Done!

This painting is finished!

Happy Solstice

Winter Solstice Cold Full Moon rising over the Sacramento Mountains at Oliver Lee State Park NM, 5:45pm.

We strung lights on a huge creosote bush alongside the road by our trailer. Many of the people who are here in the campground have expressed their appreciation.

PIP status

Managed to get a bit more done on this today before going into Alamogordo to do laundry & grocery shopping.

PIP (Painting in Progress)

I've wanted to paint this ever since we stumbled upon this peaceful lake in the heart of Copenhagen last September. I took advantage of a 'wind day' here at Oliver Lee state park NM to work on it & made good progress.

Here's my reference photo and my PIP (Painting in Progress).

Desert Rain

Beautiful morning at Oliver Lee State Park New Mexico. We had a little rain overnight & this morning. The desert vegetation was turning greener, literally as we watched.
The clouds were hanging in Dog Canyon and on the Sacramento Mountains just up the slope from where our RV is parked.

NEW PAINTING

DONE!
"My Money's on the Little Guy"
Watercolor on Yupo, 11" x 11"

December Morn

Good morning from Elephant Butte Lake State Park NM. The Land of Enchantment!
We were treated to a rare but spectacular sunrise this morning, first one in the week we've been here.

November ART

I finally dug out my watercolors last week and managed to complete this painting of Naeroyfjord, one of the steepest & deepest fjords in Norway. We went up the fjord on a rib boat -- an open tube-shaped boat that is very fast and can maneuver right up to the waterfalls. It was a blast. It was breathtaking. It was one of those experiences to last a lifetime. (and it was cold!)

Fall Migration - Elephant Butte Lake

Moving day. We left Oliver Lee State Park (near Alamogordo NM and White Sands National Monument) at daybreak, took the trailer to Discount Tires in Alamogordo for balance & rotate, and then headed west and north (wrong direction?) to South Monticello campground at Elephant Butte State Park. This is on the Rio Grand, south of Albuquerque and north of Truth or Consequences NM.

We had heard good things about this place, decided to check it out, and are not disappointed so far. Huge RV sites, spaced far apart, nice views of the hills across the lake. Tomorrow we'll don the hiking boots & check out one of the trails.

Fall Migration - Fire in the Sky over White Sands

As promised, spectacular sunset view from our RV spot at Oliver Lee State Park NM. The sun sets below the San Andres Mountains backing White Sands National Monument. Our camp is in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains, about 10 miles as the crow flies from White Sands. With just the right mix of dust, clouds, and humidity the sunsets simply can't be beat.

Fall Migration Winter Wonderland

We have WINTER at Santa Rosa Lake State Park NM. Historic snow & cold for this time of year. I WONDER how we LANDed here for this event.

Land of Enchantment - Sunrise over Santa Rosa Lake

Welcome to our World! 

Have a great weekend!

Land of Enchantment Fall Migration stop #2

Welcome to November! We are now at Santa Rosa Lake State Park in New Mexico. A beautiful lake on the Pecos River - great RV campground in a pristine setting. We had a great view of a lovely sunrise this morning.

GENERATIONS

The great joy of visiting Colorado is spending time with my family. From left to right: Grandson Justin, Me, Grandson Nehemiah, Son Scott.

Fall Migration - The Land of Enchantment

We left Colorado's Front Range last week, traveling south & east into New Mexico. This state has beautiful state parks with great rv campgrounds that are amazingly cheap. Many are on lakes, as is the case with Conchas Lake SP where we stayed a few days. The weather was conducive to kayaking, so we explored several miles up-lake from where we parked (pretty much overdid it).

We were the only rig in the campground close to the lake - very nice after the hustle and bustle of CO. No light, noise, nor air pollution 😊.

Thanks to dust there are great sunsets over the lake and sunrises over the dam.

Fall Migration- Colorado

We've been at Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland CO for the past 10 days, taking care of routine medical stuff and taking advantage of this major center of commerce, and most importantly visiting son & grandsons.

This area has some of the worst air quality in the country, 40% of which is directly caused by oil & gas fracking and much of the rest by vehicle emissions. Luckily, breezes have kept the worst of it away from us.

Bad air pollution does create spectacular sunrises & sunsets. This is our typical morning view over the lake.

Fall Migration - day 12

After a good night at the Soaring Eagle ranch rv park just west of Steamboat Springs, we checked updated weather forecasts and decided today was the least chance of snowy / icy roads across the Colorado Rockies to Loveland, and highway 14 over Cameron Pass and down the Poudre River canyon the best route. We were right. Basically dry roads, mostly sunny, very little traffic. So now we can take care of doctor appointments and then get the heck out of here.

The vista of the back side of Rocky Mountain National Park is always sensational, but with the blue skies today WOW! Too bad oil & gas extraction has discovered this 35 mile valley; the once pristine environment is now dotted with drilling rigs and well, and the air is fouled. Sad. 😞

Fall Migration - Day 11

Things change & ya just gotta be flexible. Weather forecast for between Huntington Utah and Loveland Colorado indicates the major winter storm will arrive much soon than predicted for next Monday. No way to get from one place to the next without crossing the Rockies, and every route expects snow. So we decided to do a long day & got to Steamboat Springs; discovered a lovely small rv park a few miles west of town. From here we have some time & route flexibility, might head on tomorrow but more likely Saturday.

Today took us over Duchesne pass, 9411 ft. elevation. And yep. Snow. But minor, and it was beautiful.

Fall Migration - Day 10

Lots of history in the area, not the least of which is that it was favorite hangout canyons for Butch Cassidy  & his gang. Also lots of coal mining history & ghost towns.

Fall Migration - Day 10

We discovered a nice small state park in about the middle of Utah, staying 3 nights (2 days). The vistas are sweet, the lake is low, the cottonwoods are just turning gold the rv spots are paved & real big with grass all around.