The Ranch

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 50 degrees mostly sunny with breezes and 83 degrees.

We did not do much of anything today, worked on a document to complete that for the semi annual meeting. Bonnie and I went to Artesia Walmart, they do not have enough checkouts open for a Saturday.

Our friends John & Trudy arrived here at The Ranch today. They staied in Indiana longer another Rally to attend. John & Trudy also have a daughter and grand daughter there also, then a slooow trip back checking out casinos.

John & Trudy, Mark

Those girls just keep leading us down the road and we get knocked off in the end. 10 - 3 girls

The Ranch

Friday, October 29, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 37 degrees mostly sunny no wind. Temperature went to 71 degrees nice day.

Went to MEWS men eating without supervision, only six one was a visitor today. Actually it was a nice small group with everyone in the same conversation .

The Boys & Girls Dominos

When I got back I then remembered that it is post office day and there was mail waiting there for us. Bonnie went to the Ranch House for a "Brown Bag movie" DVD movie and a brown paper bag lunch.

Don & Doris

While Bonnie was at the movie i adjusted the legs of the front shelf that is on the dashboard for Merry. Two legs I needed to move forward to be in contact with the defroster duct covers for a hard contact and the third needed a wider area to not make an impression on the soft surface.

Art & Sherry

The boys had a good thought they were having a good night and are now 9 - 3 girls, the boy train was on a good track just staying a head of the girls and then the train derailed and the girls went past.

George, Art & Sherry 

The Ranch

Thursday, October 28, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 37 degrees mostly sunny no wind. Nice day temperature was up to 70 degrees today.

We had a meeting this morning in the ranch house for lease holder discussing changes and adding documents for the operation of the cooperative. Early next month there is a semi annual meeting with voting for or against these revisions and changes. There will also be election of directors and officers at a board meeting following the semi annual meeting. In the picture above we had more tables up, and a full room of people.

Inside Park Enterance

MEWS men eating without supervision, we meet at the Ranch House and at 8:30 we car pool to The Paddock restaurant east of Artesia. This is a normal Thursday morning activity here for many years but today was one of the few times that was postponed until Friday.
I do need apicture of the Paddock.
The boys had a good night and are now 8 - 3 girls, the boy train was on a good track tonight.

The Ranch House

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 45 degrees to

mostly sunny no wind 71 degrees. We had a Ranch Hand Party cleaning up outside the ranch House, trimming and raking. Now I remember why we left the house. Here it is the pine needles and pine cones. But there is donuts and coffee and with a nice turnout there was only an hour and a half work.

The Ranch House

The boys started off good anf almost finished good but lost again (8 - 2 girls).

The Ranch

Tuesday, October 26, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 42 degrees to 79 degrees mostly sunny. The wind has backed off when I got up in thorning I put out the slide and latter the awning was put out as the sun was moving to the7at area. The awning did pop a little but not like Monday. I went to mens Coffee 23 of us there discussing all sorts of things. I did my post office run staying out of Bonnies way who was cleaning inside Buster.

                                               Busters first site at the ranch
We made a run to Carlsbad, NM gas & Walmart. There is a new player in the gasoline market here in southeast new Mexico, Murphy Oil Company has opened a station next to the Walmart Mirastar gas station next door. Gasoline prices in Artesia are twenty cents higher and Roswell forty five cents higher than Carlsbad $2.45 today up from the $2.39 when we first arrived here on Oct 4. In other parts of the country Murphy is the supplier to Walmart.

We played good but lost again.

The Ranch - Wind

Monday, October 25, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 46 degrees partly cloudy windy to 80 degrees mostly cloudy all day. There were high wind gusts to 8:30 PM last night.

Buster at Lakewood, NM

In the morning I put in the window awning on the left side, even with three straps fastening the awning open, it is the wind gusting that causes a snapping of the awning that is annoying. It was not long after that I pulled in the left front slide as the wind is coming from that side of Buster.

Swop Table in The Ranch House Sun Room

I was the one who loaded up the shed as I was not throwing anything away or donating to the swop table in the Ranch House. Bonnie was the one putting the pressure on me to decide Keep, Throw or Swop Table. and the picture shows there is a much better arrangement in the shed.

Bonnie - Shed

Bonnie also cleaned her bike but my bike needs a tube or repair of the tube.

Bonnie & Bike

The Boys had a rough time tonight with the train just the regular three couples playing tonight.

The Ranch - Pot Luck

Sunday, October 24, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 46 degrees to 78 degrees mostly sunny all day.

Sherry & Art

Football & NASCAR Sprint cup race day today. I having trouble with the Verizon air card not staying connected. When plugged into the USB port and something wiggles the card disconnects. Luck as it that we have park WiFi four bars 36 Mbps on land line. We have nine nodes in the park with good coverage. No password is required to access the system as the local cows are the closest and they do not have computers. Verizon is sending another air card arriving on Tuesday. This disconnecting has been a problem for about a month, using the WiFi here has made it too easy to avoid doing something about troubleshooting or changing the air card.

Jan & Mike

This afternoon there was a pot luck dinner for our departing manager, Mike & Jan who are taking a travel position with a campground property holding company. Traveling from campground property to property evaluating and accessing the operation and condition. Mike & Jan are also leaseholders and will be here from time to time.

Pot Luck at The Ranch

The boys got run over by a late train, we were doing well until the last few rounds. Dominoes are all in how you pick them.

Helen on Patrol

Happy Trails Mike & Jan

The Ranch - West of the Pecos

Saturday, October 23, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 46 degrees to 77 degrees mostly sunny all day.

Well I finished cleaning out my expandable file folder and got all that remained into my file draw. I donated the expandable folder to the swop table, money collected there goes to the Escapees CARE, Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees, located in Livingston, Texas. From the picture we keep food for Merry there and she has been in there inspecting before filling that up. There is still room as things are somewhat spread out.

We went again out northeast and east of the Pecos River and got some fine rocks to decorate our lot here at The Ranch. This area is about four miles east of Artesia and then south about three miles. The picture above is looking south. The sky in these pictures are mostly sunny.

We each selected some rocks although Bonnie has the eye selection.

Silver Sally hauling a load of rocks.

By the way there is a train track that runs a third of a mile from here is still active. I do not know any schedule for the trains. Bulk cars and tank cars that is all I have seen but there are probably some freight trains they are morning or night. With only one crossing near here the whistle only blows for that crossing, we use that crossing accessing the Lakewood post office. So we hear this rumbling off in the distance wondering what is happening, is there a "Rig" coming into the park, then the whistle and it is the train moving down the track. We do not here every train but some are louder than others.
Well there were all players in attendance tonigt and the boys lost at dominos.

The Ranch

Friday, October 22, 2010
The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 46 degrees to cloudy 72 breezy.
We went to Roswell to do some shopping and had lunch there. I returned a call from Carole, while waiting for Bonnie outside a store. Carole phone went to message and after shopping she called us while we were having lunch. My telephone rang just after Bonnie was talking about the person two tables away behind her, that people talking on the telephone in restaurants are talking loud trying to be impressive. We had a nice talk, Bonnie too. We did cup our mouth and the telephone to control our voices.

Look who is selling Coke

In Roswell there is a museum and Research center for the UFO sightings and alien's. In the 1930's this area was a test site for liquid fueled rocket experiments by Robert Goddard and a museum is there to honor that experimental site.

UFO Museum

The museum is currently located in an old movie theater down town and the museum has property north of town for a new building. In the picture the city is replacing the concrete at the edge of the road and that is the reason for the yellow tape that is in the picture.

The train (domino's) was three against two, girls to boys. Even with one of our boys working late today we prevailed in the train game. When playing this way and one of the boys go out the remaining tiles in one of the girls hands are not counted and that rotates as hands are played double twelve down to double blank.




Trinket stores are the other pictures here today and they are walking distance from the museum.

The Train Lakewood, NM

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico West of the Pacos River 59 degrees cloudy to 76 degrees mostly sunny. We got rain last night, two tenths of an inch. MEWS men eating without supervision. Today twelve men out togther telling stories drinking coffee eating breakfast. Phil one of our returning lease holders (yesterday) regaled of his trip to Nova Scotia this summer with the truck & trailer issues and of course the great seafood there. Lots of good talk an coffee for all.
We went out northeast and east of the Pecos River and got some fine rocks to decorate our lot here at The Ranch. We are going again and there will be pictures when we do that again.

The boys train got derailed tonight and they lost to the girls we just need to get more tiles that match.

The Ranch - West of the Pecos River

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico. West of the Pacos River, 54 degrees cloudy to partly to mostly sunny and 75 degrees, to cloudy.

I did not get any pictures yesterday so I am catching up on them, Bonnie wanted a picture of the Post Office without the truck and the sign visible.

US Post Office Lakewood, NM

Clean Silver Sally

I attended a board of directors meeting for our cooperative that lasted about an hour and a half. While that was going on Bonnie cleaned Silver Sally inside and out today, the first since being here to The Ranch. I cleaned Buster, washed outside but more compartments need cleaning out while we are here. Then the shed cleaned and rearrangement was done

Bonnie at the Shed

Big train tonight, the boys won big time with four couples playing in one group. We played a single game (double twelve to blank) in less than an hour and a half. The fourth couple is visiting from Deming, New Mexico for a five days.

The Ranch - TV - Happy hour

Tuesday, October 19, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 52 degrees mostly sunny to sunny and 80 degrees, a little breezy today.

Mens coffee this morning and donuts, a good start to a day guy talk, finding what everyone is doing this week. Mail call again today and there was some there for us to receive.

We spent time cleaning out the ten by ten foot shed today, since we have been back Buster was lightened but everything went into the shed. Today the sorting began something's been in there for a year and a half not used and it is time for them to go. Some was really garbage that needed to go and some went to the swop table. The Ranch there is a table and a small clothes rack for anyone to select and pay a donation. These donations are given to Escapees Care (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees).

Happy Hour held here

I went to happy hour by myself, some visitors came into The Ranch today that had been to the balloon festival in Albuquerque, and heading to Texas to a chili cooking festival this weekend. Also a lease holder returned from visiting family in Pennsylvania.
The train (domino's) ran again tonight and the boys lost for the second night in a row, boo hoo.

The Ranch

Monday, October 18, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 52 degrees mostly sunny to sunny and 80 degrees some wind this afternoon.

Here at the Ranch we have an RO (reverse osmosis) water system that gives us very good drinking water and soft water for laundry. The RO takes pumped well water thru several filters at high pressure and is then stored for distribution to all sites, ranch house and laundry. The quantity of water pumped at the well is monitored for our well permit and 30 percent of that quantity is waist from the RO system. This RO system waist along with high humidity, over eight inches of rain (in a desert?)

This summer underground water leaks from our distribution system caused high water use. Those leaks were finally found and prepared. Rain, humidity, low evaporation, high water use (leaks) caused the pond to reach close to maximum capacity and we do not want a spill. We have added two water circulator's to the pond which will increase the evaporation rate of pond water. Since October4 the humidity has been lower, no rain, no water leaks more rigs and people at the park using less water per rig, the pond water level is dropping slowly.

Domino's was a bust for the boys tonight, our first loss this month.

The Train Lakewood, NM

Sunday, October 17, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 52 degrees mostly sunny to sunny and 84 degrees and a fourteen drop rain shower at 4:00 PM today.

Well there was bad news our family friend Ed Peter "Falkie" Falkiewicz passed away this past Wednesday. We were lucky enough this past June to have dinner with Falkie and Lorraine at Christine's house in Holly Spring, North Carolina. He was not doing very good with copd. The picture is Bonnie, Lorraine, Falkie, George and Christine's son Zane.


Bonnie, Lorraine, Falkie & Grorge


Something I failed to say in the last post, when the picture is enlarged you can see a yellow insulator on a steel rod, for the electric fence to keep the cattle on their side of the fence. I am re-showing that picture. (Click on picture to enlarge, click return button on your browser to return to post)


Yellow insulator on a steel rod

 The train (domino's) will run better starting Monday as the third couple Art & Sherry arrived to day. And the boys are still undefeated this month.

Saturday at The Ranch

Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 46 degrees clear & sunny to 80 degrees today and in the afternoon some clouds. This has been the best fall we have had here, our third.


Desk looking forward & left



 I like to use a mouse pad and not the touch pad that comes with a laptop computer. I have been struggling by moving the computer and fitting in the mouse pad on the right edge. Bonnie does use the touch pad and is mostly happy with that. I came up with this using a piece of thin plywood that extends the sides and when Buster moves I can store that plywood beside the drivers chair. This gives me more room to place the camera when downloading pictures to the computer.  In the picture you can see we found a good place for Merry's bed with two windows to look out. Merry is very comfortable there as you can see she can watch whats going on from there or sleep.

 

The site across the road from Buster

 Well I have at lease verbally told some that we live here in side a cattle ranch, well here they are today strutting their stuff and doing a normal cow thing, eating grass. Plenty to find today as there was a lot of rain here this summer. Our land for the co-op was purchased from the rancher who has 8,000 acres for beef cattle. The cattle make very few sounds so there are no noisey neighbors.





In front of Buster



Buster"s Sunset

 


Today I was able to capture a sunset looking west from Buster's front. The big tree in the center is the same tree seen in the picture on top today. You can see the Buster's windshield & wiper on the left edge of the picture.

Buster's Lights

This evening I was able to get a picture of the rope lights we use around buster and I have laid a string under Silver Sally where we drive in and out. In the picture Sally's are not turned on I have a clicker for the on & off of those. Buster's lights are on a timer for dusk to dawn. The picture is looking south & east.














The Ranch - TV - Happy hour

Friday, October 15, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 46 degrees clear & sunny to 82 degrees today.
The big trip out today was a Post Office run (about one mile) for mail and there was some mail to be had. I only go two days a week to check.

Lakewood, NM Post Office 88254

I also worked in side the televison box. Where the original TV was installed, this requires removing the 37 inch from the bracket, disconnecting wires and placing it in the chair. This is much easier than the original as the weight is 25 pounds to 60 pounds before for the original tv. Since we have had Buster we have changed all three tube type televisions to flat thin LCD television. I needed to put the satellite 110 AC into a different receptacle and trim the board that the tv bracket is attached to.


Dress the wires some and find twelve volt DC power for the "bat wing antenna". This is a booster when we are looking for over the air network television. Never did find any live power (twelve volts) for that booster.

Front TV

After Happy Hour we went to Artesia with Don & Doris for dinner. When we returned to the Ranch House the "Train" ran with the Boys victorious again. That sunroom also has a video library for use by any camper with both DVD and VCR tape available to use and return.

Sunroom Videos

The Ranch - Buster

Thursday, October 14, 2010
The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 46 degrees clear & sunny to 81 degrees with some wind today. Today a new picture of Buster Brown at the top, Buster is on the left, door open mid morning with new satellite dish pointed to the satellite and powered off receiving programing. Looking west down Windmill Vista, mid morning.

MEWS = Men Eating Without Supervision, we gather at The Ranch House and at 8:30 A.M. Car pool to an area east of Artesia to a restaurant for Breakfast, coffee and man talk. Eight men went today and good time was had by all.

The Ranchhouse

I worked on the slide out tray where I store electric cable for connecting Buster to the campground electric post, water hoses and fittings with (tools) pliers. I had found a large plastic container I think cheese puffs came in and cut it in half's. I can use these to store and control tools and fittings.

The window shade beside the passenger seat needed attention as the cord had broken and now too short. I took the shade down and added a short piece inside the top rail pulling thru and when reinstalling there will be more cord at the bottom. 

Here at The Ranch I am able to accomplish these little projects as weather, access to a shop and the environment make it easy work here at The Ranch. Cleaned out my paper folder reducing the size of the expandable folder. Actually that will be going away when I get the supplies to put it all into our new computer desk draw. last year when we returned here to The Ranch that folder was bulging bearly able to close it. I need the supplies to do the organization of all the paper in the draw file. Taking the time to sort thru all that seems to be easy when here at The Ranch it is like being home.

No "Train" tonight as Don went to a gun club meeting, Bonnie rested and I went and played cards, Hand & Foot. We are awaiting the arrival of our other Train couple to come into The Ranch, Art & Sherry are in route to The Ranch.

The Ranch Water Pond

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 50 degrees sunny & clear to 82 degrees. Monthly Town Hall meeting for leaseholders took up the rest of the morning. This is where leaseholders can vent to other about anything that is bothering them. Finished washing Buster except for the left front wheel.

The Fenced Pond

The co-op president requested that all outside water, washing vehicles with hose, be stopped until the water level in the waist water pond decreases. The Fenced Pond is on the right in above picture.

Only 70 percent of the water pumped from the wells is used in the park the other 30 percent goes into the waist pond, the reverse osmosis filter system is this reason. Another cause is water leaks and there were a few over the summer that were hard to find. These are known facts as there is a meter registering the quantity of water removed from the well and thirty percent of that goes to the pond as all water used in the park is reverse osmosis (RO) water. In the pond they have added aerators to encourage evaporation but the rainy summer also brought high humidity (glad I was not here then) inhibiting evaporation. Other rule grievances were discussed. About two hours of town hall then off to Artesia, NM for the Chile Chapter #23 luncheon 28 members attending. Chile Chapter # 23 is a state wide regional Escapees club the has monthly lunches and mini rally's this year we are staying close and going to the Brantley Lake State Park five miles down the road for a three day camp in November.

George at the fire

In the evening at seven there was a sire ring and one lot with a large turnout for a surprise Birthday party for one of the ladies. (Seated in the picture, Yvonne, Dean, Melody, George)

The Ranch - Happy hour

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Kitchen - Meetingroom

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 50 degrees sunny & clear to 81 degrees very nice day with light breezes. Mens coffee this morning (in the Ranch House) with donuts and lots of talk about every thing from what we are going to what happened in the past and what is going on here at The Ranch. We push a couple of tables together and fresh donuts are brought from Artesia, NM there is a coffee machine in the kitchen.

The Ranch House

I am chairman of the building & safety committee and when someone wants to add or change a shed on their lot they submit a change request and at least two committees are involved. Well yesterday myself and another committee member after mens coffee looked over a shed that had a metal roof installed and new doors added.
I was the "ding a ling" for a second night and another task of that "job" is to ask one of the lady lease holders to "volunteer" to follow me (be the "ding a ling" ) for the next two nights and she will ask for a male to do the same.
The "Train" is running well for the "Boys" (domino's) undefeated this month. We play the domino's in the ranch house "sun room" . The third couple that we play train with is still traveling here to the Ranch and will be here soon.

Ranchhouse Sunroom

Train "runs" on one of these tables.

The Ranch - Ding Dong

Sunday, October 10, 2010


The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 54 degrees partly cloudy to clear with a breeze & sunny to 78 degrees. The solar panel battery charging has not bee performing correctly and voltages and charging amps have not been correct. The voltage on the controller remote display indicated higher that the Xantrex power inverter. The inverter also has a three stage battery charger for the batteries and the twelve volt system. Found two problems the ground stud loose and screw broken, positive connection to the batteries was loose wire pulled from crimp terminal. Repaired these and voltage and amps are now normal.

The Ranch House

Monday, October 11, 2010

The Ranch Lakewood New Mexico 50 degrees sunny & clear all day to 80 degrees. Work day for the co-op building & safety committee that I am chairman of until the co-op semiannual meeting November 2. I also am the "ding a ling" for tonight and tomorrow night. Four PM happy hour, gathering in the ranch house to socialize and a tell jokes or stories along with announcements of what is happening. Who came in that day someone can announce they are departing the next day, we sing "Happy Trails" to the departing. That more formal part starts 4:30 and lasts 10 to 50 minutes with the longer days more stories (and longer stories).

Large Meeting Room

The "ding a ling" is in front of the door with the pumpkin, the room is decorated for Halloween conducting the formal part of happy hour. Now that fall is here rigs are returning and more people are coming to happy hour, during the summer there are not many rigs in the park.