I'm an Idiot

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered weak and weary, should I click a pic today, or procrastinate till it goes away. Yes I said "that's what I'll do, put it off till the holidays through" and when that time shall come and go I'll put it off a little mo. 

With apologies to Edgar Alan Poe, and anyone that accidentally reads this.

Forgot the beer?

The holiday is finally here, and I hope everybody's having an enjoyable time. I know I am, but not for a normal reason, like stuffing myself with turkey. I'm happy because I'm safely ensconced in a place where it's free to stay, and there's no pressure to leave at any particular time. So, other than missing my family, I had a great Thanksgiving.

Yeah, that's right, I feel like an idiot. All week long, I've been talking about dealing with the huge crowds on holidays, and here it is, Thanksgiving day, and there are no more people here than last weekend. How do I explain that? I don't know.

I did mention before that the only holiday I ever spent here at the Elephant was Easter, and the place was packed, so I just assumed that's the way holidays were in New Mexico, but I was sure wrong about Thanksgiving. But I can't complain. I was trying to avoid the crowds and the roads they drove on, and I did accomplish that.

So I'll be leaving here either Monday or Tuesday. And all I know about where my destination will be is that it will be south of here. And that's not not because it's a secret, I still need to decide where I'll go, and there are three things that determine where that will be. The weather. Places where something is going on that I want to see. and my feelings at the time.

The weather is obvious; I try to go towards warmth.

Something is going on, such as the places I have been in the past that have some events I want to watch, such as the rodeo and other horse events in Tucson.

And last is my feelings. And this will control my next move because as I head south, I'll be passing fairly close to two different New Mexico State Parks namely the City of Rocks State Park near Silver City and Rock Hound State Park near Deming. I enjoy both places, so which one I visit for a while will be determined by how I feel.

I was thinking of changing my boondocking spot here at the Elephant for another one I've stayed in before a few times; even though the place I'm in right now is my favorite, I like to change spots sometimes to get a new view of things.

That's why I don't live in a house anymore; it's harder to get a new view when living in a house. Most folks solve that problem by taking vacations or visiting other places. But when you do that everything is planned and strictly scheduled, and as you might be able to tell; I don't like plans, schedules, itineraries, timetables, arrangements,  reservations, or anything else that requires I must be at a certain place at a certain time.

So, I may be living the perfect life, which gives me much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving day.

I'm thankful for my family.

Thankful for the life I live.

And I'm thankful for my health. which is not too bad for a 90-year-old man....but since I'm only 77 I'm not sure how thankful I should be.

Tom

It's extremely rare to find a New Hebrides Bowlegged Puffin flying around in New Mexico, and in fact I may be the first person to ever spot one. These Puffins are famous for laying triangular eggs, an adaptation that keeps the eggs from rolling out of the nest. But unfortunately after laying one egg the female never wants to lay another so the Puffins numbers are rapidly decreasing.

 Sunrise at my boondocking spot overlooking the Lake.