DallantaWorld, if it is Outside, Then it Must be FUN:
FESTINA LENTE
LATEST NEWS!!!!! The lady I met, married me. I am so happy now. Not sure how I lucked out, but who am I to question fate. And my job in Shreveport went down the tubes, but they wanted me to move to Abilene, Tx. DUH! I accepted so fast they did not have a chance to change their minds. It is just what I expected. Living out this way, instead of just driving out this way. We love it! She had never been camping or hiking before. Now though, she loves doing it, she can walk me into the ground!
I dont't have a new picture to put on here. Now my head is shaved and the mustache is gone. Not by choice really. I put in for a special job and because of the environment, that seemed to be best. I accepted a job with a company working in Iraq. Not as crazy as it sounds, I figure my odds are good enough. The wolf is my totem, my guide, Hopefully he will protect me.
It has been interesting the last 3 years. That lady I married still spoils me, LOL, don't know why though. Two summers ago we went to Roswell, N.M. Went there for the yearly alien convention. We camped out at a place called Bottomless Lakes. I liked it there. Some real pretty scenery and lots of hiking and climbing areas. One HOT place though, lol. We also went on farther south to Carlsbad Caverns. It was my second time there, but the first time with someone. It is more fun with someone to share with. I showed her parts of the desert out there, and when we got home yesterday, the first thing she did was to hunt the internet about the Guadalupe Mtns to see where else to go, LOL. She is special. This last summer, we went to Palo Duro Canyon for a week of camping and hiking. An amazing place, no wonder the indians thought it to be special, it surely is. Jeanette fell and seet down on a cactus, I hard to remove them from her rear end, lol.
The picture of that beautiful chocolate Lab is Sadie. The most gentle, loving dog I have ever known. I miss her greatly.
Some of the activities I like to do are hiking, jogging, looking for gems and crystals, metal detecting, dancing, reading, movies, and I have found the love I was searching for.
Music is very important to me also, all kinds. At this time, my favorites are Sarah Mclachlan, Enya; and I do love Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple....I'm an old hippy. It is a little interesting sometimes. My wife likes country and tolerates my rock, lol. Recently, I have discovered Mazzy Star, Macy Gray, Leonard Cohen, and a very nice Aussie singer named Kasey Chambers. I have made many more trips. All the way from Florida across the country and back to the Chihuahua desert again. I have many more pics, but haven't gotten around to posting them here yet. I have discovered that you have to be happy with yourself and your life before you can successfully include anyone else in it. Also, you cannot settle for just anyone. Life sure changes.
Hiking the Guadalupe/Sacramento Mountains
The first of December of 98, I found myself in west Texas heading for New Mexico, courtesy of my employer.I found a couple of really great and affordable places to visit.The Guadalupe Mountains are fantastic. Excellent hiking and scenery. The ruins of the old Butterfield Stage Station are here. There are many places to "pull off the road". I can turn a 2 hour drive into 4 hours. I like to stop and look.
Mckettrick Canyon State Park is an exceptional place. They say it is the most beautiful place in Texas; I believe that. I spent hours just wandering trails. Be sure to check in/out at the trail head. Makes it easier on the rangers and safer for you. Also, it will be much more fun if you are dressed accordingly and you bring your own water!! This is a desert area. The only problem I had was not enough time to spend. On the second trip, I saw a sign that said Sitting Bull Falls. So my truck did what it seems to want to. About 30 miles off the main road is Sitting Bulls Falls Park. It is a very nice place to visit. The ranger was very nice. She told me exactly what I wanted to know, and where to hike.
They were having mountain lion problems in some of the areas there, but she said there should not be a problem here. I found a spring up in the hills. very clear and about 10 foot deep. She had told me I could swim there if I wanted, but it was January, and too cold, lol. I also found the tracks of one of the local mountain lions. The picture is of the track in front of my boot so that there is something to compare the size with. Never saw the lion though. One thing she did not tell me that she should have though, was about Javelinas. I did not know what they were till that day. They are wild pigs or boars, and they have an attitude that is unreal. I saw them first, I think there were about 10 of them. When they charged, I climbed/ran right back up the hills. The dang things went nuts. Later, the ranger told me that they were very vicious. They would all run you down, and then they would proceed to eat you. Now I know.
The Chihuahua Desert
is very extensive. It comes up out of Mexico and this whole area is a part of it. Water is a scarce commodity, I can't express enough about taking your own water if you plan on hiking or exploring in this area. Here, you can find mountains, desert, saltflats, and lots of vegetation, and wildlife. Lots to see.
Carlsbad Caverns offers several types of tours, from easy to tough. Check them out before you go. They are so different, and so exciting, that you will have much more fun if you know what choices you have before you get there. I chose the hike down the natural entrance to the "Big Room". The first picture is what it looks like when you finally get to the cave entrance. They also have an elevator if strenuous hiking is a problem for you.. You can take it down or just up when finished. There are other tours that involve climbing and crawling. I wish could have had time for those. You can also rent a cd player that describes points of interest on the way. Normally they are junk, but this one is great. The bats fly south in October, so if you do like me, you won't get to see them. Planning! The formation on the right they call The Breast of Venus. Yes, I love it
Me This picture was taken going through Fantastic Caverns. It is a nice cave, or was. The first ride through-one that I have been on. It is not as nice as Carlsbad. You can't wander along and look. You have to stay in the vehicle and follow their schedule. The thing is though, they use gas operated vehicles in the cave. When asked, the guide told us that it did not damage the cave. A lot of crap, you can see where the cave is dying. Still, if you are in the Springfield, Missouri area, it just takes a couple of hours and you don't need to prepare.
Crystals-Fossils-Rocks
I love hunting for things, lots of things. Collecting crystals is fun, you never know what you are getting, same with fossils. If you are into metal detecting, then you are always finding something unexpected. I also have a weakness for auctions and garage sales.
My dream Girl
Yes, I know it is a fantasy, probably a bitch!
Humour
Yes, This was instigated by a friend. She had this idea of the Hot
Springs mineral water in its arms. Found the armadillo on the side of the road. I tell you what, it sure did stink.
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a major part of southern Missouri and Arkansas. The part of them I know anyway. I have traveled all over them, camped, hiked, and fished. But I dont have many pictures here yet. Darn, guess that means I will have to do it over. Above is a picture of Lake Quachita. A beautiful place. I like to hike and camp there. It is great for hunting crystals and not far off is the diamond mine.
There are a couple of special activities you can try here. You can mine for crystals, quartz, and diamonds. For a small daily fee, you can look for any of these and keep whatever you find, or you can strike out on your own. If you do that though, you need to check the owners for permission or the park system for their rules.
New addition, I finally made it to the diamond crater. It is easy to get there. The only thing you might be sure to have besides your digging tools is plenty of water or drinks and food. It is a ways into town to find something to eat. It is also a great place for kids. While I was there, they had a busload of middle school kids hunting also. There was plenty of room for all though. I was prepared for anything short of having to use dynamite. It was a case of overkill. All I really needed was a good shovel and a screen for sifting. I had a lot of fun, it is nice and very pretty there. However, I did not find any diamonds. I did find a great geode that everyone else had missed. If you wish to know more about this place, just hunt up Diamond Crater State park in a search engine.
Halleys Bluff, in south western Missouri, overlooks the Osage river. From here you have a view up and downstream. It is beautiful there.
It is a very historical location. The Osage Indians lived there and at one time there was a french fort there. This pic is of what they call the cache pits. They are manmade holes drilled into the rock. I have read where they think french trappers did it to store furs and I have also read where the Osage themselves made them. Who knows. There used to be a lot of them, but some idiot years ago got the idea there was treasure in them and used dynamite. They are cool though. From here, if you sit and let your imagination go, you can see the indian villiage spread all around and the people going about there lives. This area is now owned by the Church of Israel and they live around that area. In order to see the bluffs you will have to ask permission. I found them to be a very nice and interesting people.
Sierra Mountains of California
I discovered the Sierra Mountains a while back. While in the Army, they were looking for volunteers. Yes, I volunteered, but it turned out really special. They needed councelors for underpriveledged inner city kids from Los Angeles. We spent 2 weeks in the mountains up around Gold Lake, Loon Lake, above Grass Valley. It is one of my fondest memories. The kids were great, and the Sierras talked to me. I had just come back from Viet Nam, and that trip helped me a lot. I do love them. Me and another councelor, being young and not afraid of anything, even went skinny dipping in the mountain water. Talk about damn cold water, we did not stay in long.
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