I woke up in Cortez Colorado this morning ready to make my way to Monument Valley but decided to check my email one more time before leaving the campsite. This is when I found out that really I needed to go to Malaysia where an extra pair of hand is needed. I am not going to explain but an extra pair of hand IS needed.
And thanks to the wonder of technology, I bought a plane ticket, found storage for the camper while I am gone etc etc, drove the 400+kilometers to the nearest town with an airport etc. Busy day.
So tomorrow morning I am flying to Kuala Lumpur.
Now the only problem is getting to the airport because I am in a campground out of town (where the camper will be stored) and my cell phone stopped working so calling a cab is now gone to the world of "difficult". Funny isn't it. There are no more pay phones to be had so having sorted out everything else I am stuck at finding a way to make a call tomorrow morning early....too early to have the office of the campground open and too early to ask another camper. Well, by tomorrow morning my cell may work again.
Also I have to pack, but that's not major.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The Roulotte of my Dreams
When I was a kid, and when I first realized that I was going to stop working, both times, the dream was to have a "roulotte" (no idea what the word is in English, goes to show how old the dream is for me because there isn't very many concepts or objects that I first think about in french).
Between Big Bend and Three Rivers I stopped at Balmorhea State Park (and this time it was warm enough that I could swim in the warm springs) and I saw the roulottte of my dreams.
When I was a kid the dream was not practical enough to include a particular way of pulling it. But as a first gut reaction when I was in Jo'burg facing retirement I wanted a little cart like that one (even the shape is exactly right) but smaller and a donkey to pull it.
It is a gypsies dream, it comes from my grand father.
Between Big Bend and Three Rivers I stopped at Balmorhea State Park (and this time it was warm enough that I could swim in the warm springs) and I saw the roulottte of my dreams.
When I was a kid the dream was not practical enough to include a particular way of pulling it. But as a first gut reaction when I was in Jo'burg facing retirement I wanted a little cart like that one (even the shape is exactly right) but smaller and a donkey to pull it.
It is a gypsies dream, it comes from my grand father.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
While in Texas I went back to Big Bend National Park for a few days. I meant to hit a few more places in Texas but as I was heading north strong winds started and would not stop. I mean really strong winds. Driving against the wind my fuel consumptions was about 50% higher than usual...this kind of wind.
So I ended up back in New Mexico and this time I went to Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. I spent a week there and it was wonderful.
There are 21 thousand petroglyphs so there was a lot of exploring to do.
Here are some of my favourites:
there area ll kinds of weird and wonderful creatures
this one (below) I think is so sweet. It makes me think of an illustration for a kids story. Something about the little creature (who reminds me of Piglet) holding a branch to the sun while his friend the mountain goat watches. I love this petroglyph.
Quite a few bird representations.
Famous sad face.
An animal with antlers above a very common circular design. There are a lot of circular design petroglyphs.
Another one which makes me think of illustration for a story.
This one is quite special I think, and judging from the lack of footprints around it not very often visited.
So I ended up back in New Mexico and this time I went to Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. I spent a week there and it was wonderful.
There are 21 thousand petroglyphs so there was a lot of exploring to do.
Here are some of my favourites:
there area ll kinds of weird and wonderful creatures
this one (below) I think is so sweet. It makes me think of an illustration for a kids story. Something about the little creature (who reminds me of Piglet) holding a branch to the sun while his friend the mountain goat watches. I love this petroglyph.
Quite a few bird representations.
Famous sad face.
An animal with antlers above a very common circular design. There are a lot of circular design petroglyphs.
Another one which makes me think of illustration for a story.
This one is quite special I think, and judging from the lack of footprints around it not very often visited.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Stark Museum of Art in Orange Texas
After a couple of weeks in Louisiana I basically turned around and started traveling west. I re-entered Texas on the interstate even though I seldom travel on interstates. And so went to the Stark Museum of Art in Orange Texas.
I was blown away. I strongly recommend The Stark Museum of Art if you are at all into art from the early days of whites in America.
They have an fabulous collection. Apparently they have the best collection of Paul Kane's work in the world. Here is one of the famous Paul Kane painting:
But most of all for me they had a few of the portrait of the American Indian chiefs who went to Washington. those portraits were commissioned by the US government in a moment a great insight when somebody realized the value of such thing. You see those portrait in all books dealing with the subject. I had seen them many times and never hoped to see they "in the flesh".
This was unfortunately the start of the REAL bad problems with my camera so I have limited photos and they are not that great. A lot of those photos were lost too.
When I was there they had an exhibition of Navajo rugs.
I was blown away. I strongly recommend The Stark Museum of Art if you are at all into art from the early days of whites in America.
They have an fabulous collection. Apparently they have the best collection of Paul Kane's work in the world. Here is one of the famous Paul Kane painting:
But most of all for me they had a few of the portrait of the American Indian chiefs who went to Washington. those portraits were commissioned by the US government in a moment a great insight when somebody realized the value of such thing. You see those portrait in all books dealing with the subject. I had seen them many times and never hoped to see they "in the flesh".
This was unfortunately the start of the REAL bad problems with my camera so I have limited photos and they are not that great. A lot of those photos were lost too.
When I was there they had an exhibition of Navajo rugs.
Armadillos
Wow, I am really not blogging a lot these days....and I am blogging totally out of sequence. I actually don't like blogging out of sequence so I probably will mostly skip a all bunch of stuff I did.
However let me just post one more thing about Louisiana: Armadillos.
I went to two or three (can't recall) state parks in Louisiana and I saw loads of armadillos. They are really quite cool creatures. It is hard to see their faces because their nose is always half buried in leaves as they are hunting for worms and bugs and when their face is up it is because they are running away from you.
If you want to see a lot of armadillos go to Chicot State Park in Louisiana. It truly is a great state park and the state arboretum being part of it makes it even better. In fact even if you don't particularly want to see armadillos but are in Louisiana I recommend Chicot state park.
I have never before posted a movie and I tried here but my connection here is not good enough. I'll try again when I am somewhere with a good connection because I shot with my camera a very short little movie of an armadillo.
OK, I think it is loaded.
I have had camera problems and I realized while trying to find my armadillo pictures that hundreds of photos were lost somehow.
However let me just post one more thing about Louisiana: Armadillos.
I went to two or three (can't recall) state parks in Louisiana and I saw loads of armadillos. They are really quite cool creatures. It is hard to see their faces because their nose is always half buried in leaves as they are hunting for worms and bugs and when their face is up it is because they are running away from you.
If you want to see a lot of armadillos go to Chicot State Park in Louisiana. It truly is a great state park and the state arboretum being part of it makes it even better. In fact even if you don't particularly want to see armadillos but are in Louisiana I recommend Chicot state park.
I have never before posted a movie and I tried here but my connection here is not good enough. I'll try again when I am somewhere with a good connection because I shot with my camera a very short little movie of an armadillo.
OK, I think it is loaded.
I have had camera problems and I realized while trying to find my armadillo pictures that hundreds of photos were lost somehow.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Whopping Cranes in Texas
One of the places I went to between Big Bent National Park Texas and the Mississippi River is Goose Lake State Park in Texas right next to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. I went there because it is a good place to see some of the whopping cranes on their wintering ground. This is not the only place where you can see whopping cranes in winter.
Here are bits and pieces of the one sign about them in the park put up by Texas State Parks.
Since I was in Wood Buffalo National Park this summer, it is nice to "catch" the cranes here in Texas.
For the record Wood Buffalo National Park is mostly in Alberta but also partly in the Northwest Territories so the part of the sign below is not entirely accurate. But then again they actually knew it was Canada so they are above average right there.
Interestingly enough the cranes who fly in a nearly straight line makes this trip in 4000 kilometres (2500 miles as the sign says) but with all the detours I do I did it in 8,000+ kilometres, double and this does not include small trips I do when I am stopped somewhere.
The big difference to me was to see how close they were to humans in Texas compared to how remote they are in Canada in summer, but then again they are nesting when they are in Canada and need more privacy.
I saw eleven at one time and pretty much this is the estimated number in the area.
Remember I only have a small point-and-shoot camera and I specialize in fuzzy bird pictures.
the birds in flight and a few on the ground with the whopping cranes in the photo below are sandhill cranes which are quite common in Wood Buffalo National Park and all around that area. They are the one I kept on seeing on this trip.
...considering the camera I have I am really happy with the next two pictures.
Just for comparaison this is the type of place where you see them in Wood Buffalo National Park...when you see them, mostly they are out there far from visitors.
You can obviously just search "whopping cranes" on your own but if you want to see some really good pictures I recommend this site. I am guessing they they are not using little point-and-shoot cameras! ;-)
Here are bits and pieces of the one sign about them in the park put up by Texas State Parks.
Since I was in Wood Buffalo National Park this summer, it is nice to "catch" the cranes here in Texas.
Interestingly enough the cranes who fly in a nearly straight line makes this trip in 4000 kilometres (2500 miles as the sign says) but with all the detours I do I did it in 8,000+ kilometres, double and this does not include small trips I do when I am stopped somewhere.
The big difference to me was to see how close they were to humans in Texas compared to how remote they are in Canada in summer, but then again they are nesting when they are in Canada and need more privacy.
I saw eleven at one time and pretty much this is the estimated number in the area.
Remember I only have a small point-and-shoot camera and I specialize in fuzzy bird pictures.
the birds in flight and a few on the ground with the whopping cranes in the photo below are sandhill cranes which are quite common in Wood Buffalo National Park and all around that area. They are the one I kept on seeing on this trip.
...considering the camera I have I am really happy with the next two pictures.
Just for comparaison this is the type of place where you see them in Wood Buffalo National Park...when you see them, mostly they are out there far from visitors.
You can obviously just search "whopping cranes" on your own but if you want to see some really good pictures I recommend this site. I am guessing they they are not using little point-and-shoot cameras! ;-)
Spring Break dates for 2014
This post is for me. It really is just a posted link so I can fin dit..... I do know that you can bookmark internet pages.
Spring Break dates for 2014.
I had not realize that the Spring Break season was so long. It seems that most universities take Spring Break for a week sometime between March 2nd and March 23rd or 30th.
It matters to me because those are times when traveling around is more expensive and may require a bit more planning to make sure that there is still space in campgrounds. I do know that for example the last State Park where I stayed in Texas (Martin Dies Jr State Park) was fully booked for this week end and pretty busy for the rest of the week.
Spring Break dates for 2014.
I had not realize that the Spring Break season was so long. It seems that most universities take Spring Break for a week sometime between March 2nd and March 23rd or 30th.
It matters to me because those are times when traveling around is more expensive and may require a bit more planning to make sure that there is still space in campgrounds. I do know that for example the last State Park where I stayed in Texas (Martin Dies Jr State Park) was fully booked for this week end and pretty busy for the rest of the week.
Monday, March 03, 2014
The Mississippi Basin
Here is a map of the Mississippi Basin, meaning the area of land which is drained by the Mississippi River. (the image is from the US Army Corps of Engineers)
I am thinking about it because this part of the world is going through yet another winter storm that the BBC is labeling a "Fast-falling snow storm"... I am not sure what they mean by "fast-falling snow". I did notice though that they write in the same article that "The storm will be followed by near-record low temperatures on Tuesday"....tomorrow...... It is a shame because the magnolias, the camellias, the daffodils, the ornamental plum trees and many other plants are all in bloom.
Anyway, originally I wanted to look at the map of the basin because I was thinking about how much water this is going to be once the weather warms up and the snow melts.
I would imagine that the Mississippi River will have major floods this year.
I am thinking about it because this part of the world is going through yet another winter storm that the BBC is labeling a "Fast-falling snow storm"... I am not sure what they mean by "fast-falling snow". I did notice though that they write in the same article that "The storm will be followed by near-record low temperatures on Tuesday"....tomorrow...... It is a shame because the magnolias, the camellias, the daffodils, the ornamental plum trees and many other plants are all in bloom.
Anyway, originally I wanted to look at the map of the basin because I was thinking about how much water this is going to be once the weather warms up and the snow melts.
I would imagine that the Mississippi River will have major floods this year.
Texas Longhorns
I love Texas longhorns. I think they look so beautiful.
I am obviously blogging completely out of sequence. I did see those in Texas, though in eastern Texas as you can guess from the greenery. There isn't such green grass in western Texas... I am willing to bet that there isn't such green grass any time of year in western Texas. Don't get me wrong, I really like western Texas but it just isn't green.
I am obviously blogging completely out of sequence. I did see those in Texas, though in eastern Texas as you can guess from the greenery. There isn't such green grass in western Texas... I am willing to bet that there isn't such green grass any time of year in western Texas. Don't get me wrong, I really like western Texas but it just isn't green.
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