retired – Life after Leukemia

RODEO

What’s in Clovis NM besides fields full of cows? The rodeo. That’s right I diverted our trip home 250 miles south to see the Pioneer Days PRCA Rodeo and it was worth every mile. It was 2+ hours of nonstop entertainment. There was bare back bronco riding, roping competitions, stunt riders, barrel racing, bull riding and mutton busting. I would go again.

Mutton busting is when a little kid gets on the back of a sheep and holds on for all they’re worth. It doesn’t take long for the sheep to shed the kid. The sheep are happy to be rid of the child and they are none the worse for it. The kids get big applause, an official competition bib and a score, so they are tickled pink. It sounds strange, but it’s cute as heck.

Now it really is time to start heading North and East. Saturday, we make our way into Oklahoma. It’s pretty here. Unlike New Mexico and Texas, there are lakes and streams. The fields are bright green, where the soil is exposed its terracotta red. It seems like you could scoop up a handful of soil and mold it into a clay pot. There are deciduous trees everywhere. Towers of leafy green goodness. I’ve missed trees.

By the time we arrive at our campsite it is apparent that I have an infection. I have become adept at picking up the early signs. I’m on antibiotics 2-4 times a year. First thought; Great, I’m in Fornicating Fly, Oklahoma and I need to locate a medical facility. Second thought; Why is this happening? Are my blood counts out of whack? Do I have leukemia? The cold stab of fear catches me off guard. After all these years I’m still anxious?

The unfamiliar surroundings have thrown me for a loop. I locate a clinic 20 miles away. They close at five. I drive like a bat out of hell to get there. When the young attendant takes my blood pressure she exclaims “It’s really high.” She looks at me like I’m an overfull water ballon that could burst at any instant. The second reading is also high. Eventually, the nurse practitioner takes my blood pressure manually. It has come down to 150/90. Still high, but not scary. I explain to her I’m a little amped up and why. She is casually efficient; calm and competent. She sends a couple of prescriptions to Walgreens. The pharmacy closes at six. I zip over there and get the goods. The health care system in this country is tremendous. I was examined, diagnosed, and had a prescription in hand in a little over an hour.

The night brings heavy rain. Thunder booms and the rain pounds our camper. I realize that I’ve missed rain too. Our little Winnebago holds up fine. No leaks, thank God. Sunday I am not feeling chipper, so we content ourselves with some souvenir shopping. I had hoped to go for a bike ride in the large state park. Oh well. Sometimes you must accept what life gives you. Tomorrow we will be in Oklahoma for another night and then on to Missouri. We’re closing in on home.

Whoops! I spoke too soon. We’re unable to travel Monday because of tornado warnings in most of Oklahoma. We’re in the southwest corner of the state so hopefully we’ll be safe here.

Stay tuned…

Big Bend NP – WOW

We drove into Big Bend under cool cloudy skies heavy with rain. Ironic. We’re entering the Chihuahuan desert and it’s the same weather we left in Mass. Before long the rain gave way to drizzle, then fog. Winding through the mountains on an unfamiliar road pulling a trailer through thick fog requires concentration. I’m glad to be driving. I would be more nervous as a passenger. (Steve can confirm, I’m a lousy passenger) Finally, we arrive at our campground “Road Runner RV Park.” Setting up camp goes smoothly. We’re getting the hang of this.

Monday, we head into the park and spend the day travelling on the Ross Maxwell scenic drive. The weather is splendid, still cool enough to wear jeans. The scenery is spectacular. Pictures can’t do it justice. The park is a vast panorama of jagged mountains, flat topped plateaus, and buttes. The land mass is over 800,000 acres. To my delight the cactus are blooming. Many stops are required for me to photograph the blossoms.

We also visit the remnants of pioneer homes. I am amazed that people chose to settle in this harsh remote environment. I don’t know how they did it. It would be an arduous journey. When they arrived, they had to find water and food and build a shelter. One couple installed a wind driven well. They planted pecan and fig trees which still survive. They are supplied with well water to this day.

The following day we drove into the park to take in the dinosaur exhibit and the Chisos Basin. Many fossils have been discovered in Big Bend and they have an excellent roadside exhibit. The Chisos basin is an adventurous drive complete with hairpin turns and steep hills. Again, the scenery is indescribable. We also visited the grave of Nina Hannold, a 29-year-old mother of three. She died of Uremic poisoning (kidney failure) in 1911, probably brought on by dehydration. Once more I am stunned that anyone, let alone a couple with young children, would attempt to live here at that time. The temperature rises steadily throughout the day; it’s 90* by the time the sun sets.

Wednesday is river day. We spent the day paddling canoes on the Rio Grande. Sadly, the River is extremely low on water. We had a great trip and got to navigate through some minor rapids, but there is the only one traversable section of the river. In this part of the country the mighty Rio Grande is mostly dry creek bed. By the time we finished paddling at 2:00pm temperatures were soaring near 100*. We were glad to be done.

The Big Bend leg of our trip wrapped up Thursday with a drive to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We traveled on HWY FM 170 from Terlingua to Presidio. National Geographic rates this road one of the 10 most scenic in the US, with good reason. We made time for a short hike and lunch in Lajitas. Now it’s time to move on. See you in Carlsbad or maybe Santa Fe.

Hot Springs AR not so hot

By the time we arrived at Hot Springs and got the camper set up in Gulpha Gorge campground it was late afternoon. We hopped in our truck and drove into town under darkening skies and drizzle. My initial impression was not favorable. “This is it? This sucks.” I groaned. I returned to the campground a bit dejected. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Upon further reflection I realized that was a bit harsh.

I thought downtown would be historic buildings, period details, and manicured grounds. There are several antique bath houses, but many notable buildings have been destroyed by fires and floods over the years. In their place parking garages and mundane structures have been erected. The park service owns one of the old bath houses and it’s been converted into a visitor center. It’s not a national park as much as a historic monument. The surrounding hills are the national park and there’s not much to it. It is not Yosemite; That’s all I’m saying.

We did have an enjoyable time though and as we spent more time Hot Springs grew on me. We had breakfast at the Pancake Shop. They have been in business since the 1940s. We took in the view from the Mountain Tower and went to the Gangster Museum. The museum was interesting. Hot Springs was built on booze, gambling, and brothels. The local police and politicians protected the illegal activity, making it a hotspot for gangsters. Baseball teams had spring training there. Celebrities and wealthy people frequented the casinos, and they all came to “take the waters.”

The following day Steve and I went to the Quapaw Bath House and relaxed in the mineral rich spring water. It didn’t cure Steve’s arthritis, but it did soothe my muscles after a morning hike. We finished the day at Grateful Head, an open-air beer garden overlooking downtown. All in all, we had a good time.

Hot Springs could be so much more if the state poured some money into revamping downtown. Maybe build a 1930 style casino. We did see several buildings being renovated which is encouraging. If you visit Hot Springs let me know what you think. As for us, we left a day early to begin our multi-day journey across Texas down to Big Bend NP.

Thanks for joining us on our trip.

Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? Why yes, it is. We’re here in Chattanooga enjoying the sites. The trip down was pleasant. Every time we drive through Virginia, I think we should move there.

The first day driving through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains was beautiful. The eastern red buds, and forsythia were in full bloom decorating the roadside. Cruising down Rt 81 singing to the radio is a wonderful ride. Steve had the pleasure of listening to me sing for hours on end.

During the trip we started getting an alert every time I hit the brakes: “Service Advance Trac”. Huh, I wonder what that means. Steve works at Acton Ford and he’s friendly with the mechanics so he gave them a call. His friend Dave advised us that it probably is not a major issue.

The second day we drove in rain, sometimes torrential. We also got an additional alert: “Pre Collision Assist Not Working”. Luckily, I don’t plan on having a collision. Every time we hit the brakes it dings and flashes. At the very least it’s annoying. Again, no one thinks this is alarming. I guess I won’t worry about it. Thankfully, we arrive at our campground Raccoon Mountain safely. Let’s check out Chattanooga.

Steve is a car guy. The Coker Auto Museum is right up his alley. I’m not usually interested in transportation museums, but this place is amazing. Dozens of antique motorcycles are displayed 3 high along the walls. They look incredibly dangerous to ride and I’m sure they were. The car collection is diverse. Everything from an Italian luxury auto to delivery trucks to roadsters. The museum is connected to an auto restoration garage. You can see all the projects they’re working on; it’s fascinating. They also have a carpentry shop where they make wooden spoke wheels. I thoroughly enjoyed The Coker Museum.

In the afternoon we visited Montague Park sculpture field. I like sculpture parks. The size and scope of the park was enthralling. How much time, energy and money goes into creating and displaying these massive works of art? Steve is less enthused, but he goes along with me.

I planned Thursday’s itinerary, so I left Friday up to Steve and he knocked it out of the park. I have been looking forward to riding the incline railroad, but they closed it for repairs April 8^th. Can you believe it? We missed it by a couple of days. Instead, Steve planned on driving up Look Out Mountain to take in the view. We accidentally found Rock City. We had no idea what it was. It turned out to be the most incredible botanical garden I have ever seen. Steve isn’t really into gardens, but it was his turn to be pleasantly surprised. We both loved it. I’m devoting one whole page to the photos. After Rock city we stumbled upon Point Park. A national park memorializing the battle of Lookout Mountain. What a great day to wrap up our stay in Chattanooga.

Saturday we’ll hang out and get ready for departure. On to Hot Springs Arkansas. Thanks for following along…