Misc blooming flowers

Ocatillo cactus

Yellow cactus bloom

Barrel cactus

Plant at the Las Cruces KOA

Red blooming cactus at White Sands

5/10 & 11 - Las Cruces, NM

Our view of the sunset at the KOA in Las Cruces, NM

A huge agave plant at the KOA

Guess who sledding -not on snow, but on sand!

Trying to climb the sand dune in order to slide back down. It was also very windy at the top of the dune

Mike on his one slide down the dune

A field trip - sledding down the dunes! Do we do that kind on Bainbridge?

We left Junction, TX and headed for Las Cruces where we stayed in another KOA with a wonderful view and a functioning swimming pool. From this campground we went to White Sands National Monument. We did not have time to go to the White Sands military facility. This is where the 1st atomic bomb was tested. You can only see that sight on the 1st Saturday of the month, so we missed that also. We went to a quilt shop and did their Wednesday a.m. farmer's market before heading out to the next stop over.

May 7th, 8th & 9th - Junction, TX & a wonderful experience

I forgot one very important worker. This is Theresa. She is headed for college after she graduates this month.

LtoR Work campers Sharon & Joe, and KOA owners Dusty & Bebe at the BBQ

The prayer & National Anthem to start the rodeo

Sunset in Junction, TX at the KOA

On Friday, 5/7, we were trying to see how far we could get into Texas when we realized that we weren't going to get home for either Brandon's or Sammy's birthdays. We decided that we had never really spent any time traveling by ourselves so we only went as far as Junction, TX. and what an experience that turned out to be! The only campground around was a KOA just off the highway. we called and they had room and seemed very friendly on the phone. They also had a swimming pool that was in use. I need to add here that that was one of the 1st questions we asked when we were staying in a private campground - do you have a pool? The answer most times was yes, but upon arriving we would be told that it hadn't been cleaned, chemicals had just been added or it wasn't open until after Memorial Day. Most days it was hot and we just wanted to go for a quick swim before dinner. Anyway, the camp workers came out to greet us and then guided us to our site. We headed for the pool and the owner came by to say hi. Mike has been curious about work camping and/or running a campground so he began to ask Dusty questions. I had read that there was a rodeo that night so asked where it was. The next thing we knew here came Dusty w/2 box seats to the rodeo. Up to that point, we hadn't decided if we were going to unhook the car or not. Dusty and his wife, Bebe, were judges for the rodeo queen contest. We went to the rodeo, Dusty bought us refreshments. Prior to going to the rodeo, when Mike was asking his questions, Dusty told him he could stay and work for a day, a month, or 6 months and we wouldn't have to pay for our camp site. I suggested that Mike give it a try. The only problem was that when he told Dusty he'd try it, Dusty signed me up to work in the office. It was a fun experience. We learned a lot. When I got off work on Saturday, I headed for the river in hopes of photoing a turtle. Instead I found a rather large snake coiled in the water at the edge of the river. I went to the office to ask what kind of snakes they had there and Dusty immediately headed for the river. Long story shorter - he killed the snake. It was a water moccasin! On Sunday he bought the other work campers and us a BBQ brisket lunch. He drove up the street of the town on his Kabota tractor to pick them up. He then announced that they were having a going away BBQ for us that night at their motor home. We were sad to leave there so soon.

May 6th - Robertsdale, Alabama to Beaumont, TX

Not much to report except that we left Alabama, drove thru Louisiana to Beaumont, TX. What we realized on this drive was what you miss if you only drive the freeway from one place to another as opposed to driving thru the smaller towns and seeingonly we/visiting w/the people. On the bike ride we only went thru small towns and on back roads. What a difference. The freeway is really boring.

May 5th - Mobile Bay, Alabama

George the heron w/ his super glued neck

Mobile Bay Alabama below the town of Fairhope

While Bruce worked on the motor home we took the car to a wonderful town called Fairhope just above Mobile Bay. We toured the shops and yes we did buy a few things here. We then went down to the bay where they have a dock that is a mile long. We watched as 3 men threw their nets from the dock and caught some kind of white fish. I forget the name. There was a blue heron standing on the railing waiting for a fish small enough to eat. Another man standing there told me that "George" the heron was rescued only 2 days before. His neck was nearly severed because he got caught in fishing line. The vet super glued his neck back on and here he was waiting for something to eat. The homes along the bluff were wonderful old homes, most w/big front porches and large oak trees around them. It was a fun place to spend the day. We loved Alabama!

5/1 - 4 St. Augustine - Then on the road again

Oldest wooden school house in the US

Sat. May 1st we decided to take in downtown St. Augustine. We looked at the old buildings, including the oldest wooden school house in the US and an old cobble stone road. We went thru many shops, but didn't buy anything. On Tim's advice we did visit the A1A Brew Pub and had a great BLC (bacon, lettuce & crab) sandwich. It was delicious as was their summer beer. On the 2nd we visited Russ and then spent the day at the beach. Blinding white sand and beautiful blue water, but I don't think I took any pictures. On the 3rd, Mike decided that the 2 thermo pane windows on the front sides of the motor home needed to be replaced because visibility was so bad - keep in mind that Denise and I had just driven w/them that way for almost 2 months. We dropped the motor home off and once again headed for the beach.
We left St. Augustine on the 4th of May and while Mike was driving the cruise control didn't seem to want to work and we didn't seem to have full power. We pulled into a rest stop and Called B&D Auto in Robertsdale, Alabama. If you have been following the blog, you'll remember that Bruce was the one that got the motor home out of park and fixed some electrical problems when we were staying at Gulf Shores, Alabama.
I took over the driving and drove thru a down pour, the likes of which I have never seen. 0% visibility! We spent the night at a campground in Foley, Alabama and then took the motor home to Bruce on the 5th.

More pictures from St. Augustine/NASA 4/29 - 30

Tortoises at the alligator farm

White egret w/chicks at the alligator farm

Alligators being fed

Us in front of the Explorer

Atlantis being readied for launch on 5/14. This is all going to be outsourced so there are only a few launches left to happen at the Kennedy Space Center