More Exploring

We tried to follow a gravel road that went back behind the Caballo Lake Dam. You can see it in the background of the picture with water (Caballo Lake). We finally had to give up -- the road just got too narrow, windy and was going up, up, up. We were trying to get back behind the mountains in these pictures- the Caballo mountains - to do some prospecting for gold. If you click on the pictures of the mountains to make them bigger you can see the gravel roads going up them. You really need a jeep to explore this area. One of the workampers at our park checked into buying a used jeep -- they wanted $4000 and it was almost 20 years old. I have to say -- you see a lot of really old vehicles on the road down here -- in perfect condition. What a difference it makes when you don't have to drive on salted roads.

Jim finally found something of value with his metal detector -- two pennies -- and an old shell casing that no one can identify -- it might be an antique. We will be trying to find out. I found a beautiful piece of petrified wood so at least we are having some luck out in the desert. You should see our nice white truck -- covered in red dust. Poor thing!

Its almost Christmas and they do decorate some around here. I want to get a picture of the tumbleweed snowmen and post it -- very cute. Did you know tumbleweeds are very thorny -- you can't just grab one or you will pay for days while you try to get the thorns out. Thats true with about every plant out here. Thorns!

Jim had to help a guy (Dave) retrieve his boat where he beached it. Dave is the guy with the inflatable that took us to Caballo Lake once. He wanted to go hunting about 10 miles up the lake on the other side of it so he drove as far as he could -- launched the boat - and then the wind kicked up and he was facing 3 foot waves in his little 8 foot inflatable -- so he beached it and walked all the way back to his car -- several miles and drove back to camp to get his big truck and Jim. He had tried calling back to camp for help but -- just got through and then no service -- well this had everyone in camp thinking he was drowning so they sent the park rangers out searching for him. As soon as the rangers found his boat and saw that it was safely beached they knew he was ok. Dave retrieved his boat with Jim's help and needless to say he didn't get any hunting or fishing in that day.