whom enjoyed gala affairs and celebrations at the town amusement hall. The development of new oil and gas deposits competed strongly with the coal industry forcing the closure of the mine in 1954. The town sponsored an active Red Cross chapter and during World War I sold $111,000 worth of Liberty War Bond subscriptions. This was the largest per capita investment in the war effort of any town in the America. All of the Buildings of Van Houten have disappeared. Today, the property is privately owned by Kaiser Steel Corporation. Courtesy Henry Chenoweth.

UPDATE: Listed in the text is that it belongs to Kaiser Steel, it is now part of the NRA Whittington Center. There is at least one house still standing and the old Mule building is there, without the roof, but you can make out some of the mule names on the wall. Several other ruins are visible including the entrance to the mine. - Courtesy Doug.”

~ www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/vanhouten.html

View from above

If you look closely you can see the old washtub in the trees.

Mine entrance? Or dugout...

Company Store

Steps of the company store

Foundation of company store

Mule Barn

Close up of mule barn - we didn't go in it due

to "live fire" signs

Aug 17 - NM's Enchanted Circle

2011-10-28T16:17:00.002-06:00

Photo's from The Enchanted Circle in New Mexico:

The Pallisades at Cimarron Canyon

Bobcat Pass - 9820' Elevation

Red River, NM... I think (I can't remember)

Mine near Red River

Road to Taos, NM

Rio Grande Gorge, NM

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, NM

Great place for lunch in Taos, NM

Taos, NM

Eagle Nest Lake, NM

August 16 - Colorado's Enchanted Circle

2011-10-25T09:10:00.000-06:00

OK - here's another post from our August vacation. We spent some time in Trinidad, CO and then headed west on a mountain loop that was recommended to us. It was so beautiful, despite the cold rain that fell part of the time. The first stop was Lake Trinidad to let the dogs stretch their legs and get some swimming in. They LOVED it!

Trinidad Lake, just west of Trinidad, CO

Hannah & Maggie enjoying the water

Hmmm.... ominous clouds on our drive - glad we keep the

top on the Jeep.

Another lake we found on the drive. Terrific setting, Hannah

& Maggie LOVE to swim

Bear track on the trail by the lake - it was about as

big as my hand

Where we stopped to eat - I'll have to find the name

of the town.

Devil's Staircase

Close-up of the Devil's Staircase

Spanish Peaks, CO

Lathrop State Park, CO

Hannah & Maggie - Lathrop State Park, CO

Lathrop State Park, CO

My Quilt Project

2011-10-24T12:44:00.000-06:00

Here's what I made in my machine-piecing class at Happiness Is Quilting. I still have to put a border on it and then quilt it, but at least the top is pieced. The pattern is BW Basics by Karen Montgomery from The Quilt Company.

It is a great pattern to work on to practice or learn different piecing techniques.

Oct 15 - High Plains Quilt Festival

2011-10-19T09:19:00.000-06:00

OK, eventually I'll finish our blog posts of our August vacation to New Mexico... but not today. Today is all about quilts. I went to visit my parents and Grandma in Pep, NM this past weekend and had the pleasure of attending the 6th Annual High Plains Quilt Festival in Portales. What a WONDERFUL event if you love quilts. It was a surprisingly large event, about 200 quilts on display with several vendors selling fabrics, patterns and a few notions.

Below are photos of my favorites from the show. If you want to skip the details (name of the quilt, & the quilter) you can now click on a photo and just see a slide of all the quilts. A very handy new feature here at blogspot.

Enjoy!

Miniature Baltimore Album

Made & Quilted by: Ann Powell

Pattern by: Better Homes & Gardens

Tiny Pickles

Made/Quilted by: Ann Powell

Pattern by: Possabilities

Leafing Out

Made/Quilted by: Mary Steinhauer

Pattern by: Darlene Zimmerman

Sunshine Rose Garden

Made by: Dawn Berry Quilted By: Carol Thompson

Pattern by: Kathy Nakajima

Insomnia

Made/Quilted By: Bonnie Carruth

Pattern By: Aie Rossman

Friends For Dinner (close-up)

Made/Quilted By: Charlotte Burchett

Pattern By: Judy Weidemeyer

Friends For Dinner

Made/Quilted By: Charlotte Burchett

Pattern By: Judy Weidemeyer

The Cancer Quilt That Love Built (Close-up)

Made/Quilted & Pattern By: Cinde Ebeling

The Cancer Quilt That Love Built (Close-up)

Made/Quilted & Pattern By: Cinde Ebeling

This is a fund raising quilt designed for their local Jr ACS Chapter for

Relay for Life in 2005. The kids sold the signature hearts to people,

then Cinde compiled, stitched & finished the quilt.

Everett's Quilt

Made By: Janet Frost Quilted By Linda Custer

Ancient Symbols

Made/Quilted/Pattern By: Karen Holder Rolan

Embroidery designs are from "Indian Designs"

by David & Jean Villasonor.

Nine Patch & Crossroads 1858

Made/Quilted By: Sue Richards

Pattern from "Gone to Texas"

Country French Tea Party

Made By: Friends of Ann Powell

Quilted By: Ann Powell

On Jeweled Wings

Made/Quilted By: Naomi Hunt

Pattern By: Jacque's Butterfly by Shelli Chase Adams

Texas, Our Texas

Made By: Lisa Allen Quilted By: Deanna O'Daniel

Pattern By: 2 S.A. Broads-Peggy & Pat & Quilted Keepsakes

Seven Stars

Made & Pattern By: Lula Mae Gay

Quilted By: Barbara N McClellan

Lula Mae Gay pieced this quilt top between 1930-1935.

She died in 1945 before quilting it; she was Barbara's paternal

grandmother. The top was given to her by her father in 1992

& was quilted in 2002.

Lemoyne Star (Close-Up)

Made By: Katie Medlin Quilted By: Linda Custer

Lemoyne Star

Made By: Katie Medlin Quilted By: Linda Custer

Heritage Medallion

Made By: Ann Powell Quilted By: Charlee Willey

Pattern By: Ann Powell & Better Homes & Gardens

Many Trips Around The World

Made By: Unknown Quilted By: LCU Quilters

The original top was purchased at a garage sale for $25.

After repairs were completed & a border added to stabilize

the bias edges, LCU Quilters quilted it.

Path Around Grandmother's Flower Garden

(Back of quilt)

Made/Quilted By: Jean Fisher

Path Around Grandmother's Flower Garden

(Close-Up)

Made/Quilted By: Jean Fisher

Path Around Grandmother's Flower Garden

Made/Quilted By: Jean Fisher

Butterfly Kisses

Made/Quilted By: Mary Steinhauer

Pattern By: Quilt Book

O, My Stars (Close-Up)

Made By: Sarah Hankins Quilted By: Sarah Hankins

& Angie Johnson

O, My Stars

Made By: Sarah Hankins Quilted By: Sarah Hankins

& Angie Johnson

Spangles & Stars

Made By: Nell Hardin Quilted By: Elizabeth Lawrence

Pattern By: Sampler & Ohio Stars

Simple Simon

Made By: Jeanne Kircher Quilted By: Patty Mohon

My Sun Bonnet Girl & Friends

Made/Quilted/Pattern By: Jean Fisher

Vintages Stitches

Made/Quilted By: Laura Merrick

Pattern By: Thimbleberries

Baskets of Life (Close-Up)

Made/Quilted By: Helen Stephenson

Pattern By: Kelly Monroe

Baskets of Life

Made/Quilted By: Helen Stephenson

Pattern By: Kelly Monroe

A Quilting We Will Go

Made/Quilted By: Linda Fisher

Water Blossoms (Close-Up)

Made/Quilted By: Bonnie Carruth

Pattern By: Aie Rossman

Water Blossoms

Made/Quilted By: Bonnie Carruth

Pattern By: Aie Rossman

Hole in the Barn Door

Made/Quilted By: Sandra Roberson

Pattern By: Paula Stoddard

Antique Rose Sampler

Made By: Ann Powell Quilted By: Pat Connally

Pattern By: Quilters Newsletter Magazine

Bootiful

Made/Quilted By: Sue Richards

Pattern By: Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

Old Glory

Made/Quilted By: Linda Fisher

Christmas Wreath Wall Hanging

Made/Quilted By: Mary Steinhauer

The iieyeii's Have It

Made/Quilted By: Cinde Ebeling

Cake Walk Around Texas

By Angela Blahak

I can't read the tag on this one... :-(

Sue's Garden

By Angela Blahak

Sat., Oct 8 - Unwanted Early Morning Visitor...

2011-10-08T09:32:00.000-06:00

At 7:30 AM Bryan looked out that kitchen window and saw this unwelcome (albeit very cute) visitor. S/He was absolutely unafraid - we banged on the garage door, I went out to the yard fence (about 15' away) and yelled at it... no response at all. The dogs finally looked out the window and spotted it but we wouldn't let them out of the house (been there, done that and it stinks!). After about an hour of rooting around in the grass, the little monster waddled off into... where???? Unfortunately, our barn. :-(

I called the City of Corinth Animal Control and they called back to basically say we are SOL (#$Q@ of to luck) as they have had a run of skunks in the city and they are out of the euthanasia stuff they use to dispose of them so they can't come get it. Hmmmm.... illegal to fire a gun, even an air gun, in the city limits so... now what? Poison? We'd then have to dispose of a skunky dead body plus the dogs could get into it... We've got a call in to Orkin wildlife removal service... we'll see what they say (cost). But I told Bryan - it HAS to go. If we leave it, we'll end up with a litter, and then they'll all have litters and they are too disease ridden to be left alone.

Hannah & Maggie staring daggers through the skunk...

who couldn't care less.

Off to sleep the day away in the barn. Terrific!

Aug 16 - Trinidad, Colorado

2011-09-30T09:40:00.000-06:00

Today we drove up to Trinidad, CO not too far north of the NM border and across Raton Pass. It was a beautiful drive despite the devastating fires that ravaged the Raton area. As we drove north on I-25 you could see that the fires came up to & presumably jumped the highway as the burnt areas were on both sides of the road. We had planned on camping at Sugarite Canyon State Park on this trip but discovered it was closed indefinitely due to the wildfire's destruction. Below are a couple pics of the fire and aftermath - my photos of the fire zone are too blurry.

Courtesy of KOAT TV website

Courtesy of FOX13 TV

Photograph by Marty Mayfield/The Chronicle-News

We stopped in the town of Raton for some info and then stopped for some photos at the top of Raton Pass. Raton Pass is located on I-25 between Raton, NM and Trinidad, CO at an elevation of 7834 ft. The pass is part of the historic Santa Fe Trail (1822 - 1880) and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

We descended into Trinidad, CO (Elevation 6025') mid-morning and the first stop was at the visitor's center where we loaded down with information and a walking tour brochure. The town is beautiful, lots of Victorian architecture that has been preserved has kept the town's charm. The walking tour leads you down the restored historic district and gives brief descriptions of buildings that were standing almost 150 years ago when the town was established. The town was first established in 1862 and incorporated in 1876, the same year that Colorado became a state. It is sited along the Purgatoire River (Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio - the River of Souls Lost in Purgatory). The main industries 'back in the day' were servicing the Santa Fe Trail, ranching and coal mining.

Below are a few photos of the buildings and if I could find my tourist info, there would be descriptions too but as it stands right now... you get photos. :-)

View from the Visitor's Center - Trinidad, CO

Cobbled streets of Trinidad, CO

This used to be a fire station it is now

a children's museum.

Detail on the Bank building

One of the old gas lights from days

gone past - has now been converted to

electricity.

Trying to Finish Our New Mexico Trip Blogs

2011-09-30T08:41:00.000-06:00

Why is it so hard to find time to write a few sentences and load up some photos? Geez... I mean I am usually off for 4-days so I should be able to get everything done, right? Whatever...

I think the 12 hour days are getting to me. The day after I work I just want to sit, sleep & do nothing... which I seem to be doing since I'm not getting anything done. Then its catching up on housework since I stay up in Ardmore while working. It's really all excuses for being lazy but it sounds better than saying I'm lazy. Right?

Anyway - I'm going to spend today trying to finish the NM blog posts and looking for jobs. Tomorrow I'm off to visit two of my sisters and then to a great-niece's housewarming party in Burleson.

Stay tuned...

Aug 15 - NRA Whittington Center, Raton, NM

2011-09-03T09:16:00.000-06:00

Cimarron Canyon campground in the morning

So, Monday morning we drove east toward Raton to check out the NRA Whittington Center's campground. On the way, we passed a couple herds of Buffalo and a whole-lot of nothing else. :-) But the setting at WC was actually very nice - butted up against the mountains, there were pretty good views of rolling hills, mountains and extinct volcanoes.

The NRA Whittington Center is located about 11 miles west of Raton on Hwy 64. While it bears the NRA name, it is solely supported by it's own fees and donations. First established in 1973, it has come a long ways in amenities, now boasting a small, gun museum and library, gift shop, and 14 different shooting ranges varying from pistol to high-powered long-range rifle, skeet and black powder. There are several cabins that can be rented out as well as 2 campgrounds with 125 full hook-up sites. What we liked the most was the peace & quiet - which seems a bit of an oxymoron considering all of the gun ranges. I'm sure there are times that it would be crowded and loud but the week we were there it was peaceful. In the early evenings a few police officers came in to shoot but we pretty much at the whole place to ourselves. HEAVENLY considering we had people tromping through our last campsite... but I get a head of myself.

Visitor Center at the NRA WC

Wayfinder at NRAWC

One of the shooting ranges

Another shooting range

There was quite a bit of wildlife throughout the WC - antelope, deer and rabbits. I brought a hummingbird feeder so we had a few hummers too. The Center staff warned us about bears and a mountain lion in the area - there had been a very large fire near Raton and it has driven the bears and lions down into the area, the staff were more worried about out dogs than us - but alas we didn't spot any of the predators.

Antelope crossing the road

Deer in camp

Hannah & Maggie spotted the deer in outside the camper

Deer on the hill

One of my hummers

It was so dark, the night skies were amazing - so many stars and cool enough that you could actually stay out and enjoy them. We had great moon rises.

Sunset

Moonrise

Aug 14 - To Cimarron Canyon State Park, New Mexico

2011-08-27T20:52:00.000-06:00

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

2011-08-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

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

2011-08-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

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

2011-08-11T12:55:00.000-06:00

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

2011-08-02T13:12:00.000-06:00

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

July 14 - Wildlife Isn't Always A Good Thing

2011-07-14T07:01:00.001-06:00

So, I was supposed to work today, meaning I needed to be up by 3:30 AM to make into Ardmore, OK by 5:30 AM - so when the dogs barked at 1 AM Bryan 'graciously' got up to let them out. He didn't turn on the outside light like I usually do - not that it would have made a difference... but I wanted to point that out. So, within a couple minutes, they were back at the door wanting in - unusual for them, it usually takes us 15 min to get 'em back in.

Bryan opened the door, they flew in ran to my side of the bed and Bryan immediately started yelling - "OUT, OUT!!" I woke up to the smell of burning rubber... Hannah & Maggie were certainly NOT going back out. So I jump up and drag them out - deciding they had definitely been sprayed by a skunk. YEA!!!!

Bryan, bless him, was like. I'll take care of it - go back to sleep. Uh, right... the house reeks of skunk (actually more of a burning rubber smell instead of the 'dead-on-the-road' skunk smell), my dogs are crying outside... sleep, I'll do that.

Around 1:40 we decided to try - by 3:15 we both gave up and just got up. I made Bryan go back to bed as he didn't have to be up until 5:30 - but I decided that between the no sleep, the nauseating smell in the house, that I wouldn't go in so called the hospital and let them know. I researched skunk odor removal and at 4:30 AM I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up supplies - 6 32-oz bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 2 large boxes of baking soda, 2 new dog collars, toothpaste & listerine, and two large bottles of vinegar.

At 5:30 the bathing began. What a nightmarish mess. The "recipe" that is recommended all over the net is 32 oz of H2O2, 1/2 cup baking soda and a tablespoon of dish soap (I chose Dawn since it breaks down grease so well and skunk odor is caused by an oily substance. Maggie was the first victim and she actually didn't smell TOOOO bad, then poor, poor Hannah. They each got 2 baths of this solution, then Maggie (mainly to make sure the H2O2 solution is gone) got a bath with doggy deodorizing shampoo.

A few person on the 'net said they slathered their dogs with toothpaste and left it on for a bit then rinsed off. So Hannah got that treatment, I used minty-fresh Crest with Scope. Then shampooed her again with the deodorizing dog shampoo. I'm pretty sure they will get at least one more bath today before they are allowed back in... :-( None of us are thrilled about THAT!

What about the nauseating smell in the house? Well, I've gone through a half bottle of Frebreeze, almost that much in a Purina brand pet deodorizing spray, and now candles. So now I have a fresh smelling skunk smell... (think PePe LePew with cartoon flowers following him around). Actually someone on the 'net suggested baking cinnamon at 250 degrees for an hour. That seems to be helping and I'm about to start another batch.

While in Wal-Mart, I could still smell the skunk smell and decided it was on my hands. The cashier was polite enough to say she didn't smell anything so it could be just stuck in my nose but... UGH! I'm sure Bryan is skunky, he said his phone was reeking (he used it immediately to start researching antidotes).

The girls don't seem to have been bitten so I think they just surprised our visitor and was sprayed - which is plenty bad enough.

June 30 - New Car

2011-07-03T08:09:00.000-06:00

Well after having to endure endless hours of Bryan researching vehicles and test driving about a 100 we finally settled on one. We had narrowed it down to the Kia Forte 5-door the the Kia Sorento - however, the 4-cyl in the Sorento just wasn't enough power and the V-6 was more than we wanted to pay for a commuter car so we got the Forte.

We decided on the 5-door (hatchback basically) so that we'd have room for the dogs. The back seats fold down completely flat leaving lots of room for Hannah & Maggie and a suitcase or two. I wasn't keen on it because I am used to the Jeep and being up high, the Forte is lots lower to the ground, but after driving it a bit, it really is OK. Very peppy for a 4-cyl (2.4), we got some options we didn't necessarily want or would pay for for free - sunroof, sirius radio, tinted windows (almost a must in Texas), theft package... for a really great price. :-) Which also helped with the decision. I guess it does pay to go in 2 hours before closing on the last day of the month on the last day of a quarter.

Anyway, at least now we can park the big truck (F450) now so we don't put as many miles on it and most importantly save in diesel costs. I'll drive the Kia when I head to Oklahoma for work & Bryan will use it when I'm not gone. My Jeep isn't the most gas efficient either - especially if there is any type of wind!

Overall, we are pleased with the car and really pleased with Southwest Kia in Mesquite. They were quite helpful, very low pressure as opposed to the Kia dealership in Lewisville who acted as if they could careless if they had our business or not... until we bought the car - they have called us about 5 times since June 30.

July 2 - McKinney Texas

2011-07-02T15:20:00.002-06:00

So, to road test the new Kia, we drove to Denton for lunch on the square and then to McKinney to Happiness is Quilting quilt shop. What a wonderful shop this is. I bought to quilt kits, one is a wall hanging and the other is a block-of-the-month pattern. Ooooo the damage I could do to a checking acct in that store but I was really, really good and just bought the two kits. Yea me (mainly because I don't seem to have the time to work on anything despite having 3-4 days off a week).

Anyway, QIH is located on the square in McKinney. It is a nice square, surrounded by various shops and restaurants. The courthouse isn't as impressive as the Denton County one however.

Here's a few photos from the McKinney.

Collin County Courthouse, McKinney, Texas

Beautiful planters on the square

May 29 - Lake O' The Pines, Texas

2011-06-07T07:24:00.001-06:00

So back to our Memorial Day weekend. On Sunday we drove out to Lake O' The Pines for a few hours. I wish Bryan and I had worn our swimsuits as the water was great... at least knee deep. The dogs had a great time for sure.

LOTP is a US Army Corps of Engineer's lake with several parks along its edges - there may be residences on the shores but none that we saw. It's actually a very beautiful lake and gave me the "I-want-a-boat bug". We drove through one of the campsites - Brushy Creek, I think it was - it was OK but not great. Well, maybe its great, just depends on what you like I guess. Being Memorial Day weekend and on a lake it was CROWDED. The spaces are adequate but not overly large like at Caddo Lake and while the area was treed, it wasn't overly 'brushy' so there was NO privacy between the sites. :-( Bryan summed it up by saying it "looked like a party place". Exactly - at least that weekend. Lots and lots of young families, lots of boats - just seemed like eventually when everyone came off the lake it would get loud. Not what we consider fun when we are camping but to each their own... and if I had a boat... :-)

Here's a few pics from the day.

Brushy Creek Campground

Road to the tent camping area at Brushy Creek

The dam at Lake O' The Pines, TX

Throw the stick already!!

I'm swimming, swimming, swimming.

The only time we pay attention...

Hannah either sits or lies down in the water.

Maggie going after the stick

Beach at the Brushy Creek campground

June 4 - Brandy's Wedding

2011-06-05T07:42:00.000-06:00

My niece, Brandy, was married on Saturday. It was a lovely, beautiful small wedding with mostly family in attendance. Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mark & Brandy!!

Brandy & Donald

Mark & Brandy

The Wedding Party (sans Donald)

Catherine & Justice, Victoria, Brandy, Mark, Mark

Stormie & Rainee

It's official - no getting out of it now!

5-generations

Catherine(Great-niece) & Justice (Great-great niece), Victoria (Great-niece),

Brandy (niece), Iwona (sister) and Margie (Mom)

Caddo Lake State Park - The Good Stuff

2011-06-02T07:52:00.000-06:00

It was hot and humid but it was a really neat place to visit. We would like to go back during a different season so we could maybe enjoy it a little more. The cypress trees drop their foliage and out boat tour captain said that the colors were spectacular... so maybe in the fall... No cell phone service (ATT) in the park until you got to the front gate. Someone said Verizon was the only cell service out there, just so you know. Texas State Parks are working on getting wi-fi in all of their state parks but Caddo doesn't have it yet.

Site 42

About the State Park - we had campsite #42 with water & electricity. All of the sites were really quite spacious and fairly private - lots of shrubs and brush in between. There was one loop for tents that were spaced closer together but the RV/tent sites (our loop had tent pads as well) were all nicely spaced. I only found two showers in one of the restrooms - the other restroom I found didn't have showers. So if you wanted to use the showers you had quite a wait or you got up early-early. They were OK-clean. I mean, camping showers, what can you expect, especially with only two and a full campground??

Site 42

Hannah & Maggie

The park has nice hiking/walking trails. None are handicapped accessible, although there were 3-4 HC campsites.

We KNOW there's a squirrel out there somewhere.

Bridge on one of the trails

One of the trails at Caddo Lake

Hannah & Maggie hot on the trail.

If we stopped, they flopped.

You can also rent canoes and/or kayaks at the park at the Old Port Caddo Rentals & Tours (http://www.oldportcaddo.com/). Cindy, the owner and captain, was a hoot. Very friendly and she is a dog-lover, allowing Hannah & Maggie to tag along on the tour with us. The 1 hr 15 min cruise was $17.50 pp. We didn't see any gators on out tour, much to Bryan's disappointment. I know there are other tours you could take from various people that are 'gator' tours but that will be for a time when we don't have the dogs with us. Not sure how many other tour operators would allow us to bring the dogs with us.

Captain Cindy of Old Port Caddo Rentals & Tours

Channel to get to Big Cypress Bayou from the State Park

Bryan, Hannah & Maggie on the tour

Big Cypress Bayou

I guess there is actually a "lake proper" to Caddo Lake. By that I mean, after you meander down Big Cypress Bayou, through the swamp (backwater) you get to 'open' water. We didn't make it that far and I think, really, the best part of Caddo is the backwater with the cypress trees, the moss... it was really very enchanting and I bet it would be SPOOOOOKKKKYYYY at night. Very. Spooky.

Caddo Lake is a sprawling maze of bayous and sloughs covering, 26,810 acres of cypress swamp. The average depth of the lake is 8'-10' with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 20.' An angler's delight, the lake contains 71 species of fish. It is especially good for crappie and large-mouth and white bass. I can't remember exactly now but Cindy said there are something like 42 miles of marked channels in Caddo Lake. I know I would NOT want to be lost here and it looks like you could easily get lost but the channels we saw were very well marked - I would never leave them, that's for sure.

According to the Texas Bigfoot Research Center there have been several Bigfoot sitings. We didn't see one of those either. It was too damn hot for them to be out and about. But it was creepy enough for you to believe they could live there. We did see lots of birds - blue herons and giant white egrets and the elusive, rare black crow (she says tongue-in-cheek) and squirrels, lots of them in the park.

H & M after the boat tour

Did I mention it was HOT?!?!?

Caddo Lake = Swamp Ass

2011-06-01T07:27:00.001-06:00

I have written a hundred blog posts about our time at Caddo Lake State Park... Most were funny, some were just rants against the heat & humidity... It was too hot to write them so now I'll try to sum it up, nicely, now. The posts following this will be about the area and have photos... this one is about the uglier side of Caddo.

One word: HUMID!

OK - I know what you are thinking. "DUH! Of course it was hot & humid - you went to a swamp." But I'm telling you - it was STUPID hot & humid. I mean, really - every campsite (but ours) had a fan or two (yes, fans!) to stir the air. Several brought their kids' kiddie pool for them to sit in. We've really never experienced anything like it - who takes fans to use OUTDOORS? Smart people, that's who!

You would gaze up into the tops of the trees and see them whipping around but 40' lower on the ground - NOTHING. Miserable! We would sit there, in our lounge-y chairs, and sweat like pigs - we looked like we had taken a dip in the lake (which was the color of tea & looked gator-y but that's another story). I think I was worse than Bryan... Pathetic. He kept saying "maybe if we lost weight it wouldn't be so bad" and I'm thinking - uh, it would still be bad!! Pretty sure. Honestly it would have been bearable if there had been a breeze - next time we know to bring a fan... or go in January.

You can barely see it, but here's a photo of our neighbor's camp fan. Unguarded. They were old (the people, not the fan). If it hadn't been so hot, we could have taken 'em down and stole the fan... but it was too hot to do anything but take a photo. :-) The woman sat in the chair reading while the fan blew hot breezes. Her husband did shoulder exercises.

On a better note - the bugs weren't quite as bad as we thought. Bryan found three ticks on him, I found one on me and several on the dogs. Three roaches in the camper, & numerous unidentified flying stuff at night (word to the wise - don't wear a head-band light to walk the dogs once the sun goes down, it ain't pretty). I kept myself sprayed with OFF so I don't have as many mosquito bites as Bryan who looks like he has the pox... But it could have been worse! Really. I really did expect more bugs, especially the mosquitoes - you never really saw them although, looking at Bryan, they must have been around! HAHA

OK - now we sound a bit like elitist campers that whole up in our RV - which isn't true. Yes, we have slide-in truck camper (with no AC I might add) but we spend the majority of our time out of doors - hiking, driving off road, etc. It was TOO HOT to do anything but drive around which we did on Sunday - more on that trip later. So, while the area was beautiful, we were sorely disappointed in not having the gumption or stamina to do do more than sit and complain about the heat. The poor dogs - miserable, although we found a few places for them to swim in Caddo Lake to cool off. If the lake looked like something other than tepid tea we might have been tempted too but after spending so long in the Pacific NW with its crystal clear water - we've gotten a little elitist in our water activities. We'll get over it - but we would like to see the 'gators as they come up to us.

Check back for more photos and descriptions of the area. Despite the heat it was beautiful and haunting.

Squirrel Hunting

2011-05-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

There is a squirrel that takes nothing but great pleasure in teasing Hannah & Maggie. S/he bounds from tree to tree and then gets on the other side of fence, just out of reach and twitters and twitches.

They will spend hours staring up into the trees watching for him.

My Quickie Patio

2011-05-26T07:10:00.000-06:00

I wish I had taken before and after photos as there is such a difference between the before and the after... but I didn't. Our rental house has a weird little entry way for the front door. There's a bit of a covered walkway leading to the door, then about a 6" gap between that roofline and the other eave, making a U-shaped area. Between the walkway and the outside kitchen wall was a 'flower-bed' that was all sand and due to the close proximity of the roof lines - not much sun (despite 2 skylights cut into the porch.

Anywhooo, when it rained it turned into a muddy mess so I decided to make a patio. I think it turned out OK for a quick, no frills patio. I just smoothed out the sand and laid down the pavers. Not too bad and its holding up well. I also planted some giant elephant ears and caladiums (for color) to make it more inviting.

The wind here blows so hard from the south and west that this is a great place to sit (or was during the late-winter, early spring) and drink a cup of coffee in the morning. However, it can get stifling during the heat of the day since it is really protected from the wind.

Front door - Sign reads:

"Friends Welcome, Family By Appointment Only!"

Giant Elephant Ears

Caladiums, lilies (in pot) and not so giant elephant ears

Before the caladiums grew

View to the patio from the living room window

Denton, Texas

2011-05-25T09:36:00.000-06:00

I didn't realize that Denton had a real downtown. It is very nice, great square, beautiful courthouse. We visited there a few weeks ago and walked around. There is a terrific used bookstore on the corner in the old Opera House - great place to visit!

Here are a few photos from our visit.

Denton County Courthouse

Recycled Bookstore in old Opera House

Denton, TX

Poison Ivy Sucks

2011-05-17T13:03:00.001-06:00

OK, I have lived in Texas (this second time around) just about 4 months and have had poison ivy twice - first on my right forearm - I finally get it cleared up and now I have it on the right side of my abdomen. REALLY??????

I lived 21 years (the first time around) in Texas - playing in the woods (that would be forest to you non-Texans) behind my house, camping, running through brush, etc and never-ever got it. Between this, the storms and the humidity, Texas is not endearing itself to me. I am beginning to think Texas is better as a state of mind (once a Texan always a Texan) than a place to live!!! :-(

Watch out for this evil, evil plant.

My parents swear by something called Poison Ivy Extract. I guess Dad was pretty allergic to PI and if he even walked by it, he'd break out. With this extract, he would take a drop in water on day one and build up to like 10 drops by day 10 or something like that and he's never had a case of it since. Course this was many years ago and if it worked well, I'm sure its off the market now. But I'll be looking for it! If you've seen it somewhere - let me know!!

SIGH

On a positive note, the weather the past few days has been PERFECT! If only it would stay this way through the summer. But alas, I know it won't, in fact, we are supposed to have storms again at the end of the week... oh wait, positive... I forgot. We have gotten quite a bit of much needed rain. And luckily the wicked storms have all gone around us - we've just gotten rain and wind.

Mine looks a bit worse than this but I'm

not about to take a photo of my

lily-white belly and put it on the internet!!!

Old Photos - Orca Whales September 2005

2011-04-30T10:44:00.000-06:00

Looking through some old photos this morning and thought I'd share a few. These were taken just off of Anacortes, WA in September 2005. There are three resident pods of Orca whales that live in Puget Sound and we had the absolute honor of getting to see them several times while we lived up there.

These are some of the most magnificent creatures I've ever seen - their size, playfulness and curiosity of us is astounding.

Leaving Anacortes, WA with Mt Baker in the

background

Deception Pass Bridge

Orca

Orca "Ruffles" - so named due to his wavey fin

Orcas heading toward our boat

Orcas at play

Humpback Whale Tail

Humpback Whale back

Sunset from Deception Pass Bridge

May 23 - Easter (A Day Early)

2011-04-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

Because of our crazy schedules this coming week we decided to have Easter dinner a day early - and use Easter Day as a day of rest and relaxation.

Bryan's family came over for dinner and an Easter Egg hunt... or three. It was fun and we had a great visit. The kids loved hunting the eggs and then re-hiding them for Uncle Bryan to find.

My Easter Bunny Cake

Running of the Eggs

Melanie looking for eggs

Julie egg hunting

Melanie & Julie sharing a basket.

Mel's was much more interested in egg hunting than Julie, so

Julie just helped her sister on the second egg hunt.

April 21 - 3rd Day Gaff

2011-04-23T09:30:00.000-06:00

So, as many of you know I am now working PRN (as needed) at Mercy Memorial in Ardmore, OK as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (Yippee!!!). I just finished day 3 of my orientation (3 more next week).

Everything is going well, I LOVE it there. The RT department is great, very friendly, helpful and welcoming as are most of the nurses, aides, etc that I have met. I'm even learning the color codes of the different departments/groups: Nurses are USUALLY in red scrubs, RT's are teal blue scrubs, CNA (nurse's aides) are black, etc. (This is important later in this story).

But today... oh today... I finished a patient's treatment and as I was leaving I asked them if there was anything else I could do for them today? They asked if I would find their Nurse's Aide and send her in. "Sure" I say. And off I go to find the aide. Lucky me! She seems to be sitting at the nurse's station. There the aide was, all dressed in black scrubs. So I say "the patient is asking for you". The woman looks at me a bit askance and says "for me?". I tentatively reply... "are you the aide?". To which she replies in a semi-disgusted tone: "No, I'm their DOCTOR" (heavy emphasis on DOCTOR). I apologize, mutter something about being new, tell her that she isn't who the patient is asking for and make a hasty retreat.

So I tell my RT mentor of the day about the encounter. She's like, so who was the doctor? And I'm shrugging saying OBVIOUSLY I don't know or I wouldn't have called her an AIDE!! So I describe the doc, to which Susan (my mentor) gets a horrified look on her face and says OH NO!!!!!! That's Doctor... and she already hates RT's! Yea me!!

The RT department varied between looks or horror and relentless laughter. Most saying they would have loved to have seen the look on her face.

Really, she wasn't that bad about it but I feel kinda bad. However in my defense she as in black scrubs which = NURSE'S AIDES!!!

Other than that little snafu. I think things are going well. I have several days lined up to actually work (on my own without the mentor) in May so I'm on my way. They say I'm doing great. It feels so good to be working in my chosen field - even if it is 80 miles away.

Finally Finished - Justice's Baby Quilt

2011-04-13T10:26:00.000-06:00

Whew - finished just in time. I worked on a small baby quilt for my Great-Niece's baby due April 19. Her shower was April 9 and I really wanted to get it done before-hand. I think it turned out OK, never perfect, but OK. Smaller than I'd thought when I was planning it... But DONE before the baby arrived.

Justice Elizabeth Jones' Quilt

My beautiful Great-Niece, Catherine.

Me, Catherine & the quilt

Mar 26 - World's Richest Acre - Kilgore, Texas

2011-03-31T07:16:00.000-06:00

After visiting the Oil Boom museum we headed to 'downtown' Kilgore to see the 'world's richest acre'. This is a 1.192 acre of land in downtown Kilgore that was first drilled in 1937. Developed before the spacing laws, this parcel of land held 24 oil wells on 10 lots owned by six different operators. The acre has produced over 2.5 million barrels of oil.

1000 oil derricks covered downtown Kilgore for many years making it the most concentrated area of derricks in the world. Most of the derricks have now been removed but in a push to 'honor' their history several derricks have been reconstructed in downtown Kilgore creating the small park "World's Richest Acre". There is a huge lighting ceremony at Christmas that highlights these derricks.

There are over 17,000 oil wells still active in the East Texas oil field. Geologists say that there is oil for at least another 45 years. One, thing I thought was interesting we learned at the museum was that under all the oil is a huge salt water reservoir and while they pumped out the oil, they also pumped out millions of gallons of this salt water. At the time (1930's) they just emptied the water into the streams and forests, etc around the wells. Then (luckily for the environment I suppose!!) they discovered that the salt water reservoir provided pressure in order to more easily extract the oil, as they removed it, the pressure dropped and so did the oil level. To fix this issue, a new company was created to dispose of this salt water - The East Texas Salt Water Disposal Company. They figured out how to pump the water back to where it came from thus restoring the pressure at the wells and the need to dump it on the surface killing thousands of acres of plants and animals.

Heading to the World's Richest Acre

The derricks in the background are replica's of the

ones that stood there since the 1930's.

The derricks at the World's Richest Acre Park

It was like a metal forest!!

Click to enlarge & read about the

World's Richest Acre

Kilgore, TX Train Depot

Downtown Kilgore

On our way back from Kilgore we drove through several East Texas towns including Henderson & Jacksonville. Just outside of Jacksonville, TX along Hwy 69 heading back to Tyler we stumbled onto this roadside rest area. It was quite beautiful and afforded some great views of the East Texas country side. We had no idea that we'd actually climbed/drove on top of a hill so the views were quite unexpected!! Hannah & Maggie loved getting out and stretching their legs and we enjoyed the green.

There was a wedding (now I've seen it all - a wedding at a rest area) taking place near the rest area view point so we didn't intrude but it was a lovely stop. Below are a few photos from the rest area.

The Happy Couple having their photos made

Mar 26 - East Texas Oil Museum - Kilgore, TX

2011-03-30T08:01:00.001-06:00

Saturday had us visiting Kilgore, Texas - home of the East Texas Oil Boom and the Kilgore Rangerettes. We stopped off at a great little museum on the Kilgore College called the East Texas Oil Museum. It highlights the discovery of oil in East Texas in 1930-31 and the subsequent 'boom' that transformed Kilgore from a 'town' of less that 500 people, mostly farmers, to a city of 8000 in just a couple of days. I should add that there is also a museum dedicated to the Rangerettes but we didn't go to that one.

The information below is taken from the Oil Museum's brochure:

A 70-year old wildcatter named Columbus Marion Joiner, had drilled two dry wells when in 1929 he spudded (drilled in an unproven area) a third hole on a Rusk County farm owned by Daisy Bradford. In Oct 1930 the production test resulted in a gusher. Another well test by the Bateman Oil Company on the Lou Della Crim farm resulted in a gusher on December 28, 1930, producing 22,000 barrels of oil a day. The two wells were only 9-miles apart and while at the beginning no one realized there was any connection between them - later it was discovered that East Texas sits on top of an incredible deposit of oil in the Woodbine formation.

The initial 'boom' was completed on Jan 26, 1931 the JK Lathrop well in Gregg County came in at 3,587' producing 18,000 barrels a day. Drilling rapidly increased from 7 wells every two weeks to 7 wells a day to 100+ wells a day! The initial barrels of oil sold for $1.10/brl but quickly dropped to 15 cents due to marketing flooding. The East Texas Oil Boom was instrumental in creating legislative actions: a market demand law, confiscation law, truck tender law, the refinery control & felony bill and the Connolly Hot Oil Act of 1935.

The East Texas Oil Field had produced 6 billion barrels of oil, some of which gave the Allies the petroleum reserve stability needed to win WWII. There are 17,000 wells still active in the area.

Now, a little bit about museum - it has several pieces of oil equipment from 'back in the day'. The highlight of the museum (to me) was the recreated downtown East Texas town street. There were the re-created store fronts of the shops you'd see during that period and in the middle was the muddy street, clogged with cars and wagons.

In the movie theater, they show a short (10-15 min) film about the boom, showing actual footage from the boom. The weather at this time was horrendous with unprecedented rain - and if you know East Texas you know what a bog it can be. I can't imagine working in all that mud & muck. Unlike today, pretty much anyone that had the gumption and access to the know-how could drill a well - there weren't the fancy, organized companies that you see today. Can you imagine, grabbing a bunch of friends or your family and drilling an oil well?

During this time there were, of course, the shady characters. Lost of thieving going on - the film showed how people could tap into someone else's pipe line. They even had left-handed handles (there was a different name but I can't think of it now) that looked like they were turned off when actually they were turned on and bleeding someone's line.

Read more about the Museum here.

Note the Halliburton coveralls (red)

The "muddy" street

The General Store

A creamer, I think

Heavy-duty cheese slicer

Another shot of the muddy street

Movie Theater

Tools used in the oil fields

Inside a bit

Bryan's foot next to a LARGE bit

Publish Post

I LOVED the face on this mule... It was like he

was saying "Really, you are going to take a

picture instead of getting me out of this muddy mess!?"

Mar 25 - Azalea Trails and Dogwood Days

2011-03-29T08:06:00.001-06:00

March 25 - April 10 is the Azalea Trails and Dogwood Days in Tyler, Texas. Other small East Texas towns are also hosting azalea trails. East Texas, aka the Piney Woods, is prime azalea country they are absolutely beautiful and several large old homes dating from the early 1900's provide fantastic backdrops to the blooms. Most of the blooms are along the city streets of Tyler and thus can be viewed from the comfort of your car. Some home owners have graciously opened their gardens to the public during this time and allow you to roam around and photograph the blooms up close.

The yards are meticulously kept... I'm very jealous and it makes me want to come home and tear out my weedy lawn and have it sodded, then sit out with a bottle of Round-Up and a hoe and dare a weed to grow!

The dogwoods are also in bloom at this time. I love these trees, so beautiful. There are several religious legends that surround the dogwood tree and you can read one of them here. The trees here in East Texas are smaller than the two we had in Maple Valley, WA - those were large like oaks. I'll have to look through my flower notes but I think I decided the ones we had were Japanese Dogwoods but don't hold me to that. Dogwoods are used as focal points in the gardens but they also just grow wild. As you drive down the country roads and highways, you can catch a glimpse of their blooms lighting up a dark corner of the woods (Texan for forest).

But the most amazing plant/flower we saw this weekend was the wisteria. It's a southern staple, of course. We had one growing up, that eventually strangled the tree it was in... but that's another story. They are beautiful, their fragrance can't be matched and in East Texas they can take over a forest!!! Seriously, I have never-ever seen wisteria like this. I wish I could have gotten better photos but the lighting was never good enough, but trust me - it was an amazing site to look into the woods an see an acre of purple blooms hanging from the trees. And the scent... it was heady! I'm sure the people there may not hold the wisteria as fondly as I do, since it seems to be a bit of an invasive weed there and I know you are not to have it growing close to structure you want to keep as it can be destructive... and you know the fate of our poor tree. But I don't care, they quickly became my favorite flower of there weekend!

Below are some photos from our azalea trail tour. Hope you enjoy and to check more professional photos check out the official Tyler Azalea Trail website.

Dobbs Street gardens

Azalea blooms

Lady Banks Rose

One of the historical homes along the trail

Some kind of lily - I think I had these in WA

Dogwood along the sidewalk

(and a drop of something on my camera lens, ergh!)

Japanese Maple, Dogwood and Azaleas

Wisteria in a tree - thesse photos DO NOT

do this flower justice!

No idea what this is but I want one!

**Update: this is a Leatherleaf Mahonia**

Dogwood

Dobbs Street Gardens

Dobbs Street gardens

Tyler historical marker on the square

Tyler courthouse & Tyler square

Campus lawn at Tyler Junior College

- not a weed to be seen.

Mar 25 - Tyler State Park, Texas

2011-03-28T08:29:00.000-06:00

Thursday we loaded up the camper and headed east to Tyler, TX for the weekend. Much like WA and the tulips, this time of year is azaleas and dogwoods in East Texas. I haven't been in years and thought this would be a great 'shake-down' camping trip to get us back in the groove. (Although, seriously, I think that camping will most likely end in May and will resume again sometime in September - too damn hot!)

I knew it would be warm so I wanted to take the hard-top off the Jeep but needed something to keep the dogs in while we stopped to look at the sights. So, I bought a 'cage' from Safari Straps - EXCELLENT product - I have a couple of things I'd improve on (better/quicker buckles for easier access) but otherwise they worked out great. I did buy the divider, that goes between the back of the Jeep & the front seat (which if you have a 75# dog that wants to ride on the itty-bitty console the whole time, this is the thing to have!). Below is a couple of photos reflecting just exactly how Hannah (said dog that wants to sit on said console), I think her expression tells it all.

Hannah wanting to get on console.

Waiting on our return

We stayed at the Tyler State Park (which I mistakenly thought it was ON Lake Tyler but isn't, although it is situated on a small lake). It is a beautiful park, very wooded and green. Throughout the forest of pine and deciduous trees are beautiful dogwoods. They just light up the forest. Hard to get a good photo due to lighting but take my word for it - very spectacular!

The lake, while small, was very pretty too. The setting I guess is what made it so nice. Surrounded by hills and forests right down to the bank. We found a couple of secluded spots where the dogs could swim and they loved it. You can rent paddle boats, jon boats, & something called a bicycle boat at the park store. When we arrived Thursday night (its about a 2-2.5 hr drive from Dallas) the park was empty as it was most of Friday but by Friday evening - it filled up. However, as full as it was, it was still a very, very quiet park. Surprisingly quiet - No one really stirs until after 8:30 - no screaming kids at 6 AM, wonderful!

When we got in on Thursday, you could see all the stars, and lightening bugs (I haven't seen lightening bugs in YEARS!!). But by Friday, everyone had their party lights out. It looked like a block party, I mean REALLY? You got out into 'nature' and bring 4000 watt party lights and string them between all the trees? Isn't that what the stars are for? It's a bit annoying to have your 'space' lit up with purple, blue, red, green, white, yellow... lights! Oivee, no more stars. I know the 'tent people' will roll their eyes because we 'camp' in an RV but at least we don't bring outside patio lights. Why not just stay in your backyard if you are going to light it up like one? Ok... so, enough of the rant. Other than the lights, the people were very courteous of the other campers.

There are miles of hiking/biking trails throughout the park and one that circles the lake.

Big Pine Loop, #47

Big Pine Loop - all RV sites with water/elec/sewer

The lake at Tyler State Park (not to be confused

with Lake Tyler)

Looking back toward the park store and swim beach

Feb 28 - Mar 4 Pep, New Mexico

2011-03-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

While Bryan was in California oil fields for training I decided to head to Mom & Dad's in Pep. It's 401 miles from the house in TX to their place - about 7.5 hours with gas stops and doggy potty breaks (and puke clean-up). A bit longer than coming in from Albuquerque but not too bad.

Beginning of a grass fire south of Hwy 114 and east of Gutherie, TX

Open road - Hwy 114

Open dirt road. On the way to John S's place to clean

out a stock tank.

Maggie

Broken fence that needs repairing

Riding the fence line looking for more downed fence.

Hannah & Maggie getting used to being ranch dogs

& riding in the back of a truck

Next on the agenda? Cleaning out cactus

that had frozen during the cold spell.

Mmmm, we LOVE cactus

Baby calf

Parents & Jake out for an afternoon walk.

Texas Strange #1 - Aurora, TX

2011-03-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting website while browsing about the Tyler, TX Azalea Festival - There is a section called "Texas Strange" (imagine that). Aurora is a very small (well it was 20 years ago, I don't know what its like now as I haven't visited since my return) town not too far from where I grew up and where I'm living now. Below is the story of Aurora's claim to fame. If you watch UFO Hunters you may have seen the show that showcased the story.

Borrowed from: http://gorvtexas.com/aurora.htm

Welcome to Aurora...located just off US 287 west of Rhome heading toward Bridgeport (near Fort Worth), a community that in the late 1800s boasted of being the burial site of a crashed space alien pilot who apparently slammed into a local windmill.

So convincing (or well known) was the story that the Texas Highway Department erected a historical marker near the cemetery where the "creature" is said to be buried.

Sound like an April's Fool joke? It's not! In fact, it may be one of contemporary history's first crashed flying saucer stories, predating Roswell by nearly 50 years.

We'd better start this story at the beginning.

The Handbook of Texas Online has this to say about the town: Aurora is on State Highway 114 ten miles southeast of Decatur in southeastern Wise County. The site is on a gentle rise and is surrounded by mesquite and live oak trees.

Settlement began there in the late 1850s. Impressed by the beauty of the place, William O. Stanfield suggested Aurora for the name of the community. For the first twenty years the population grew rapidly, and the town became a trading center for county farmers. A post office was opened in 1873, and the town was incorporated on August 21, 1882. By the mid-1880s Aurora had two schools, two cotton gins, two hotels, fifteen businesses, and a population variously estimated at between 750 and 3,000.

An outbreak of spotted fever began during the latter part of 1888, and by 1889 fear of the epidemic had caused a mass exodus from the town. Two years later, when the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad abandoned its plan to lay tracks through Aurora, most of the few remaining inhabitants moved to Rhome, two miles to the southeast, the new site of a railroad stop. Ironically, as its decline continued, the town became the focus of the state's attention.

On April 18, 1897, S. E. Hayden, an Aurora cotton buyer, wrote a story describing the crash of a mysterious airship just outside of town. Hayden's fictional article was apparently an attempt to bring attention to the community, but it caused a sensation because stories were already current of unidentified flying objects near Fort Worth. Hayden's tale, however, failed to revive Aurora. In 1901 postal service was discontinued.

The construction of State Highway 114 through Aurora in 1939 probably saved the community from extinction. In the early 1970s Aurora underwent a rebirth as the town became a bedroom community of Fort Worth. In 1986 it had an estimated 376 residents. In 1990 the population was up to 623.

The historical marker near the Aurora Cemetery reads as follows:

Aurora Cemetery

The oldest known graves, here, dating from as early as the 1860s, are those of the Randall and Rowlett families. Finis Dudley Beauchamp (1825-1893), a Confederate veteran from Mississippi, donated the 3-acre site to the newly- formed Aurora Lodge No. 479, A.F. & A.M., in 1877. For many years, this community burial ground was known as Masonic Cemetery. Beauchamp, his wife Caroline (1829-1915), and others in their family. An epidemic which struck the village in 1891 added hundreds of graves to the plot. Called "Spotted Fever" by the settlers, the disease is now thought to be a form of meningitis. Located in Aurora Cemetery is the gravestone of the infant Nellie Burris (1891-1893) with its often-quoted epitaph: "As I was so soon done, I don't know why I was begun." This site is also well-known because of the legend that a spaceship crashed nearby in 1897 and the pilot, killed in the crash, was buried here. Struck by epidemic and crop failure and bypassed by the railroad, the original town of Aurora almost disappeared, but the cemetery remains in use with over 800 graves. Veterans of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts are interred here.

Newspapers from April 1897 reported that the alien craft hit a windmill and was torn to pieces, along with its occupant. A 1986 movie, "Aurora Encounter," tells the tale. The official historical marker was installed by the state, although nobody knows exactly where the grave is located.

For the 100th anniversary of the crash of an unknown airship in Aurora, the TV show "Sightings" had a special called '100 years of UFO Cover ups,' that featured the alleged recovery of an alien body in Aurora.

The well known Internet site, Rense.com, adds this about the Aurora story:

Here is the story as written in 1897 in the April 19 edition of the Dallas Morning News:

About 6 o'clock this morning the early risers of Aurora were astonished at the sudden appearance of the airship which has been sailing around the country. It was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than before. Evidently some of the machinery was out of order, for it was making a speed of only ten or twelve miles an hour, and gradually settling toward the earth. It sailed over the public square and when it reached the north part of town it collided with the tower of Judge Proctor's windmill and went into pieces with a terrific explosion, scattering debris over several acres of ground, wrecking the windmill and water tank and destroying the judge's flower garden. The pilot of the ship is supposed to have been the only one aboard and, while his remains were badly disfigured, enough of the original has been picked up to show that he was not an inhabitant of this world.

Mr. T.J. Weems, the U.S. Army Signal Service officer at this place and an authority on astronomy gives it as his opinion that the pilot was a native of the planet Mars. Papers found on his person -- evidently the records of his travels -- are written in some unknown hieroglyphics and cannot be deciphered. This ship was too badly wrecked to form any conclusion as to its construction or motive power. It was built of an unknown metal, resembling somewhat a mixture of aluminum and silver, and it must have weighed several tons. The town is today full of people who are viewing the wreckage and gathering specimens of strange metal from the debris. The pilot's funeral will take place tomorrow.

The article was written by E. E. Haydon who was a part-time reporter for the Morning News. As startling as the news was, no other newspaper ran the story. News of the incident remained dormant for almost a century (May 24, 1973) when newspapers around the country published the following United Press International account:

"Aurora, Tex. -- (UPI) -- A grave in a small north Texas cemetery contains the body of an 1897 astronaut who "was not an inhabitant of this world," according to the International UFO Bureau. The group, which investigates unidentified flying objects, has already initiated legal proceedings to exhume the body and will go to court if necessary to open the grave, director Hayden Hewes said Wednesday.

"After checking the grave with metal detectors and gathering facts for three months, we are certain as we can be at this point [that] he was the pilot of a UFO which reportedly exploded atop a well on Judge J.S. Proctor's place, April 19, 1897," Hewes said. He was not an inhabitant of this world."

A few days later, another UPI account datelined Aurora quoted a ninety-one-year-old who had been a girl of fifteen in Aurora at the time of the reported incident. She said she "had all but forgotten the incident until it appeared in the newspapers recently." She said her parents had gone to the sight of the crash, but had refused to take her along. She recalled that the remains of the pilot, "a small man," had been buried in the Aurora cemetery.

Not to be outdone, the Associated Press, in a story datelined Denton, Texas, reported that "a North Texas State University professor had found some metal fragments near the Oates gas station (former Proctor farm). One fragment was said to be 'most intriguing' because it consisted of primarily of iron which did not seem to exhibit magnetic properties." The professor also said he was puzzled because the fragment was "shiny and malleable instead of dull and brittle like iron."

What really happened in Aurora in 1897 may never be known. Was it a hoax or an actual account of alien visitation? Could the secrets to the universe be buried deep in Aurora soil?

Visiting Aurora may not give you that answer, but it will give you a chance to get out and discover the "stranger side of Texas."

A Grinding Stone By Any Other Name...

2011-03-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Whether it is a grinding stone, antique grinding stone, pedal powered grinding wheel... It's still cool... at least to me. According to the website http://www.ehow.com/about_5117137_history-grinding-wheel.html the 'modern' wheel was created in 1873 in Mass by Sven Pulson using a fired mixture of clay, emery particles and water. Anywhooo... Bryan and I found a wheel in 1996 at our first house in Maple Valley, WA - just the wheel without the stand. I placed it here and there in flower beds and made Bryan move it first from Maple Valley to Monroe, WA and on to New Mexico. There, while out to lunch with friends, I saw one (larger than mine) on a stand. I had my friend Melissa take a photo of it & email it to me. I sent the photo to my amazing Dad (who can build anything) and asked him to make me a stand.

On one of his trips to visit, he took the stone home with him and a few months later - voila! I have a pedal-powered grinder. It's TERRIFIC and works like a charm (if I were a bit more coordinated). I was able to get it home this past week. Dad took bits & pieces from various farm implements around the ranch and even created square headed screws to make it more 'authentic'. He's very good at what he does.

Here's some photos of the finished product and Dad demonstrating how to use it. I've used it to ruin one of Dad's screw drivers (who knew they didn't need to be sharpened?), sharpened one of his chisel's and once I was home I sharpened one of my hand-held mattock - worked great!!

Dad demonstrating the wheel

Random Photos

2011-02-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

My newest great-great nephew, Ayden

Born: 1/31/2011

Ayden with his Grandpa, my nephew.

Living Room

Sewing room coming together, slowly

Guest Room - come for a visit!

Kitchen

Hannah & Maggie after something in the culvert

You can't see it but there's a squirrel outside the office window

It teases them mercilessly

Still hunting

Feb 7 - Visitor

2011-02-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

As I was looking out our office window, this guy (gal?) came swooping in and landed on our back yard fence post.

Photos aren't great but not too bad since they were taken out a window. :-)

Feb 4 - Snow Day!

2011-02-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

I didn't venture out and take any 'ice' photos. It was just too cold the past few days, but I did get out this morning and get some snow pics. Bryan made it into work this morning, we'll see how it he does coming home this afternoon.

Hope all of the Packer & Steeler visitors are feeling quite at home. :-)

Backyard

Front yard

Driveway (Bryan's & the neighbor's tracks)

Rabbit tracks :-)

Front yard

Back pasture

Hannah & Maggie

Playing in the snow

The truck

Still snowing - looking at Corinth Parkway

Front yard

Jan 27 - Too Much Studying...

2011-01-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

...makes Raymona a crabby person. So after I took one of the practice tests, I harnessed up the pups and headed into the great outdoors. For us to be so close to 'the big city' we really lucked out on this location.

Our new house is located in Corinth, TX located along I-35 E between Denton & Lewisville. It is quite close to the freeway so we do get road noise but not as bad as I thought it would be and the house is located on 4 acres so while we are close to a main arterial, we have lots of land around us - and a pond!!! The land also butts up against a 119 acre sports park - soccer & baseball fields. The outer edges of this park is heavily treed and there are lots of bike, horse and hiking trails winding through them. There's even a fishing pond. All in all, its a nice place. We'll see what its like during the height of soccer/baseball season but for now, its a nice place to walk.

Today, Hannah, Maggie & I ventured out onto the trails. It was a great walk, mostly by ourselves. Bikes scare them, especially the ones that 'sneak' up on us from behind. Hannah went berserk! Broke loose from me, charged the guy with her hackles up (although she never got within 10 feet of him as she was too scared). She looked scary and I think she might have made the guy pee his pants. The whole while I'm yelling at her to sit which she eventually does, & assuring the cyclist that she really is OK but... GEEZ... these dogs are SO NOT ferocious, I was shocked at how she acted. Anyway, as I apologize to the guy, H & M have decided he isn't a threat and are all wagging tails and lolling tongues. I could have killed them. Poor guy. H & M do fine if they see the bikes coming or in the distance but the "sneaky" ones... watch out!

After we returned home I took them out to our pond for a dip... the weather was fantastic. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing another practice test and studying.

Hannah & Maggie in the Pond

Our pond

Our New House

Jan 23 - On My Way East To Corinth, Texas

2011-01-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Left Mom & Dad's around 7:40 am MST on Sunday for the final leg of the journey to Texas. I have to tell you (& you'll see by the photos), there isn't alot between Pep and Corinth. I think, I counted 150 vehicles on the road between Lubbock & Jacksboro (excluding cars in the few towns I went through). Blessedly, the trip was very uneventful and the weather was nice for driving. I arrived home around 3:30 pm CST - not too bad.

As you leave Pep and head east on 114, just before you cross the TX/NM state line you see this historical marker about Buffalo Soldier Hill. Look north (second photo) and you can just make out the 'hill'.

BSH - Historical Marker

Buffalo Soldier Hill, New Mexico

I had hoped to stop at all the historical markers along my route but there are lots of them and I would not have made it home at a decent time. (And sorry for the black "bug" on all my photos, I have a nick on my camera lens).

More photos from my trip "east":

Welcome to Texas

The "Narrows" Rest Area - Used to hop the fence here to go

pee amongst the arroyos. Now they have a nice restroom.

Lonely ol' Road

A hill, a hill!!! Oh what a wonderful hill!!

More of the same lonely road, just a different spot

I'm coming home, I'm coming home...

Jan 22, 2011 - Good-Bye Albuquerque

2011-01-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today I left ABQ for the last time as a resident. It was bittersweet. The past two years here have been disappointing to say the least, as far as the job situation goes anyway. However, not being able to find a job turned out to be a blessing for me as it has allowed me the opportunity to learn a new profession, one I think I am really going to enjoy. I have made some incredible friends in the two years I went to school, I will miss them greatly.

I left my friend’s house where I’ve been staying the past 4 months around 8 AM. I think it was very fitting that there were three hot air balloons to see me off. I cried until Moriarty.

I spent Saturday night with my parents in Pep, NM – next stop Corinth, Texas.

Below are some photos of some of our favorite scenes/places we’ve visited in New Mexico.

Balloon Fiesta

City of Rocks

Toe in the Rio Grande

Coronado Monument, Bernalillo, NM

Red Rock State Park, Gallup, NM

Kasha-Katewa National Monument

between ABQ & Santa Fe, NM

Pecos Wilderness

Pueblo Bonita - Chaco Canyon

Gathering of Nations 2009

Balloon Fiesta, 2009

Bandalier Nationa Monument

State Bird - the Roadrunner

Carrizozo - Valley of Fire Lave Beds

Aspens on the Road to Iron Creek, Pecos Wilderness

Jan 21 - Graduated!!!

2011-01-23T19:07:00.001-07:00

Finally!! Today I completed another phase in my crazy life - I completed the Associate's program in Respiratory Therapy at Pima Medical Institute!!! We started out with about 30 students in April 2009 and graduated with sixteen.

Our class had to complete our exit exam and some paperwork and if we passed - we were done. Well, done with the school part - we all still have to take (& pass) our board exams in the coming weeks to actually begin working as registered RT's. But for now, we are done!

Congratulations to "Group 9"!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!

Pima-Albuquerque's Group 9 - Julian, Ms Townsend (Program Director), Krystal, Crystal, Trevor, Christie, Sandy, Melissa, Suzanne, Richard, Raymona, Emma, Chris, Eric, Valerie, John (and Georgine, not pictured)