What I Did on Your Summer Vacation.

My friend, Betty, asked if I was going to write the blog anymore. She also registered a complaint about the poor quality of the nothing she had been seeing here recently. 

Rainbow over Albuquerque.

I'm pleased to spend a lot of time with animals, but enough about my friends (RIM SHOT). 

Rosie and Little Ann.

And enjoying other people's art.

And sprucing up my cabin, with my girlfriend's help. 

I met my lovely daughter-in-law this week! She's married to my lovely son!

Nina and Phil. 

We took them into the Gila Mountains...

Guess where?

Emory Pass

... and Truth or Consequences...

A Little Slice of Heaven, Truth or Consequences, NM. It used to be Brazen Fox, which used to be Happy Belly Deli.

We did the Monticello/Winston/Chloride trail...

After being told I can't get there, I have become obsessed with Monument Park.

...and the Datil trip, of course.

I brought them so they could picture where I do nothing.

One last scenic stop...

Sunset over Rio Grande, Elephant Butte, NM.

My mysterious side.

We enjoyed Nina and Phil and their youthful energy. I once had youth, but not energy.

They're still traveling home this morning, after so many delays that it could be amusing if they weren't so tired. They are currently disillusioned with United Airlines, unless UA does something amazing to make up for this trip. Your move, United!

I'd rather have the Truth: Truth and consequences in New Mexico

Most T or C dumpsters are more permissive. These two are just having a bad day.

Hillsboro, New Mexico

Same German tourist?  I'm not alarmed.

For no particular reason, on Friday night I broke my foot. Three times. Through the fog of pain I thought things like "this is worse than labor," which shows you how delirious I was. My duck-luck was holding, though, and I wasn't alone; my friend took care of everything, and "everything" was A LOT. I'm not going to go into detail, but pain does weird things to a body.

So, now I'm on crutches waiting for my orthopedic appointment tomorrow morning in Las Cruces. My previous plan was Florida, so we'll see what kind of magic cast they can put on my flipper so I can drive cross-country.

Geronimo Scenic Byway and blogging friends

I've had three minor worries lately - let me tell you them.  

1. that I would drop my wallet in a pit toilet
2. that a critter would come out of the toilet paper in those metal dispensers
3. that someone would take my stuff

Then:

1. my wallet fell out of my pocket onto the floor of the bathroom
2. a little spider came out of the toilet paper holder
3. someone took everything I left in my campsite (not a lot)

Now I'm not worried about any of those things. Ta da! Now I'm worried about how sexy I'm getting, and how people will give me money or start using my Amazon link for researching their purchases.

Salem, NM

Arrey, NM. 

You can see why I'm worried.

Outside Hillsboro, NM

Hillsboro Library

Hillsboro has modern ruins.

Bridge over Percha Creek gorge

Graffito on bridge over Percha Creek gorge

It's so green in these riparian areas that my desert camera refused to believe. It kept color-correcting to brown.

 Lake Valley is a ghost town in which no one lives (as opposed to other, inhabited "ghost towns" like Monticello or Chloride).

Lake Valley

The BLM maintains those buildings it owns in town.

Sheets of pure silver were discovered in a cave here in the early 1880s. The boom began, and ended when the US Treasury devalued silver because of the glut. Later, manganese was mined here. That ended after WWII, and the town dissolved in the 1950s.

How many ways do we hafta tell you?

I saved my exciting blogger meeting for last so you'd have to slog through archaeology blahblahblah. It's Katie! And her blogging friend, Barbara! Together (Katie snoozes while Barbara writes) they author Me and My Dog...and My RV!

Barbara spotted me first, but my fierce Do NOT Disturb vibes scared her away. Really, I was thinking "Peanut butter, or Fig Newtons?"








Barbara explained to me that if someone wants to buy something through my Amazon link, they have to start researching through that link in the first place, instead of going in through "Amazon.com." Otherwise, they leave cookies around (mmm, cookies) that cause Amazon to say "you got here on your own - I'm not giving that Duck a dime!"

Works the same for everyone, so if you want to help out a particular blogger, make their link your "favorite" or "bookmark" or "shortcut." Obliterate your urge to type "amazon.com" into the address bar.