Around the Garden at the Campfire.

"Brake it! ", I exclaimed to Mr. Pinker

SCRRREEECH! Mr. Pinker slammed on the brakes. "What? What did you see?"

"Didn't you see that Bighorn Sheep?" I asked. 

Bighorn Sheep outside of Red River

Mr. Pinker turned his head and whirled  Ole Big Red aka the truck around. 

"Wow!" he said "How did I miss him?" 

"I have no idea ", I replied as I shook my head with a smile  . I immediately grabbed the camera and began snapping away. 

 What a magnificent fella he was. He was also quite happy to have his photo taken as he enjoyed his stroll along the  NM 38. 

 "Where we are we headed to now?" I asked. 

" We will just see what we can find, " he said with a smile. We never make plans. We sorta meander here and there- wherever the wind takes us. 

It was not long before we made our way into Taos. Not to explore but to eat at one of my favorite fast food places in New Mexico- Blakes Lotaburger. We do not get to eat out much when we travel so this was a treat.

Blakes Lotaburger Green Chile Cheeseburger. 

 My burger was loaded with Hatch Chiles. Yum! Yum! 

 After eating, it was time to leave town. We made our usual stop at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. 

At 600 ft above the river, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge ranks as the 7th highest in the US. 

We walked the long bridge and enjoyed the view of the Rio Grande Gorge.

The gorge's depth is about 800 ft. 

 Below us we saw a female bighorn sheep resting on a rock. 

After taking in the view, we hopped into the truck and headed to our next camp.

Looks like another rainy day at camp for us. 

 By evening time, I pulled out my Around the Garden Blocks. I pieced 4 blocks before I left home . 

 

It is time to applique the green stems and then the flowers will be stitched. 

 This will be my slow stitching project for the next couple of days. Hopefully, soon flowers will be blooming in the center of the blocks.

 

I forgot to show you my red blocks from last month. "Around the Garden" is coming along. 

I will see ya' around the campfire. 

I hope you do not mind me sharing my travels with you. I will get back to my regular rambles soon. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you? I sure do!  I cannot thank  you enough for your sweet visits, kind words and encouragement. You certainly make this ole' gal feel blessed.  Love ya'! 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"He who plants a tree, plants a hope"- Lucy Larcom 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo. 

I spy a heart rock. How about you? 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

Onward We Go!

 The last time I left off we were leaving Maxwell NWR.

 

A little structure in Maxwell, NM

As we pulled out of the refuge, I spotted the camels that we usually see when we visit. 

Some were enjoying the sunshine while others strolled around.  

We had to bring Ole' Big Red, aka the old truck, to a stop when we spotted red Angus cows along the roadside on NM 505. They seemed quite content and unbothered as we puttered by. 

We continued on to our next destination. 

Travel was slow at times as we experienced rain, hail and sleet, but by evening time , we made it to our next camp in the Carson National Forest at Red River. 

We found a rather secluded spot and tucked Ole Red and Annie the truck camper in among the trees for privacy. 

Ole Big Red and Annie the ole' camper tucked among the trees. 

By nightfall the temperature dropped into the 30's, but we slept as snug as a bug in a rug. Come morning time , it was time to explore the small town of Red River.

 We also explored the outskirts. Off in the distance we could see the snowcapped Wheeler Mountain.  ( I believe that is Wheeler. )🤔

Along the roadway and in town, there were many mule deer mulling about.

Mule deer were everywhere in and out of town. 

 Later we made our way to a pullover on the side of NM 38 W. As Mr. Pinker explored, I sat and worked on the Patriotic Mini Sampler.  ( I will repost a better version of the chart when I returned. The symbols were a bit blurry in my previous post.)

Working on the border

The water was quite swift. I dipped my toes in it- cold too. 

Red River, NM

This river sees a lot of trout fishing, but not from Mr. Pinker this trip.

 So tell me- how has your week been? 

Thank you for taking the time to drop by for a visit. I wish you the most lovely weekend. 

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"Life is like a river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.  "- Unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo. 

Eagle Nest Lake, NM

Elk, Antelope and Prairie Dogs

"Where are we going to camp?", I asked Mr. Pinker. 

"I think we can make it to Maxwell before the storms set in," he replied. 

 

We usually camp at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. There were a number of campers here already, but we found a spot overlooking the lake .

Storm clouds loomed in the distance. As we waited  for the impending rain, we enjoyed a lovely sunset before making our way into the camper for the night. 

The next day we were "up and at em". We began to explore the refuge which was established in 1965. The refuge is named after the Maxwell family who once held large land ownings in this area. 

We  made our way down some of the gravel roads that we had never explored before. We hit the jackpot on viewing wildlife on Rd. A2.

 Five female elk were out and about. 

One which appeared to be the oldest was very antsy for a coyote was lurking nearby. 

This elk was on high alert with a coyote nearby. 

Way off in the distance antelope sprinted across the short grassland.

 Next up we say 4 turkeys- a gobbler and 3 Jakes. The turkeys went merrily on their way, despite Mr. Pinker making a few turkey calls.

 Down Two Mile Road , we saw more antelope out for a morning stroll. 

We made our way to Prairie Dog Town where we saw a coyote meandering his away among the mounded burrows looking for an unexpecting prairie dog for a morning meal.

A coyote looking for breakfast. 

 The black tailed prairie dogs had moved further out from where they used to be. 

A black tailed prairie dog off in the distance. 

From here, we could see prairie dogs, antelope, elk and turkey all in one spot  though  they were pretty far away.  

Prairie Dog Town viewing area. 

The ground was sprinkled with pretty orange flowers called spahaeraclea  coccinea or sometimes cowboy's delight. 

Pretty flowers blanket the ground. 

Soon we were attacked by mosquitoes- such is often the case when we visit Maxwell. We hopped into Big Ole' Red and continued on our way.

Leaving Maxwell NWR

Do you enjoy visiting wildlife refuges when you have the opportunity?  We visit at least a couple every year. 

Well, I am off to see what I can get into next. I sure do appreciate the sweet visit.  May your day be filled with beautiful and wonderful adventures and...

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened."- Anatole France

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy who loved grand adventures, wildlife and living life to the fullest.  Love and miss you, Amo.

Away we go! 

 

Happy Memorial Day and a Patriotic Mini Sampler Freebie

Hello, sweet friends and a very lovely day to you. It is Memorial Day here in the U.S. - a special day to remember all of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms here in our great nation.

My great uncle who died while in service in 1943 .

Can I interest you in a  new mini sampler? Just grab your favorite red, white and blue flosses if you are so inclined.  I will be starting this simple Patriotic Mini Sampler today.

 I think I will use  DMC 815, 930 and Blanc for the banner. I am still pondering on the letters , but I will let you know what I choose when I make the decision. 

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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NOTE: I am so sorry the symbols are coming out a little blurry. I will repost the charts when I return home from my vacation. I do apologize. 

Before I leave , I must also thank all of those currently in the military and the veterans as well as their families for their service. And I must not forget the first responders. Thank you , all . 

Have a beautiful day and may it be ever so peaceful! 

  As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"Freedom makes a huge requirement from every human being. With freedom comes responsibility  " - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo.