Wednesday, December 16, 2020

IS IT DECEMBER ALREADY? HALLELUJAH!!!

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that is reporting all is good)

All is Good...

...and that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. 

I need to bring you up to date since Vannie and Dave left Yellowstone.

Bear with me, Folks...it's 2020, for goodness sake.

I think I'll go backwards...starting with today.

This year could not be more mixed-up than it already is...that's for sure.

                                                  Merry Christmas from Vannie and Dave.

They think they've been on the nice list...Fake News!!!

A surprise at the NTAC board meeting
Vannie and her friend, Sue, showed up with the same sweater.
Vannie had inherited hers from her mother-in-law, Pearl Harris.  
Pearl had about 25 or more Christmas sweaters when she passed away a few years ago.

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

Vannie and Dave celebrated with Emilie and her fam in Austin.
How many cooks in the kitchen???

Looks like they have all the bases covered.

I love this pic...Emilie at the stove and Dave carving the turkey.
I think Vannie must have had her fork poised at the ready.

Here's Maddie being the "hostess with the mostest".

After dinner walk...we were all stuffed.
The newest member of the family, Prince, has something that has attracted his attention.

Happy Halloween
The Covid Twins

Granddaughter, Maddie, is in the purple...

Martin Dies, Jr. State Park ...Jasper, TX
One of V and D's favorite stops on the way to Louisiana.

As you can see, they had MinnieG in tow.
I pretty much stay in Hillsboro, except when Vannie and Dave go to New Mexico.
I'm just big and old...and in NM, I'm in one place for 4 months.

Lots of good trails...

Ashley David Harris
#1 Son's birthday
Lafayette, LA

Birthday Hike with Ashley
Acadiana Nature Station
Beautiful "just right" Louisiana Day

Interesting shot of the light hitting this tree


Some past hurricane damage along the trail.
Louisiana has had some hard hits this year.

Still going backyards...
Dave's brother, Roger Harris, passed away in November.
Rog had been in poor health for some time.
The graveside service was at the Pinegrove Cemetery near Bernice, LA.
His daughter, Stephanie Welch, did a bang-up good job on the service....
from the motorcycle escort with Roger's ashes, to the service given by
a good friend, to her eulogy.

Our Fam
Dave, Emilie, Diane, Cooper, Ashley

Vannie and great great niece, Stella
After the service, we all met at Stephanie's.
It was great to spin a little bit of time with this cutie pie.

Moving right along...
Back in New Mexico
Heading back from Colorado


The aspen trees were bursting out all over.
D and V burst out in song one or two times.
(Maybe it was the altitude)

Trees...bushes...you name it, the vegetation was 
brighter than "the harvest moon, Julie Hersey".
(Quote from the play, Our Town...Dave had played the alcoholic organist in this play at the Lafayette Community Theatre...Vannie was there for every performance, so some of those lines pop up when you least expect them.)

Canyonland
Moab, UT
It was a cloudy day...and a little smoky,
but we were excited about seeing one more national park.

Can you guess where this park is?
1,2,3...you got it...Arches.
Arches is just right around the corner from Canyonland, so Vannie said they whipped through both of them in the same day.  Whew!!!

Incredible formations

If you look closely, you can see the people walking through the site.

NEXT...
Colorado National Monument
Grand Junction, CO

Our friend, Patty Black, lives in Grand Junction.
We met Patty many years ago when she and her husband lived in Lafayette.
She went to our church (The Bayou) and taught Vannie's Sunday School.
Patty was a delightful tour guide...she was sooo good that V and D decided to stay 3 days with her.  We were all safe and practiced all the safety measures.

There they are...enjoying every little ounce of the USA...
even though Vannie's shirt says...Paris.  Come on, Vannie...you are not in France anymore.

On every turn there was another magnificent view.

On the road again...
...aspen and mountain maple...


Afton, WY
Home of the world's largest elk horn arch...
Very impressive.!!!

My goodness...Looks like God dropped a rainbow down to Earth...

What next?...
Well, you asked...
Met up with more Bayou Church friends that have moved to Wyoming.
Randy and Laura Storey.  We were all in a Christmas play together...The Christmas Post.
Randy even had a copy.  Lots of laughs watching our performance from so many years ago.  

Randy and Laura have a spectacular view out their window.
Dave said he could have sat there on the sofa and not moved...so relaxing.

AND...
THE GRAND TETONS
After Vannie and Dave left the Storey's, they were just riding along...
AND BAM...there they were...Majestic is hardly enough.
These photos are all in color...but as you see,  it was a cloudy day...
but the Tetons never disappoint...no matter the weather.



They literally take your breath away.

OK, Folks...
This takes us back to Yellowstone...which I wrote about September.
If you missed it, just go back one blog...and there is it.
Here I am...all hooked up and ready to leave Questa.
We'll be back in May of 2021.

Oops...almost forgot.
Vannie is now on the staff of the Questa Del Rio News.
Subscription Manager
Her job is done virtually.  Sometimes she even writes an article.  
If anyone thinks they might like to receive a copy of this delightful small town newspaper, just let her know.  It only comes out on the first of each month...and the email subscription is FREE.


  































Monday, September 28, 2020

A WEE SIDE TRIP...TO YELLOWSTONE

 By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that got left behind)

It was a little chilly just before they left...Northern NM got their first

snow of the season.  It was beautiful, especially for Texas/Louisiana folks.

 
After the snow,

Vannie and Dave decided to take a "wee" side trip to...

...would you believe... Yellowstone.

Yellowstone, the one in the NW corner of Wyoming.

The Yellowstone that is the national park that everyone

has on their bucket list.

Vannie and Dave said that it would be better if

they would go by themselves...leave me in Questa for a few days.

I did not like this plan, but no matter how much I whined,

they stuck to their guns and assured me it was for the best.

So...after they left, I did have some serious relaxing time.

Very quite and peaceful under the western willow trees and

the bluest sky in all of the world.

V and D did have a wonderful trip.  Let me tell you about some of

the highlights of Yellowstone.

Well, first of all, V and D were greeted with this very creative
COVID-19 poster.  The Total number of cases in Yellowstone was
very encouraging...to say the least.
 13 cases and 0 deaths...

They enjoyed a brief stop at the Buffalo Bill Dam just outside Cody, WY.
It's a beautiful arch dam on the Shoshone River.


Whew...this photo makes me dizzy.

Yellowstone Mission Statement:
Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and the majority of the world's geysers and hot springs.  An outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air, Yellowstone is home of the grizzly bear and wolf and free-ranging herds of bison and elk.  Centuries-old sites and historic buildings that reflect the unique heritage of American's first national park are also protected.  Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks throughout the world. 

So...Here we go, Folks...
Hold on to your hats
...The famous Old Faithful.

"Thor she blows"...
Vannie was having a hard time with this selfie.
The excitement of the blast caused her to almost leave Dave out.
Dave...Old Faithful...You can see who won out. 

This was taken on a clearer day.
They were staying in a cabin just around the corner from OF...
so they saw her explore often.

This one was taken on a hike up the mountain.


...and this one around lunchtime...
FYI...The first documentation of OF was in 1870.  She is one predictable lady...erupting every 94 minutes, give or take 10 minutes.  D and V didn't have to check their watches.  They just saw the crowds gathering and knew she was about the blow.

1st Wildlife Sighting
A Raven
Vannie said that this "little" guy was always hanging around the breakfast area.
He looks very "healthy"...
A ranger told V and D that most of the ravens were in the wolf habitat area.
I guess this guy didn't get the memo.

Yellowstone came into being in 1872...the world's first national park.
It has a bunch of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and steam vents.  
Dave said they were literally a hot bed of explosive energy...as in volcano.
YIKES
Volcanos need 3 things to activate...
heat
water
natural "plumbing"
Yellowstone has all three.
There were times they could feel the heat under their feet.
No thermal socks needed in Yellowstone.

A Travertine Pot
This is created by the mix of water and limestone...

Double Bubble Toil and Trouble
Stirring the pot
Vannie said, "Look out, those 3 witches are nearby"    

A Hike
So much to see...

...beautiful waterfalls...

I love this photo...
A hiker had just passed by, obviously...
This apple core was left for some tiny creature to enjoy.

Wildlife sighting #2
A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Enjoy that apple core, little squirrel...
I know...I know...you are saying "Where's the wolves? Where's the bears?"
Vannie said she was thankful that the wolves and bears stayed away.

"Solitary Geyser"
...a hidden geyser just waiting to be discovered...
high on the mountain...only accessible on foot...
Magical  

"Depression Geyser"
This could be named the "Texas" geyser.
That's what D and V called it.  

"Heart Geyser"
One of V and D's favorites...
The blues, whites, oranges...beautiful

This one is making a cone...as in volcano.
Move away from the cone, folks.!!!!

"Goggles Geyser"
Look carefully...

"Blood Geyser"
There is a high concentration of iron oxide in the water here.
That is causing the red-orange "blood".
Halloween's upon us...spooky

"A river of blood"
Dave said, "Where are the zombies?

Wow...looks like a "blood" waterfall...

...and then this...
What happened to these trees?
Fires, Droughts, Wars, Locusts, 
maybe those zombies...
Vannie asked a ranger ...
"Bobbie socks"
These dead trees have soaked up the water filled with minerals.  When the water evaporates, the minerals are left behind, turning the bottom of the trees white.  
Sounds like a science experiment...
Dave remembers when he did the same thing with celery stalks and colored water.

"Spouter Geyser"
V and D said Yellowstone is bubbling up all over the place.


"Rainbow Pool"

"Opalescent Pool"

"Green Spring"

I tried to upload a video.
I don't think it works.
I tried.!!!

Wildlife sighting #3
A Bison
Now, that's one big dude.!
Vannie said he was just minding his own business...all by himself.

Wildlife sighting #4
An Elk
This elk is camouflaged in the forest.
It was D and V's last sighting...still no bears or wolves.
In June a grizzly injured a lady hiking on a trail near Old Faithful.
January 12, 2020, marked the 25th anniversary since wolves returned to Yellowstone.
They inhabit most of the park, peak activity is at dawn and dusk.  
That explains why D and V didn't see any...
And as for the bears...they were extremely glad they didn't see any of those.


Last morning for breakfast in the Old Faithful Lodge...
Last morning to see Old Faithful erupt...
Last morning of exploring the planet Mars...oops, I mean Yellowstone.
It really is like another planet.