Happy Thanksgiving One and All!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. I don't know where to begin! We have our health and we have our family and friends and they have their health! I'm sincerely grateful that I have a wonderful man and a great German Shorthair to share my life.

We had a great walk yesterday out on our golf course. I am so happy that our weather is wonderful and this fall season in spectacular here in Nebraska.
I'm thankful to have been able to travel many miles this year and to be able to have put my toes in two more major bodies of water.
Thankful for the ability to be wandering from state to state and experiencing all of the local traditions and customs.
Thankful to be going back to the Desert for the winter and the opportunity to make plans for another travel season next summer.

We have made all kinds of new friends along the way, revisited and renewed some cherished friendships from the past. We have been able to participate in favorite old activities and learn a few new ones along the way.I'm especially thankful for the sense of humor when someone is taking pictures of me that I don't want them to!

We have gained some family members and sadly enough have lost a couple too. This time tomorrow we will be cleaning up the bones and diving into the pie! The quality of time we will spend through the day will sustain us until the next gathering.

I just want you all to know that I feel blessed,and thankful...for all of you! Happy Thanksgiving and don't you dare eat too much!hahahaha

First Snow of the Season

We woke up this morning to this scene. The weather words were: Cold and Blustery. I found the description to be a little different than that!
Crisp and Serene is more fitting. The ground is covered and it has stopped, but it came down so nicely with no wind that it was truly beautiful as the sun was coming up. I am glad that it waited to do this today instead of yesterday, because it was my day to go to the Nebraska TV station about 45 minutes away and do a cooking segment on the Good Life Show.

I have done this a few times. When I was still working it was good advertisement for my business. Now they have me on for a bit of variety. They have a couple of working chefs that appear, but many folks around here like to have some down home recipes and basic cooking techniques and tips. While mostly I have done taped segments that can be edited before they are aired, yesterday was live tv, and I am not quite as comfortable.

I didn't rehearse and my time was switched to the beginning, but we got through it, and they had calls for my recipes at the end of the show, so I guess it turned out o.k. One of the hosts is a friend of mine, and she thought it was a good time, I'm not so sure! I felt like my brains were scrambled like the eggs! It's amazing how easy they make it look, not so! We have a few friends at that station, and it's always good to see them.

It is truly an inside day for me! I'm going to test out the recipe that I will do for them on the 7th of December. She asked me back for one more visit. I will try to find the link to the segment on their website and share it with you if I can! The snow flakes are falling so quietly. Straight down. Kinda looks like a scene from Currier & Ives. I am getting all of my traveling photos transferred to CDs and soon will have them off of this computer, so I have room for more! Time is ticking away. I have been elected to make the Stuffing for Thanksgiving Dinner. Just a little stuffing....for 45 people!~So next week there's gonna be some bread slingin! around here! It's a good thing I have a program that will convert my amounts - Cause right now I don't wanna know! Hope everyone is stayin nice a cozy warm! My DH is off getting one of my "honey Do's" accomplished. He does much better when I call it his "project" so we'll see how it will end up! I'm sure I will be pleased!

Waiting for a Snow Storm

This afternoon I am taking a break. A break from the kitchen and a break from entertaining. It's been a long ten days! It's a different kind of quiet. Since last Thursday, I have been getting up at 5 am, cooking breakfast, and I have been cooking supper too...By the time I clean up the mess it's 10 pm. This morning, my wonderful hunting Shorthair decided to be sick at 4 am...and so there wasn't anymore sleep after that!

She's tired and sore and needs a break too. I just wish she didn't go out in the field and eat green wheat stalks during the day that upset her stomach! The weather man has been forcasting and threatening us with a major snow and blow for two or three days, and so far it still isn't here.The leaves are still not off of the bushes I planted or all of the trees.

I am so ready, patiently waiting and will be so relieved if it gives up and doesn't arrive at all! Our last group of hunters from Colorado and Arizona left this morning after breakfast. They are headed to DIA to put the one guy on a flight back to Phoenix. I think what storm there is, is out that way and hope they don't have too much of a difficult trip. I got a neat little device the other day that is allowing me to use my little camera again. It's an SD Card reader that downloads pictures on an SD Card with a USB connection. It has been just the ticket for me to get the pictures off my Easy Share. So that was a welcome fix. I happened to see this deer out my back door the other day. I love the fall mornings. They are my favorite. You never know what you'll see on the golf course!
Today I was watching our local information show called "The Good Life" and was asked over the air to come and do an appearance. I have done that in the past, when I was in the Catering Business and a Personal Chef, so now I will need to get busy and create something good to share with everybody. That's after a break. An empty table for a while.
I have a couple of new ideas that I have been working on, and have a special pan ordered for one thing..after I test it out, I may do that. Or I will create something with left overs and either Pheasant or Elk. What ever it turns out to be, it's kinda fun as I have several friends at the TV Station and it's good to see them! Thursday if the weather is good, I will be taking a trip down into Kansas to visit a new Cooking store and a new restaurant for lunch. Friday DH takes my wonderful dog and goes to Colorado hunting with our son and his brother for the weekend. My time for a weekend with a girlfriend, going to another one Whiskey Richard's shows in Kearney NE. Time is going pretty fast. Turkey Day is just around the corner.

Whiskey Richard and the Halloween |Party

Ventured up to Broken Bow Nebraska on Friday to attend a Halloween Dance that featured my son's band...Whiskey Richard.

He is the drummer, and since he has been with that band, I haven't heard them, nor met two of the newest members. They play 70s, 80s, and 90s hits and sound really good!
I thought it would be appropriate and typical to just show up...however, beings it was a costume party, I thought I could use the opportunity to go in costume, and suprise them! I was on a secret mission, and it was fun.It's probably been 15 years since I have donned a costume and went out, I haven't lost the touch. Halloween used to be my favorite holiday! Well, it worked! The look on his face was priceless when he figured out it was me. I got hugs from all of them, finally met the other two guys,we all had a really good time and I stayed up way too late!

Lots of people were dressed up and they judged the costumes at the end of the night. I met some new friends....one of the girls took some good pictures of us and I will share them when I get them.

I posted an album on Facebook this morning too. I stayed in a motel because I have pretty much given up driving on the highway after dark.

The rest of the weekend was spent with family and hunting season opener. Domestic Engineering isn't always an easy job.

I spent the day yesterday shopping to replace some items that have broken or quit working..it's amazing how when one issue presents itself, there will usually be two more! I have a new pan, a new bedroom tv and a new living room chair! That all quit Saturday in 6 hr. period of time. Was a rough weekend on possessions. I'm just thankful it wasn't the refrigerator, washer or dryer!

When I walked out on the deck this morning, I caught this deer munching grass on the golf course just past my back fence Was lucky enough to catch a picture of her. The rest of the day I will spend playing catch up and rest up.

Where did it go?

I really don't know where the month has gone, but here it is, the last weekend in October! A lot of the last couple of weeks has been spent - 1. On the road home 2. On the road after we got home....so basically in a vehicle. There is a saying, "Busier than a one armed paper hanger" Well I have a friend in Canada that I converse with through e mail everyday and I swear.... we've been passing that little paper hanger back and forth. I made a grave error for the blog however, in that I left the USB cord for my little camera in the coach in Arizona. I have tried several others I have and they don't work! So for a couple months I won't have pictures to share unless I use my other camera or my phone camera for something. There's always an abundance of things to do when we get here to the sticks and bricks in the fall. We have been busy with those. I was even called a "Slave Driver" one day! I got a new range hood installed, fall bushes planted in the front yard and one valve in the shower replaced. Several more things on my "Wish list" that I have a feeling will be next year's projects. KayCee and DH have been riding around the country every day securing places to hunt pheasants and getting some exercise. My oldest son came from Colorado Springs last night and his first Tank Commander in Iraq came from Lincoln, NE where he is now a recruiter. They met here and will spend the weekend hunting birds with DH and having a nice visit. I don't think they've spent much time together since Iraq. This is the first year in 35 that when Pheasant Season opens at daybreak tomorrow, I won't be here. I have a date at a Costume Party tonight in Broken Bow Nebraska....shhhhh! It's a suprise. Oh boy, will it be a suprise. Stay tuned....I'll let ya all know how it turns out! This next month is going to be super busy. I think I need to ship the little paper hanger guy back to Canada to bug Jan for a while but she suggested that I send him to Colorado to scoop snow and that would keep him busy for a while! What ever works...I just need a breather. We are still waiting for the firt storm of the season. We've had two or three hard freezes so it's only a matter of time now.

Fall in the Desert

We arrived here at our 2nd home on October 1st. It has been beautiful weather, 80s in the daytime and 50s at night, until this past week and it climbed back up to 100 every day and just gets to about 70 at night. Unseasonably warm for the second week in October, it's just regretable that we couldn't capture that and bottle it up for the second week of January when we sit around with coats and long pants on!

Betsy got a much needed bath form Dave's Auto Detailing and we got busy and gave her a complete rub down with Dri Wash and Guard, and all the maintenace issues are done for another season. The oil and lube job for the year was obtained at the Freightliner Shop in Flagstaff on our way across the top of Arizona.
We are finally getting our ducks in a row to leave this paradise on Monday and return to the land of corn and pheasants. The freezer is empty and defrosted and the last of the laundry was done this morning. I have made up my mind not to tote hardly anything back this time. As I look around tonight, I think it's matter over mind instead of the other way around! Many little piles to get loaded. So I may have to do a second ditch effort to pare it down! I have been really good about going to the gym every day, walking two miles on the elliptical and lifting on the weight machines every other day. We have enjoyed floating in the pool and sitting in the hot tub when we thought the pool was a little too cold! We both have had our flu shots, KayCee had her vet visit and she's caught up on her boosters.

They are walking in the desert every morning to get in shape, or DH walks and KayCee runs. We have an irrigation ditch right behind the park, currently running pretty full, and this morning, KayCee thought she would get a drink and she went over the edge and slid down in! Scared her, DH was ready to go in after her, he said she did swim in a circle and her long nails saved the day! She climbed back out, and he said he don't think she'll do that again. DH has been hitting the golf course pretty steady. A couple from Montana that we know showed up and we had a nice visit. They brought their coach down here and went back home on Wednesday. Now they will come and go all winter too!The guys went golfing a couple days and we had fun at the pool. They met up with some Airforce C130 technicians that are on rotation here for a few weeks with their planes...they have golfed with the old guys a couple times. Every day we watch the jets fly, the Ospreys and Helis do their manuevers and drills. I never tire hearing it or watching them take off and land.

I would much rather listen to them in the air than the sirens that pierce the early morning quiet and jolt me awake. Must have been a wreck up on the Interstate this morning. We went for another long walk around the park tonight after supper. It was still really warm. Every day there's more folks showing up. When we got here there wasn't hardly anybody here, which was kinda nice. It will just get busier and busier from here on out.

There's quite a lot of construction going on and it's really bustling during the day. The Grounds keepers are busy pruning, fertilizing and getting things spruced up for the winter visitors.

This park is completely full for the month of January. We have tickets for some shows that will be happening when we return here about Christmas time. I'm looking forward to seeing family and enjoying some cooler temps for a while, but will be ready to return here to our oasis in the desert.

The Land of Enchantment

Today finds us in Santa Fe New Mexico. We left Colorado Springs KOA a little later than I had planned on Friday, but still made it to Santa Fe about 5 pm. It was an uneventful trip over the Raton Pass and on the Santa Fe Trail.

We had some fuse problems upon doing light checks before pulling out and that took a few minutes to troubleshoot and fix. We had about 6 inches of rain in couple of days that we were there, reminding me of Monsoon Season once again. We are perched high upon a hill just outside of Santa Fe.

The view is gorgeous, and people are friendly, mostly our age group doing some fall traveling.

Saturday we went into the city and drove right downtown to the Santa Fe Plaza. Very busy narrow streets and no parking available directed us to the State Capitol Parking lot. We spent a few minutes having a bite of lunch and listened to a group of people protesting against the State's Employee Policies.
It just goes to show that there's lots of people everywhere that are very dissatisfied with the Government today. To just happen upon a demonstration on a Saturday is not usually a common thing. We left there before everyone else. Stopped and poked around in a gift shop and didn't find any bargains, but found quite a few items made in Pakistan and China that really turned me off. I was disappointed in not finding any more genuine Native American baskets and crafts. I'm hoping to go into the Navajo Nation and find some home made items later this week. We spent most of Sunday driving in the hills and the National Forest north of here.

The fires earlier this summer from Arizona played havoc with the forests and many roads and areas are closed.

There were lots of signs warning of Elk and Deer, but we only saw one deer cross the road in front of us all day.

We crossed the Rio Grande River and looked across the Rio Grande Valley not far from Las Alamos. We stopped at an information center at Jemez Springs, an Indian Community. They had a model of a Summer adobe home and dome oven.
Upon completing the circle of travel, we found ourselves back to Interstate 25 not far from Albuquerque. Pointed the nose back east for the drive home. About 30 miles we stopped at a rest/info center and I picked up some brochures on Grants and Gallup, which will be our next stop. When we got back up to speed, a large pickup loaded with hay grass bales came along side of us.

I said something about that not being tied down and not very safe, well, no more than getting that out...they pulled on ahead, a big bale flew out and landed in fron ouf us. A bunch of the hay flew up across our windshield and we skidded to a stop along the shoulder. NOT FUN....VERY SCARY! DH did a heck of a job keeping us from wrecking.I remember while skidding, all I said was "o.k,o.k.o.k!" and then we were stopped. So scared. I was shaking soo bad. KayCee got thrown around a little, but she was fine. Being the nice person he is, he got out and ran across and got the bale off the passing lane so that some poor other person wouldn't hit it. The pick up had stopped quite a ways ahead.....I being not so nice....and really shook up, got in the drivers seat, let DH get in.....roared forward, and chewed his ASS! Royally. He acted like he didn't even know what the problem was,probably just worried about losing one bale, and luckily we escaped any damage to the vehicle or ourselves. I did call the State Patrol and report it, but without damage they weren't going to pursue it. I feel sorry for the next person that's behind him one day and not so lucky! Be very aware folks...there's all kinds of idiots out there that do very dumb inconsiderate things....that could have been the end of us! I am very thankful to be here today to carry on our journey and write yet another long and boring post! Have a great Monday...we'll see ya down the road.