rvsue and her canine crew

A cold wind howls over Elephant Butte State Park this morning.

The lake is green-grey with white caps.  It continues to shrink exposing new islands.  I wear my Nanuk of the North coat with hood to walk the crew.  Even the quail are hunkered down.  Not a peep is heard from them.

I photographed this tree the first day we arrived at Elephant Butte. It had all its leaves then.

I decide to make some preparations for leaving tomorrow. 

My blue patio mat makes several attempts to go airborne, so I fold it up and put it in the Perfect Tow Vehicle.  I also fold up and pack the stepladder and camp chair.  I like to leave the crew’s pen up until the last moment before leaving.  I don’t want Bridget and Spike distracting me while I’m hitching up and securing things for the road.

We go over to Walmart to stock up on groceries.

I also pick up a nozzle for my drinking water hose.  If you want to look like a newbie, try to fill your water tank without a nozzle on the hose.  Yank up the handle at the water source to allow water under high pressure to splash all over the place while you run around the back of the trailer to jam the hose end into the aperature of the tank.  I try, but it’s hard to look nonchalant.

I gas up the PTV and make a mental note to stop for propane on the way out tomorrow.

As soon as we return to the campsite, I take Bridget and Spike for a walk so they won’t be bothering me this afternoon.  It’s still cold, but at least the wind has died down.

It's cold enough to give Bridget a runny nose.

Spike's got a new chewbone!

Another thing I like to do, if there’s time before breaking camp, is to stock the refrigerator.

I haven’t made potato salad and tuna-macaroni salad in quite a while, so I make a big batch of both.  Along with the green salad that’s already in the fridge, I’m all set for tomorrow.  The crew and I want to explore and take photos of our new home at Percha Dam State Park soon after we arrive.

Bill and Kathy are leaving tomorrow also.

Bill and Kathy’s camper in the next campsite

Bill shows me how to replace the bulb for one of the PTV’s back-up lights.

He also gives me the long, flat cord that I’ll use to plug the inverter to the Casita’s power cord.

I feel a bit of regret that we have to part ways before the project is complete.

I want them both to see the panel go up on the PTV’s roof and to watch as I adjust it with the mechanism Mick in Tennessee designed and constructed. Somehow we will get together again so they can see the final result of all their work.

Remember the storage drawers I put inside my Casita?

I am so glad I replaced the cushions with these drawers.  It’s like adding three feet to the Casita.  They hold a lot, and I like the way they look.  There’s even additional space to hide things in the space behind them.

The contact paper hides the contents of the storage drawers.

 I hope it isn’t windy tomorrow.

I try to avoid towing the Casita when it’s windy.  Usually the wind abates by noon.  If we have to wait until noon to leave, that’s okay because we aren’t going far.  I’m looking forward to moving to Percha Dam State Park.  One of my favorite things about living as a vagabond is finding a new camp, setting up, and exploring our surroundings.  The crew likes it, too!

The weather report says 28 degrees tonight!

rvsue