Along The Side Roads

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

W I N D

We were warned that  April was a windy month in this part of the world... too bad we didn't listen.  Actually, I have never experienced wind like they have here.  At this moment, the gust are up to 50 and 60 mph.  Combine that with the fact that our favorite perch is on top of a hill and you will understand why the slides are in on the motorhome and we are "hunkered down". 

Everyday for the last couple of weeks, there has been some wind.  It usually picks up around the dinner hour and blows abit throughout the night.  It has sent us off the lake on more than one occasion. 

The wind clouds come up and it is beautiful, but definitely time to head to shore.


One day this past week when the wind prohibited our going out to fish, we took a road trip to Bluewater Lake State Park down by Grants, NM.  A fellow we met told us about amazing musky that are caught in that lake so, of course, we needed to drive the 162 miles one way to take a look for ourselves.  The drive was through Navajo Indian Reservation and the land changed every few miles.  Some of the country was productive farm land (irrigated by Navajo Lake) and others seemed uninhabitable.


But, every 15 miles or so, there was a small community - this one was close enough to photograph.  Most were off the road 5 to 10 miles (according to the signs).


When we got down to the lake,


we discovered it too was way below capacity


 
and was a very small body of water. Wind had driven boats off the water and some anglers fished from shore but nothing had been caught.  I don't think this will be a fishing destination for us anytime soon.
 

On the way home, we found a spot where the wind has created truly beautiful sandstone sculptures.
Literally along the side of NM 371, right on the fence line, was a sculpture garden - all created by nature. (You might want to enlarge to see the true magnificence.









To show the size of the structures, we had to have our pictures taken.


This was not flimsy structures, this was hard rock.



And the coloring around the area was amazing - out of nowhere appeared red rocks.


Since there really isn't anything we can do about the ever-present wind, it is nice to know it creates beauty in the landscape instead of just layers of dust in the motorhome

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

"I Think It Is Time To Head North"

said one to the other.  "Well, maybe we can go a little north, just not too far."


And so these couple of gooses loaded up the stuff and headed north.

 
They passed beautiful red mountains
 


 
and Shiprock Mountain off in a distance.
 

And when they arrived at Navajo Lake State Park in New Mexico, and had landed in their old nesting area, they were greeted with a magnificent sunset.


Even the harbor looked beautiful.


The next day, it didn't take these two old gooses very long to get on the water and check out the rocks.  (Do you see us in the picture below?)



The female claims she sees faces in the rocks...


 

The male even caught a fish - a four pound, 21 inch brown trout.  He looked pretty proud of himself.


Another day we watched, with some friends,


as the female spotted more faces...




and took lots of pictures.



Seems they were both kinda hung up on trees that day...




"I don't really see what the big deal is with trees."
 




"Oh, did I mention the part about being hung up..."
 



The weather turned cool and windy that day, but before going in the male had to stop and look for some of this lures he lost last fall.  He didn't find anything.


I found this - do you think it's mine?

Another day the male got up on some rocks
 

Maybe he was looking for those faces.










 All I know is, it is just about impossible to get away from these two.
 

 We try ignoring them,


but they are still everywhere we are, it seems.


They do find some neat little coves for lunch each day.


We joined them one day.


Sometimes we just waddle away from them.



We have had some noisy discussions about what to do...
 




The Female calls this "frog point"...
 


and the male decides to cut down a tree... or maybe just a part of the tree.




Today, we haven't seen them on the lake...



They are all tucked in nice and comfortable.


and here's part of that tree,


and here's that beautiful view.
 


 
 "I think it is time to go back south."