The year 2023 found us starting out in Lakewood, NM at The Ranch, an Escapees CoOp Park. Winter was and is an interesting experience, especially in an RV in Southeast NM. While for the most part Temps weren't bad, we did experience an occasion of 10-15 degree temps as well as SNOW. I had the Water Committee to keep me busy and Mary got involved with the Park by conducting a 3 day per week Mild Exercise Class.
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| Exercise Class |
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R/O System Issues keeping us busy
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January and February also had me involved with Governing Documents Committee, the Marketing Committee not to mention the work with the Water Committee.
When March rolled around it found us making plans to travel to The Escapees Escapade in Tucson. We did finally head out in mid-March and along the way we stopped at one of our favorite places, Tombstone and especially Big Nose Kate's in Tombstone. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.
We stayed in Benson, AZ for a couple of nights and besides going to Tombstone, we had the opportunity to meet up with old friend Paula from Butterfield RV Park. Our very first trip/winter spent out west was at Butterfield, and many of the people we met that first year we are still friends with. And then it was off to Tucson and The Escapade, held at The Pima County Fairgrounds.
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| Hospitality area and Freethinkers meet-up. |
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| The ROW |
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| The Ranch represented on The Row |
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| Evening Activities |
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| Getting set up for the big show |
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| Us arriving at the Escapade |
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| seats awaiting butts |
Escapade is always a great time and a great Event. When it was over and time to leave, we did not travel far. A trip to Eloy, AZ about 75 miles NW. I had Doctors appointments(Oncologist and Urologist) scheduled for April 3- one appointment in Scottsdale and the other in Glendale- same day. Everything went OK at both. While in Eloy, we had to take in the Skydiving at the Eloy Skydiving Center. We've been there before and it is really something that you have to experience. Hopefully some of my pics and video will convey that experience.
And then it was back to The Ranch in Lakewood, NM, where we would spend the balance of April and May and the early part of June.
Some random shots taken at The Ranch and on our Lot #3.
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| Bird friends in our "back yard." |
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| Mary's cactus garden |
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| Lexie doing her thing |
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| A look to the rear of our lot |
In June we left for Hart Ranch in Rapid City, SD. We followed our normal itinerary- traveling on day 1 to Santa Fe. Day 2 took us to the KOA in Colorado City, CO, day3 through Denver to Cheyenne, WY and day 4 to Hart Ranch. Total miles for the trip 1071.
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Our site at Hart Ranch
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It was good to be back to Hart Ranch. All of a sudden Mary had her pool exercise group every day but Sunday, and I had a chance to get back into Golf, a sport I had not had anything to do with for over 30 years. Hart Ranch Golf Course was less than a mile down the road. Lexie is happy whereever she is.
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| Lexie and friends in the dog park |
One of the things that impressed me about Hart Ranch Golf Club was the excellent program for juniors held every Tuesday. And some of these kids were pretty good.
We were lucky that a couple of our neighbors from The Ranch in NM also spent time at Hart Ranch.
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| Visiting with Roger & Barb from The Ranch |
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| Kevin & Terri |
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| They had a site right near ours |
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The 3 couples at Lintz Brothers Pizza in Hermosa. BTW, one of the best pizzas going!
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Between the Golf and the Pool, we did keep busy and there always seem to be something going on, as evidenced by the following-
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| A Rodeo every Wednesday night |
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| Car show as part of Rodeo activities.... |
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| Entertainment at Car Show |
During this stay, I had an experience that completely blew me away. While shopping at Walmart, I heard someone say "Is that Rick Sorensen?" I turned around and who was it but my former neighbor from West Dummerston, Vt. John W was in the area picking up supplies for his most recent stay at Pine Ridge Reservation.
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| Before John left the area we made arrangements to meet for lunch. What a SMALL WORLD. |
In early August, if you are in the Rapid City area, you are exposed to Sturgis and bike week. Words cannot describe this event, so I'll let pics do the talking:
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| The big tent at Black Hills Harley Davidson |
During Bike Week, you will see all kinds of things-
Lexie making more friends.....
Before we knew it, it was the end of August and time for us to leave. It was a great summer: we were spared any hail damage from the frequent thunderstorms, Mary totally enjoyed her pool experience and my golf improved immensely from day 1. I played in the weekly Hart Ranch Scrambles every thursday and with the mens group every tuesday. In between I spent a lot of time on the practice tee. All in all, we were both sorry to leave. But leave we had to. Next destination was a week in Chama, NM at Sky Mountain RV Resort.
We left Hart Ranch on Aug 27 and arrived at Sky Mountain on Aug 29. One of the attractions to this park is the trout fishing available. Was I in for a surprise. Pics will show how in the past year something occurred to erode away much of the good fishing area especially the area where the Fish & Game Dept backed in to stock the stream. That area was now gone.
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This erosion is serious and a shame that it happened.
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When the Fish & Game trucks couldn't access the river because of the erosion, an area that was stocked with fish regularly became a thing of the past. With fishing gone, we spent time with our next favorite thing in this area- the Cumbres & Toltec scenic Railway. We did't do the train ride(we've done the ride 3X in the past), but instead did the "follow the train", following the train up the valley as far as Cumbres Pass.
We left Sky Mountain after a week. Our next stop was Santa Fe Skies RV Park in Santa Fe, NM. We spent 2 nights there. On day 1 we celebrated Anniversary # 55 with a nice meal at Red Lobster(pleasant memories of last years trip to Maine, but no where close to being the same!)
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| Anniversary dinner at Red Lobster |
Then it was on to Lakewood, where we would spend the balance of Sept and Oct with Doctor and Dentist appointments, before leaving in early November to head to Yuma and more Dr appointments in Phoenix and Yuma.
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The sky over Lakewood
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While in Lakewood I continued my Golf Resurrection and played a number of times with Park Neighbors Gerald & Kristi, and Kevin. We played mostly at the par 3 course in Carlsbad, with ventures on the 18 hole course at Carlsbad and Artesia. And a good time was had by all.
On the 5th of Nov we packed up and headed for Yuma, arriving at Fortuna de Oro RV Park on Nov 7.
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Our site # 945- with the beautiful mountains in the background
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One of the first things thjat I do upon arriving is get Benjamin's RV Wash service to work. Complete wash & wax, roof UV treatment, interior carpets shampooed.
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We had/have a nice site. Not too crowded with really pleasant views. One thing that we did differently this year was to rent a golf cart for the season. Expensive, but worth it. Indispensable for my golf and for Lexie's visits to the big dog park. And did she ever enjoy riding in the golf cart!
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| Lexie and her new good friend Kenzo. |
And then there was the golf. Fortuna de Oro has a nice little 9 hole course, which I decided to take advantage of. I play with a group early(like 7:30) each weekend morning. The mens league on Tuesday mornings. And whenever I can get with a group. Like this past week 3 of us travelled to Mesa del Sol and Las Barrancas Golf Courses. Both were 18 hole courses and both were challenging.
The Park has Pickleball which I intend to play but only after a leg muscle injury heals. There are spectator sports available- as most saturday mornings the Park Softball team plays other parks.
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| Big crowds as usual.........and good games. |
One of the things worth mentioning is my Dr Appointments. On Nov 20 I travelled to Phoenix and an appointment with My Urologist, Dr Nelson. Things looking OK as regards scar tissue issue, but still issues with incontinence. He has me doing some things and wants to see me in one year to see about resolving the incontinence issue. On Dec 7 I met with Dr Grado, my Oncologist, at his Yuma office. With PSA levels at .02 and holding steady all is looking good on that front. One more visit with him after an MRI of Pelvic/Prostate area.
2024 is right around the corner..........
