NATIVE SPIRITS WINERY

GOODBY TEXAS, HELLO OKLAHOMA

We left Texas looking forward to the Wichita Mountains, a wildlife refuge. We were thinking about camping there but it really is too early in the season. It will be lovely after the trees bud out. The rocky mountains, hills to us, were rugged and beautiful in a primitive way. There were grasslands aloune the way with buffalo, long horned cattle and prairie dogs.

On to the Winery!

PALO DURO TO CAPROCK CANYONS

Palo Duro State Park

This is the first time we have been able to spend the night without a bunch of artificial lights around. The Stars were magnificent. I got up early (but not before Chris) and went for a walk in the morning. I got in some walking and more picture taking.

When I got back to the campground Chris had made coffee and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Coffee always tastes better when it is handed to you!

As we were eating we watched some wild turkeys walking up the rocky hillside. Trudge, trudge, trudge. It took them a long time….

Then, they pushed off and soared back down to the valley floor. It really seemed like they walked all that way just to have the joy of soaring back down.

Up at the entrance on the way out we stopped to see some real Texas Longhorn cattle. Lacey didn’t know quite what to think of those big animals.

Since we enjoyed the campground so much and got a late start we decided that Texas deserved to host us for at least one more night. We are at Caprock Canyons State Park.

As we were exploring a Rangerette came by and told us that there was going to be an “owl walk” so we hurried back, had a little to eat and joined others on the slowest walk I have ever been on. Walk twenty feet, stop and play a screech owl sound, wait and listen, walk twenty or thirty feet and start again. Oh, no talking allowed. I thought wild flower walks were slow!

Another beautiful night full of stars.

AMARILLO TO PALO DURO STATE PARK, Tx

We spent the night at Loves in Amarillo after using the walky-talkys to determine whether Loves or Flying J had better gas prices. Flying J won the gas prize but Loves was a more scenic place to stay J We thought about leaving real early and then decided not. I think it was a good decision since we would have been driving into the sun. Chris has a great Scenic Byways book that suggested that early morning or late afternoon was the best time for a particular drive

After a confab, Chris is off to Amarillo to check out Best Buy and do laundry and I will head on down to Palo Duro.

Along the way south to Palo Duro I saw a large modern church with a 20 foot high banner across the front…PRAY FOR RAIN… this area of Texas is in the midst of a great drought.

Arriving at the Park before Chris, I found there were two campgrounds.. a 30 amp for $23 and a 50 amp for $25. I took two spots at the 30 amp campground and then, after checking both campgrounds drove clear back to the entrance to change to the Mesquite campground. It is open with clear views of the surrounding cliffs… well worth the extra $3.

By the way… if you were born before September 1^st 1930 you can camp FREE at any Texas State Park.

SANTA FE with SHARON and MIKE

Sharon and Judy 40 years later

Detail of one of Sharon' quilts.

I think the last time I saw Sharon was 1972. She thinks 1975. In any case.... a long time so there is a lot to visit about. Santa Fe is known for many things... Georgia O"Keefe, Opera, Art, Restarants.... Sharon and Mike"s new favorite is Jambo, African homestyle cooking. It was great and I have some leftover for tonight! Check it out at www,Jambocafe.net.

I ended up staying in Sharon and Mike’s condo parking lot and slept well despite worry about glasses. By morning I had decided to get my

Rx from Dr. Dixon and have Lenscrafters make me a new pair. I figured that if they couldn’t make them in a day that I could pick them up at Lenscrafters in Oklahoma City. (There are three stores there).

Mike and Sharon’s Café had coffee, eggs and sausage on the menu and I even got a load of wash done. Thanks, S&M!

The Goldworks said they could probably fix the glasses so I decided to get them fixed and order a new pair.

Mike took me downtown since Sharon is suffering terrifically from the Juniper Pollen in the air. Goldworks did a great job with my glasses… so good I decided I didn’t need another pair (which meant that Chris and I could follow our plans to meet in Amarillo tonight) While we were waiting for the glasses Mike showed me a little of the Santa Fe Plaza and we went into Packards, (shoppackards.com), a beautiful Indian Arts store that has been on the Plaza since 1920. It appears that I should treat the Ganado Rugs that I inherited from my folks with more respect. Mike also took me to a camera store where I was able to get SD card that will accommodate my microSD card in my phone so that I can easily download phone pictures to my computer. Kit had showed me how in Kingman. Thanks, Kit!

I have always known that Sharon was artistically talented and I have known for years that she was making quilts but this was the first time I had an opportunity to see some of them. Wow! She made the one in the pictures for her grandson. I only saw pictures of the one she made for her daughter depicting her athletic accomplishments. Many panels from the time Lara was sledding at six years to rock climbing as an adult. Awesome work!

ALBUQUERQUE TO SANTA FE

We spent the night at Enchanted Trails RV Park where Chris has stayed when visiting her Dad. It was great to have electricity. Caught up with CNN and the Weather Channel. We have had beautiful, clear weather so far. I hope we can stay inbetween storms for a while. I just looked at Chris' new blog. You sure can write a lot more when you get up at 5am!

How nice to relax through the morning. At about noon I headed up to Santa Fe. First stop was at Trader Joe’s and, boy, did I stock up. I should have enough Tart Montmorency Cherries and almonds to last the whole trip. They are staples in my oatmeal… along with pieces of apple.

OH, NO! While arranging groceries I grabbed my glasses the wrong way and they BROKE in half at the bridge. I do have a backup pair but they are fragile, rimless glasses that will never last the trip.

I had arranged to visit with Germaine before meeting Sharon. Germaine is a Solo Trekker and was at Amado. We had communicated earlier and she had graciously offered her driveway for my night in Santa Fe. When I got there the smell of homemade bread wafted out the door. We had a great visit with warm bread and real butter before I headed for Sharon’s house around 4:00.

Sharon and I met in about 1960 while we were both at San Francisco State. Today she was busy making Cambodian Lemon Grass Curry for the Interfaith Shelter that their church helps support. Another great smell as I arrived at their home. Mike took the curry and went to help at the shelter and we went to Jambo.

Glasses! After dinner we went to Lens crafters to see if they could fix my glasses. Sorry… they are titanium and so we can’t fix them but perhaps the Solder Man can… so I called him. Well, he didn’t have the right materiel to fix them but perhaps The Goldworks on the Plaza would be able to help you….but they are closed by now.

I will call tomorrow.

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK

We spent the night at the south entrance of Petrified Forest National Park. I need to remember to have my "NP Passport" stamped! http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm