NOT MY FIRST RODEO

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that knows how it's done)

Yep, Folks, this is not my first rodeo.
I know how it's done, and I'm always ready
to do it.  "It" being moving from one spot
to the next...and enjoying every minute of every mile.


We said bye, bye to our "sweet spot" in
Gloria Gonzales' RV
in Questa, NM.
 See ya next summer, Gloria.


Vannie and Dave pointed me in the direction of Rio Rancho, NM
where they gathered with friends...Judy, Helen, Loretta, and Carmen.


V and D always love having a sleepover with Loretta
(friend from Lafayette now living in NM) and Rudy (dog)...
and watching DWTS. 
They LOVE watching it with
both of them...especially when an Airstream shows up.



Bottomless Lake State Park near Roswell, NM
Always a fun and interesting place to stop for an overnight-er.
Check out this pic showing a relative of mine parked close by.
Guess the Airstream Gods were hovering over Roswell...
or some such nonsense.  LOL


The Wetlands Trail...in NM
Who'd thunk it?
This was a new addition since our last visit to
this state park.




Vannie and Dave could hardly wait to explore the trail.


Almost felt like Louisiana...


except no alligators...
This little bird was enjoying itself so much.


According to this plague, it is an American avocet.
It is related to the egret and heron...only with shorter legs.
 They are both referred to as shorebirds and/or wading birds.

Pass the salt, please. 
These grasses along the path have
adapted to the salt.  These plants are called "halophytes."
They can tolerate...or even rely on...salt in the soil.
Another phenomenon...salty areas in NM...
Who'd thunk it???




Special Sunflowers that are "halophytes".
The Pecos Sunflower...


Ahhhh...back among my people...and my daughter, Minnie G.
Hillsboro, Texas
North Texas Airstream Community


Greeted with a beautiful sunset over Walmart...
Yes, even sunsets can make Walmart look great.!!!


...and gorgeous crepe myrtle trees.




Vannie and Dave could hardly wait to get to Austin
to see the grandkids...Maddie and Vincent.
Maddie started off the visit with a style show...
first she dressed like a pig and tried to look like a pig.


...then a little glamour queen...


...her best friend, Audra, got in on the fun.
Roll out the red carpet.!!!!


Play Ball...
Vincent stepped up on the pitcher's mound.
This was his first game to pitch.
Vannie and Dave are still talking about it.
So proud.!!!


The kids came home with V and D.
Maddie loves the "rainbow bridge" at NTAC.
She was pretending it was the Billy Goat's Gruff's bridge.


Vincent hanging out in "Me" waiting for breakfast.


Maddie ready to dig in.


Whitney's Pioneer Days Fair...
Whitney, TX
It was hot, but Vincent and Maddie didn't seem to care. 
Vannie thought those burlap bags looked kind of scratchy.


Swinging Free...


Hillsboro City Park


Hello, Folks


Waco Zoo
A 2 hour stop on the way back to Austin
Dave said that the Waco Zoo is one of the best in the area.


Vannie said, "Never too old to enjoy the elephants."


Back in Austin and Vincent enjoying
backyard baseball...mud and all...


Maddie and Audra inside doing paint projects...


Just have to love those hand-prints on the backdoor glass.

New Mexico...check
Loretta and Rudy...check
Bottomless Lake...check
Hillsboro...check
Austin kids...check
Back in Hillsboro...check...
WAIT...is that Dave on a ladder...
Caught in the act...busted.!!!
I told him..."Don't do it, Dave...Vannie is not going to like it.
She said NO LADDERS unless I am around."

Well, to make a long story short...
She didn't kill him.!!!!

So...moving right along...
Airstream Rally in Brownwood, TX
Can't wait...Actually, I think MinnieG is handling this one.

Enjoy V and D and MinnieG

THE PASEO...OUTDOOR ART FESTIVAL...TAOS, NM

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(an 1977 Airstream that likes to take a stroll once in a while)

Paseo

(a leisurely walk or stroll, especially one taken in the evening)

...and what a evening stroll it was...

Vannie, Dave, and Bernice friends (Jimmye and Jo), 

had an evening that practically blew their minds away.

Art, Science, and Technology in every direction in Taos...

...in Kit Carson Park...

...down the streets leading from the park...

...around the plaza...

...back of the plaza...

...in the John Dunn area...

A M A Z I N G

I just wish I could have been there strolling...

but I'm just a wee bit too big.  Shucks...

\
The Gang waved bye bye to me early.
They were on a mission to get ANOTHER fix of Taos Cow ice cream.

Jo had her heart set on raspberry chocolate...but, alas,

they were did not have that one available...

...so she opted for the Rio Grande Chocolate with a dab of

cherry chocolate on top...

D E L I C O U S

Vannie said that girl knows her ice cream.

They made it to Taos...no worse for the wear after the supper consisting of ice cream.

The John Dunn Shops were having a recycled fashion exhibit.

Dave said there were some VERY interesting creations. 

The plastic spoons gown was one of Vannie's faves.

S T U N N I N G 

Then on to Kit Carson Park...

They wanted to be the first in line for the Space Cloud...

and they were. Surprise Surprise...

It was the "Clouds" first visit from Spain (where it was created)

to North America.

Vannie said that she and Ann Dalme (Lafayette Teacher Friend) made a smaller version 

of this when they were teaching Gifted in Lafayette.

Their mentor, Nancy Ehert, had introduced them to the concept,

and they said, "Let's do it".

So...Spain don't have nothin' on them.!!!!

This one was definitely a bit more elaborate than their's.

The door keeper would not let The Gang enter until it got dark...

for obvious reasons.

S E N S A T I O N A L 

It was held up by air and could accommodate several hundred people at one time.

Vannie's could hold about 12 max.

Inside were several stations where one could experience

 a variety of science, art, and technology.

Vannie looks like she is about to "beam up".

R E M A R K A B L E 

The virtual reality station was...

S H O C K I N G. 

Dave said he was literally transported into the movie, Avatar...

expect with shapes, art, and space rather than with animals or plants or people. 

K E E P   S T A N D I N G,  D A V E 

There were various tunnels leading The Gang to another experience.

B E A U T I F U L 

These dancers were interpreting the images projected on the wall,

along with the sound that they were experiencing.

I M P O S I N G   

One tunnel led to an outside courtyard.

There were dancers and music.

The moon was becoming part of the adventure.

It was lighting the way to all the stations.

M Y S T I C A L 

You can see the vastness of the Space Cloud in this picture. 

B R E A T H T A K I N G 

After leaving the Cloud, the Gang stumbled their way toward the rest of the park.

D A R K

The Tepee 

The local school kids had a project that included

using Tagtool (a computer program) to "paint" the outside

of this tepee with images that represented

 indigenous and Western explorations of the universe.

WOW

Circular Dimensions

This was a live laboratory of "microscopic video paintings"

performed with digital microscopes, 3D glasses and live projections.

I N T E R A C T I V E 

After leaving the park area...there was much more to experience.

This team of artists were from Bogota, Colombia and Albuquerque.

The Landscape Re-Invention Society

This group uses space and physical theater...

and they do it all on stilts.

 S O    T A L E N T E D 

They move silently through the streets of Taos

re-inventing the architecture and space.

I M P R E S S I V E 

CauseLines: Coherence/Interference

An audience-generated sound and video performance 

created in response to the nearby Chevron Questa Mine Superfund site.

T H O U G H T    P  R O V O K I N G  

Virtual Umbrellas

What would Gene Kelly say about this?

D A N C I N G    I N    T H E    R AI N

Looking up into the umbrella

N O T   W A T E R   R E P E L L E N T 

Cross-Pollination Portraits

Through coding and the use of electronic gaming

equipment, the audience engages in the

digital weaving of unique human features into oneness.

OK...coding, digital weaving...

I N T R I G U I N G 

Gleamscape...

Musical instruments were used to send ripples of color

and 3D patterns across a vast landscape in Parr Field.

This was created right behind the plaza...next to the Catholic Church.

P H E N O M E N A L 

The evening was completed with a star gazing adventure .

...beside me (GR)

...right in Gloria Gonzales' RV Park.

The stars/planets were incredible....

...The Big Dipper

...The Bear

...Saturn

...Mars

The night sky over Questa was all part of The Paseo...

as least to Vannie, Dave, Jo, and Jimmye.

A W E - I N S P I R I N G