OH MY ACHING JOINTS

By

Gypsy Rhapsody 

(a 1977 Airstream that has owners that tend to over do the hiking)

Will they every learn?

Too much hiking at 73 might just cause a wee bit of pain.

"Ouch...Waa...

I can't put on my socks...

My hip hurts..

Oh, my sore knee...

My back is broken...

Get the ice pack...

Turn on the heating pad..."

See what I have to put up with.

That's all I've been hearing lately.

V and D...Do you think you might have overdone it a little?

Oh well...They have completed some phenomenal hikes this summer.

They are on the mends now, and they both said it was worth it.

The summer began with the Las Vista de Questa Trail to
the lower overlook.  

It's always a good one to start with, because it's

not quite as difficult as some of the others.

In fact, they completed it twice.

Once by themselves, and

then a second time with friends, Scotty and Brooke,
 from Youngsville, LA.


water...check
snacks...check
What you are waiting for...get going...




A good walking stick is a must.


Because of all the snow this past winter,
the windflowers were blooming like crazy.




Brooke and Scotty...from Youngsville, LA
A couple of flatlanders...younger than V and D,
but according to Dave...they held their own.


It's all worth it, when a view like this is enjoyed.


Yes...when you are an old hiker...praying is a given.
V and D always like to hike up to the Questa cemetery
at least once during the summer.
It is right up the road from where we are parked.


The road up is a wee bit steep, but doable.


Best summer for wildflowers.
They love showing off their glorious colors.


Never know what you might see on the trail...
a blast from the past...


YIKES..
See what watching too much TV will do for you.


Guadalupe Trail in the Wild Rivers Area
OK...look carefully...Do you see the "Big Foot" print
next to Vannie's boot?  Very Interesting.!!!!


These little blue bells are out of focus,
but so adorable.  Vannie said you
could almost hear the faint sound of a jingle.


This trail proved to be much harder than they realized it would be.
Lots of beautiful scenery
Lots of really rocky trails
Lots of sore aching muscles

These guys (big horn sheep) greeted Vannie and Dave

on their last hike of the summer...Pescado Trail.

Dave said it seemed as if they just stopped

and contemplated the thought of a couple of old hikers

invading their territory. 

The Pescado Trail begins at the Wild Rivers Visitor Center
and ends at the New Mexico Fish Hatchery.
The sign says...1.7 miles...one way.
Dave said he thought it was at least 10 miles...
maybe more.  lol


According to Vannie, the trail teases you at the beginning.
Seems like a breeze...


As usual, Dave is getting a little close to the edge.


There's the fish hatchery...a LONG way away.


Nature...So Amazing...


The Red River...They had to cross it to get to the Hatchery.
There was a bridge a little further down the trail.
Thank goodness.


The Hatchery
WOW...Hey...where's your fishing poles?


Rested...
Now, time to start back up the trail...


"Dancing Trees"
Vannie and Dave didn't feel like dancing, but
were encouraged by these gems in the forest
to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Whew...
Ouch...my hip...Ouch...my knees
Where did we put the Ibuprofen?
Do we still have some of that 2 Old Goats Lotion?

Well, maybe by next summer, V and D will be healed
and can try out some new places.

William's Lake
Mt. Whitney
On their bucket list...

  

GYPSY GETS A MAKEOVER

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that loves being a girl)

It's be 8 years since I was rescued by Vannie and Dave.

They had a blast pulling out stuff and putting in stuff...

washing, cleaning, reupholstering, painting, and just fixing

their decorating touches on every inch of me.

A month or so ago they decided it was time to give me a new look.

I was all for it, because what girl doesn't love a makeover.

They put on their thinking caps and did a bunch of hashing out of ideas.

The one idea that kept coming back to the forefront was the French

gypsy wagons they had toured in the south of France several years ago.

Colorful...yes!  Showy...yes!  Gaudy...yes, again!   Vannie's vote...let's do it!

Dave's vote...Yes, Mam!

The biggest changeover was going to be in my main living area. 

         1.  Remove and sell the long side sofa.  It wasn't comfortable...so it had to

               go.

         2.  Vannie's Cousin Janet had given them 2 chairs.  They

               wanted to use those where the sofa had been.

         3.  Recovering the small sofa at the back would coordinate better with the

               theme.

         4.  Paint the ceiling a pale blue would make me look a whole bunch brighter.

         5.  A small fireplace heater would be really cozy between the 2 chairs.

         6.  A new round rug was a must.

         7.  Something needed to be done with the light fixtures.

         8.  The curtains were way too plain.  Glue on fringe to jazz them up.

         9.  The bedspreads needed to be just a little longer.  Some braid, maybe.

I think you are going to be blown away with the outcome.

Oo-la-la...  I am feeling like a new woman.  

Move over, Ms. French Gypsy Wagon...

Mama's got a brind new bag.!!!

I'm feeling the love.

What girl doesn't like fringe.!!!

Dave found this perfect rug on Amazon.

Oh My Goodness.

Decorator Dave has done it again.

He actually ordered the strings of crystals

and created this with some glue and the crystals

and lots of imagination.

Mood Lighting...

That warm glow is so relaxing.

You can kinda see the blue ceiling in this picture.

The kitchen is about the same.

It is amazing what Vannie can throw together in this small space.

She can cook 8 loaves of banana bread that her convection oven.

Another chandelier in the bedroom???

Yes, indeedy.!!

The middle of this one was a Christmas ornament

that Vannie had won at a Sunday School

steal-a-gift party years ago.

It's amazing that she had held on to it. 

The bedspreads needed a little jazzing up,

so braid was added. 

Just the right touch.

The pictures don't do me justice, so whenever we are in your neck of the woods, come on over for a cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread. 

You will be glad you did.

ALBUQUERQUE BIOPARK

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream with lots of love for anything New Mexico)

Just when Vannie and Dave thought

they had seen all Albuquerque had to offer,

the BioPark pops up on Google.

Well, OK...V and D said, "Let's do it.!"

They quickly found out the BioPark has a bunch of parts and/or parks.

There is the Botanical Garden,

the Aquarium,

the Zoo,

and

Tingley Beach.

(a beach in Albuqerque...yeah, right.)

 Dave could tell these folks from New Mexico

about a beach...as in Holly Beach in Louisiana...

Now, that's a beach, and don't let anybody tell you any different.

Ya, hear.!!!

So, with that said, they parked my big self at the 

Coronado State Park in Bernalillo. 

I love staying here with that beautiful New Mexico sky overhead

and the grand Sandia Mountains right next door.

 

Then they headed to their friend, Loretta's.  Loretta was 

busy helping a sick friend, so that's when Vannie and Dave started

looking for places to explore.  When they got to the BioPark, they

decided that the Botanical Garden  and the Aquarium were 

enough to start with.  Next time they are in town, they will

do the zoo and Tingley Beach.

Come on along, Folks, Let's see a little more of Albuquerque.

Which way is the wind blowing?

Vannie said these weather vanes were greeting all the tourists

at the entrance.  So pretty against that gorgeous sky.

First stop...Aquarium

Vannie said these kids reminded her of all those field trips

to the NOLA Aquarium.  The kids were always mesmerized...

just like these little boys.  Much better than sitting on the couch staring at the IPAD. 

God's Creatures...Magnificent  

Can you see these?

Almost like a seahorse...but not.

"Leafy Sea Dragon"

On to the Arboretum...

Vannie was looking stunning in her

red poppy shirt from Target in Austin, TX

and

her blue sky with clouds jacket from the London Airport.

Over one shoulder was her red leather purse from a Love's Truck Stop 

somewhere between Hillsboro, TX and Questa, NM.

Her gray baseball cap was from the Caribel Condo's in Red River, NM.

Her sunglasses came from Young Eyes in Youngsville, LA. 

Now, dat's sum fashionista.

Dave said this little jewel looks like a Louisiana iris.

But since he was at the Albuquerque Arboretum, 

it's probably just a relative.

Nothing prettier than a bearded iris

The Desert Conservatory shows off a variety of plants 

from the deserts of the southwest.

The Albuquerque Botanical Gardens are ranked 5th in the nation.

There are 36 acres of gardens, more than 1.5 miles of paths, Japanese garden, children's garden, and its connection to the BioPark's zoo and aquarium.

A Couple of Blooming Idiots...

Did I say that?  No, I didn't.  Not me.  Never.

The Peace Rose is forever and ever beautiful.

Heritage Farm Area

There are classes taught here in how to start your own home vineyard.

You are taught how to propagate grapes from hardwood cuttings of several different varieties.

Let me get this straight...Dave, are you learning how to start a vineyard?

Remember, we move around a lot...I just don't think this is going to work.

Read my lips...It ain't going to happen.

I know.  They make it look so easy.

Thank goodness, we are out of the vineyard.

Moving right along to the Sasebo Japanese Gardens...

Vannie wants us to notice the white flowering tree as you look through this gate.

This is the flowers..close up...

Kinda reminded Vannie of a dogwood tree.

This garden was built in honor of Sasebo, one of Albuquerque's sister cities.

The four-acre garden has a waterfall, koi pond, and a variety of Japanese and local plants.

Magnificent Koi Pond

Vannie said she was wishing she had brought along her painting supplies.

 Not Monet's Garden in Giverny, France, but sure felt like it.

So many beautiful water lilies...

Railroad Hill

Dave said this was one of his favorite spots.

This miniature train layout was fascinating.  

As V and D walked out of the gardens, 

they spotted this newly renovated 1930's motel just across the street.

It is located along the historical Route 66.

One of the rooms was recreated into a delightful little shop.

Vannie waves "Hello" through the window of a refurbished car door.

This coffee shop was literally screaming to come in 

and have a pastry and latte.

You think Dave was ready for a break.?  Yep, he was definitely ready.

That was some talented barista. 

Dave said she poured and pushed

and poured and pushed...and

then this happened.

Remember to...

Show Peace...

Love More...

and

Take time to smell the roses...

It's all worth it.