Rio Charma River, NM

June 7, 2022:

Well what can I tell you,  that heaven is here on earth. From the moment I woke up this morning I decided I would spend the entire day and another night here. The roar of the rapid falls behind me was just like the white noise I’m used to having on my phone overnight. I took a quick walk this morning right up to the edge of the Santa Fe national forest which is closed, due to the fires, a few hours from here. I managed to find the notice showing the areas that are closed off. My challenge is to figure out those specific areas for future travel over the next few days. 


So even though it seems like a free day, I do chores. Today was the day I would use a Back-to-Black plastic conditioner for all my exterior ports. After 4 1/2 years, the time has come for some Sylver Gypsy maintenance. Nothing exceptional, other than the things you would do for any vehicle, or a home. The conditioner helps to restore the properties of plastic which are the doorhandles and all the exterior ports for the hoses and the gas line, 110 outlets, and propane gas. It makes them look good too. I also decided to do some landscape painting. 

After the tours at Ghost Ranch, I’ve been inspired to try to emulate the philosophy and technique of Georgia O’Keefe. That’s quite laughable, as I will never be close to that genius. Having said that, it would not have been the first time customers have mentioned that to me about my work, particularly back in the 80s and 90s when I did more pastel airbrush tones in my pieces. I guess I can see the comparison with the soft graduated pastels and organic shapes. My…that’s quite the mind blowing compliment.

I went swimming twice in the river, yes, frigid, yet refreshing. Peace. Solitude. Beauty all around. That is what Georgia appreciated too. Life is good right now. 


















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

Montana to Blackfoot, Idaho

Image
​ Well, other than spending the day driving I didn’t do much else. Unless you consider the excitement of filling up my gas tank for $80.00. It’s the first time in a long time when I looked down I saw my gauge in the red and the yellow warning light came on indicating low fuel. I never do these things, but I must’ve been in “the zone” while driving. Either way, I made it to the next gas station and I also have 2 gallons as a spare mounted to my ladder. I wound up staying in the same place that I stopped in May, as I was traveling up north. It’s Rose Pond Park near the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. I even recall exactly where I stayed and it was open and available. However, there was a radio concert going on right around the corner. I wasn’t into listening to the “boom boom.” I found another spot just as a truck came with three ATV, mini bikes and kids who spent the next two hours driving around, mostly in the parking lot. I was actually concerned that they would come by too closely or lose ...
Read more