June 27 - Albuquerque, NM

We are back in Albuquerque for a short time. We need to take care of some issues with our house and get it ready for the renters. We contracted with a great management company, Tyson Properties, and they got the job done. Hurray!

The plan now is to stay around the Albuquerque region for the summer until our doctor's appointment are finished and then head out for the winter.

Being here in Albuquerque also gives us a time to help out our friend Joy as she gets things ready for a HUGE estate sale in October. There is a lot of work for her to complete and with our extra hands, we can share our time and lessen her load.

June 20 - Heron Lake, NM

This was our grand daughter's, Anna, week at the academy sports camp for volleyball. Friday came and she was ready to go. They really work them hard during the camp. Friday's play-off game was a bummer. Anna's team came in second. Oh well, there's next year.

Now we are off to Heron Lake, NM to pick up parents and great grandma Eleanore. We had a smooth drive other then a slight delay due to construction on I-25.

The pull through the Chama pass was interesting, to say the least. We really had to slow down to keep from over heating the engine. I guess I'll have to do a weight check just to make sure that we're not putting our safety at risk. The drive to Heron was just beautiful through the mountains. The setting sun put off some very vibrant colors on the mountain sides. We are so privileged to be able to see the wonders that occur during our trips. We are learning each day more about the gifts and blessing that we have received.

Heron Lake State Park is really a nice place for staying a while. Not all the sites are full H/U but are great for everything else. Ours was very wide and deep beside having water and electric. We can go about 10 days with out empyting our tanks. This is perfect for the next six days.

We went to the lake to fish from the shore and only wound with one large sucker fish for the whole time. This is definitely a lake that you either need a boat or a float tube. Hopefully I can get a life jacket soon and use my new Father's Day gift, a float tube.

June 13 - Colorado Springs, CO

We are at what is, so far, one of our favorite places to stay. The United States Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, really has a beautiful FamCamp. It's surrounded by pines with large full service sites. The base is located in a very beautiful mountainous setting. It's a great place to stop and "smell the roses".

We're here this time because our grandson, William, was attending the swim sports camp at the academy. It's 4 1/2 days of grueling training. He was the youngest here but kept up with the "big" guys. He sure has slept well each night. The only complaint he had was that he'd get cold by the end of the day. That's from him not having enough muscle on him yet. He sure did learn a lot though. I highly recommend this sports camp for any child that participates in a just about any sport. Next week is our grand daughter's 3rd year in volleyball camp. It sure has helped her in many ways.


There is also some great fishing here on base. We met up with our full timing friends, Mel & Karol, and Mel & I have done some good fishing. So far we've pulled 21 good sized trout from the lakes on the academy grounds. William has pulled his share of crayfish. He thinks they're neat pets until one "got" him good. Talk about great tasting fish. WOW! It's superb.

We took a ride up towards Denver to spend the day with one of our grand daughter's friends from the sports camp. We had a great time with everyone including the pets. On our way back we ran into one of the worst storms ever. The rain was so hard it brought us to a stand still on the highway. I never saw so much water at one time.

June 6 - Albuquerque, NM

Sunday came so quickly. It's time to leave Smith Center. We are again traveling back to Albuquerque with Joy and Ralph. It' can only a 2 day trip back because we all have things to do on Tuesday.

The drive back was froth with high head winds. It really affected the gas mileage. We went from 10+ mpg to 7.5 mpg. Oh well, sometimes we'll get a good tail wind and make up for it.

The first night took us to a small park in OK. It was a self serve place, if you can believe it. For an overnight, it was great. On Monday, we stopped in Moriarty at RV Sales so that Ralph could help me out a little. THANK YOU, Ralph!! You're the best.

Tuesday brought us back to Joy's place. She needed some help getting ready for her next journey. It works for all of us.

The rest of the week was filled with making sure the grand kids got to places they needed to be and getting ready for our summer journey. We were on the go from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. I'm ready for Saturday to get here.

It's here Saturday and we are hitched, jacks are up and we're on our way. It's back to the Air Force Academy. Our grandson, William, is attending the swimming sports camp next week and granddaughter, Anna, goes to volleyball camp the following week. This is a time for both kids to grow by leaps and bounds in their sport.

The ride up to the Springs had a great tail wind. See, I said we'd make up for the head wind from Smith Center. Rose drove a good part of the way. I was glad to catch a nap. She's a great driver, so I can really relax and take naps along the way. Setting up was smooth and we have a great site. Looking forward to visit from our good friends next week. Lots of excitement next week.