The campground is full of campers!
The crew and I sneak out of the Casita before sun-up and look around. There’s no apparent signs of life. We quietly walk away from the campground so as not to wake the sleepy working folks.
The clouds near the horizon are pink.
Sunrise is soon. We look for a good, high spot with an unobstructed view. The orange gleam appears. I look down at Bridget to the left of me and Spike to the right. The crew is looking at the sunrise, too! Later Bridget gets a fit of happy energy and runs ahead, leading Spike and me on a jog down the road outside the campground.
Back at our campsite, people are beginning to stir.
Across from us, a man, woman, and three children eat their breakfast at their picnic table. The mother says something and the father throws his head back with a big laugh. The children look well-behaved. I praise the crew for sitting quietly in their pen while a dog barks incessantly over by the restrooms. Two young boys with buzz cuts whizz by on bikes.
A couple stops by the crew’s pen.
The lady comments, “Oh, these look like rat terriers.” A brief conversation and they move on. I drink my tea and try to focus on my laptop, but the real world interests me more this pleasant morning. I put it aside, adjust my chair way back, close my eyes, and listen to the campground sounds. I’m glad the weather is nice for people needing a break from work. Before long they’ll be off with their boats and their chairs and their fishing gear and their lunches packed in coolers on wheels . . . .
As for the crew and I, we’re going to the laundromat!
The lady operating the laundromat says, “Sure, bring the dogs in. It’s hot out there!” before leaving for the day. The only other people in the place are a young woman, her five-year-old daughter, and her mother. We talk as the clothes spin. They tell me they drove 35 miles to this place. “What?” I exclaim. “Thirty-five miles! You could buy a washer/dryer for the cost of the gas.”
It's a long drive from here to there in the West!
The young woman smiles and explains she has a washer/dryer.
They just bought a ranch and it’s not hooked up yet. Her mother adds, “When the clothes are done, we’re driving another 40 miles to our family reunion.” It’s for the Chavez-Montoya family and it’s very big. Driving a lot apparently is a way of life around here. “We drive 85 miles once a month to shop at Walmart. The T & D Market’s prices are too high. We only go there for milk and bread.” Thirty-five miles for milk and bread!
Spike and Bridget rest on the tile floor.
They try not to notice the little girl who keeps pestering them in spite of her mother’s repeated scolding. Clothes dry and folded, I wish the ladies a happy reunion. We pack up and I drive us down Route 66 looking for the righthand turn that points us back to the park. I spot a sign, “Blue Hole,” with an arrow pointing left.
Let’s go see!
The Blue Hole, Santa Rosa, New Mexico
The Blue Hole is a good-sized circular body of water right at the edge of town. It’s surrounded by grass, huge trees, and a small beach. Many families are grilling and picnicking around it’s edge. The beach is popular with children of all ages. The crew and I take a walk around the water. Spike insists on going to the water’s edge. Oh, he’s probably thirsty.
He jumps right in!
“Spikey! What are you doing!” It’s too deep for you!” Once you step off the grassy bank into the water, there’s at least a five-foot drop to the bottom. No slope at all.
Spike is an impulsive guy!
I’m still holding his leash, Bridget’s leash, and my camera. I can’t help but laugh out loud. I grab a quick shot of Spike swimming along the water’s edge. He tries to get out and he can’t. It’s too steep. I drop the camera and grab him in the arm pits and hoist him out. There you go, my sweet, little water spaniel!
A quick shake and he starts trotting, as if he jumps into a lake every day, leading Bridget and me to visit a family with a dog further along the shore. That Spikey! He really knows how to live life to the fullest!
Back home I eat an early supper.
It's been a big day for the crew!
I make a sandwich out of the chicken tenderloin I cooked up yesterday. I open the laptop to write this entry.
The crew has fallen asleep beside me here on the bed.
It’s only five o’clock. Later, when they wake up, we’ll go for our nightly walk around the Santa Rosa campground.
rvsue
No walk around the campground tonight. The Casita is being buffeted by winds and rain. A thunderstorm is in progress! No day is dull for rvsue and her canine crew!
rvsue and her canine crew 