Wimberley: Epic Flood Tests a Small Town's Strength

From rescuing Llamas to helping fellow man.  I'm in Wimberley,  TX volunteering with the NOMADS in rebuilding homes damaged in the above flood.  The amount of devestation and the high spirits of the loc they have.als contrast against each other.  The book mentioned in the above video is available online at The Old Mill Store.  

Here we are one year later with still much more work left to be done.  Makes me appreciative of the little I have and how I can be of assistance to those who have lost ALL they had.

We were able to finish the house below and had a moving back in ceremony while there.

Wimberley, TX flood victims - Kimmons family

Click here for news video...


Stay safe and...

Happy travels,

Leonard

Birding at Brantley Lake State Park

While camped at Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM I visited the wildlife viewing area.  If you're into birding it has a really nice setup.  Not being a birder myself (because I am never able to get good photographs of them naturally) this was a beginners paradise for me.  

Wildlife viewing area at Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM.

There is a fenced off area as a natural habitat for the local wildlife.  The fence has portals cut into it at different heights for viewing from several levels and for all ages.

Viewing fence at Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM

There is also a viewing room with glass wall and stadium seating where one can watch without disturbing the local residents.  (I guess you could call this a neighborhood watch.)

Glass walled viewing room at Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM.

Long shot from the viewing fence.

A close up through the fence.

A close up through the fence.

Information board.

Donated by...

An excerpt from their website...

Brantley Lake State Park

The southernmost lake in New Mexico is an oasis of water, wildlife, plant life, gorgeous sunsets and stunning night skies.  Located twelve miles North of Carlsbad, NM, the park offers boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking trails, exceptional bird watching, developed and primitive campsites and restrooms with showers. Whether you’re picnicking for the day, or camping in your RV for a week, you’ll be sure to find adventure at Brantley Lake State Park! 

Park Elevation 3,295 ft

Happy travels,

Leonard

Me and Mrs Jones

There was a popular song made famous by Billy Paul named "Me & Mrs. Jones".  Well, meet Mrs Jones...

Me & Mrs Jones

I'm spending time volunteering at a llama rescue in Kerrville, TX.  I had no idea that 1. There were llamas that were needing rescuing, and 2. that there were so many needing rescuing.

Anyway, here on the farm is Mrs Jones and seven others who arrived here for one reason or another.  I was schooled (cause I knew nothing about llamas) that one should not try to approach or touch them around their head or face.  They do, however, don't mind your scratching their backs.  Anyway, Mrs Jones for some reason or another will kiss you if she has no fear of you.  I am told that a llama kiss is an exchanging of breaths.  She will blow in your face and then smell your breath.  No wet sloppy licks like with other animals.

As the song goes, we meet in the same place every day (we've got a thing going on).

Meet chloe

This poor gal has a spinal condition that
will not allow her to hold her head up.

Some of the llamas show similar signs of aging as humans.  There are two here with an aging spinal condition that will not allow them to hold their heads up high and proud like  normal llamas.

If you'd like to know more about these animals you can look at:

Southeast Llama Rescue (SELR)

Southwest Llama Rescue, Inc. (SWLR)

Happy travels,

Leonard

Back To Work

Well, Easy and I are back on the volunteer trail.  We left Deming last Friday enroute to Hobbs, NM and Habitat for Humanity.  Last year I signed up for four weeks in Hobbs and ended up staying nine months.  This year I'm signed up for two weeks.  We'll see how that turns out.  In route to Hobbs I stopped at Oliver Lee State Park in Alamogordo, NM.

Oliver Lee State Park in Alamogordo, NM.

Oliver Lee State Park in Alamogordo, NM.

From there I stopped at Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM.

Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM

Brantley Lake State Park in Carlsbad, NM

My plan is to volunteer in Hobbs for two weeks then move on to a Llama rescue in Kerrville, TX. from there on to Canyon Lake, TX with the NOMADS for rebuilding homes destroyed or damaged by flash flooding from a tropical storm that occurred on Memorial weekend, 2015. From there I saunter over to Lexington, TX to help out on an organic farm.  Some time in April I should be arriving in Livingston, TX to volunteer at Escapees CARE which is sorta like an assisted living facility for RVers.

McKinley Street in Hobbs, NM

This street above is McKinley Street in Hobbs, NM.  When I first arrived here in January 2015 they were just finishing the second house from the left.  Now, March 2016 we are completing the sixth house and completing a new block of home owners in this neighborhood.  The next phase is to repeat the process in the lot seen in the foreground.

Leonard