Visiting with Relatives

June 6, 2010.


Again I awoke to bright sunshine and temps in the upper 70's at 6:30 a.m. With the sun shining it was quickly warming. After walking the dogs around the park, my Father walked over to ask if we wanted to go out for breakfast with them and primo Donnie and his wife Rosala.


So at about 8:30 Donnie and Rosala got in our car and we headed off to Truth or Consequences followed by my father and Karen to find a restaurant for breakfast. After driving around we discovered our first two choices were closed. Eventually we ended up in Elephant Butte at a local diner. 


After breakfast we returned to camp. Donnie was expecting their son to arrive so they invited us back for another boat adventure, but we graciously declined. 


My father wanted to go for a drive to find a future space port site out in the desert. It's suppose to be a commercially owned venture that will eventually provide the wealthy with trips out to space. So we went on a long drive out into the desert in search of this space complex that is still under construction. After traveling miles in the desert with temps over 100 degrees, and seeing no other vehicles, I couldn't help but think of our lack of preparedness should we become stranded. We had no water to speak of in the car with us. Long story short, we didn't find anything and got back home safely.


That afternoon, we again retreated to the shelter or our rigs to escape the heat and sun. My thermometer registered 105 degrees. Joyce and I took a short nap before we left to travel to the home of my father's first cousin, primo Billy Romero in Garfield, NM. Primo Billy and his wife Deda live in a modest home surrounded by farm fields. Billy recently retired after 47 years with a petroleum gas company.

After dinner it was picture time so I took a picture of my father and Billy together.

Billy gave us about 20 lbs. of pecans before we left from the tree in the background. We enjoyed their company. My father and Karen will be returning to this area in September to continue their visit. Joyce and I hope to return sometime when it's much cooler! Billy and Deda live near the town of Hatch, the chili capital of the world. Chili's are grown all around their home and the area along with onions, pecans, alfalfa and more.

The Romeros

Boat Ride and Cook-Out on Elephant Butte Lake

June 5, 2010.


The morning of June 5th started out bright and sunny with temps in the 80's but pleasant at 7:00. Mi Primo, Donnie Gonzalez who was camping next to us was making breakfast for anyone that wanted it. I was still full from the night before so I chose to just sip on my morning juice!


Before long it was warming rapidly in the bright New Mexico sun. Donnie invited us all down to the lake shore where he would launch his boat and give us a ride around the lake.


Once out on Elephant Butte Lake we began cruising around enjoying the scenery with Primo Donnie at the helm.

Elephant Butte Lake also known as Elephant Butte Reservoir was created by a dam on a portion of the Rio Grand River. It's believed that my Grandfather worked on the construction of the dam as a migrant worker. 

The lake/ reservoir's namesake is this butte known as Elephant Butte, because from a distance it looks like an elephant lying down with its head to the right in the picture below.

In the picture below is Mi Primo Donnie and his wife Rosala and Mi Primo Adrian and his wife Ruthie.

Before long everyone including Joyce was under the awning in the shade which left the entire bow to me and the sun. Karen and my Father relaxing on the bow before they moved under the awning.

After about two hours in the boat, it was time to head to shore. We retired back to our rigs to escape from the sun and the heat. The temperature soared to around 105 degrees.

Later in the evening we returned to the lake shore where Primo Donnie and his buddy Lorenzo and friends had smoked some ribs, chicken and pork. We all sat around eating and telling tall stories till once again it was time to retire. I remember checking my watch and noting that at 9:00 p.m. it was still 92 degrees outside, yet bearable.

The miserable heat wave that we are enduring has made us re-examine the idea of staying here in this area for a week. It's so hot during the afternoon that the sand burns Maggie and Rico's feet when they go out to relieve themselves. We've decided to press on to Albuquerque, NM. on Monday.

Our rig is managing to keep us cool. Our campsite is not shaded, yet our main a/c can keep us at 76-78 during the hottest part of the day with the assistance of the bedroom a/c.  We can cool the bedroom to below 60 if we wanted too.  It's sure nice to take a nap in the cool bedroom during the worst heat of the day. However being forced to seek shelter inside during the day is no fun.

Travel Day to Elephant Butte Lake State Park Elephant Butte,NM

June 4, 2010.

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My father's cousin, Donnie Gonzalez reserved a couple of campsites for us next to his at Elephant Butte Lake State Park. He had invited us to join him and his wife Rosalia and their friends for the weekend. They planned to do some boating and lots of cooking on the lake shore.

So we packed up early and were on the road by 9:00 headed north on I-25 towards Elephant Butte.

We arrived at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, NM about 11:00 after a 90 mile drive. We quickly got set up.

The three of us all parked together.

The rates for this park like all New Mexico parks was $14 per day for an electric site with water.  Our site, 24 is 50 amp. We also have to pay $10 per day for Joyce's car.

After arriving, we raced back to Garfield, to pick up my father's cousin, Billy Romero and his wife Deda for lunch in Hatch, NM., the chile capital of the world. We had a great lunch at the Pepper Pot Restaurant and then spent some time with Billy at his home in Garfield. 

After a quick stop at Walmart on the way back home, we made it back by 5 p.m.  By now the temperatures were above one-hundred degrees. We stayed inside all afternoon.

That evening we drove down to the lakeshore within the park and met up with Donnie and his wife Rosala and his brother Adrian and his wife Ruthie along with other family on the lake shore. Donnie's friend Lorenzo had parked his trailer on the beach. Lorenzo's boat is in the water and Donnie's is alongside the trailer.

Donnie had caught some fish earlier and prepared and fried the fish.

Donnie and his friend Lorenzo also cooked up a batch of Chicharrones. I had never eaten Chicharrones, they were tasty wrapped in a tortilla.

Before long we were full and exhausted so we called it a night and drove back to our campsite.