A Florida Winter

The national weather forecast says that winter is about over. We believe it - turned the air conditioning on today. When we get the RV out of the shop we're going to visit friends a bit north of here, and then in late March we'll be on our way to Graves Mountain. We didn't make it last October - the weather wasn't good for rockhounding.

We continue to turn our rocks into slabs, slabs into cabochons, and cabochons into jewelry. Finally got the Gypsypals online store up so please browse it. Comments more than welcome! You can sign up to receive occasional newsletters, if you're interested in lapidary or jewelry, or just seeing what we're learning.

Now we're busy exploring additional ways to make bezels for our cabs: precious metal clays and polymer clay. Our new kiln can also fuze glass, so we may have to add another section to the website!

Larry's mother will be 90 in May and is holding her own. Her new medication seems to be helping. We enjoy being able to visit her often and help to look after the care she receives.

Labor Day and beyond

Our Labor Day weekend spent with family started late. We couldn't get intoour campground until Monday, when many people left to go back to work. We really like the Bald Ridge COE campground on Lake Lanier. Large, well-kept sites and many are waterfront. 50 amps and water, but no sewer. The bath houses are among the nicest we've ever seen in a campground, though, so the lack of sewer is not a huge problem.

Many things made this trip special: 1. We managed to get there in time to see Mike, who was down from Minneapolis for the weekend. 2. We enjoyed quality time with Suzanne and Baby Ivan. 3. We enjoyed some time with Ivan and Kate who were both seriously busy. 4. The weather was excellent - warm, verging on hot, with no rain.

WARNING: The rest of this post is focused on the new grandson, who was a true delight at just shy of 5 months. He's very friendly and loves to laugh and smile. He sits up all by himself, without support, for 10 minutes easy. I've never seen a 4 month old stand up and then try to let go and balance! He also continues to grow like a weed - almost 20 pounds and 28.5 inches long at his last checkup. He's a serious baby and reminds me of another Baby Ivan - long attention span and focused on figuring out everything. He's large but compact, like his father was before him. So, here's a video and my favorite shots. You can tell that when I wasn't holding him or playing with him, I was snapping pics.

Next week it's back to Graves Mountain in Georgia for my 65th birthday! All the Medicare schtuff has been sent in - still waiting for the Medicare supplement card. What a lot of research and applications to celebrate becoming a true senior citizen. Stay tuned for photos of our finds - sounds like a good spot.

At last, a short trip north

As many of you know, we have not been able to be out on the road for most of the last year. We have been busy helping out Larry's mother. We moved her into independent living at a very satisfactory retirement center in our town. In the spring, she contracted an e coli infection and we spent a lot of time over the next five months helping her to recover and getting her moved into assisted living. Then we took a three-week vacation and discovered we really needed that time.

First, we went to Red Bay, Alabama. When we started out, all we needed was to get new pulldown day and night shades installed. The ones that came with the coach had strings that broke repeatedly and usually we looked a bit like a rolling tenement, with shades at all sorts of angles and dangling broken strings. We're very pleased with our new shades. The dash air gave out on the way to Red Bay and they added freon when we got there, so we had dash and roof air the rest of the way. Ahh...

Next, we spent a week in Nashville, taking in two Grand Old Opry shows at the Ryman. Our campground had not flooded last spring, so it was fine. The KOA a short distance away and appearing to be at the same elevation, had flooded and even some of its little KOA log cabins had floated away! Repairs to the Grand Old Opry were still underway, and the Music City Mall was completely closed, with construction equipment abounding.

We also went out to Blue Spring and took a nice hike with Daisy. Here are my favorite photos of it. It really is blue, isn't it?




From Nashville, we moved on through Chattanooga and to the vicinity of Helen, GA. In the 60s, Helen was in danger of becoming a ghost town. One of the residents looked at the gorgeous North Georgia mountains and the Chattahoochee River meandering through the town, and suggested they turn Helen into a faux German Alpine village. The town residents and business owners transformed the town into a kitchy fake Bavarian town - it's amazing. Here's a photo that will give you an idea of what the whole town looks like. Please note the three people floating down the river in tubes. The picture was taken on Friday of Labor Day weekend. The next day we needed to get gas and groceries, and the town was jammed with people and cars. The river was jammed with floaters of all descriptions.




A highlight of Helen was the ZuZu Rock Shop. Well, what did you expect??? Linda and her son Vern were wonderfully friendly to us and we all had a great time showing off our rocks and schtuff. Frodo, their pup, and Daisy also took an interest. They told us about a dig in NE Georgia at Graves Mountain which is the last weekend in September and we are intending to go to it. We're hoping to see them there. However, we're watching the weather because we may be in for a hurricane. If so, we'll cancel our camping reservations and stay home. I've laid in a good supply of water, food and batteries. That will help whether we're weathering another storm or out on the road.












Brasstown Bald Mountain, not far from Helen, is the highest point in Georgia, 4784 ft. It was a nice scenic drive with a shuttle bus up to the observation point on top of the mountain. With a 360 degree view, you can see Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Here is a view of North Carolina:


Another nice hike was to Dukes Creek Falls, where we were rewarded with a multi-streamed, tall waterfall. This photo captures only a part of it:



After Helen, we motored down to a Corps of Engineers park on Lake Lanier and spent the end of Labor Day and most of the week with Ivan, Suzanne and Baby Ivan. Mike was there when we arrived, but had to leave the next day. I'll put up another post after this devoted to our visit - mostly baby pics of course.

Introducing Ivan Dean Alexander, Jr.

OMG, It's 2010!

Oh, dear, I haven't posted to the blog in a LOOOONG time. We haven't been travelling as much, and have had a lot of other events that seemed to keep me from getting my act together. So, here's an update on the Prescotts:

1. Daisy Dog is now 7 years old and eating senior dog food. Still plays soccer with her ball every day, though.
2. Larry is doing well and has continued to be interested in our rocks. We now have a large rock saw, a cabachon machine, and a trim saw/flat lap saw set up in the RV barn.
3. So, we've learned to make cabs and I've learned beginnng beading and wire wrapping and we're making jewelry. Larry is way ahead of me on cab experience, and he has made some really beautiful cabs.
4. I've continued my quilting and continue to really enjoy it.
5. We've started doing web development and also enjoy that. I'm particularly interested in the web analytics part of that project. I'm also still doing leadership coaching classe and strategic planning for non-profits. We'll be putting three sites up on the web, partially for practice. One for the web development, one for my coaching and strategic planning, and an online store for our cabs, jewelry and photography.
6. We've not been travelling much because we've been trying to settle Larry's mother into Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland. She will be 89 in two weeks and needed a safer environment. She is shyer than I had realized and has not joined in to many of the wonderful activities they offer. She has learned her way around, but misses her home and church. She is having some memory problems, as is so often the case at her age.
7. We are planning a trip to Red Bay, AL and then on to Arkansas in June (to dig crystals). We'll also be meeting up with Louisiana friends, and travelling with them a ways.
8. I saved the best for last. My younger son, Ivan,became a father on April 16th. A large baby boy who is doing well. I have been in Grayson, GA helping out and just returned yesterday. I'm going to try to upload a video here for you enjoy. His temperament seems very similar to Ivan's: he's a calm baby and already very responsive to his environment.

Well those are the high points. I'll put the video up in the next post, if I can get it to upload.

2008 Postscript

Yes, friends, we did make it home with no problems. However, as anticipated, we have had some challenges waiting for us, and I haven't finished off our 2008 trip with my usual last post. So, here it is...

After leaving Estes Park we headed for Florida and home by way of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and a whole lot of Florida, as we came across the Panhandle. We were in "headed for the barn" mode, but did still manage some high points.

Kansas really does grow sunflowers and they looked ready to be harvested to us. Missouri we had travelled before, and I didn't take out my camera. In Arkansas, we camped for a few days in Murfreesboro in order to hunt for diamonds. This is the only diamond mine in the USA as we understand it. A volcano coughed up the diamonds right to the surface here and you can take your chances finding them in the Crater of Diamonds State Park. Unfortunately, the diamonds are found in soil that is so much clay I think you could throw pots with it. After a few hours of searching through this sticky goo we decided we didn't need to find our own diamonds afterall. The clay stuck to everything - our equipment, our clothes, and the inside of the RV. Yuck. No photos again - didn't want to muck up my camera.

There were two high points still waiting, though, as we hit the road toward Florida. In Louisiana we were able to spend an afternoon with Monty and Carolyn (the folks we camped with through Yellowstone and Glacier). We visited their lovely home and had a wonderful lunch, followed with beignets from a Cafe du Monde outpost. They drove us through the area along the lake that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and it was fascinating to see all the new construction. Many of the homes have been completed remodeled and raised so they won't be so susceptible to damage the next time. How I wished for my camera on the drive, so I could share the rebuilding with you.

The last highlight of our five month trip was a stay at Topsail State Park. This park is legendary among Florida RV'ers as the nicest state park in Florida, and that is saying a lot since Florida has so many lovely state parks. Registering online, we took the last available site long enough for the RV. As a result, we didn't expect to have Internet access or satellite TV while we were there. But the site was perfect and both satellites worked. Most of the other sites would not have worked because of all the trees.

Topsail's campground is located about a mile away from three miles of unspoiled public beach on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a paved path to the beach and most people ride their bikes to get to the beach, though there is an occasional tram. The distance results in some interesting sights. People who camp there often have devised many ways to carry their stuff to and fro to the beach. I asked two men if they would mind my taking a photo of them - although there were many others who appeared to be similarly loaded down. Here they are, headed home after a day at the beach with their fully loaded trailer!

I hope these photos will give you a feel for the beach at Topsail. There are, of course, pelicans and herons in addition to these plovers, who spend their time running back and forth along the waves digging up cocinas to eat. The beach appears to be well protected by dunes that are off limits to people. And, I like my photo of wave patterns and footprints in the sand. It lets me bring back that delihtful feel of walking barefoot along the beach with Larry.

Well, we knew we were getting close to home. I took another photo of that quintessential Florida picture - an older couple happily sitting side by side, book in hand and fishing line in the Gulf.

And we wandered up and down the beach, fossil hunting, people watching, bird watching and just enjoying the feeling of being back in Florida. The weather had cooled and it was a delightful weekend. We cut it short to get home because Larry's mother had had a down spell. I hope we can spend more time at Topsail sometime soon. However, it is a long drive because it is in the western Panhandle and the Atlantic Ocean, which Larry prefers, is much closer. I want to go over there this winter, too, to do the conservation drive that allows observation of the migratory bird flocks.

We enjoyed two sunsets while we were at Topsail and that seems like a fitting ending to this year's Gypsypals journal. We were quite ready to be back in our house for a while after our five month journey. Before long, though, we'll start to feel that itch to be back out on the road. Thanks to all of you who have enjoyed this summer's blog and complimented me on my photography. I always enjoy knowing who is reading this little corner of the Internet.

Bye for now! The Gypsypals, Mary and Larry P.

Rocky Mountain High

How did it get to be late September already? Larry's recliner is calling, the grapefruit, pumelos, and oranges are ripening in the backyard, and Daisy hasn't had enough open fields to chase her ball. Even I am almost ready to leave my beloved Intermountain West!


So, we grabbed one last week in Estes Park, Colorado, and it was spectacular. I wanted us to be there for the first snowfall, but it didn't happen. However, the weather was warm in the daytime, and clouding up most afternoons, just as mountain weather is supposed to do. We picked a park out of the book and wound up backed up to the national park, with a gorgeous view of Longs Peak out our window. We watched carefully every time it was shrouded in clouds, and it did seem to pick up some new snow while we were there, but we may have imagined that...



Those of you who read our blog know that we stumble on special moments and places in time as we wander around the country. We may not have had snow this week, but we certainly had elk. The week we were here and the next turned out to be the height of the rutting season. The bull elk had their harems rounded up and were busy keeping them together while trying to find more females.


Who knew elk are such party animals?? Among other behaviors, the male elk show off their ability to bugle in order to attract females and warn away interested males. The basic elk bugle is very high pitched, lasts about five seconds and covers variable pitches. As they mature, their bugles also develop a much lower, full throated, ending. The ranger told us this makes them more attractive. When we first arrived, there was a herd close to the campground, and we learned that the bugling starts in late afternoon and goes on way into the night. 2 a.m. was about the latest we heard.

Rocky Mountain National Park closes several of its meadows at 5 p.m. each day during rutting season to avoid bothering the animals. They allow you to park or stand along the meadows, though, and take photos. These two photos were taken at dusk. One shows the bull bugling while rounding up three wandering females from his harem of 21 females. The other shows him with some others of his harem. Keeping track of 21 females is a full-time job, let alone impregnating as many as possible! The typical bull loses 25% of his weight each fall during the rutting season, and has to be careful to balance partying with keeping enough weight to survive the winter! We wondered how they manage to figure that out.

We were also fortunate to stop very close to a herd in the late afternoon and sat and watched them with other tourists and Daisy. She was very good and stayed still and quiet in my lap or Larry's arms. But of course she watched the herd most intently. Here's one of my favorite photos from that encounter. I won't tell you how many elk photos are stored on my hard drive now.

Another good thing about being in the Rockies at this time of the year is getting to see the fall colors. They are very different from the Eastern fall colors, leaning heavily to everygreens that retain their color. The other trees do not generally display the vivid oranges and reds we all love, but stick to yellow. However, in my opinion, nothing can compare to a quaking aspen tree at the height of its golden color on a blue sky day! Their turning depends partly on their altitude - the higher ones turn earlier. So, driving in the mountains you can pretty much see the whole sequence. The slightest wind sends all the leaves into a tizzy of fluttering - that is where they get the name, quaking aspen. Here is the sequence, beginning to turn, gold, and then ending with a warm orange. I also include a scenic view to give you an idea of how they stand out among the evergreens.

Trail Ridge road is a lovely drive through Rocky Mtn. NP, getting up aroud 12000 feet. You feel you are on top of the world. And, there were more glaciers still around than we saw in Glacier NP! The higher ones had a dusting of new snow and were quite bright in the fall sunshine. I took a picture of Larry at the Alpine Center, looking like a tall, thin Santa on vacation!

And, here are some other favorite spots in the park. Bear Lake, which has been completely rehabbed about six years ago and is now wheelchair accessible. I can still see the old trail off to the side, and think this is the lake I cross country skied to and on before Michael was born. Also, we visited the alluvial fan, created when the Lawn Lake dam broke and the water coursed downhill all the way to Estes Park. It dropped a lot of rock at the spot shown in Horseshoe Creek and there is a lovely small waterfall and a nice short hike up to it.

Our week ended with a visit from Larry's nephew, Jonathan. We met his girlfriend, Trish, and liked her very much. In fact, we had so much fun together that I failed to get a photo or two. As promised, Jonathan gave Larry a haricut and beard trim, and he's not looking like Santa anymore. Which reminds me, I need to call and make an appointment to have mine shaped up in Lakeland! It's been growing the whole time we've been out and I have that mountain woman look, too.

Well, it IS time to head back to Florida and we've been on our way, travelling faster than usual and staying in some spots with no Internet or even TV. As a result, I did not get this posted as quickly as I hoped. We're now in Louisiana and my next post will probably come from Lakeland. It has been the best trip yet, I think, though the others have all been great fun, too. We don't know when

we'll be on the road again, what with economy falling down around us, and Larry's mom needing us more these days. Besides, the house and yard need more attention than we've been giving them. We do have an incredible number and variety of rocks to deal with, too.

Southern Colorado

After leaving Moab, Utah, we drove to Mancos, Colorado and stayed long enough to visit Mesa Verde. The last time I was here, all of the signs called the inhabitants of Mesa Verde the Anasazi, or Ancient Ones. Now most of the signs call them the Ancestral Puebloans. I think that is the new politically correct label. Hmm.

We weren't able to take any of the cliff dwelling tours; they require too much climbing for Larry, and perhaps me, too, to manage. Luckily the park has been designed so that everyone can enjoy this wonderful place. It still amazes me the complexity of the structures they built. Below are photos of Cliff Palace, one of the most famous, and Spruce Tree House:

We also viewed a ceremonial house. If you compare it to the first two, you will see that there are large open areas for ceremonies and gatherings rather than small rooms for family daily living. There is also a photo of the preceeding pithouses they built at the top of the mesa. They were dug into the ground and covered with a low roof and walls.

Next, we moved on to South Fork, Colorado. We had picked South Fork because it seemed to be at the center of three places to look for interesting rocks. The first was very close to the highway at Wolf Creek Pass (which receives the most snow in Colorado, or so they boast). The second area was north of South Fork and is a popular small tourist town that is trying to exploit its mining history. Third, there were also some collecting areas northeast of South Fork.

Well, we discarded the idea of looking at Wolf Creek Pass. It was just too close to a busy highway to try. Next, we went to Creede and drove north of town up to the mining area. You can see the sign we found, and a photo of the Humphrey Mine. To me it looked like a structure from the 19th century. It is a silver mine. Amethyst tends to form along with silver and is discarded as the silver is mined. It moves along two creeks between the mine and Creede. A woman there gave us a quick lesson in identifying rocks that are associated with amethyst - they are a deep green and often have some white agate showing. She pointed me to a rock that she said looked promising. She was able to dig the rock out, so I worked on it for about half an hour. When I finally freed it and turned it over, it had a 3 1/2" x 7" blanket of amethyst crystals! I was so surprised! I love to get it wet because then it really sparkles. And, I'm looking forward to getting it home and cleaning it up.






















Next, we went past Monte Vista, but did not have a great trip. Not only did we not find much, the map we were using wasn't up to date and we strayed onto private land. The owner made sure we knew and we apologized and left him finally getting around to putting up his Private Property sign.

Last, we went back to Creede and found some more amethyst. Then it was on to Colorado Springs, where we toured Garden of the Gods and took a break from rock hunting. I have always thought Garden of the Gods is one f the most amazing city parks in the country. I found that it was much more developed than it was 40 years ago. Big surprise there, eh? It has better roads and many more hiking trails now than I remembered. Here are some photos from the park:

























































From Colorado Springs we have moved north to Estes Park, where we are spending a week, and then we're seriously headed back to Florida, if we can get fuel to keep the wheels rolling!