The year started out with the amaryllis bright red blooms coming on almost daily it was such cherry sight to see them in the cold winter days of January. There were 2 stocks and they each produced 4 blooms. It was exciting to watch them come open.

It seemed that almost every weekend in February we had snow not a lot and not real cold. One weekend it rained on Friday and overnight it snowed so the ground was pretty icy.

The cold bug has visited us all here at the house this January. Some sicker than others but we’ve all survived.

I have spent quite a few hours reading lots of books.

And

A friend of mine from the RV Park was redecorating her camper and I made her a sunflower pillowcase to go along with her sunflower decorations.

It’s quite amazing to see that many elk just sitting and enjoying the sunshine.

Life here is going well. I have been in to see the chiropractor a few times and it seems to be helping a lot, I’m not in as much pain as I had been in and getting around is much easier.

Spring is on its way! Some of the nice days when it’s warm and sunny I’m restless and longing to get out for a road trip. Hopefully I can do that soon, and I get some travel,pictures posted.

Now until the next blog,  I pray that all is well with you.

Enjoy.

Shortly after I returned back to Colorado, they had a snow storm here.It was nice to see the snow and some moisture again. I always enjoyed the view that I have on my way to church on Sabbath. I am attending church at Eden Valley. I especially enjoy some of the Wild creatures that are out and about on my way up or coming back from Eden Valley.

I’m not getting out to do much sightseeing but I do get to go for church on Sabbath and sometimes on Sunday I’ll attend the Cowboy Church. And then maybe do a little shopping while I’m out.

I’ve been focusing on and doing some of my crafty work. I’ve worked on some of the hanging towels and have done some crocheing, pot holders, also a scarf this winter. Also I’ve been reading a lot, and I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read in the last couple of months!

Here’s my room for Christmas.

One Sunday before Christmas the children and the youth at the Cowboy Church did a special Christmas program. Afterwards they had lunch and offered wagon rides with the horses.

One Sabbath when I was leaving Eden Valley right in front of the Farm Stand I saw this fox and he just sat there and looked at me. I did not get out of the van for I was not certain why he was so still.

I stayed here in Colorado for the holidays I was not sure of what the weather would would bring. Christmas weekend I stayed on Eden Valley’s campus just for some time for some rest and relaxation.

Well another year is over It’s been a good year,even though it’s been busy. I have enjoyed my travels and am enjoying my stay here with friends. It keeps me busy but yet I have time to do a few things that I enjoy.

I hope you have enjoyed my journey as I have. So I pray that you will have peace and health and joy in 2024.

Sabbath afternoon after church and lunch I visited a few of my friends and telling them goodbye for now. That afternoon I went up the canyon towards Estes Park and stayed with a friend overnight. I was going over Rocky Mountain National Park traveling through the mountains this trip. I needed to leave early in the morning to get through the checkpoint at the park to avoid having to register to get through. So Sunday morning I was up and through Rocky Mountain National Park by 7:30. As you see the trees were starting to turn and the further up in the mountain the more brilliant they became. I had a difficult time keeping from stopping and wanting to take pictures they were so pretty and it was such a beautiful morning.

Since I got an early start that morning, being anxious to be on the road I had not had breakfast and it was still early I decided to pull off at this picnic site on the other side of the mountain and enjoy the scenery and the beauty of the morning. I made my coffee and had a little breakfast.

My plans were to go to Grand Lake and then find a National campground nearby. So I stopped at Grand Lake sat out at the lake and had lunch.

After lunch it was time for me to look for a camp spot for the night. I drove a bit south of Grand Lake to the campgrounds and lo and behold I discovered that all the National Park campgrounds had closed the first of October. So what was I to do? I drove on down to Granby found out that I could park at the grocery store parking lot and spend the night there. The next morning I got up started South and and found that Hot Sulfur Springs was just 10 Miles down the road. I was disgusted that I didn’t even think about that, I could have had a nice hot soak and a nice place to camp overnight.

That next morning I went over Hoosier pass. My was it cold, rainy, and windy! Coming into Fairplay I decided to take a break and drive around town.

Continue reading “OCTOBER  2023 TRIP”

This summer I was going to venture into living in my van instead of in a home with someone else. No single rooms available for one person. So on my previous blog was a picture of my spot at the RV Park at Eden Valley where my tent was pitched. I did not live in the tent but used it for storage.

So here starts my summer. I was at the stand Sunday, Monday Thursday and Friday. Tuesday and Wednesdays were my days. Tuesdays I’d usually do laundry and go into town for groceries and shopping. Some Wednesday’s, Dianne a friend of mine at Eden Valley, we would take a road trip around the area. One time we went up to Vern’s had cinnamon rolls and then up the Poudre Canyon. There had been a lot of rain that spring so the grass and the flowers are blooming so beautifully. And we would stop and find a picnic area soak our feet in the ice cold water! It was So refreshing!

One weekend I wanted to take a drive, so I drove up towards. Laramie on Friday afternoon stayed at Vedaudoo Campground just down from Laramie overnight and then into Laramie for church on Sabbath aftewards, just kind of wandered around coming back to Eden Valley Sabbath afternoon.

One weekend I went with a group from Eden Valley. We went up past Poudre Canyon and camped out at Tunnel Campground. On Sabbath we drove over to Long Draw trail head and had Sabbath morning worship. The flowers were beautiful especially the columbines I just couldn’t get enough of them. We also saw some moose. It was a beautiful Sabbath. Sunday morning I had to get up early to be at the Stand for market.The drive through Poudre Canyon was beautiful that morning.

With my birthday coming on and I having to work that day I decided I was going to celebrate my own birthday and get carrot cake. There is a restaurant in Loveland that sold sliced carrot cakes and I went in and bought me two slices.  Oh, it was so BIG it took me two days to eat one piece!

In August I went on a Tuesday up to to Poudre Canyon and spent the night. It was so wonderful, my campsite was just feet from the river and I could hear the water rushing down.

One Wednesday Dianne and I took a Drive to Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and spent the day in the park. We took the road through Glen Haven so of course we had to stop at the store there and you guessed it, we had to have cinnamon rolls! On the way back to Eden Valley Valley campus we found a place to pull over on the side of the road and were able to go down to the river and of course we had to wade in the ice cold water again.

This summer the Raspberries just kept coming and kept coming we had more raspberries then we could keep up with. All the staff help in picking. We sold lots, we’d gave some away, they freezed-dried some and we ate lots! Even the birds and the Grasshoppers enjoyed them! And we still had more raspberries. It was such a blessing. In spite of all the rain we had. They were oh so delicious!

Harvest was going well and it was time for our annual harvest fest. We went up the mountain to the meadow and enjoyed a corn roast with hot dogs and roasted peppers. A good time for all of us to be together and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Here’s just a few pictures that I took around the the campus I thought you might enjoy seeing.

Harvest was about over and an end of my assignment was nearing, what was it that I would do next. I’d prayed about it not sure that I just wanted to go home and do nothing this winter. One Sabbath afternoon I went to visit my friends in Johnstown just outside of Loveland. When I got there their grown kids had asked to talk to me without Mom and Dad around, they asked if I would be willing to come help their mom and dad this winter. Well I gave it a thought and I have been praying so I felt this was the answer that I was looking for. Then the next Sabbath it was announced that the pastor that I had a few years back would be pastoring the Eden Valley Church. That was great news too, for the little church back in New Mexico was now Spanish.

The first of October with the market stand closed. I started back to New Mexico to care for a few things at the house and then visit my son in Texas before coming back to Colorado to care for my friends.

Getting into North Dakota and visiting with my friend Ketty, it was good to see her again. There were walks around the neighborhoods, shopping at the Cedar Chest, ( thrift store) and then evenings we spent playing Scrabble. I tell you you don’t want to play with Ketty! It was a good few weeks!

After spending a few days with her it was time for me to take my trip up to the Peace Gardens and into Canada. I had never been in Canada and even if it was just crossing the border and driving a few miles into the country was all that I needed to do.

There at the Peace Gardens they had a campground and I stayed there a couple of nights. Unfortunately not all of the flowers had not come up and they hadn’t planted very many of them so I missed out on that part of it. I did enjoy walking through the grounds though.

Crossing into Canada was quite a challenge to say the least. They couldn’t understand why this old lady from New Mexico wanted to drive into Canada for just a day. I had to prove that I had a reservation at the campground at the Peace Gardens. How much money I had with me and then search my van. But they did let me cross!

The pictures down below were taken in Canada just a few miles from the border. I went North into Canada as far as Brandon. I wanted to bring home some souvenirs but I couldn’t do that, I had forgotten to exchange some money before I entered into Canada and none of my bank cards was acceptable. So pictures had to do!

Crossing back into USA and spent another night at the Peace Gardens.

Then it was time I headed back south to Bowman. I drove part way and stopped at four bears Casino and spent the night in the parking lot.

The next day I traveled south and over to Medora and spent the night at Theodore Roosevelt National Park campground. I stopped in town and had lunch before I went to my campsite. Being a vegetarian I wasn’t sure what I would find for something to eat. I went to a restaurant there in Medora and ask for a Philly steak sandwich without the steak and the waiter said he could add more grilled vegetables to my sandwich, oh my what a sandwich that was, it was so good!

Leaving the Medora area I took the Gravel road south towards the “Burning Coal Vains”, and then down to Amadon and got unto highway 85 to Bowman.

Sabbath morning some my “girl friends” and I went on down to Spearfish for the day. We went to church and then a hike in the afternoon in the canyon.

Sunday and Monday I was busy cleaning the van, washing cloths and packing. Then on Tuesday I was on the road to Eden Valley.

On my way to Eden Valley I wanted to visit Devils Tower and get the National Park pass book stamped. Then on down to Torrington where I spent the night. The next day I arrived at Eden Valley ready to start work in a couple of days.

After I arrived, I went and found my site back in the RV section of campus.

I really enjoyed the peace and quiet of this spot. One of the first mornings that I was there three deer and an elk were out in the field.

The next couple of days I spent cleaning and preparing the stand for opening day on Sunday.

So here starts the beginning of my summer. I will be working on that post in the next few days. I hope to have it out soon.

I hope you all have had a great holiday season. I know at the end of my last post in 2022 I said I wanted to do better as far as posting more, but as you see that didn’t happen. In the next few days I will try and give a brief summary of the year along with some of the pictures of the trips and things that happened during the year.

January I continued working on putting together my tiny house decorating and doing some painting. Joiner came in one weekend and put on the hardware on the kitchen cabinets . Also I was able to sell the old camper in January.. Here at the rv park we got a bit of snow.

During this time I was able to take a few day trips around the area. In February I was doing some more sorting and getting rid of some of my things and trying to get organized and into the tiny house. With March there was the winds,the unceasing winds, but spring was on its way in New Mexico some of the trees were blooming out along with the flowers.

By the beginning of April I began painting on the outside of “Tiny”, I did what I could and Johner came out and help me do the higher up parts that I couldn’t reach. I also got a new to me, new porch.

There still is more to be done. But I was needing to start getting ready to leave and head on for my summer.

I started out heading over to see Adrian in Kansas to spend some time with him and help him with his yard.

While I was at Adrian’s I helped him with some yard work.This piece of property he had just purchased and the house was such disrepair that it had to come down.

Adrian’s property has lots of trees and bushes. The flowers and trees were blooming.They have such a beautiful yard.

Oh yes, here’s my grands!

After a few days with Adrian I started on up to North Dakota to visit my friend Ketty. So here are some of the sites and camping spots along the way up.

One of the places that I had never been and had always wanted to see was the Badlands of South Dakota.

I had never seeing the Badlands of South Dakota so that was my next adventure.

As I was leaving the park off along side of road I see this one lone Big horn sheep.

From the Bad Lands I stopped in Wall and went to Wall Drug. There were so many people and it was getting last so onward I traveled. Just before sundown I found my campsite for the night.

The next morning I traveled northward to North Dakota.

I finally arrived in Bowman North Dakota to spend a few days with my friend Ketty.

So far now this has been the beginning of 2023!

November was cool and rainy so I was able to spend sometime in the Casita sorting through papers and shredding, and finishing the painting and polyurethane the wood in the tiny house. I still was not able to move Tiny over to my lot. So I decided that I would go and spend a few days with some friends in Texas. I left here on Friday found a campsite there in Hobbs and went into church on Sabbath. Sabbath afternoon I left and went down to my son’s place in Odessa and spent a couple of days with him. I did a little shopping for my new home while I was there. Then on Tuesday I left and started down to my friend’s place. When I travel I tried to take the roads off of the interstate and see some of the backcountry. I got down to Sterling City and wanted to take a picture of the County Courthouse that is is there.I took my phone and started to walk up to the courthouse and realized that my phone was not charged and had shut off. So I’m back in the van, plugged in my phone and waited 10 or 15 minutes when I tried to turn on the phone it would not turn on. I looked to see how much charge I had, which was about 15% and it should have turned on, well I waited. And I tried again and still I couldn’t get it to turn. I had my tablet with me so I was able to capture a few pictures while I was there. So now what was I to do, I’m in a tiny little town with no cell phone store and no phone. My friend’s place was still a couple hours away. Her directions to their place was on my phone. I couldn’t even call her, or my son. But there was a Family Dollar Store. So I went to the Family Dollar Store and bought a prepaid phone they were kind enough to help change over the SIM card and I was able to at least make a phone call. I had not written thier phone number or directions down on paper. So now how to find my friends. I had to recall on my memory to what I had read on my text of where their place was. I thought I knew which way to go but the side roads didn’t much up. I then realized I was taking the wrong road. There was other road that it could have taken, so I turned around and went that direction and lo and behold through the grace of God I was able to find their place! They were quite amazed that I was able to find their place without having directions to follow. They have a beautiful acreage in mesquite country of Texas which they have been working on their place for a year or so. It’s coming along beautiful! I was able to help with the green house. They will have quite a garden this spring. I’m sorry I didn’t get pictures of their place, guess I was to caught up in helping and visiting.

Sterling County Courthouse

The old Railroad Depot, now Senior Center

On my way back I drove through Robert Lee, Texas, beautiful country I must go back and enjoy the lake there. I stopped at Garden City Texas and took a few pictures.

Then on to my son’s place in Odessa a few days. Then back to my place at the “Ranch”. I spend Thanksgiving with my neighbors we had a great meal together.

After Thanksgiving I decided to step out in faith that I would be able to put tiny house on my lot. I went ahead and ordered the portable waste tank and had my neighbor work on my water connection. And then I went into the Motor Vehicles Department in Artesia and worked on getting the tiny house registered for New Mexico. With some difficulties they registered Tiny as a RV. When I got back from the Motor Vehicles Department I told my neighbor, who is on the board of the RV park, that I’d gotten the tiny house registered as an RV. She then went to talk to them about making the decision to whether I could put my house on my lot or not. I had become so frustrated and becoming discouraged, she kept encouraging me to hang on and wait. One day I had gone into town to get groceries when I got back I decided to rest for a while and then I get a knock on my door and she is standing there saying they have accepted my tiny house and I can move it over to my lot! So that afternoon I unloaded the camper, most everything went into the Casita. The next morning I got up and went out and started getting the camper ready to be pulled off of my lot. Within just a short while the tiny house was on my lot and we got the Wastewater and the water hooked up and the power plugged in. It was exciting to flip the switch to turn the power on run the water! I was HOME! PRAISE GOD!

The Sabbath after I had gotten my tiny house in I went into Roswell for church and then out for the afternoon for Drive around Bitter Lake. I saw Lots of ducks and geese cranes, it was a good day . After Sabbath, I went over to Home Depot and picked up my fridge. Sunday my neighbors came over and brought the refrigerator in the house.

So the next few days was spent bringing my things over from the Casita.

By the end of the next week I had my bed in the tiny house and most of my things , was ready to be home.

Christmas Eve day I went to Hobbs for church and they had a beautiful Christmas program which I enjoyed. From there I drove down to my son’s place and spent Christmas with him.

Well another year is over it’s been quite a year. With all the ups and downs and arounds, excitement, disappointments, sadness, and joys, the year was filled with. It’s time for a new beginning and anticipation for what a new year will bring. I will try to be more aware of what I am doing and what’s happening around me. So maybe I can get a few more pictures posted in the new year.

So with that, thank you for coming alongside me this past year may there be many blessings for you and your families and Friends.

It was the weekend of the last day of the produce market October 1st, for the summer of 2022. I left on Sabbath afternoon and met up with friends in Longmont then spent the night there at the fair grounds RV park.

On Sunday I traveled down to Canon City where I was meeting with some other friends and spending the night there.

On Monday morning I drove Salida Colorado I took some time and went to the shops downtown parked near the Arkansas River had my lunch.

The Arkansas River, Downtown Salida

That evening I met up with my friends again just before Pancha pass. We spent the night at the rest area and then on Monday morning we crossed the down to Mosca campgrounds.

Continue reading “After Eden Valley Summer”

Now that I am here at Eden Valley working the produce stand for the summer, I’m not getting out and doing a lot sightseeing. My time is mostly focusing on the produce stand.While I’m waiting for customers I have found time to do my writing on my blog and sharing pictures with you of what’s happening here, along with doing a bit of crocheting then in the evenings I’ve made some hand towels and catching up on reading. And then on Sabbath it’s a time to rest and enjoy the beauty around me without going too far.

Hummingbird at the feed at The Stand

Viestenz Smith park has been destroyed by flood twice recently in July of 1976 and September of 2013. As a family we would come here to this park for Sabbath lunch when the boys were graduating from Campion Academy. We enjoyed it so much so it was good to come out and see how the park had been rebuilt. Not anything like it was but still a beautiful place to visit.

One afternoon as I was waiting for customers to come in, I noticed a couple coming down the road and seeing them pointing to the hill, there to the left of the picture, just about where the brush ends so I looked up and there on the rocks was a bear just strolling along!

In August I took a trip to Guernsey State Park and spent Sabbath with friends at the lake such a beautiful place. On Sabbath afternoon we went out on the boat the lake is in a canyon and it was such a beautiful ride I wished I could have stayed longer but it was good to be away for a few days

With extras of peaches and apples I was able to borrow a dehydrator. The other day I put on bell peppers and kale and then if I have time I would like to dry some strawberries so now I’ll have some produce for the winter.

Labor Day weekend Eden Valley Farm put on a great feast, I’d say it was the “Thanksgiving” for all the bounty of harvest this year. We had a corn and pepper roast, lots of cantaloupe and watermelons roasted hot dogs and then of course corn. We all went up to the meadow up above Eden Valley, such a beautiful place. Many of the staff and students enjoy the zip line there in the medow. It was a beautiful day to enjoy good food and wonderful family.

Continue reading “Summer at Eden Valley 2022”

Continue reading “Getting ready and leaving North Dakota”