We left Cottonwood, AZ at 9 AM and got to Winslow, AZ at 11:30 AM.  It is a long hard pull up HW 260  from the Verde Valley. And then the left turn to HW 87 more up more hill and on over the Coconino National Forest. But a nice road but so glad we have a Duramax diesel as it handled it in fine style. This is right next to a mountian road in Colorado. We are for the night in the Winslow city park.  OK OK I will list the same picture from yesterday of this site. 

We went into town and got a Sunday paper,  and when I looked in the bag we had TWO Sunday papers. Don't know if we paid twice for them as they we in a stack in the Bashas' food store not out of a machine. Couldn't find the reciept. We gave one to a fellow RVer in the park who were on their way back to Wisconsin and had spent the winter in AZ also. 

Think we are off to Canyon De Chelly about 180 miles northeast of Winslow. 
On the map it is east of Chinle. See the green park boundries

We were there many years ago and look forward to getting back into the sprit of these sacared Indian grounds. We will respect and tread lightly on their reservation. They have a free campground and we hope to be able to stay for a night or two while we learn more about their history. The last time we were there many years ago it was getting toward sunset and we were on an overlook and a couple of locals came up we just felt they should be left alone for the spirit of the moment. We slowly left, so they could have their land back. I think we got a nod of thanks. 

Untill we can get our own pics up. 

Do visit the Canyon de Chelly National Monument nps.gov site. 

Canyon de Chelly is unique among National Park service units, as it is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land that remains home to the canyon community. NPS works in partnership with the Navajo Nation to manage park resources and sustain the living Navajo community. 

See Desert USA  for more info.

Monday March 26

Our campsite in Canyon de Chelly National Monument. A Free campground in a National Monument. 
No entrance fee either. 


 Terry looking out on one of the fantastic vistas. People lived in the canyon 1800 years ago. It does make you take a step back and ponder life and what it ment before our time. 

I got the pics up and told Terry he gets to fill in the blanks so to speak.  They have quiet hours in this campground from 8:30 PM and that time has arrived. For us it's 7:30 but on the reservation they are doing daylight savings time. So need to get things shut down.  More posts on Tuesday. The campground is not very full and our neighbor just fired up his generator so we may leave ours on a bit longer. Our Honda 2000i is quiet don't you know. 

The weather is taking a turn for colder and windy, we shall see if we head out for Navajo Dam tomorrow or not, if it is not too windy.  First report said it was going to snow with winds of 35 mph and get down to 26. That sounded like a blizzard to me.  Now they have revised the forecast to winds of 39 and chance of T-storms and low of 33 tonight and low on Tuesday of 26. But to warm up to the 60's. So who knows what is going to happen. We will get up from under our two blankets and see what the next move is in the morning. That's what fulltimers do when not in a rush. Stick up a finger and see how the wind is blowing. Or with us boot up the computer and see what Weather Watcher sez is going to happen. 

After the road trip to view the sights we went to Chinle and stopped at Bashes' and got a fresh whole chicken and Terry is roasting it in the oven. Mashed potatoes and peas. A great meal on a night that is threatening to turn cold. 
 

Tuesday March 27
by your roving reporter Terry

Having done the South Rim Drive at Canyon De Chelly yesterday afternoon we decide last night that there was little reason to stay on in Chinle Az for another day,  Our hope was to arise early and get on the road before the wind came up this morning. 

Woke up this morning about 6:00,  looked out the window, noted how quiet it was, clear skies, no wind to speak of, and crawled back in to  my nice warm nest of blankets and pillows.  By the time we did get up, 8:00 more or less (mostly more)  The wind had come up out of the SW and there was lots of blowing dust.  We decided to stay with the plan, and since the wind was blowing out of the SW it would not be that big a deal. 

Hit the road just before 9:00 this morning and there were times when the tumbleweed were rolling along almost as fast as the trailer.  They looked like some desert creature hopping along on the side of the road.  At other times we did have to share the road with real live creatures of the hoofed varieties, horses and Cattle.  For the most part they are accustomed to the traffic and pay no attention when you drive by, but it makes me nervous not knowing if one of them might bolt in front of the truck.

As we were driving North out of Chinle on the way to hwy 160 the winds were at their peak for the day, and there were times when our vision was all but blocked by the dust.  There was so much stuff blowing about that I was wondering if the state has ever had to bring out the snow plows to clear the drifted sand and dirt off of the roads? 

By the time we reached Hwy 160 and started East the winds had gone down some what and we made fairly good time arriving at Navajo Dam NM about 1:00.  Did not know how busy the campground might be and wanted to get here early to compete for any available spots.  WE worry to much,  the place is fairly empty,  the campground hosts are not even here yet, but  they have turned the water on.  After inspecting all of the available sites we finally found one that gives us afternoon sun, and an unobstructed view to the South for the Satellite dish.

We are now settled in and planning to stay here for a couple of weeks.  Tomorrow is looking like it might be a cold and wet day, with wind and rain/possible snow in the forecast,  might be a good day for laundry and shopping in Farmington.  I am getting the fly rods ready, and will dig out the tying kit, waders, boots, and Vest tonight,  after that the fishies need to beware.
 

Wednesday March 28
by your roving reporter Terry

Wasn't such a bad day,  a bit on the cool side, the temps here only got into the mid 40's for a high this afternoon, and its going to get into the 20's tonight, we will be fine, plugged into the campgrounds power, and with plenty of  propane in the tanks the furnace should see us through this bit of cold weather.

Ron and I both have colds, my recovery is a bit further along then Ron's, and he is constantly complaining about catching his cold from Me.  needless to say we did not get much done,  staying warm and drinking lots of fluids.  Had to run into Navajo Dam and try to find more orange juice this afternoon.  The two little stores only had the single serving sizes of oj,  or you could get frozen.  We got a can of frozen and it will see us through till morning.   I also asked about a fishing license and they said the new licenses will be in tomorrow.  My old lisc from last yr will expire  on the 31st,  hope they have the new lisc before Saturday. 

Thursday we will have to go into Aztec and Farmington for a few supplies,  running low on cough syrup, decongestants, orange juice and a few other things.  While in town will get a few groceries and specialty items for tomorrow nitghts supper.  I am going to try and make a southwestern style soup called posole, which uses dried hominy, pork, chilies and a few other ingredients that I don't have in the pantry.  A nice steaming bowl of soup is just the thing that Ron and I need to clear our heads,  the chilies might help also?

Thursday March 29
by your roving reporter Terry
 

 The weather seems to improve a bit each day, by the weekend its supposed to be back to normal temps, and be wonderful.  A few minutes ago with the sun shine streaming in from the west under the clouds we did get a few very large and fluffy snow flakes.  Currently our temperature is setting at 45 deg, with sunny conditions. 

Ron and I are still suffering through our colds,  mine is much better, and with temps going into the 60's tomorrow it will be time to go fishing.  Have not wanted to be outside to much and aggravate the colds, but the weather has not been stopping all of the neighbors in the campground.  We heard a report that the trout were actively rising this morning, always a good sign.

Made a batch of potato rolls this afternoon, couldn't just set around all day watching tv and surfing the net without feeling some guilt.  Probably should have vacuumed while setting here with shore power, but somehow did not quite get around to that little chore,  perhaps you know how it is with those little odd chores that seem to get put off all the time. 

I do not have a recipe for the rolls, its more of an improvised recipe, a bit of this and that.  The basic recipe starts with 1 c hot boiled potato.  run the potato through a sieve to get all the lumps out.  add 3 T margarine to hot potato, along with 1 C potato water and 2 T sugar, allow to cool slightly and beat in two eggs, 1/3 C powered milk and 1 1/2 t yeast.  Allow the yeast to proof for 10 to 15 minutes, then mix in enough flour to make a medium dough 2-3 C of flour. 

Allow the dough to rest for ten minutes, then knead until smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a greased bowl.  Allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, form into rolls, allow to rise for the second time.  Bake in pre heated 350 deg oven. 

When working with a RV oven you probably should  put a layer of alum foil under your baking sheet to keep the bottoms of the rolls from getting too dark before the rolls tops are properly browned.  Remember to put the dull side of the foil down and the shiny side against the pan.  Allow to cool if possible and enjoy with lots of margarine.  These rolls are also very good for breakfast with margarine and jelly.

With  a gourmet batch of rolls we have decided on Salisbury steak and a salad for supper.  Will have to post the Salisbury steak recipe later.
 

Monday April 2
 by your roving reporter Terry

Our campground is like a tide pool on a weekly cycle.  the tide of campers rolls in on Thursday and Friday and rolls out on Sunday.  Over the week end the campground was full,  today there are but a handful of occupied sites.  Those campers left all seem to be here for the long haul. 

Picked up my fishing license over the weekend, and have gone out the last couple of days.  On Sunday there were a lot of people out fishing.  Our campground Neighbor Bob P and I went out  Sunday afternoon to the Simon Canyon access and after a couple hours of hard fishing I was able to hook up and land a Brown Trout of about 15".  Bob remarked that it was the only fish he saw caught on Sunday. 

Today Bob and I went to the Upper Flats section and stumbled around in the willow thickets.  I hate the upper flats,  very shallow water, lots of slippery rocks to walk on ultra finicky trout and all those willow thickets.  The only thing that saves the Upper Flats is the fact that there are some very large trout holed up there.  Found a small pocket of water that had not been disturbed today and there were several trout feeding.  The first fish hooked up and ran out of the pool so the other fish were not disturbed,  I was able to land this fish and it was a brown trout about 16" in length.  the second fish was as nice as the first, but chose to make a commotion in the pool I was fishing,  the other fish scattered and my fish broke off as I was trying to land it, technically I was able to land it since I had the tippet in hand.  Was unable to get anything else for the day, but with two nice fish to play with I will count that as a good day. 

Learned of a couple new areas to fish, and will check them out in the next few days,  daily reports to follow.
 

Thursday April 5
by your roving reporter Terry

"Daily reports to follow."  Guess I got carried away by my enthusiasm in the last post.  We have been getting relaxed, and having a good time here in Navajo Dam, so much so that the postings have been a little slow in coming. 

Since my last post Sandy & Bob (our neighbors) and I have been back to Simon Canyon to fish, and for an afternoons worth of sloshing around in the river have nothing to show for it.  We had intended to fish the area Between Simon Canyon and the Boat take out ramp, but when we looked there were a couple of people already fishing there, and the water looked rather barren. So we went back to Simon Canyon.

Had heard reports that the fish when they were taking anything at all were preferring red lures above,  guess its time to tie a few more flies.   The other excuses given for the slow fishing is "Navajo Reservoir is in the process of turning over and that has caused the water to be off color with a lot of food being stirred up and in the water column."  One guide stated "you have to hit the fish in the head with your fly to get a take."

So much for the fishing report. 

Repairing my leader prior to fishing Simon Canyon yesterday, as you can see we have moved in,  will have to tidy up the campsite this afternoon after I finish with this post.

Overnight the the water system in the campground went down, the water tank on the bluff also emptied out due to a defective relay on a valve.  The Ranger has been working on the pump and electrical system this morning and is trying to get water service restored.  When he was last seen, all of the mechanical and electrical systems had been restored, and it was now just a matter of refilling the 20,000 gal tank on top of the hill.  I had filled our trailer tanks yesterday and for now have no need to get excited.  Thinking about topping off the tank prior to this weekend in case any further problems occur.

Did dishes early today,  cleaned kitchen and stove and Vacuumed the carpet, and will sweep out the Truck later. Trying to make amends for a minor disaster last night for supper,  promised spaghetti then did not have any spaghetti sauce-- caught heck for that little gaffe,  need to get a better handle on what's in the pantry. Might have to work up an inventory system like I have for the rock I use at the lapidary club.

Had a small campfire last night,  one of the recreational type of campfires,  a place to gather and talk to the neighbors, something to contemplate between conversation, and a place to gaze into for inspiration.  God knows we did not need it for the heat,  the temps were in the mid 70's an perfect.  Ron had found the wood abandoned at another campsite, and quickly claimed it before anyone else could come along and drag it off.  The stuff is mostly cedar and smells so nice when its burning, almost like incense. 
 

Friday April 6
by your roving reporter Terry

Went for groceries in Farmington today, a bit of recreational grocery shopping.  Every time we do it we swear we will never ever do it again, at least for a couple of weeks.  Hit the Super Wal-Mart in Farmington for $150.00 worth of groceries today,  I had a  grocery list, but when we finally rang out it seemed like there was an awful lot that did not appear on the list.  Oh well, its all stuff that we will be needing sometime.  Did splurge and got a spiral sliced ham for Dinner on Sunday.  Will make rolls tomorrow, and we are planning on dutch oven baked lima beans as the principle side dish, along with scalloped potatoes. Sounds more like the menu for a Fourth of July picnic then Easter dinner.

Had a campfire this evening, threw a wax log into the fire pit, then a real log that we picked up. It was a beautiful evening, and it looks like it could be a great weekend.  the campground has been steadily filling al day,  the only sites left are a couple of reseravable sites, they may yet fill tonight.

Debated our upcoming schedule, and think tomorrow will be a fishing day, Monday we have to take the truck in for service, and we want to hit Durango sometime before we leave.

Heard the Fish are starting to hit on very tiny dry flies around three in the afternoon,  looks like its time to tie a few more flies and get ready to fish tomorrow.
 

Saturday April 7
by your roving reporter Terry
 

Today the sun shone-part of the time- it was warm and there was a gentle breeze-in between the gusts, just another day in paradise.  Its looking like a big weekend for the Cottonwood Campground, all the sites are full.  Reinforces the wisdom of landing before the weekend, doubly so on event weekends. Will be setting out tomorrow watching all of the weekend warriors packing up and heading home, and the few of us remaining will be left to enjoy the solitude.

Another meeting around the campfire, our neighbors came over and we treated them to Fry bread.  Will have more fry bread tonight when I make fry bread tacos for supper.  The pork in salsa verde (green chili) is in the oven slow cooking, and with refried beans and lettuce will make a nice taco.  (Ron's opinion of the pork in salsa verde is a bit different then mine).

Looks like a gourmet taco to me!

Bob, our neighbor went fishing for a bit this evening, returning empty handed.  I went for a while also to no avail.  One of these days the planets will align and the fish will start to bite,  one can only hope.  The latest must have fly we heard was a red midge larva.  The fish are also feeding on the surface on a very tiny dark dry fly. Tomorrow I will have to try again and see if I can catch anything,  I have a reputation to protect.

Will have to get my fishing in as I can,  as I have promised Ron Dutch oven baked beans,  baked ham and scalloped potatoes for Easter Dinner.  Think we are going to try and eat mid afternoon.  The best part of the meal will be all that leftover ham.  Ham sandwiches, ham and eggs ham and cheese omelets, ham for nibbling, ham for midnight snacks,  sorry about that I was obsessing.