Happy New Year ramblings

11am Sunday...before the sun came out

OB is great at keeping 'color' in the parkas

This box turtle almost looks like a large sea shell

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It's Dec. 31; sunny; nearly 80-degrees.  Does anyone know where winter is??  Ah, yes. We should not try to rub our good fortune in the snow banks / icy roads / cold temperatures of those we have visited during our travels.
     Here's a short scorecard for new years day:  Tucson, AZ.  We've house sit in June when it was 115-degrees (and 7percent humidity).  NYD will see a high of 48 with the potential for scattered rain and snow. (Elevation 2540')
     Santa Fe, NM has one of our favorite campgrounds (Black Rock SP).  An 80 percent chance of snow; 20 degrees for the high.  (Elev. 6200')
     Anacortes, WA has a campground right at the yacht basin...park the van and walk for a week or two.  Partly sunny and 48 degrees.  (Elev. 230')
     West Glacier, MT where West Glacier Campground is our home away  from home since 2011.  It'll be a balmy 22 degrees with 'only' a 20 percent chance of snow.  (Elev. 3165')
     No complaints here about 80-degrees and sunny as the OB forecast.
     And finally, as I was heading out this morning to meet a group of grumpy old men for bagels and coffee, I noticed a box turtle trying to make its way across a narrow stretch of our driveway.   But not making much progress at all.  So my good deed for the day was to move mr. or mrs. box onto a shaded grassy area ... saying "live long and prosper."
     HAPPY NEW YEAR
    

Memories of a Christmas season past

Anguilla, 16 miles long and 3 miles wide, resembles an eel.  Hence, Anguilla

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The year was 1982.  I was on the island of Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands. It was a three hour flight to St. Marten and then a 1 hour ferry trip to Anguilla.
     It was a beautiful island with very friendly people who were getting ready to celebrate the holidays.  I stayed in Sandy Ground, a little spit of land with a large somewhat sheltered harbor.
     Island tradition in the Caribbean is that everyone tries to get home for Christmas.  So, each morning starting about 4 days prior there would be more and more "tramp steamers'" which shuttle cargo between islands, in the harbor.
      This was not a rich island.  But everyone had some type of decoration... usually homemade... outside their home.  Santa made his rounds.  He was barefoot, dressed in baggy shorts (no shirt) and had a stuck-on beard of stretched out cotton balls to go with his dark skin and home made red beanie.  He carried a sack of small gifts to give out.
     The local children came around on Christmas eve singing (sort of) carols with the hope of getting some extra $$$ for their endeavors.
     Johnno's beach bar, a maybe 12 x 12 thatched hut, was a short walk away.  There was Johnno, the owner (who liked jazz, but played island reggae; Kasha, a rasta, who the locals said delt in whatever you needed.  (Smuggling liquor was a profitable sideline); Ivor The Diver, who sold black coral jewelry, which, naturally, was illegal.
    The owner of the room where I stayed created a place to make and sell island handicrafts.  The small bag in the photo above was one such item.  It was filled with sea salt from the salt works on Sandy Ground.
     And finally, to keep with the spirit, I gifted the elderly maid and her grounds keeper husband, a bottle of rum...for special occasions.  They didn't come back to work for three days.  And I got into a bit of trouble for that.
 

I may look funny, but I'm warm

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - I go to a nearby bagel / coffee shop about three days a week.  We have an interesting crowd including an individual who rides a bicycle and brings his dog along in an attached basket. The dog patiently waits while his owner gets his order. It was 40-degrees again this morning and the pooch was bundled up and getting plenty of attention for his "winter" outfit. I don't think he liked  it.

A chilly morning stroll

The damaged pier with the city hall / library complex in the background

It's Nov. 28...do you know where your Christmas decorations are??

ORMOND BEACH,FL - - It's 40-degrees with a brisk north wind...obviously time for a morning walk. Two years ago our annual hurricane season took a slap at our coastline. Since we live one mile from the ocean there were damages. One such problem concerned our fishing /walking pier four blocks away. Storm surge up the Halifax River trashed the southern portion while only slightly damaging the rest of the nearly  half  mile long structure.  Finally, funding is now in place for work to start.  Thus a barge with a crane has moved in to begin repair / replacement of the damaged area. 
     We've got Christmas decorations to go with our palm trees for the holiday season. Our location  doesn't get snow, but we sure try to crank up the holiday spirit.

The colors of autumn

Cassia

Mexican petunias

A red hibiscus.  We also have yellow; white and peach colored ones

Note the bee at the very top of the cassia bloom

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - One drawback of being away for five months...especially if there is plenty of summer rain... is that invasive bamboo; weeds and vines grow like mad.   And have to be hacked, wacked and disposed of.   So they can grow back in time for us to do it again before we leave next May.
     But enough of that. Let's look on the bright and colorful side of yard work.  It's still like summer here in  OB, even if relatives in upstate New York have been hit with 12 inches of snow and 18-degree temps within the last 10 days.
     The shrubs are blooming, adding color to our "natural" landscaping.  And next weekend we'll hang out our Christmas lights.

Art festival weekend - - DeLand

There were interested visitors

Not so interested visitors

Welcomes everywhere

Wildlife

And a quartet of devious-looking kitties

 DELAND, FL - - We like going to the local art shows.  You can bet on finding something unique...and, maybe even affordable.  As with any outdoor activity, there were plenty of dogs.  And most weren't looking to have their photo taken.  But some....

Moving out!!

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - It's Thursday lunchtime. Sunny; breezy; mid-80's, a perfect day for our first lunch of the winter season down on the Halifax River at a nearby park. This is (boat) traffic watching season for us. There isn't an official starting date, but Nov. 1 seems as good as any:  If you're a boater it's time to head to South Florida for the winter months. 
     The boat in the above photo just might be on the way or, more likely, it is  heading out to open water for some fishing.  In any case, when you kick up a wake like this it means that while your speedo is moving up, your fuel gauge is heading in the opposite direction.

The weekly update: Stranded on the beach

Shrimp anyone??

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We've checked out the latest Ormond Beach tourist attraction a couple of times since Oct. 15 when the shrimp boat ran aground.  The news reports haven't listed any reason for the boat to park where there aren't any docks.
     The craft, out of Key West, had been out two weeks before it's journey ended abruptly.  Reports say there are over 2 tons of shrimp aboard...which should be plenty ripe by now.  But I got close in today's (Sunday) windy conditions and there was no smell...or else my sniffer is malfunctioning just like my taste buds.  In any event, it seems like holidaying as usual on "The World's Most Famous Beach."

It seems like we never left

In The Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We're home.  It's hot.  88-degrees today; low of 70 tonight.  Not like some of our 'cooler' stops.  As you can see from the above photo, we're zipped up with fleece underneath our jackets.  Notice I've even got gloves on.  So much for 'cool' thoughts.
     We left OB on May 7 and pulled back into our driveway on October 15.  In between, we traveled 13,290 miles and camped 136 nights.  The rest of the missing nights were spent in motels or staying with friends and family.
     I've added T-shirts and ball caps and stickers (none of which I really need) to my large collection.  We found new places to visit; camp; have breakfast and explore.  In all, we had a pretty good time.  
    

Along the interstate on the way home

Disaster relief on the way

In Tennessee the clouds dipped into the mountains

VALDOSTA, GA - - After five months of good vacation weather, the bottom fell out on the way home.  Rain and low visibility were bad enough.  Hurricane Michael didn't cause any problems where we were staying, but left us wondering about which routes we should take on the way home to avoid problems.
     On the interstate we caught up to many vehicles obviously headed to aid in the recovery.  The truck with a "disaster relief" sign was a type we...and a lot of folks in Ormond Beach...are familiar with.  FEMA utilizes them for clearing tree debris.  The truck in front with the bucket is part of the deal.
     The clouds dropped into the mountain valleys in Tennessee we were rolling through.  A sort of comic relief for a while.
      In South Georgia, a convoy of four Pike Energy trucks (three bucket vehicles and one vehicle with parts)  headed off our route and onto one guaranteed  to drop them into the heavily hit Florida panhandle.  North Carolina's Pike energy is a leader in the Southeast in providing services in construction, repairing and engineering high transmission lines.  

Hurricane Michael...the good; the bad; the ugly

ST. LOUIS, MO - - After a day and a half drive through grim, grey and wet weather, we arrived in St. Louis mid-Tuesday to visit friends.  And check on the path of the approaching hurricane.
     THE GOOD:  Hurricane Michael  wasn't headed in the direction of our home in Ormond Beach.
     THE BAD:  It was set to kick the crap out of the Florida panhandle.
     THE UGLY:  After the panhandle, the hurricane then cut a swath through portions of Alabama, and Georgia plus South and North Carolina.  This scrubbed our final trip destination which was close to Pinehurst, NC and right in the hurricane's path of destruction.
     Worse, any route to get  home to means we need to cut across hurricane ravaged areas.  We're keeping a close watch on areas with power outages,  Why??  No power, no working gas pumps.  Flooded or blocked roads could also be a problem. We'll wait until Friday evening to decide on a possible route.

Clouds in the Garden of the Gods

MANITOU SPRINGS, CO - - The Garden of the Gods was designated a national natural landmark in 1971.  The land, at the base of Pike's Peak, was donated to Colorado  Springs to be used as a public park.  It features spectacular rock formations, hiking trails and striking vistas.  When the weather is right, the clouds cling to mountain tops and seep into the valleys.

While out wandering in Colorado

Just so you know.....

The store was about as colorful as their sidewalk ad

Hey, what's that bulge under your jacket?

A long lost cousin of the Magic Bus

Bar-B-Que, anyone?

At 10,152' Leadville, CO is definitely a "city on a hill"

On the Yampa River Core Trail

The Yampa River is more like a small stream

Will this yard art make it to halloween??

Bird of prey sculpture on the trail

A more colorful display

A 'rock garden' in the Yampa River Botanical Park

A more whimsical display

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO - - One thing we've been impressed with in a number of places we've stayed is the abundance of user friendly green space.  These trails, for walkers and cyclists, offer a different view of your surroundings.  Steamboat Springs' 7.5 mile Yampa River Core Trail runs alongside the river and the railroad tracks which run through the area. It's easy to see that the town places a heavy focus on all things outdoors.  On this 70-degree day (32 at night) there were even hardy children and some adults?? carousing in the river.
     So how, when you're only at a bit shy of 7,000 feet elevation, does a town get the name "steamboat"??  Nearly 200 years ago some French trappers  were passing through.  They thought they heard a 'chug chug' sound like a steamboat coming from one of the thermal springs in the area.  The name stuck and the stinky springs are still around.

The road to Steamboat Springs (CO)

The road seems to go on forever in Wyoming...

...fortunately a lot of Pronghorn checked us out...

...and then fled at a top speed of 61mph to safer locations

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO - - We split the long ride through Wyoming by staying a night in Rawlins...in a motel.  Our first night indoors in over a month.  About a third of the way to Steamboat the pronghorn were in abundance.  Most like to watch the cars and trucks from a safe distance (meaning out of range for good photos).  Some, like in the two photos above are more curious.
    The pronghorn are members of the antelope family, but their closest relatives are the giraffe and the okapi (an antelope-style relative in Africa)
    To get a feel for the vastness of Wyoming check the following:  The area of Wyoming covers 97,814 sq miles and harbors 579,315 souls. 
     We live in Volusia County, FL, a mere 1,432 sq miles in area.  Yet the population of Volusia (538,692) is only 40,623 individuals less!!

The colors of Fall...and the Tetons

GRAND TETON NP, WY - - It's not surprising to see Fall colors exploding in the scenery.  After nights where the temps fall below freezing, the trees and lots of ground cover decide that shades of yellow, orange and red are the colors to usher in the days before major snow blankets the ground.
     This area of the Snake River, complete with a large flock of Canada geese (center left) represents the rapid approach of constant cold weather.  The Teton mountain range with (flat topped) Mt. Moran provides the backdrop.

Steamy photo

Intrepid photographer braves cold and steam while this little guy performs

YELLOWSTONE NP, MT - - Geyser shots take patience.  In most cases, you've got to wait a period of time for the geyser to preform. Things look even more spectacular when the temperature is hovering around freezing.
     You can usually count on Old Faithful geyser for a spectacular show.  Not in the time we waited.  It was late, when it usually will blow it's top with nearly timed regularity.  Not while we were there.  It sputtered. It squirted.  It fizzled.  Oh well, this little one we went to first put on a show.

A frosty set of horns

A VERY close up look at the bison in the lower pic

This bison is in no hurry...and headed straight for our van

YELLOWSTONE NP, WY - - You are almost guaranteed to see at least one  bison (buffalo) or even many in Yellowstone.  Although not usually this close.  They wander where they want.  You don't challenge a hairy ungulate like this.  Why clomp along the roadway??  It's a lot easier than crunching your own path.  And, I suspect, they like their photo taken. 

Early Sunday morning, Livingston. MT

Small towns in Montana like murals

Cars may be parked, but where are the people

A salute to fly fishing in the Yellowstone river

A silage storage in another part of town

You'd think all the locals are English majors

Everyone seems to have a dog...we think this is a dog