Travels with David and Bonnie

Two Buttes

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Capulin Volcano

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Birthday Party

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At the Zoo

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Ellen Shows Us Her Trophy

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May 14 - 23, 2009

May 14 - 23, 2009

We left home May 14th at 2:30 headed for Albuquerque, NM. We stayed overnight at Fountain, CO. We left in the morning about 7:30 because we gained an hour heading west. We stopped in Santa Fe, NM, to eat lunch. We got to ABQ about 2:30 and did some shopping at Target and Lowes. We got to Brian and Tracy’s about 3:30.

The next morning we went to the gymnastics that Ellen is in and saw the annual spring performance. She followed directions pretty well compared to the last time we watched when she was doing other things.

After lunch, we went to see Sandia Labs where Brian works. They had an open house and this may have been the first time ever. Of course we were not allowed to take any pictures at the lab. We went to see the enclosed little space where Brian sits by himself and converses with people in other little rooms by computer. He does have two windows that looks out on a few buildings and bare ground, and oh, the sky where you can see planes. This was my initial take on the room but Brian said he found it quite serviceable with three computers there.

We went to look at a machine called the Z that builds a lot of electrical power. At the time of discharge the electrical power, for nano-seconds, is more than is used by the entire world for those same nano-seconds. Then we were given a tour of a smaller machine that is called the Saturn and does the same thing. These machines are used to test the effect of this much electrical power on different materials and objects.

Sunday, May 17th - It is Dean and Carrie’s first anniversary today. Many happy returns to them. We went to the zoo for a picnic lunch and so the kids could run around and see the animals. Of course, Ellen didn't forget that Grandpa lets her ride on the camel, so she got her ride. We ate dinner at Rex’s Hamburger Restaurant. They make a really good hamburger and have been awarded the best burgers in ABQ several times.

Monday I went to have a blood test taken for my appointment with the cardiologist on Wednesday. We drove out to Camping World to get an align-a-site mount that they didn’t have. I did get a spring for the camper screen door to help it shut. There was a traffic accident holding up I -40 ahead so we went to eat at the Golden Corral on Coors Blvd.

Tuesday evening we had an early birthday party for David and Ellen since we will not see them on their birthdays.

Wednesday I went to see the heart doctor. He thought that the test turned out well and my EKG looked good. He said I was in good shape for the shape I’m in. Tracy received a patio glider that she had ordered, so I put that together.

We told Ellen good-by before she left for the school bus on Thurs. and then to David before Brian took him to the day care center. The center is close to where Brian works so he can drop him off and pick him up to and from work. He goes to daycare three days a week. We left around noon. When we were just past Las Vegas, NM, I got sick so we stopped for the rest of the day at Raton, NM. The next morning, I was a little better so we drove out to the Capulin Volcano National Monument. This is a volcanic ash cone and it sits in what is apparently a nearly level but rolling plain. There is a road to the top where you can look out across the country or down into the cone that is a few hundred feet deep. There is a hiking trail around the top of the cone and a trail down into the cone but we did not walk it.

When we left there, we went north toward Colorado and off the road a distance was a double cone that seemed to be even more in the middle of a plain. It is called two buttes.

We ate lunch in Springfield, CO. I asked about some signs along the road that said, "Land not for sale" or "Land not for sale to the Army." It seems the army would like to take a few thousand more acres to add to the thousands they already have in the area for training.

We got home about 7:00; however I was ready to be home earlier.

posted by FarmerX @ 6:39 PM 0 comments

April 23, 2009

April 23, 2009


I went to see the urologist this morning and he found a stone in my bladder that he removed with a tool that grabbed the stone and pulled it out. It was like a tool grabber that the mechanics used. IN FACT MAYBE THAT WAS WHAT HE USED.

We ate breakfast and headed for home. We got home about 2:30 and everything looked in order. We spent the rest of the day and part of the night unloading everything that needed to go in the house.

posted by FarmerX @ 5:42 PM 0 comments

April 22, 2009

April 22,2009

This morning I called Loyal and Mary Smith and we drove over to Newton to see them. We had a nice visit with them and they took us to the Great Wall to eat Chinese. We drove to see Dave Tongish at the Tongish Auto Mart, however Pat was there because Dave was in Wichita but I had a good visit with her.

Loyal and Mary are leaving Saturday on a trip back to the East Coast for about 5 weeks and then return home. They have a nice house and we also got to see their new fifth wheel camper. It is a Big Country with three slides and is very nice.

We drove back to Hutchinson after lunch and hooked up our camper and moved to Hays where we stayed at the El Charro RV Park. It is kind of rough but it is near the street that the hospital is on where I go to see the doctor tomorrow.

We had a thunderstorm move through but most of the storm was south of here. We got a little bit of rain and wind. I had to block and set the supports for the camper because of the storm.

posted by FarmerX @ 5:41 PM 0 comments

April 21, 2009

April 21,2009

We left about 9:00 this morning and got to Hutchinson, KS, about 3:30. We set up the camper at the Kansas State Fairgrounds before calling Roger. We unhooked the camper and drove the truck to Roger and JoAnn’s. We had a good visit and went out to eat.

posted by FarmerX @ 5:40 PM 0 comments

April 20, 2009

April 20,2009

This morning we went to the Stanley Chevrolet dealer and they changed the fuel filter. It cost over $100.00 to have it changed. I filled with fuel at the Co-op and it seemed to do the trick.

As I was getting tired, we stopped at Wayne, OK, at the American RV park instead of going through OK City to Guthrie where we had intended to stay.

posted by FarmerX @ 5:38 PM 0 comments

April 19, 2009

April 19, 2009

We got up the morning and got the camper ready to leave. Ray Dean stopped by to say goodbye this morning. Abe came over to help. Keith and Dona, Doug and Ellie came to say goodbye. Leaving is such sweet sorrow as some would say.

We left about 9:00. When we got started west on Hwy 188, I sensed that the truck was not pulling right. When we got north of Sinton and the pickup lost power and dropped to 20 MPH. We got it going again and drove to north of I-10 where we had trouble again. I drained the fuel filter and we got going again. Before we got to Gidding, we were having trouble so we stopped at the South Forty RV Park for the night.

posted by FarmerX @ 5:37 PM 0 comments

More Unbelievable Sand Art

posted by FarmerX @ 2:03 PM 0 comments