Still blowing in Colorado

May 27 – After having 60 mph winds gusts during the night, we awoke to a chilly, yet calm morning.  We used our space heater in the bedroom last night and it helped but the furnace would have been better.  We set out on our first loop check and walk.  It was cold enough that I put on long pants, a t-shirt and hoodie.  Our camp had not suffered much from the winds but we heard that Tiffany camp had several tents fly off in the winds.  I made our regular Sunday breakfast:  bacon, grapefruit, pancakes and 2 poached eggs for Bill. 

Bill and Xena had gone to the little convenience store while I was getting breakfast so he could get a Sunday paper.  They had not been delivered yet.  After breakfast he wanted me to drive up again and try to get one.  So once I cleaned up I went to the store, which is about a mile up the road from the park and got a paper.  On my way back I stopped at the office and checked for reservations and was able to get a box I need to mail something.  I picked up some tourist literature for us.  As I walked out, Bill drove up on the Mule.  We met another of the rangers and he said today and tomorrow would be nice with no more than 15 mph winds and chilly.  WRONG!  The day gradually got windier. 

When Bill finished his chores we decided it was nice enough out for me to get on the roof and replace 3 of the broken gutter spouts and replace and caulk several places where the screw cover was missing or weathered.  Once he sent up all the supplies I needed he went to the maintenance shed to report a broken toilet.  I was almost done when I started to smell something burning; then it registered:  I had left potatoes and eggs cooking for potato salad for tomorrow.  I moved pretty darn fast for a fat old lady and down the ladder.  I was so relieved to see the water had cooked down, but not out, so it wasn’t my food burning but someone else’s.  Finally something went right!

Boats on Navajo Lake

I finished up and Bill came back and we discussed using some nylon rope to secure the slide topper that we fear will be damaged if we get more bad wind.  So once again I climbed onto the roof and we slid the rope through 2 styrofoam tubes that are for covering water lines to keep them from freezing.  We had those positioned over the edges of the topper and Bill tied one end to our entry handle and I came down and we pulled the rope under the slide so it circled it and secured it also to the handle.  Hopefully that will fix the problem so we don’t have to bring in the slide anymore.

Marina at Navajo State Park

We both settled in to read the paper and in the weather section it said tonight will be a low of 29 –YIKES!  Today was only in the 60’s and over the week it is supposed to gradually get a bit higher, into the 70’s.  That’s perfect but it is still supposed to be chilly at night, just not freezing.  Later in the afternoon we took Xena on a loop check in the Mule and went over to Tiffany camp to see if the tents were still down.  There were more down than up.  We stopped and Bill took a few photos of the boats out on the lake.  It was nice and clear today and the lake was really calm compared to the white caps we saw yesterday and the thick haze of dirt in the air.

I put a small pork loin in the crock pot this morning and we had that shredded for dinner.  The rest of our meal was cleaning out leftovers from our small fridge.  There was corn, broccoli, baked potato and I roasted the last 2 of my bell peppers from my garden.  Bill scarfed those down first.  He really loves it when I roast any kind of peppers.  For me they are totally nasty.  Following dinner we took Xena for her nightly walk.  It was chilly out but all the wind had blown away for the time being.  We’ll see what tonight and tomorrow brings.  I wanted to put out some of my patriotic decorations, but don’t want them all ruined if the wind picks up again tomorrow.

I read for a while and organized my coupons and Bill listened to some old radio shows on his Sirius radio and then we went on our last loop check on the Mule.  We had one new RV check in and we had to pick up (I told Bill it was his job) a deer foot and about 6 inches of leg.  It was right in the road.  We didn’t want any of the many dogs in the camp to get hold of it.  Yuk!  Is there a 3 legged deer in the park?  Bill hates that so many of the campsites have fires tonight, which means all those pits will have to be cleaned once they leave.  It’s the first night it’s been clear enough for everyone to enjoy sitting around the fire.  Bill had 2 girls come by to purchase bundles of firewood, our first.  One of the other hosts had a bundle stolen.

We have to leave our kitchen water on drip for the night so the hose and pipes don’t freeze and I turned the tank heaters on.  I took my shower before bed when it was warmer and we had plenty of hot water.  You never know!  Time to post this blog and read on my Janet Evanovich book.