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Passing By Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam....

11/3/2015

 
(  Writing this from Deming, NM. on November 3. )
I know it has been twelve days since I last wrote.  Most of our days since setting up camp in Deming have been taken up with the chores of establishing ourselves here as residents.  We had to rent a site in an RV Park for six months to qualify for a New Mexico driver's license.
 Now I would like to go back and catch up on our travels. 
Our route from Death Valley, CA ( Oct. 2)  to Deming, NM. 
(Oct. 13) took us through some beautiful country.
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These two big guys were taking a break from the heat.
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We drove through miles of highway passing the rare Joshua Trees in Nevada...
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...and great rock formations.
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We took the bypass route avoiding Las Vegas, but I had to put in this distant shot of the casinos.
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Lake Mead came into view as we got closer to the Hoover Dam.
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Here's a little info on the new (completed 2010) Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, on US-93.   The 1900 foot long bridge is the western hemisphere's longest single-span concrete arch bridge.
We went to visit the dam in 2008 with my sisters and saw the construction which was amazing.  Seeing the finished bridge was something we really wanted to do, though we were a little disappointed that we couldn't see any of the dam from the new bridge.  To see the dam you had to exit the bypass and we didn't want to do that pulling the travel trailer.
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Continuing southeast through Arizona we pass more Joshua Trees.
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I wonder what this gaggle of Saguaros are up to?
Our next stop was in Wickenburg, Arizona which I will share with you next time.
                  Good night to all,  miss you too.    B&D

Through Death Valley....

10/20/2015

 
( Writing this from Deming, New Mexico on October 20.  We are now staying at Temperate Zone RV Park, 15 miles north of Deming, off of US-180. )
This will be our base camp for most of this winter, in order to establish New Mexico residency.  Besides this being an absolutely gorgeous state, there are very good reasons for changing our residency, which are: the auto insurance and licensing are half the cost of Michigan's and the health insurance is very affordable here.  
And this is one of only four states, ( someone told me this but I can't find out who the other three states are) that offer an annual Camping Pass at their state parks. For only $180.00/NM resident, $100.00/Senior NM resident or $225.00/Non-resident,  your camping fees are covered for twelve months from the date of purchase. Most of the campgrounds have showers and flushing toilets, and electric sites are only an additional four dollars per day.  The nature programs and organized hikes at the parks are excellent. This was a real selling point in choosing New Mexico.
Wow, that was a really long intro!  so lets get on to the blog and some pictures.
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The last pictures from a couple weeks ago, were from Tuttle Creek. This picture is of Mt. Whitney from a gas station parking lot as we leave Lone Pine on October 1, and head west on CA Hwy 190, through Death Valley to Las Vegas, Nevada and then into Arizona. Can you imagine working here and having this view everyday.
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This is the first rest stop after driving into the park. This canyon at the Padre Crowley Point is a favorite spot for the military fighter pilots to test their skills. They tip on their side and shoot through the canyon, it's called " threading the needle". We were fortunate enough to see one as we drove into the lot. There was no time to grab the camera, they are gone it the blink of an eye out over the salt flats.
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You definately want to fill your tank before crossing Death Valley.
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The desert is not just flat sand, it has many hills and mountains, what it doesn't have are many things green.
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Yes, that's a minus -190 feet below sea level.
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About half way across, we stopped at the Borax Museum at the Furnace Creek Ranch. Small, but very interesting.
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                         Death Valley on motorcycles!
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    At the end of our adventure, we find Pahrump RV Park, a very clean park and good for a one night stay after a long drive.  
Did I mention how lucky we were, the high for that day was 103 degrees, the day before was 114 degrees.

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Here is a preview of our camp in Wickenburg, Arizona.
We liked it so much we ended up staying 10 days.



Good Night All,   B&D
              Miss you bunches.
​                 Love you Mom!!!

Mount Whitney from Tuttle Creek....

10/8/2015

 
( Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on October 8. )
This is the last blog from our stay at Tuttle Creek.  The base of Mount Whitney is right at our campground.  The summit is at 14,495 feet elevation, highest in the U.S. outside of Alaska.
If you follow the road past our camp it takes you to the trailhead.
Doing the summit is only allowed with passes won in a lottery.
The drive to the trailhead of course is gorgeous and there are lesser hikes from there and picnic areas.  For those doing the summit there are overnight camping facilities.
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14,495 feet of sheer granite.
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Waterfall at the trailhead parking lot.
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Maybe you would like to rent a simple cottage on the Whitney.
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Our camp is along the light colored squiggly road ( in the middle, left )and the Alabama Hills are the low mounds in front of the Sierra Nevada's past our camp.
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Breaking camp on October 1.
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McDove says goodby to the Alabama Hills.
From Tuttle Creek we head for Wickenburg, Arizona.  Our first time here also and we find a great boon docking camp on Vulture Peak Road.  So far we have been here for eight days and plan to stay another four days.  
We love this desert boon docking!!!

​Good night all,      Love, B&D

Bristlecone Pines Near Lone Pine...

10/8/2015

 
( Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on October 8. )
While at Tuttle Creek we took a day trip to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine National Wilderness Area.  The sign, off of
Hwy 395, said 25 miles.  Whoa; twisty, turny, up and up.  An hour and a half to get to the visiter center and the closest hiking trail.  So worth it, though.  Bristlecone Pines grow above 9500 feet elevation and live to be thousands of years old.
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                          This is the view from the hiking trail.  

This is the third time in the last year and a half that we have had the chance to see Bristlecones and we will always take every opportunity to see these magnificent creations.

More Alabama Hills....

10/8/2015

 
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This is not one of the Hollywood rocks!
This is a very small sample of the rock formations.  You can spend days driving and hiking in the Hills   At the Interpretive  Center on Hwy 395, you can get a brochure showing the locations of some of the famous western movies shot here.

Next, Lone Pine, California....

10/8/2015

 
( Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on October 8. )
Lone Pine was the next destination for the last week in September and was less than 200 miles south of Lake Tahoe on CA Hwy 395.
​ Outside of Lone Pine is Tuttle Creek BLM Campground; $5.00 per night/ $2.50 with Golden Pass.
This is now in our top five favorite campgrounds.
It is located at the base of Mount Whitney ( highest mountain in the lower 48 states ).  In the other direction the view is the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range with a pass east to Death Valley.
Driving through the Alabama Hills to reach the camp should be on everyones bucket list.  
The Alabama Hills are famous for being the location of many Hollywood movies since the 1920's.
​We will let the pictures speak for themselves...
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Sierra Nevada's in background.
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Site #30.
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Check the next blog for more of the Alabama Hills....

Lake Tahoe....

10/5/2015

 
By September 25, we were down to the west shore of Lake Tahoe.
We stayed one night at a state park between the coast and Tahoe. We camped two nights at a National Forest Campground right on Lake Tahoe.  The color of the water was gorgeous and the mountains around the lake take your breath away.
(  Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on October 5.
Enjoying an afternoon thunderstorm today.)
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Camp sites around the lake are at a premium so they are close together. That looks like where we should park our vehicle next to the camper but it is another camp site!
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On the way south, leaving Tahoe, this was one of the roads we didn't take.
Night all, have a great week.             Love,  B&D

Oregon Coast....

10/4/2015

 
(  Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on October 4.  
We are boon docking on Vulture Peak Road.  One camper when you turn on this road and then us, one mile in.  That's it!  
​Very quiet!  Very private!   And very free!  )
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Vulture Peak Road.
Going back to the middle of September, when we left the gorge, we stayed two nights near Astoria, Oregon at Bud's RV Park near the northern most point of the Oregon coast.  High cliffs, beautiful bays, great museums and lots of seafood restaurants .  Our first day there, after setting up camp, we went to a nearby scenic overlook and saw a school of porpoises, whales feeding and surfers. All on my first day at the pacific ocean.  The pictures are not very clear since we were so high up but I want to put them in anyway because they mean so much to me.
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My first view of the ocean!!!
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Yes, those are porpoises.
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And yes, those are whales!
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They were there for a long time, but they dive under so fast it was hard to get a good shot.
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And this is the first time I've ever seen someone surfing in person.
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Fish Tacos at Mo's .
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Everyone said the best place to eat was Mo's; they were right. The chowder was the best.
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The last day the weather was getting rougher, which is why we didn't stay any longer.
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​McDove did find a calm place to say goodby to the sea.
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Good night all,   Love,  B&D
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And this was the view from our table as we ate.
From Astoria, we moved about 200 miles down the coast to Florence and set up camp for three nights at a National Forest Campground.  There were huge Sitka Spruce there and a great hiking trail that was like being in a magical forest.  As you drive south along the coast from Florence there is 50 miles of dunes preserved as a National Wilderness Area.  All along this area are designated trail heads and parking for day use only.
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David at the dunes!
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Barb at the dunes!
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McDove at the dunes!

WATERFALLS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE....

10/3/2015

 
( Writing this from Wickenburg, Arizona on Oct. 3.  
The mountains are beautiful but they don't play nice with the WiFi signals. We are happy to be back in the desert. )
We know it's been awhile and a lot of miles since the last blog.
I would still like to share some pictures of the many waterfalls along the old Columbia River Highway.
(  In the next blogs we will cover our week at the Oregon Coast and then the last couple weeks traveling from the coast to the southwest desert. )
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The hikes to the falls were as exciting as the falls themselves
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Some of the falls didn't have a hike so they were quite crowded.
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View from the road on the way up to a scenic overlook.
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Looking up the gorge from 3900 ft. with a zoom lens.
.This is a very amazing area that we would love to see again.
                       Miss you all!       Love,  B&D
​                                 Congrats on a great book sale.  😀

Columbia River Gorge & La Page Park....

9/14/2015

 
(  Writing this on Tuesday, September 15 from the La Page Campground near Rufus, Oregon.  This camp is an Army Corp of Engineers Campground located four miles east of the John Day Dam on the confluence of the John Day and Columbia Rivers.  It has full hook-ups for a daily fee of $22.00/ $11.00 w/Golden Age Pass. )
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Passing through beautiful farm land yesterday, it was only about a 200 miles drive from Wallowa to La Page Park near Rufus.
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Approaching the exit for the park we could barely see Mt. Hood in the distance.
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After our private camping spot at Ollokot, it seemed strange to be so close to other campers again.
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As you can see it gets a little windy along the river.
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We had a great sunset, something we missed being in the forest all summer.
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Today we left camp for a drive west on US-30 along the Columbia River Gorge.
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From the scenic overlook you could see all the salmon fishing boats.
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This is the Bonniville Dam and Locks. We toured the Bradford Island Visitor Center located here, as well as, the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson, Washington. We will save those pictures for the next blog.
We miss Carla and the Imnaha, but it's also fun to be on the road again to new adventures.   Living the dream!

Good night to all, love B&D.
P.S.   Thank you Diane for all your art.  I have been enjoying these two pieces for almost fifty years.  Wow!
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Last Days At The Imnaha River....

9/13/2015

 
( Writing this from Wallowa, Oregon on September 13. )
Yesterday, September 12, we moved down from the Imnaha River to the town of Wallowa.  We are enjoying two days at Mule Days in Enterprise before heading for the Columbia River Gorge and west to Portland.  During the last days, we drove around the area exploring little roads we hadn't seen yet.  Of course there are many more for us to explore next year when we come back to camp host again.
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Finally got a picture of these rocks on the 39 road.
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Even got a bonus wildlife shot.
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This huge outcropping is right in site #1 at Hidden Campground. There is always someone camped there and it took me all summer to get a picture. A past camper carved this log stair so the rock could be explored.
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Not far in miles, from Ollokot, but over 2000 feet higher is Harl Butte Lookout Station. In June, the volunteer that mans this station brings four months of food and supplies with him.
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All summer he watches this gorgeous land for signs of forest fires.
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The road construction on the FS-39 road ended at the end of August with beautiful results.
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We went to our first rodeo in Halfway.
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Today at Mule Days,
 our last day in
 eastern Oregon,
 I got my first Cowgirl hat.  Actually, the 92˚ temp
 drove me to it. 
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Sometime the mules are just as graceful as horses...
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... other times they stop dead in their tracks and refuse to move. This rodeo was lots of fun.
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McDove, as usual, was thrilled.
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All ages participated.
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We learned lots at the Dutch Oven Cook-Off.
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For a one dollar donation, we got to sample, Yum!!!

Meanwhile, back in Michigan, this summer  Gramma Bridget caught her first fish.   So many firsts this year, fun!!!!
                                                                               Night all,  B&D

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Love you Mom!

Lostine and Forest Fires....

9/3/2015

 
( Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on September 3.  )
 On the west side of Enterprise is the town of Lostine.  There is a corridor of campgrounds there off Hwy-82. they are rustic and primitive sites like our camps on Hwy-39 east of Enterprise.
Last week we went to check them out, and of course found them to be not nearly as wonderful as ours.  Ha! Ha!

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Actually their scenery is breathtaking, but our campsites are nicer.
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At the trail head, the three person trail crew were just coming back from their day of trimming. They are solely responsible fro trimming the hundreds of miles of tails in this district. The forest service budget only allows for one crew.
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The new and the old of Lostine dining.
I have afew pictures of the smoke that fills the air around Enterprise from the nearby forest fires that started in the middle of August in Wallowa County from lightening strikes.  They are mostly contained now after nearly 60,000 acres of burn, the loss of homes and buildings and the hard work of up to 800 firefighters.
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This is a cloud of smoke from the fire in Troy, Oregon.
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August 25
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September 1--We can see the mountains again.
Have a wonderful night.    XOXO,   B&D

Powder River, Baker City and Forest Fires....

9/1/2015

 
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(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on September 1.  )






Liam and Rosie waiting for dad to come home.
( Expect to see this picture often, I love it!!! ) 

The summer and our camp hosting job are coming to an end.  September 7, Labor Day, is our last day of work.  We plan on staying until the end of that week for the Enterprise Mules Days at the county fairgrounds.  We want to see the Dutch Oven Cook-Off and the mule and horse shows.  Weather permitting!
When we leave here we are going to follow the Columbia River Gorge Highway to Portland and then head to Astoria, Oregon on the Coast. The colors here started changing in the middle of August, so the coast should be gorgious in September.  
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August 14, on the drive to Baker City ( 85 miles from camp) we stopped at the Hole In The Wall Lookout on the Powder River.
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The next stop before Baker, was the National Park Oregon Trail Interpretive Center where we saw a great show of the Traveling Medicine Man.
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Would like to come back and spend more time here.
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McDove agrees.
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Baker City has over fifty historical buildings and we heard the museum there is great, have to come back here, too.
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Had dinner at Mr. Ed's. Train running through out the dinner and great food.
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I liked the wait staff pouch by Carhart that they had personalized.
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The sign says "Extreme Fire Hazard" Can you make out the smoke coming from the tree line?
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Usually the mountains are totally clear.
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Love the road side decor.
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Back near camp, you can see the color changes on August 14.
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Mama and baby can't decide which way to get off the road.
Good night and love to all,  B&D
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Hat Point Lookout....

8/18/2015

 
( Writing this from Enterprise Library, on August 18. )
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This is the bottom of the road leading to Hat Point Lookout.
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McDove climbed the lookout tower with us.  The tower is 37 feet tall and was so windy that McDove could not sit on the rail.
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The darkest ribbon toward the middle right is the Snake River.
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Wildflowers can still be found in mid-August drought. We can't wait to see Hat Point next spring when all the mountain sides are covered with flowers.
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This is the residence of the lookout ranger. Beautiful job!!
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The canyon floor below is the road we took from Hwy.39 to the town of Imnaha, a forty mile stretch that took one and a half hours. Once in Imnaha you pick up the road to Hat Point.
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The smoke from distant forest fires started to blow in as we got to the bottom. We were so fortunate to have pretty clear views where we were at the top. The ranger said the smoke was terrible earlier in the morning.
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B&D and McDove say good night from the Snake.

Scenes Around Ollokot Camp....

8/6/2015

 
(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on August 6.  )
Last week we were in a variety of places around the Ollokot Campground, so I put together a hogpog  of pictures for our enjoyment. 
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Watching the Turkey Vultures at Hell's Canyon Lookout.
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Between Ollokot and Coverdale Campgrounds there are several very nice dispersed camping sites. One of the large ones was just vacated by a family reunion group of seventy people. We went down to check it out because every year they leave more painted rocks at the camp.
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This is the rivers edge next to their camp. The tree bridge has a well worn top from all the kids crossing.
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This is their kitchen area, all those people, and they left the whole camp totally clean.
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The flowers on the Fireweed will continue to open until they reach the top of the plant. Then they say to look for snow on the mountain tops when the flowers are done blooming.
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One of the curves on the FS 39 road going toward Joseph.
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I never get tired of farm pictures, this one is on the road to Joseph and Enterprise.
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Just before Joseph is a turn off for a small campground and at the top of the road a trailhead for the Hurricane Creek and trails.
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Beautiful Hurricane Creek
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The only thing holding the big boulder up is a few tree roots.
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Rockhounding with Carla and hounds in the Imnaha River.
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One of Carla's Peacocks.
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On Carla's work truck is a water holding tank, a hose and a generator to pump the water. Handy for putting out a burning camp fire someone left behind. ( Also used to clean the outhouses.)
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Last weekend a fire was burning north of Elgin, 60 miles away as the crow flies. The smoke came down the Imnaha River Valley. Usually the canyon lookout is clear as far as the eye can see. The smoke hung in the tree tops all through the camps for a whole day.
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No this is not the forest fire, just a beautiful sunset.
Happy Birthday ,  Leib !!!!
Thanks for the comments, Sue and Jean.  Love to know you like our pictures.
Love to all,  B&D

Barns of Wallowa County....

7/30/2015

 
(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on July 30.  )
Today, in town for business, so this is short and sweet.  Hope you enjoy these pictures I've taken around the Enterprise area.
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Love to all,   B&D
                                        p.s.  Happy Birthday, Shannon!!!

McGraw Lookout....

7/28/2015

 
( Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on July 28. )
Later in the week, after cleaning the south camps, we took a drive with Carla to the McGraw Lookout , not to far from Ollokot. Then a few days after that, we drove to the valley to look up at the Hell's Canyon Rim Road where we walked at the lookout and ate lunch at the PO Saddle Campground.
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This is the trail head to the Crazyman Trail.
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This is a picture of part of the trail from the bottom, taken several days later.
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At the lookout, Furby McDove tries to get in on the action.
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Looking down into the valley, we can see the green fields of alfalfa.
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These are the fields at the bottom, with Clara B and Blue checking things out.
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From this point at the top, we get a good view of the Seven Devils peaks in Idaho.
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A lot of the campgrounds in the mountains have horse friendly sites available.
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McDove thought this rock was part of a fashion statement for the wilderness.
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Mushroom, about 8 inches across, on a stump.
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A Mule Deer in velvet.
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Back in the valley.
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All our love to y'all and a big  welcome to the world to baby,  
Korra. 

Campgrounds North of Enterprise....

7/28/2015

 
(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on July 28. )
Four of the seven campgrounds that Carla is respondsable for are located north of Enterprise.   Last Tuesday, we went with her to see some that area and help her clean.
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We meet at Carla's childhood farm house in Enterprise.
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One of the rock gardens in her yard. Boy, am I jealous!
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On the road to the northern camps, we pass through the Zumwalt Prairie. A place where many of her past generations once ranched. We were awed as she pointed out old homesteads and told of family history.
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Wild horses, but very long in the tooth!
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Interesting facial markings.
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Are they smiling for the photographer?
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This simple entrance was to the ranch of Walter Brennan, the actor. Now owned by a millionaire.
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After passing through the prairie, we climb into the remote mountains and start seeing wildlife.
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At the top is Buckhorn Lookout Station, where we stop to eat our lunch.
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Looking down at the Imnaha River.
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Carla was part of the team that installed the signage for the parks around this part of the Wallowa Mountains. They did a beautiful job!
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On the way back down we see more Elk. Lots of babies in this group.
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Another tough day on the job! Bye for now!

Tamkaliks Celebration....

7/23/2015

 
(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on July 23.  )
Last weekend we were lucky enough to attend the 25th Annual Tamkaliks Celebration ( powwow) and Friendship Feast.  Everything was free and the Feast was really a feast with salmon, buffalo and elk, as well as many delicious potluck dishes.  The dancing was so beautiful and it is very hard to pick only a few pictures to share.  That means this blog will be very long.  Enjoy!
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The "arbor" or dancing arena is shaded by a flowing canopy. Tables were set up for the elders of the Wallow Band of the Nez Perce and the community elders from Wallowa County.
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After the meal came the opening ceremony and then the dancing.
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Several drum groups and singers provide the music for the dancers.
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Last is a picture of us near a tipi and a picture of our grandsons near a tipi in Michigan.  They were at Mackinaw the same week we are doing the powwow here.

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Wonderful times in Oregon and Michigan!!!!

Ollokot Campground Area....

7/19/2015

 
(  Writing this from Enterprise, Oregon on Sunday, July 19. )
Boy is the summer passing by quickly.  Campground attendance is low because of the road construction.  Still, we meet many, very nice people on our walks around the campground.
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One day a logger came by to load a 130 foot, downed, ,Ponderosa Pine from behind our cabin. And David helped.
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We have 3 hummer feeders up. We have counted as many as 15 hummers at one time feeding. These two did not want to share.
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The Forest Service provides this super cabin for the use of the camp host. Us.
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As you can see, I have added the very few nik-naks that I saved and brought with me.
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The base of this hill is right outside the back door of the cabin.
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This Mule Deer is usually right outside, also.
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A 25lb salmon caught a few miles from our camp.
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Our favorite pastime, rock collecting.
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This is our first look at the Snake River.
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The Imnaha, that we are on, and the Snake run parallel. It takes some driving to reach any part of the Snake.
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An old orchard on the Snake had delicious fruit, cherries and apricots.
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I took a picture of this picture, showing the white water on the Snake. You can't drive to the areas that have the rapids.
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This is the spot,10 miles from our camp, that has a weak 3G signal to send a text and sometimes make calls. It is the Hell's Canyon Overlook.
Hope everyone is well.  Catch you all next time!    Love, B&D

A Day of Camp Hosting....

7/7/2015

 
(  Writing this from El Bajio Restaurant in Enterprise, Oregon on July 7, 2015. )  
This is our day, yesterday- July 6.    Carla got to our camp at 8:00am.  We worked around Ollokot Camp, then left to ckeck on Twin Lakes Campground that she only has to do once a month.  It's about 25 miles from us but half the road is under construction with up to an hour wait and the rest is a one lane, dirt and rock mountain road.  
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Back of our hosting cabin and our Aliner.
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Top of the mountain el. 6660,ft., off County Road 66, we can see the Imnaha River below at 4000ft. where our camp is located.
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Twin Lakes Campground
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David's retired? Looks like a work truck to me!!!!
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Lunch at Fish Lake Camp.
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Barb had to climb this rock for a picture.
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Our evening visitor, we named her Pricilla. Don't worry, we never feed her, just take her picture.
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After dinner we watch the hummers. Sometimes as many as 12 birds come at one time.
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Our last job of the evening is to walk around Ollokot Camp and of course to watch the Imnaha for awhile.
What a great day, but we miss everyone very much!
    
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,  XAVIER,  JUDY  AND  DYLAN!   LOVE YOU!  HAVE A GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!!

Love,  B&D 

Ollokot Campground and Hosting....

6/30/2015

 
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( Writing this on June 30, from the
 Enterprise Laundromat
 in Enterprise, Oregon. )
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On the way to (Forest Service Road) FS 39, outside of Joseph, Oregon, we are greeted with some rancher humor.

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In the area around Ollokot, the six campgrounds on FS 39 and 
FS 3960 are the camps we help maintain with Carla.  She is responsible for an additional four more camps.   The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has hundreds of campgrounds in three states, but is mostly in Oregon.

Around Camp...

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Our Aliner is set up next to this wonderful 16' X 32' Host cabin.  We sleep in our Aliner and cook and eat, and shower in the cabin.  It has a real stove and refrigerator run on propane. And a stand-up shower , flushing toilet and propane hot water heater. We also have a cold water spigot and propane hook-up next to our Aliner.   With the temperatures at 100 degrees this week, we have no trouble getting enough solar power to run our lights in the camper. 
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Last weekend a bunch of us helped Carla put up her Tipi.  It's about 100 feet from the cabin.  She stays here on holidays and some weekends, and we share the cabin's kitchen and bath when she's here.  We have a lot of fun together and have a lot in common.
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Hell's Canyon Lookout...
About ten miles from our campground is the 
Hell's Canyon Lookout.  It's  at  5240 ft. elevation and
we can get a phone signal there, but not internet.   
As you can see it's a real burden to have to drive there
 to make a call.
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At the end of the day, we like to sit down by the Imnaha River and watch the deer and the ravens.  There are so many wildflowers, it's fun to see which ones have opened that day and, of course, take a few pictures.
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Miss you and love you all!

Betty, you will be missed.  
Our thoughts are with you, Kim and all your family. 

Back to Our Full-Time Adventures....

6/21/2015

 
(  Writing this on June 21, 2015  from the Ollokot Campground in Hell's Canyon Recreation Area, Oregon.  We are on FS39, a National Forest Service Road,  also known as the Hell's Canyon Scenic Byway.  It is located in the Northeast corner of Oregon in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, between the cities of Joseph and Halfway. We will be here for two and a half months enjoying a position as camp hosts at Ollokot.  
It is very much like being on the Au Sable River except there is a 6000 ft mountain above us, while Ollokot Campground is 
at 4000 ft elevation.  
We will have Tuesday and Wednesday's off to go to town, one hour away, to get supplies and do laundry.  That's when we can make phone calls, check emails and write our blog.  While at camp, the forest service is providing us with a hand-held radio for emergency purposes.
In this blog I would like to share a few pictures taken of our drive from Michigan on June 8 until we reached Oregon on June 16. The coming blogs for the next two months, you will explore with us the remarkable wilderness of the Wallowas.  )
This is Site #2 in Ollokot on the Imnaha River.  We arrived a few days early and picked a site by the river. Our first day of duties as hosts starts on Tuesday, June 23.  The rest of the summer our Aliner will be camped next to the host's cabin, a short distance from the water and the 13 camp sites available to the public.
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One short word about our absence from writing.
It has been four months since we recorded a blog.  So many things came up in our life that changed the path we were on and it was to hard to write about our travels.  Now our business is settled and we are back to following the life that has called to us for so long.  
It is so strange that the last thing I wrote about was a memorial 
to my sister, Marie.  Now I will say a goodbye to my other sister, Janet.  She sadly passed unexpectedly on April 29 of a heart attack.  Janet, we miss you.  Be at peace. 

Leaving Michigan on the 8th...

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Yes, the hail storm hit us from the north west as we went thru Indiana at the base of Lake Michigan.
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After getting around the Chicago area, we turned north to pick up US 20 out of Rockford, IL.   We then took US 20 all the way to Oregon.  Through  Iowa and Nebraska, we never tired of the beautiful farms and the Big Sky views.
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Rolling hills led to mountain passes in Wyoming.  On the west side of US 20 in Wyoming, the road passes right through  Yellowstone National Park.  We spent two nights outside of Yellowstone in Montana and explored the park. This was David's second  and my first visit to Yellowstone.  
I am not ready to revile how many pictures I took in one day at the Park.

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On through Idaho' s mountains and into Oregon; eight states in ten days.
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David and I with Carla, the Ollokot park manager.
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Sitting in front of the host's cabin at Ollokot Campground.
David, Barb, Shorty and Hazie.
        Jean in front row,  with dogs Muffy, Clara B and Blue.

Wishing everyone a Great 4th of July in case we don't get back to town before then.       Love,   B&D      xoxo

Beauty Past and Present...

2/22/2015

 
(  Writing this on Sunday, February 22 from King Valley Road.  We are off US-95 between Quartzsite and Yuma in Arizona. )
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     Happy 20th Birthday 
    to our oldest grandson,

                Garrett !!!
               ✰✰✰✰✰

We pulled out of our Michigan driveway on May 15, 2014.   In the last nine months we have traveled 28,000 miles.  
There are not enough words to describe how exciting it has been for us.
First camping through Canada and Alaska;  then Montana, Idaho and Nevada state and national parks.  Exploring the fantastic national parks in Utah; then finding the variety of campgrounds available in New Mexico; and now experiencing the beautiful winter weather of Arizona and California.  
And along the way, we have met so many wonderful people, both locals and fellow travelers from every walk of life.   
The best part for us has been the chance to be together without  those pesky things called jobs that take up so much time.  

Enough of the mushy stuff,  February 17 was David's birthday and we celebrated it by having lunch in Yuma. 
Of course, we also did some errands in town since it's a 25 mile drive from our campsite.

Driving south into Yuma, one of the things we see is the radar blimp in the sky.
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Along the US border from Texas to California the Border Patrol has blimps to detect movement along the desert border areas.
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We have seen these blimps from different places where we have camped over the last three months. Near Deming, New Mexico, we were able to drive to one of the fenced locations and look at all the equipment on the ground where it was tethered; very interesting.
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Us again at the Golden Corral
restaurant on the 17th.

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After lunch, we shopped at Walmart and found all these flowering shrubs planted around their parking lot. Never know where you will find beauty!
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I started this post with our beautiful grandson,
then with the beauty of  'living our dream' ,
and then the unexpected beauty of parking lots.

Now I would like to share the beauty that is my sister, Marie.

This month marked one year since she lost the battle with cancer.  Her daughter received a letter from the Science Cares Organization, which Marie had made arrangements with before her death to donate her body to science.  I would like to share this letter  with everyone in remembrance of her lifelong  way of always caring for others.  ( Her nick name at work was "mother Marie" )
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Michael and Marie....1958
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1972
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2004
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2013
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Marie Theresa Kochan Macy DeMeyer
September 2, 1956 - February 4, 2014

Miss You Sis

Lazy Days on King Valley Road....

2/19/2015

 
(  Writing this on February 19, near Yuma, Arizona. )
From February 9th through the 16th, we stayed around camp; reading, walking, cooking and watching sunsets.  It is so quiet here.  A couple of 4-wheelers go past in the morning and then before dark a couple of  4-wheelers come back out.
Of course I have no trouble finding things to photograph. 
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We picked this spot to camp because the mountains matched our Aliner.
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Even the ground is fun to take pictures of, though I don't put them in the blog very often.
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On this night, the sky was changing so quickly, 
I couldn't help snapping tons of pictures.  Hope this gives you an idea of what it was like.


One of the walks on a nice sunny day took us by some very nice cactus.
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This guy has been hanging around to many seniors, he's going gray on top !
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We will  finish this post with another night of sunset pictures.
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One night it is oranges and blues, and the next night pinks and purples. Never boring!
Thank you for tuning in to our little adventures.
                Love and miss you all,  Barb and Dave
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