I was paid in Colorado City until Sunday 11/15/2026, but weather changed my plans. Rain and mountain snow for 11/14/2026.
I wanted to drive back over La Veta pass on dry roads without any residual snow or ice. So … leaving Colorado City today … BUT, I needed to wait for a package delivery so a bit of a late takeoff.
I filled propane at the campground and as that finished, USPS showed up with my package.
AND when I went to pay for propane, I was told that they would refund me for 2 nights. I hadn’t asked knowing there was a “no refund” policy. But WOW, how nice!
I was on my way about 1:30 p.m. Emmett and I had taken 3 walks prior to leaving, but I knew of a nice park just before starting up the pass and we stopped for a long sniff and walkabout …
The drive over the pass was uneventful … dry roads, a smidgen of snow on the nearby ground at the summit. Tomorrow might be a very different story!
The past week I ordered seafood and some frozen berries from my favorite Northwest source. And as I planned on stopping at a meat market deemed 1 of the top 10 in Colorado … in Alamosa … I had fired up my EcoFlow Glacier Freezer which rides in a basement storage bay.
After the meat market stop, I am carrying salmon, cod, scallops, organic berries, chicken, ribeye and ground beef. These bulk orders purchased at a cost savings should do me for some time! Inside, I am full of wheat berries, dried beans and a few items that allow me to prepare LOTS of varied meals for a long time. I should only need to buy fresh produce, dairy and eggs for the next few months.
So … after leaving late, I just managed to arrive at the RV park 20 minutes before the office closed. I picked up some packages that had arrived sub-flood, checked in and paid for a month and then drove over to the nursing home to let my folks know that I was back … then to the grocery for some produce and THEN back to the RV park.
At this writing: 9:21 p.m. on 11/13/2026, I am hooked up to power, packages opened and stored, supper had, Emmett walked, Emmett and Oscar fed … I am pretty much done.
I told my folks that with weather and day after travel day tiredness … I would see them on Sunday. So, tomorrow (Saturday) will be a “get settled’, laundry, nap(s) day. I will not be sad if it rains and/or snows!
Back to this morning. A colorful sunrise for my last day in Colorado City.
How about that election! Woo-hoo!! While I do not believe it will be smooth sailing and certainly now the hard work begins, the United States of America voted resoundingly against Donald Trump, his policies and his enablers. At this time there appears to be a consensus that there be accountability, changes in policy, focus on removing the tariffs that are causing hardships on Americans, healthcare, war and defense issues … there is a lot and Donald Trump is still president for 2 more years so as noted … not smooth sailing.
Still. There is a lot to be hopeful.
The morning after …
A new dawn! I think it was fairly common reaction of relief from an obvious majority that the tide is turning! I read numerous comments from people who felt a lessening of stress and anxiety.
Onward!
Meanwhile … some baking, some eating … always walks.
Baking in a very small kitchen … and the kitchen recruits the dinette. It looks chaotic and it sort of is, but I’m finding it challenging to do my normal “clean as I go” so things get spread out to all surfaces with some reorganization and cleanup at the end.
The weather has been beautiful: upper 50’s/low 60’s F during the day with lows into the upper 30’s F overnight … no freezing temps.
Sunrises are beautiful.
One morning snow on the mountains and down nearly to the valley floor.
The mandatory evacuation was lifted from most of the area round the RV park on Wednesday. I haven’t spoken to anyone at the park and ultimately decided to stay here in Colorado City for another week to allow time for the park and the roads leading to the park to be cleaned up.
If no weather issues on La Veta Pass back to the San Luis Valley, I will leave here in a week and be in time for the nursing home’s special Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll decide then whether to stay through actual Thanksgiving. I had a meal planned to take and share with my folks “on the day” … we’ll see.
After deciding to stay the second week, there were a few provisions I wanted. A grocery store 2.5 miles away seemed doable on my bike but I stopped in the park office to ask about road traffic on the route and was offered a car to do my shop. Yippee!! I accepted and yesterday made the quick trip for enough plus to get me comfortably through another week. I have some online items on the way also. I am glad of the car offer as driving there and back I could see that it would have been a challenge, especially the return with cargo.
Yet again, wonderful, kind, nice people which continues to be one of the best parts of RV life.
I woke up this morning … in Colorado City realizing that for at least a week, I only needed to take care of Emmett, Oscar and me. And without a tow car, I am “stuck” here in the RV park. There is a convenience store and a restaurant within walking distance but I have plenty of food and supplies.
AND.
I find myself really happy with the thought of a week with few demands other than minor RV chores, walking with Emmett, playing with Oscar and feeding us.
Bliss.
I hadn’t realized how drained I was from 3 weeks of mostly daily visits to the nursing home.
I think it will also be good for my mom and her husband as I will be leaving eventually so a sudden week (at least) away is not a bad thing.
Today, I did not do much … fixed a blind, fed us all, walked with Emmett, minor interior cleaning (I think that I have mentioned the phenomonal amount of dust and pet hair that accumulates), took 2 naps and enjoyed the views. Although re the views … it poured with rain and for a brief time I wondered if I’d jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, but no rivers near and I checked local flood plain so no :) !!
It also snowed in the mountains.
When I am ready to return to Del Norte, I will need to pick a day with dry roads and no storms but meanwhile, I can enjoy the weather!
I thought with all of the clouds there might be a fantastic sunset, but only a little occurred. Still, beautiful!
Looking out the window (with the fixed blind!) to the south west …
That curved road with traffic is coming down (or going up) to Walsenburg exit which is the start of La Veta Pass. You can somewhat see that the pass is in a lower bit of the mountains. Still high at the summit but not as high as the mountain tops directly west of me.
The other plus of moving to this side of the mountains is that I lost 2000 feet of altitude and I feel far more comfortable.
So, while I would NOT wish the flooding situation AT ALL, the ramifications for me included some positives.
A second flooding event forecast and it is forecast to be much worse than the first.
I prepped to leave the RV park AND the San Luis River Valley.
The nursing home where my mom and her husband live is not at risk.
I chose not to stay there based on the severity of the forecast … not knowing how long I would need to stay this round, i.e. would the RV park be viable in a 4-5 day window?
I can dry camp for 4-5 days but then need potable water, ability to dump waste tanks …
Ultimately, I made the decision to leave the San Luis Valley and base camp at the KOA Campground south of Pueblo,CO … Colorado City.
That is 120 miles, 3 hours from Del Norte.
So, tonight …. 11/1/2026, I am in Colorado City … high, dry with full hookups, lovely views and all amenties (laundry!)
My thoughts and prayers are with so many in Pagosa Springs, Wolf Creek, South Fork, Del Norte, Monte Vista …
It is a 100 year flood of historic proportions and so many are losing so much.
I am so very fortunate that I can move my house easily.
I hope to return to Del Norte in time for my folks’ location celebration of Thanksgiving …. 11/20/2026.
I had a hard time going to sleep last night (10/27) and then woke up just before 5:00 a.m. this morning with a list of things I wanted to do running through my head.
Wanted, not needed to do. Later in the day I said to myself … you are retired, you do not NEED to do EVERYTHING in one day and exhaust yourself. I hope writing this will remind me!!
Anyway, first up was some storage reorganization. That did need to be done. A new mixer I ordered was due to arrive and I wanted to get my Kenwood mixer in my under bed storage. The mattress is on a platform with gas struts so lifts up and there is a LOT of storage under there.
Not even full. The mixer is in the far back corner behind my snowshoes. Some winter clothes, extra supplies, various bits and pieces that I don’t need often. It is a handy spot! The only slight downside is that to get in it, I need to pull off the comforters and pillows, pull the mattress a bit towards the foot of the bed … and of course put all back when I’m done. Still a great place for off season stuff and extra supplies.
I pulled the other stuff under the dinette out and gave the area a good vacuum and wipe down. Amazing how dust and pet hair finds its way EVERYWHERE.
Those chores, breakfast for all, walks, shower for me and it was time to head to my folks.
I ordered some new clothes and bedding for them and had it shipped to me here at the RV park vs the nursing home, thinking I could organize it a bit vs opening boxes there … kind of forgetting that I had to transport it on my bike. I should have taken it in 2 trips but stubbornly decided to load up for 1 trip.
I and all stuff arrived safely, but the load on the back had started to shift. I was fortunate that it was a short, mostly smooth ride.
Mostly smooth ride … the quarter mile near the RV park is dirt & gravel … a bit tricky on the best days. There is one corner that took me by surprise yesterday being very soft from the flooding. After nearly falling yesterday, I’ve been walking my bike through that bit. The rest is good road.
I hadn’t taken all tags off the stuff … the clothes need to have their names on them somewhere so that after the laundry people can get the right things back to the right people. I didn’t want to remove tags or write names until I was sure all fit and that they liked my choices. The nursing home is kept very warm … I am always too warm. I dislike being too warm!!
They liked everything and everything fit – yea! I ended up bring the clothes back to the RV to de-tag and add names as I needed fresh, cool air. The new bedding I left appropriately marked so my return load was much lighter.
I got back to receive my own orders: coffee, wheat berries, miscellaneous supplies and the new mixer. Unboxed all, put all away, broke down boxes and took them to garbage bins.
Call me done for the day!! But Emmett needed a walk and we all needed supper.
It is 7:00 p.m. as I write this and I am OUT of gas. Supper dishes to do, last out with Emmett and then I am calling it a day.
But … my new mixer:
I think that I have decided to keep it on top of the dinette. Even though it is much lighter than the Kenwood, it fits on top, I am ok with aesthetic and much more convenient. We’ll see.
I’d like to bake tomorrow but think I might need a low key day vs learning to use a new appliance along with a trip to the nursing home.
Meanwhile, the days since returning to the RV park have been low 50sF daytime and down to 30-32F overnight … sunny and beautiful.
