Roving Reports by Doug P: 2015-9 Santa Fe New Mexico

2015-9

Santa Fe New Mexico
area

lots of rain this week

Campground: Cochiti Lake (army corps) Senior rate: $10, (50 amp) elect. Water and sewer available in park. 25 over air Tv stations. Excellent Verizon signal.

I’ve traveled through this area numerous times and just can’t stop coming back.

lots of tiny wildflowers throughout the campground

This is a time for me to visit with friends in the area, revisit favorite places and do a little follow-up blood work for my pre-diabetes diagnosis. On the last item mentioned, I had the blood work done, got a call my the Dr’s office and was told my numbers are all normal except for the hemoglobin A1c which was 5.8%. Turns out it needs to be 5.7 or less, a whopping .1%. I’ll needed to remain on the diabetes medication for another 6 months because they don’t want to take a chance that it might go back up. I interpret that as saying they don’t trust the patient to remain on a strict low carb diet as I have done for the past 5 months.

A visit with a former co-worker Lynn Mroz was very enjoyable. Catching up on what’s going on in our lives as well as being able to use Lynn as a sounding board for something that has bothered me for over two years. Here’s the problem:

Article deleted

This section deleted per request of my sister.. Who has more common sense that me at times.

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……. What to do? Maybe leave well enough alone. I tried, I failed. Folks, life is not perfect but we sure can have fun along the way if we try.

Tent Rock, Slot Canyon

Tent Rocks, very close to Cochiti Dam where I'm staying

So to that end, while taking a walk through Cochiti campground, I met two lovely ladies who were planning on going to Tent Rocks the next day. I joined them for a most delightful hike through one of the best slot canyons in the area. Great scenery, great conversations along the way, including meeting a couple from Switzerland. Good exercise. We almost made it to the very top of the Tent Rock escarpment. But the last 40 feet or more had a high jutting ledge (about 5 feet above the trail) that we would have had to climb up onto before getting to the top. We turned back, but overall, still had some great views from that high up and a fantastic journey back down through the winding path leading back through the slot canyon. Meeting many more hikers along the way.

cactus are rare in this part of the state, this was the only
one in bloom

new friends along on the hike

couple on left are from Switzerland, here for 6 weeks

the slot canyon

Gayle and Terri's 1st time hiking the canyon

Gayle

we called these a garden gnomes retirement home

This is a short report this week as it’s been raining off and on quite a bit and because I have been in the area numerous times, you may wish to search my other blog reports on this wonderful area for more info if desired.

possible Indian writings

and more photos on PICASA

BONUS REPORT:
Route 66

Each state that the original Route 66 passes through, has maps that will help you find some of the unique sites along the "Mother Road" as it was once called. Many Rv-ers and travelers from all over the world make Route 66 a travel destination.

Here are a few photos of an old Trading Post that sits West of Grant New Mexico near Blue Lake. I was fortunate to be able to drive past it daily for most of a week and of course stop and take pictures.