Back in the saddle again..

I was parked at the Balloon Fiesta for 10 days.  It was wonderful, but it is always good to be back on the road.  I am headed south to meet up with the Escapees Chapter 21 Rally in Columbus, NM.  I attended it for the first time last year and became a member of their Chapter.  Since then I have also attended their winter rally in Parker, AZ.  They are really a fun bunch of people.

Stopover at Elephant Butte

My first stop was going to be Elephant Butte State Park for one night.  It is about half way between Albuquerque and Columbus.  This is one of my favorite New Mexico state parks.  I also met Annie and Rick down their who are headed to Deming.  They had me over for a delicious dinner and we sat and talked at their campfire for many hours.  It is always a great time when you can spend it with good friends.  Thanks so much Annie and Rick for everything.  In the morning we said our goodbyes.  We will be getting back together in Quartzsite, AZ in January.

I first met Annie and Rick at the Balloon Fiesta last year and we have seen each other several times since then.  That is what I love most about the fulltime RV lifestyle.  You meet really great people and then connect with them again and again at other places.  This happens a lot of the time with many different friends.  It is always so much fun comparing notes on where each other has been and what we have done between our meetings.

Elephant Butte is looking very different then when I was last there.  Much of the water has gone away from the point at South Monticello campgrounds.  You can really see the results of the terrible draught that has hit southern New Mexico.  Here is a pic of our campsites right on a bluff overlooking the Rio Grande at sunrise.  Annie and Rick’s rig is on the left with mine on the right.

Finally meeting RVSue and Crew

While there I had read RVSue and Crew’s blog and Sue had mentioned that she had been staying at Elephant Butte as well only in a different campground.  I thought I would make an attempt at locating her and the crew on my way out of the area.  I figured that I could easily spot her Casita and the PTV(Perfect Tow Vehicle).  I managed to drive thru all the electric sites available near the marina.  I was just about ready to give up, thinking she may have moved down the road, when I finally spotted them in the last electric site area.

If any of you have been following either her blog or mine you probably know that I am usually about 1-2 days behind her.  She started out in the northern New Mexico state parks and made her way south, just as I did.  In meeting her it was like we were old friends even though we had never met.  Plus I got to meet Spike and Bridget her 2 rat terriers who were very friendly to me.

I did get a picture of her with her crew, but she asked that I not post it so I will abide by her wishes.  Next time we meet Sue I want a picture!

I did take several pics of the marina area at Elephant Butte.

Tooth problems…

Then it was on to Columbus for the Chapter 21 Rally, where I stayed at Poncho Villa SP.  I had already made an appointment with my dentist Dr. Karla.  When visiting my family last August, I had chipped a back tooth and was afraid I would lose the entire tooth causing a lot of pain.  I was very careful eating on one side.  Dr Karla examined my tooth and came to the conclusion that the tooth was still entact, but I would need a crown.  I walked across the border and she prepped my tooth for the crown and then gave me a temporary tooth.  I am to return in a week for the permanent tooth and to also have my teeth cleaned.

Chapter 21 Breakfast and Meeting

Chapter 21 conducted their business meeting shortly after breakfast and then held a raffle.  I won Microsoft Streets and Trips 2011 and a bottle of Chardonnay.  Not too shabby!!!!

Crossing the border

Today a group of us walked across the border to go to the Pink Store for dinner and shopping.  I have been there before and always enjoy the food and the great margaritas.  Today when we got to the border the kids had just gotten off their school buses.  They were really cute and all around us.

Meeting a new friend

Dan came to the rally to get ideas about what rig to buy and how people lived the fulltiming lifestyle.  He didn’t own an RV yet but was planning to purchase in the next couple of months.  I showed him my rv and several others showed them theirs so he had lots of ideas.  He and I went on a walk from the Pink Store to the park in Palomas, Mexico.

Shopping and Dining at The Pink Store

Today was our day to meet at The Pink Store and get our fill of shopping and dining.  The food was delicious and we all had a great time as you can tell from the following pics.

A mariachi band entertained us while we were dining.  The food was great and everyone enjoyed themselves.  It was the perfect ending to a great rally.

I will probably travel up to Deming, NM for a few days until I return to the dentist for my crown and cleaning next week.  Maybe I can find some friends up at the Low-Hi RV park where all the singles meet.