A puppy named Belton

We have decided it's been enough time since Jazzy passed to introduce a new dog to Marley.  Life as I know it is about to change with the addition of a new dog. I think I'm up to this.

Belton is a parti-colored Standard Poodle - 5 months old. Pretty boy!

We will bring him home the first of September. Right now, I am re-learning puppy nutrition, crate training and trying to figure out how not to traumatize him or Marley as well as potty training. I'll keep you posted on how all of that works when he comes home to Odessa from Arkansas.

Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory.....

It was pouring down rain...I mean a real gusher of rain.  John and Eli were suppose to hop on the Spyder and ride it to Capitan, Lincoln and then into Odessa, but plans changed when they were both wet in 5 minutes. Eli got into the car with Lizzy and me, and John got grumpy..real fast. After I pointed out the fact that he knew it was going to rain and didn't pack accordingly....he hunkered down. The rain didn't last long.

1st stop was the home of  Smokey The Bear in Capitan, NM.  I'd been here before, but loved seeing it through the kids eyes. I mean, who doesn't love Smokey The Bear?

 Smokey's final resting place Inside the beautiful Smokey The Bear Historical Park

The sun was out...John dried out and we headed up the road just a few miles to Lincoln County, NM. This is the sight of the historical Lincoln County Wars where Billy The Kid was part of the problem or solution depending on which history you want to believe. Anyway...always fun to learn more about the American West and a folk lore legend...

Old Lincoln County Courthouse.  It's been restored and is full of many interesting facts which include a time line of events.

Not far from home, now....I can smell the dirt.  After lunch in Carlsbad...we rolled the back roads into Seminole, hit Andrews - where John stopped at Cpl. Rays for coffee and we pushed on to Odessa, TX The end of our journey...an epic trip, for sure.

Heading for Texas...or where am I today?

After so many days riding Dolly and being adventuresome, Lizzy and I turned the bike toward the East out of Camp Verde and headed for Springerville, NM where we stayed one night before mushing into Ruidoso, NM where we will hook up with hubby and Eli.

The weather is gorgeous, finally not too blazing hot as we left Camp Verde and headed for our first stop in Pine, AZ on Highway 260 East. That was a pretty road.  I'd do that road again in a heart beat.  Plenty of wide open areas with a few sweeps and twisties thrown in for fun. We fueled and got fresh water in Pine and then ventured forth toward Springerville, NM.  The road was great...not too much traffic and plenty of beautiful mountains to see...with green trees!

Springerville found us at a nice motel right off the main road with a great little cafe right next door.
The free breakfast was pretty good and while eating, I started a conversation with a couple who were from South Africa and Rhodesia. After telling them about Lizzy's interest in foreign languages and cultures, they said they would love to meet her.  It was very cool to see Lizzy being talked to in Zulu and in Africanz.  Lizzy was pretty impressed and added those to languages to her journal of languages and cultures that she has now met and heard.

We headed to Ruidoso, NM with the end in sight..well after a 327 mile trip, that is.  This was the long stretch at the end of the trip, but we just had hunker down and do it.

Pie Town was interesting...nothing there except two pie shops and a small gift store.  We went into the gift shop, bought some small items and visited with the owners before having a piece of pie at the Pio-Neer.  I had peach with raspberry.  It was, by my pie standards, just OK.  Off we go to San Antonio, NM where we picked up Highway 380.  HOT!  HOT!  HOT. The store attendant where we fueled said the freeway entrance to Highway 380 was closed and gave us directions to go around. Well....the directions may have worked at one time, but 15 minutes later the road ended in a dead end and we had to turn around and go back...it's HOT!!  Turns out, the entrance was not closed and we scooted onto Highway 380 toward our destination of Ruidoso, NM.

Stars and Stones....as we wind into Ruidoso it was raining.  Not hard...but definitely rain. We are dirty, tired and hungry...pizza room service!

Eli and John arrived around 9:30...warmed up pizza, took showers, watched a little TV...we all crashed! We head for Billy the Kid trail and home of Smokey The Bear tomorrow before arriving at home.  Last night on the road.

Grand Canyon Ride - The Zip Line or how I thought I would die!

So...OK....Zip Line.  I am a woman of my word, unfortunately in this case.  I signed Lizzy and I up for a 2 hour zip line tour at Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, AZ. The name of the zip line is the Predator. But, let's back up before I share my terror with you.  Leaving Sedona.

Sedona is a city that I really don't care to go back to unless I'm in a car. Then, I'd like to poke my nose around in the touristy little shops and spend money on things that when I get them home, I wonder why I bought them.

Camp Verde is only 32 miles from Sedona...piece of cake.  I ask Google to give me directions and it does. The map shows a nice road off the freeway so we decide to take it.  We launch without breakfast...we'll get something on the way out of Sedona as our check in time at the zip is 9:00am.
Reverse is still twitchy and I found that I had put Dolly in a position where I couldn't make a big old circle to turn. We are at a gas station fueling and eating donuts and I spy two hunky dudes whom I recruit to turn it around. Once turned...we were off in search of the back road into Camp Verde, AZ.

What we found was a pretty road with overhanging trees and a dead end. Google promptly told me to turn around. Well, DUH!!!! After turning around in the middle of a forest road with a big old sign that says..DEAD END, we headed back the way we came and got on the freeway, took the correct exit and found our way to the park.  Phew...we are ahead of 9:00am. Sweet!  NOT!  The guys didn't show up until 9:45 as we sat around in the hot morning sun.  OK..they show up.

After a safety briefing and fitting of our harness, we followed our two guides to the wooden stairs that switch backed all the way up 120 feet.  Needless to say, I was the last one up to the launching pad..well, one of the guides was behind me.  OK...my fear is evident on so many levels that my brain is in overload.  if the stairs were any indication of what was ahead....

Awrighty then....the platform is fenced on three sides. Sitting close to the edge of the open launch side is a big, sturdy wooden box, which, I am told is where we launch.  From the moment I reach the platform, I begin to shake and I can't let go of the guide who followed me up the stairs. I will saylet like I was going to fall from the platform..the safety was never a concern as we were always hooked onto at least two points of cable or the platform at the same time. that wasn't the fearful part for me. Plain and simple...it's stepping off the launch box into thin air that scared me to tears.  OK..my turn to go.

I make sure the guide goes over the procedure one more...no...two...no..three more times.  I shake like a quaking Maple tree as I stepped onto the launch box...never letting go of the guide.  I sat down into the harness and told him to push......

I didn't die...I didn't fall off the cable and most importantly...I didn't puke.

After three lines, we came to a rope bridge that was 40' long. WHAT????? After three zip lines, I was feeling pretty good ...I never warmed up to the platform, but the launching from the box, did not bother me after three zips...then comes the rope bridge...my fears elevate off the chart!

They made me go first.  OK...I'll go, but by my controlling rules:  Guide goes in front of me...no wigging....takes baby steps...I hold on to guide with left hand and the rope bridge with my right hand...I get to curse.... I didn't die...I thought I would, but I didn't. Phew!  Two more lines to go and by the time, it was over, my body was stressed, I couldn't talk, barely could walk.  My endorphines had maxed out and all I wanted to do was piddle.

Lizzy loved every minute of it. Every daredevilish thrill...upside down....et, al...she loved it. Does that fact make my fearful experience any better?  NO. But, I am happy for her. Will I ever do it again? NO.  I can embrace what I don't like and I am fine with that!

We've turned the corner...time to head for home.....

...off the Canyon and seriously stupid in Sedona..

Up and off early. I wanted to get through the desert before it heated up.  We made really good time on Dolly but ran into three road construction crews that added three different wait times of over 30 minutes each..in the desert..in the sun at 106'.

We stopped at Cameron Trading Post for lunch...a grateful meal..and then headed out to what would become another bad idea in the history of bad ideas...file this in the Cosmos.

I surprised Lizzy while we were eating at Cameron's that we would side trip to Sedona before going to Camp Verde for the night and see Jurassic World! Needless to say she was ecstatic. Piece of cake getting to Sedona. .right....

More road work..exits that are closed.. detours. Long waits in heat. My body is starting to feel stressed and all of a sudden we are on the road leading into Sedona and it is winding with hair pin curves and non existent guard rails.  My back hurts and my arms ache when we finally get off the mountain.  No. .I did not look at the red cliffs. .I was to busy trying not to fall of one of those red cliffs and fly off into the abyss.

I told Lizzy I couldn't  make it to Camp Verde and we would stay in Sedona.  No vacancy signs everywhere except for 1 room at the Star Motel.  The manager was so helpful. .gave me a glass of lemon water..had me sit down and helped carry our stuff off Dolly.

After cancelling the Camp Verde hotel..a rest and a shower, we got directions for the movie theater. Enter the bad idea for the Cosmos.  Well..diverting to Sedona was one, too.  I forgot to ask which way out of motel ..left or right. I went Right which was wrong.

Say WHAT???

We went for a long way until I felt it was all wrong and stopped for directions..gotem..here we go. It was then that I realized how spread out Sedona is..we found the theater..got our tickets and went into auditorium #2..the movie was almost over...WHAT? I was informed we were an hour early. ..somewhere we had gone through a time zone change. After waiting  almost an hour in the lobby..the  movie started and Lizzy and I were wowed all over again. It's now 7:01 pm and we head out for the motel and I go the wrong way on the road....totally turned around..I don't know where we are. I turn around and go the other way but that doesn't feel right either. Seriously tired and very disoriented (it's the Aliens)..I feel a good cry coming  on when I see a Police sign and pull into the wrong driveway...that gets fixed..the Police helped..but here is the kicker...I couldn't tell them the name of the motel..because I didn't know it. The room key didn't give the name and all my check in paper work was in our room. Idiot check. The Officer got me to the  tourist trap area and that was good enough..Lizzy spotted it and we were back..with absolutely little help from me. After walking a block and having a good Dinner..we crashed...directions only get worse in the morning....

Last day in the Canyon at Jacob Lake Inn

I mentioned in a previous post that Jacobs Lake Inn was a great experience and our last night there..I treated myself to a great massage. At this point in our travels...I needed it. Everything about the Inn was great from the friendly check in desk to the little bakery with the best lemon zucchini cookie I ever ate..to the menu and all the food that came out of the kitchen...to the well stocked gift shops..the rooms..the cute cabins..nature trail and old wooden buildings tucked into the woods..perfect! But the thing that pulls it all together is the people who own it and the staff of friendly returned Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christmas of Latter Day Saints: The Mormons. NO matter what these folk know how to work hard and be happy at the same time giving grateful service. Two thumbs up for Jacob Lake Inn.

Bonding with Dolly

Mule riding day was great..except for the part where w ewe really so close to the rim that I cried. They didn'tel me about THAT part.

OK..here's how this works with me..I cry a lot; especially over gushy family and animal commercials on TV. I also cry when my nerves are raw and I'm in a creepy..scary situation.

Lizzy and I got to the North Rim with Buffalo incident and we're picked up precisely on time to go the mule spot. After a safety briefing, the Wrangler told us he would pick our mounts and out us in order of which mules got along. OK..I get that. My Mule name was Dolly..a sure footed intelligent Mule, indeed. Lizzy rode Hazel.

As we left the paddock with two Wranglers..one in front and one in back, we were told our pictures would betaken...OK...WELL THE MOST SCENIC BACKGROUND. IS...NO..NO BACKGROUND. just the sheer cliffs..right next to my Mules feer. Holy up to highBatman...AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE FOR MY NERVOUS BLADDER, WEARE GOING UP A HILL WHEN EACH ONE OF US IS TO TO STOP FOR PICTURE...STOP??? Just get me the heck way from the edge and off the stupid hill. I was not happy. Lizzy asked me why I was scared..with a teenage smerk..I promptly told her to shut up.

There were three more moments of sheer terror..including going down the same hill where AGAIN THE WRANGLER STOPPED US ALONA SIDE THE RIM AND GAVE US I STRUCTURES OF WHT TO DO AT CORRAL. REALLY????? Get me off the hill!!!!!

When we wound through the forest raiks...I really enjoyed the rI bonded with Dollyand was happy I was on an experienced Mule. It was actually fun Watchung her think through the trail and pick her steps. I liked Dolly.

Lizzy ride Hazel who was a bit lazy until we turned for home, All in all Mule riding day was a big success and garnered me more Cool Grandma remarks.

In honor of Dolly, I renamed my Spyder, Dolly.

PS..no photos..the interface be teen phone and tablet is not working. Once I figure it out..I will edit posts and insrt.