Rim Trail Hike

Two day hike. 22 miles. 9,000 ft elevation.

Just another July 27th in Alamogordo

Dear Friends,
Here are some pictures I took today. For all my drought starved friends in Kansas City, here is the rain pictures I promised. And the butterflies and birds are much better than the scorpions I kept finding last week.

Alamo Peak

We spent Father’s Day hiking down from Alamo Peak to our house. I thought it was only going to be about a 7 mile hike. I was mis-informed. Somebody, and I am not naming names, has now learned his lesson about reviewing websites and leaving with a definite plan not just the vague plan of “just head downhill”.  

7:30 am 53 degrees

As we begin . . .

just head downhill 

Little did I know . . . 

this would be the end of
the easy part.

Anyway, we had a good time. The first part of the hike was cool (53 degrees) and pleasant. At one point, the land was very similar to western Missouri; almost liking we were hiking around Camp Bartle. After we left the Westside road and headed into Alamo Canyon it started to warm up.

Into the canyon

Lunch break

 We stopped for our lunch in an idyllic setting; there was a very little stream and some nice sitting rocks. Then the hike just went downhill from there, literally & mentally!

We got lost. We had to back-track. We found an old abandoned mine and an old abandoned Oldsmobile engine.

Old water pipes

Hey this was one flat, smooth part

Near the end

I can see our house from here!
Good thing, because I couldn't go much farther.

HOME!

By the time we finally we reached our house the temperature was 98 and it was 4:30. We had been hiking for 8 hours.  According to the hiking website, our hike was 10.5 miles. (We won’t count how much more with the backtracking.) We were exhausted and very muscle sore. In fact, we both walked around for the next 4 days like 90 year olds.

Now every time I look up that mountain and see the blinking light on the electronic tower on Alamo Peak I can say “I hiked that!”

An Amazing Hike

This is the view from our driveway. 

The arrow points to the ridge I walked along.

Went on a hike in Alamo Canyon, but this time instead of following the stream bed, I went across the stream and hiked up. And Up. AND UP. The view was wonderful especially when I could see the house. I set a time limit (one hour) and start walking. When the timer goes off, I see where I am and take some pictures and then turn around and start home. When you are hiking you don't think about how far you have come until you turn back and look. I want to go farther next time and maybe consult the trail map.

This arrow points to our house. 

I am not sure if this was as far up as I went, but it was pretty close.

I Finally Got a Laugh, 

or Why I know more about Propane Tanks than I ever wanted. . .

By 1pm I was as mad as the proverbial wet hen, but the problem was I wasn’t wet; I wasn’t clean. I hadn’t had a shower in 36 hours. The day before was Mark’s surgery and we had spent well over 12 hours on the road and in William Beaumont Army Medical Center. The next day, I decided to keep to my schedule and went to the gym, but I was concerned about Mark being home alone. I skipped taking a shower at the gym and made a quick stop at the commissary. After making lunch, I was ready to take a nice HOT shower. I turned on the spout and waited for it to warm. And waited, and waited and WAITED! Oh well, I thought, pilot light went out on the water heater; no problem I have relit a water heater many times. Yes it became a problem. That is when I realized we were out of propane; you know that gas like fuel that sits in big white tanks. Apparently those tanks don’t fill themselves from underground pipes like good old Midwest-using natural gas.

I made a call to the propane provider listed in our lease paperwork. Unlike the electric company, you don’t just call them up and have the account switched over. You have to do the paperwork in person. You can imagine I am now tired, smelly and just a little cold; No heat in the house either. Into the car I go and of course the propane company is not close to our house. I am stewing; I am mad at Mark for not doing this when he moved in; I am mad at the landlady for not briefing us on how this works. As mad as I thought I was didn’t even compare how angry I got at the manager of the company.

Now when I had called, I was told that they would be able to get us fuel by the end of the day. But as I filled out the paperwork, that little arrogant manager came in and said they probably wouldn’t be able to get to it until tomorrow. “Everyone wants it immediately. I don’t understand why everyone waits to the last minute. I am not perfect. Only one person has ever been perfect and they put Him on a cross.” I had heard enough. I couldn’t take it anymore. “I don’t know how to read a propane tank. I am used to the gas coming through the ground.” Shoot, we even grill with charcoal. “I am tired; I spent all day yesterday in El Paso; my husband is housebound and on some serious pain killing meds,  And I am cold. Just show me how to read the gauge and I will get out of here” and yes I was getting louder and higher pitched. I WAS SO MAD. I probably shouldn’t have driven home, but I did.

I was in tears by the time I got back to the house. Good thing Mark was hobbled up. He was ready to go back there and give someone a smack-down for making me cry. He has done that a couple of times in our marriage.  Less than ½ hour later, Mark’s phone rings. It is a propane technician; he will be by in 20 minutes. Will we be home? Yes, of course. 20 minutes later, there is the nicest man. He will be giving us about 5 gallons of propane and that should be enough to last until the big truck can get up here tomorrow. AND get this, he will relight the water heater and make sure the furnace kicks back on.

As he walks into the house to check on the heat he says, “Oh I know this house. Sharon (landlady) always let the tank run out. And every tenant she has had since has done the same. But don’t tell her I told you.”  I couldn’t help but laugh. That manager led me to believe only idiots let their tanks run out. Richard, the technician, let me know that everyone does it; of course he didn’t understand why they do it, but I certainly wasn’t the first one. And would you believe, they were able to bring us 100 gallons of propane by the end of the day. Did the tears and yelling work? I don’t know.

Now I know how to lift the cover and read the gauge and I have set up a reminder on my iPhone to alert me to check that tank periodically.

I will never run out again and I will always have a hot shower when I want need it.

Katie & Patrick Visit

Our Christmas Card Picture
HO, HO, HO from Holloman AFB

A bent yucca at White Sands

Mark & Katie on top of a dune
White Sands, NM

Mark & Katie

This whole desert area used to be covered with
Blue steam prairie. 

January's Moonset

Shelby & Pat

Pat in the Lava Pit

Pat at the Valley of Fires
That is a lava field

Pat on top of lava mount

Valley of Fires
Lava field near (50 miles) us

Smokey the Bear was found not far from
Alamogordo. This is were he is buried.

Our daily walk

Our daily routine
Shelby on the jeep trail
We are walking back the house and will be picking up that bag of poop.

Lego Robie House at night
They designed it to hold a flame-less candle

Completed Lego Robie House
Christmas present from Pat & Katie
Pat and I spent about 8 hours putting this together

Take a picture, it will last longer

Another Beautiful Sunrise

Snow, but mostly fog

This is without the fog

The snow band slowly coming day the mountain

Shelby the Snow Eating Hound

Two days before the snow

Snow Day

We had snow here in south central New Mexico on Thursday. Caused a lot of havoc in El Paso including early dismissal for the Walter Beaumout Army Medical Center, while Mark was trying to finish up all the pre-op work. We here in the basin only recieved 1", but that was enough to delay Friday's start at the Air Base. The snow is mostly all gone now but the pictures remain.