We did not make it home for Christmas this year but our December was filled with many fun trips.
John’s Memphis flight simulator move ended early and we hit the road the next day travelling to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
He tried his hand searching and sifting for diamonds. About all he came back with was mud. Too bad, but it was a fun trip and he learned a lot.
The next stop on our trip was in Lawton, Oklahoma where we stayed at the Buffalo Bob RV Park.
We stopped here to spend some time with our friends Warren and Cindy. John met Warren when he started working for BSC. They are a great couple and we loved spending time with them. Hope to do so again in the near future.
It was clear however, that we were not quite far enough south when one morning we awoke to a dusting of snow and cold weather. Time to go!
We don’t often stay at the same place twice but as we rolled across the country it became quite nostalgic for us. We were ending our fifth year of travelling in almost the same area we started, Roswell, NM at the Bottomless Lake State Park.
This was where John the Rockhound was born when he found his first Pecos Diamond.
We found more this trip, of course, and John found a big hole. There are lots of big holes like this one around this area of New Mexico. With his bad knee, he decided rather than hiking down to see what was there, he would be content to gaze down from the rim.
Christmas day was spent on the phone talking and video chatting with family. We had a big steak dinner and homemade pumpkin pie. Yummy.
Our next stop was the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Preserve. This time of year migratory birds inhabit the preserve and it is spectacular even if you aren’t a bird enthusiast. The birds come here by the THOUSANDS.
Snow geese
Sand hill cranes.
And every other kind of duck, crane, goose, egret, whatever, you can think of.
We, of course, took some time for off-roading and rock collecting.
Our favorite time to visit the preserve was around the evening fly-in when all the birds come back to settle for the night.
Snow geese.
Sandhill cranes
Possible sandhill cranes, cool picture none the less.
We wrapped up our 2017 adventures at the Flight Deck where we watched an adult eagle survey his surroundings.
And enjoyed a beautiful sunset.
We rang in the new year with friends in Cottonwood, Arizona.
You were back in our part of the world. We would have taken you to lunch, had we known. Hope your adventures continue. Enjoy each minute to it’s fullest.
Great pictures! I always love to see what you guys are up to.
Our Xmas card to you came back to us. Next year I’ll check with you to get the correct address before I send it. The one I put was similar, but not the one..Take care!