RVing Addresses Top 3 Senior Concerns

Above, horseback riding in Monument Valley in September.

From tent camping with my family or Boy Scouts to my current Class C Winnebago, camping has been in my life. 

Now that I have reached the septuagenarian age group, I can easily see why keeping active betters one's overall health. 

Back in September, I took a RV trip to Ridgway, Colorado to help with the John Wayne Cancer Foundation's Grit Series marathons. From there, I headed over into Monument Valley in Utah for some more camping. This included horseback riding from the KOA Kampground I stayed at. This was the first time in fifty years I've done so. I joked afterwards, "Ask me in ten years if I can still ride a horse."

RV Travel has posted an article on how RVing addresses the top three concerns for seniors. If one is still in their fifties or sixties, it may be a worth a read.

It begins with:

As people age, anxiety can become a common, often overwhelming, experience. Anxiety in older adults can stem from a combination of health, social, and financial concerns. I’d like to make the case that RVing positively addresses these concerns—especially for seniors, but really for everyone. Read on to find out why.

To read the article, go here.

50 Years Between Horseback Rides

Above, during Monday's ride.

The horseback ride on Monday in Monument Valley was only the second time in my life doing so. The first time was 50 years ago on Catalina Island when I was at the ripe old age of 20. 

A friend said on Facebook I should opt for the horseback ride instead of taking the sunrise tour of Monument Valley again. He said I should do it while I still can. (Ask me 10 years from now if I am still able to do so when I'm 80.)

The horse I was given was a mare name Eva, a palomino. She turned out to be easy to control. I was able to direct her whenever she got off the trail or when she stopped to munch on some plants. It helped watching a lot of westerns for tips on controlling horses. 

It was a 90-minute ride from the KOA Kampground that covered around 3-4 miles. 

Today's Horseback Ride

For the first time in 50 years, I did some horseback riding with a Navajo guide.

The ride on a mare named Eva lasted an hour and a half. The ride departed from the Monument Valley KOA. 

Before today, the last time I rode a horse was in July 1974 on Catalina Island. 

This was a pleasant ride and Lewis, the guide, pointed out various rock formations.

Some photos from the ride:

Snows of New Year's Past (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

It seems we usually get snow on or about New Year's Day. Here's some snow shots taken from the past four years. It appears that we're going to get some again this coming New Year's.

 2019

2020

2021

2022

Visiting Next Door

After having a can of Sadie's Classic Margarita, I took a walk next door to visit my neighbor's animals. I also took a shot of Barking Spider Acre from the pen.

I took some pictures while there:

 

John Wayne's "True Grit" Ending Horse-Jump Scene

Everyone remembers the famous ending scene from True Grit (1969) of John Wayne horse-jumping a four-rail fence, right? 

If not, here's a video of the scene:

Last Saturday, I visited the area where the Ross family ranch was filmed. In the photos below, is the hilltop where the above scene (cemetery and horse-jump) took place. The approximate spot is circled in red.

Evening Stroll

Last evening, I decided to take a little stroll over to my neighbor's pen where he has three horses and a steer.

It has been a while since I went over. While there, one of the horses came over to me and allowed me to pet her. The steer also came over but kept a four-foot distance from me.

Some photos:

Warmer and Dry As A Bone

Above, a couple of Jamestown residents. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The weather this coming week is going to be warmer with temperatures in the 80s in Jamestown, New Mexico.

But, there is no forecast of any precipitation, which is what we need. It is very dry out and dusty when the winds kick up. But at least the winds are tapering off a bit.

According to the National Weather Service, the weeks looks like this:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast after midnight.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Monday

Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 81.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 81.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 82. Breezy.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Breezy.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy.

Cooler and Windy This Week

Above, horse training next door yesterday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was pretty much a relaxing day.

I began it with a trip to Thoreau to pick up a few grocery items. It is a bit closer than Gallup, so I went there.

After getting back home, I fired up the Jeep and ran it for a while. While it was running, I took a ride on the mini bike round Barking Spider Acre. I cut the ride a little short as it was windy out and it was, unfortunately, cold wind. It was around 60° out, but the wind made it chilly.

This will be pretty much the pattern for this week. Slightly cooler temperatures and windy conditions. Not precipitation is forecast.

According to the National Weather Service:

 Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the morning.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 38. West wind around 15 mph.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 68. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

Tuesday Night

Clear, with a low around 35. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 57.

Wednesday Night

Clear, with a low around 24.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 57.

Thursday Night

Clear, with a low around 27.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 65.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 33.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Sunday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy.

A Visit Next Door

Above, the trainer working with one of the girls. The horse
in the background is named Daisy. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today would be nice out if we didn't have the winds coming through.

It is a little cloudy, but sunny and the temperature is about 60°, It feels colder with the wind chill.

I headed over to Thoreau to do some grocery shopping (it closer than Gallup). Once I was done with that and had everything put away, I went next door to Mike's for a visit and to watch his horse trainer work with the girls. 

They have grown a bit and are heavier. Mike said I missed their little "rodeo" yesterday. Apparently, there was some bucking going on. Today, they were a lot calmer and starting to get used to being worked. Up to now, they weren't used to it and they need to be trained so they can be groomed. They've made some progress based upon what I saw.

The winds kicked up and that drove me back into the house. 

It may rain and snow tonight. 

Evening Ride

 Before putting the car into the garage for the night, I did some mini-bike riding around Barking Spider Acre.

While doing so, I stopped by my next-door-neighbor's horse (and one bull) pen. The three horses are getting bigger. 

Some pictures:

The Neighbor's Animals

Today, since the weather was nice, I took a ride on Barking Spider Acre with the mini-bike.

While doing so, I stopped at my neighbor's horse pen. I haven't been there in a while and noticed that the three yearlings looked heavier and bigger. They've grown since last summer. They're not yet full-sized but are getting there.

I took a few pictures of them and the bull that's also there.

Abilene, Kansas To Get New RV Park With Horse Stalls

Above, The Beast at Covered Wagon RV Park in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in November 2016, during my trip to Metropolis, Ilinois, I stopped in Abilene, Kansas to see the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.

I stayed at the Covered Wagon RV Park, which was a mile or two from the Library. The word rustic does not even begin to describe it. It had hook-ups, but not much else in amenities. But, it was good enough to catch a night's sleep.

Now, a new RV park is in the works and, according to an article in Modern Campground, is slated to open soon. It is the Windy Trails Premier RV Park. Along with campsites, it will also have horse stalls for those travelers with horses.

According to the article:

With a vision to provide drivers and travelers a rest stop for a night, Abilene (Kansas) native David Strong sought to develop Windy Trails Premier RV Park. After going through a lengthy process, the park will be opening soon.

“I just see the people when I’m driving, there [are] no places to park, there [are] no places to pull over,” Strong said. “With the new government fuels for the DOT (department of transportation), truck drivers can only drive so many hours and they have to pull over and all the rest areas are full throughout the whole country.”

Windy Trails will feature ten pull-thru RV sites, three shower/storm shelter facilities, ten camping sites, a fenced kids play area, a fenced dog play area, covered secure RV/boat storage, eight overnight horse stalls, and a laundry facility. 

To read more, go here. 

Red Rock Balloon Rally

Today is the start of the 40th Red Rock Balloon Rally at Red Rock Park and in Gallup, New Mexico.

So far, I've only seen two balloons. I slapped my zoom lens on my camera and took these photos.

There were taken from my front yard. The balloons are 10 miles west.

If more balloons are visible later, I'll take more pictres.

Before the balloons came visible, I took the following photos:

Above, the mesas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the neigbor's animal pen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the neighbor's livestock having breakfast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If I had a good working vehicle (The Beast is in the GOCO Beast Barn and winterized and the Mustang is in the shop and the Jeep hs no brakes.