Happy 2021! Believe it or not, the endless year, 2020, has ended and we’ve more or less survived. I get the distinct impression that 2021 is saying, “Hold my beer!”, but that remains to be seen.
We celebrated the end of the old and beginning of the new in a quiet spot in the Lincoln National Forest of Eastern New Mexico. It was cold and snowy, and we were very grateful for our diesel heater, but there is something to waking up with ice on the inside of the windows!
Stopping in Roswell to restock (sorry, no aliens), we found a spot on BLM land for a quick overnight. It wasn’t much, just a spot on a bluff above the town, but we had the best welcoming committee ever! Three beautiful wild horses came to say hello and stayed through sunset. They weren’t too interested in Daisy, but were quite curious about the kitties.
As we were researching Texas, we realized that we have been spoiled being from the Western USA, with the millions of acres of public lands. Texas is graduate level boondocking!!
We had joined Harvest Host a few months before, but hadn’t used it. So we started our Texas adventure as guests of Buena Suerte Vineyard in the high plains area of West Texas near the town of Meadow. Bill and Gail Day, the owners, were completely delightful and welcoming. Bill gave us a tour of the vineyard and shared his passionate knowledge about grapes and the art of creating great wine. Being relative wine novices (box wines don’t break in a moving RV!) we learned so much being able to taste and compare a variety of wines.
Our next boondocking attempt was at a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Matador, TX. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, and while we were the only ones there, the nasty spiky things in the grass (sandburs) made it very hard for our critters. Keep in mind, we’re from the Pacific Northwest where sand, soft moss, and gravel are about as rough as the ground gets.
The next stop was through Boondockers Welcome. BINGO! Boondockers Welcome is a great program where property owners, many of them sometimers, offer a place to park for fellow travelers.
In Wichita Falls, we stayed with an interesting couple named Greg and Chris. We had such a wonderful time with them, visiting, working on projects, sharing meals. One of our challenges was being someplace long enough to have our important mail forwarded to us. They let us stay an extra day or two so our package could catch up with us.
The next Boondockers Welcome was near Winnsboro, TX where we got to know Ken and Cheryl. Cheryl and I (JoDana) talked for hours and became soul sisters during our stay. We enjoyed walks in their woods, helping with projects around their place, and going out to dinner. Cheryl even invited me to volunteer with her at the local animal shelter. Cheryl and Ken were fostering an adorable German Shepherd puppy that absolutely stole our hears and is now our newest fur family member, Toby.
We love these wonderful new friendships and look forward to visiting all these great folks as we travel back through Texas in the future.
We are now back on public land in the Davey Crocket National Forest, where again we are making friends and enjoying conversations with our neighbors in this quiet area near the Neches River.