Satterfield Photography
The 2021 N'ohana Journey is about reconnecting with family that I haven't seen in a while and spending time learning more about my country. My husband was a Civil War buff so I decided that this trip will include some historical sites in addition to once again searching out the beauty of God's creation by spending time in State and National Parks. Stay tuned for more details.... ^_^
"Come and see the works of God, His awesome deeds for mankind." ~ Psalm 66:5 NIV
May 6, 2021 –Day 1
On the road, finally!! My trip from Broomfield, CO to Albuquerque, NM where Nohana was stored for the winter started a day later than planned. In the process of checking outa minor issue with the tailpipe on the truck, my mechanic found that I had been a target of diesel exhaust filter thieves. Fortunately for me, they were apparently incompetent thieves as they did not get the filters, but did create several holes in the exhaust system that needed to be welded. I was able to spend some time with my daughter and granddaughters while getting Nohana cleaned up and ready to roll. A few last-minute items and I left Albuquerque around noon heading for Bottomless Lakes State Park near Roswell, NM. All went well until about 20 miles from Capitan, NM when I heard a loud pop from the engine area. It was a familiar sound as I had experienced a “turbo blowout” the previous fall. Thus, I continued on to Capitan where I found Jared’s garage and Jared was kind enough to drop other work in order to check out the problem and get me back on the road. He did not have the replacement parts but said he could manage a band-aid to get me to Roswell where I could hopefully find the parts I needed. He tightened up the lower boot and said I would be good as long as I kept the turbo psi below 20. Being in hill country meant that I was a rolling roadblock going up every hill, but a lack of traffic meant that at least I wasn’t slowing anyone else down. I made it to the campground with no additional issues and got setup. Time for dinner and some sunset shots. After dinner I took my glass of wine outdoors to see what the night sky might have in store. This area of New Mexico is known for its lack of light pollution and is an excellent place for astrophotography. Additionally, it is not uncommon to see the space station and other orbiting satellites. I was not disappointed! What I did not expect to see was a string of evenly spaced lights moving in a straight line across the sky! Watched for about 20 minutes so there must have been quite a few. Quite a sight!! Research the next morning revealed them as SpaceX Starlink satellites designed to provide internet service to rural areas! It might have been more fun to just keep thinking of them as UFOs.
“You own the day, You own the night; You put stars and sun in place.” - Psalm 74:16
May 7, 2021
I only reserved the site for 1 night, the next night was supposed to be a Harvest Host sight so just 1 night there as well, with the next 3 nights at Carlsbad Caverns, NM. Finally located a mechanic, but they can’t find the parts. Since I don’t want to tow the trailer without the turbo, I’ve reserved 2 additional nights at Bottomless, but I will have to change to a new site as the one I’m in isn’t available. Mechanic calls back to let me know that they found the parts, but can’t get them until Tuesday, so I need 2 more nights, and, of course, I will have to move to yet another site. Meanwhile, cancel the Harvest Host and Carlsbad, they will have to wait for another trip. I pack everything away and move to the new site and get all set up again. This one is a back-in site, but I am a little more confident about positioning now than I was last year, and everything goes well. A storm comes up in the afternoon with some pretty cool clouds so I spend part of the afternoon shooting. The rest of the day is spent getting Nohana organized better, checking my food stores, and putting away the stuff I brought with me. Getting the computer set up so I can send emails is also on the agenda. It looks like I have some accounting work to do so tomorrow will be a work day. Too many clouds in the late afternoon, so no sunset and no chance to check for more mysterious lights in the sky.
” For He satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry He fills with good things.” - Psalm 107:9
May 8, 2021
Last night was green chile casserole so I decided on Tuscan Chicken made in the crockpot. Except I am missing a few ingredients so I had to adapt a bit. Made good progress on the accounting work and even posted a few photos to Instagram, FB, and the website. Lightroom work is in order for tomorrow so I can get caught up with photography tasks. The Tuscan Chicken was way yummy over basmati rice with a toasted onion roll. Not quite as rich and creamy as the original version, but very tasty indeed. Topped off the day by watching a few old family videos followed by Goonies, one of my favorite movies! Oh, and by the way, the SpaceX Starlink lights were visible again, this time moving west to east…
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” -Psalm 24:1
May 9, 2021
Mother’s Day ~ I always used to give my Mom a bad time because it seemed she was always out of town on Mother’s Day, especially after Daddy retired. They would be gone fishing, or gone on a long trip in the motorhome, or gone to a family reunion somewhere. I seem to be carrying on the tradition as I am here on the road alone. Thanks to technology, a phone call with children is an easy thing to accomplish and even Facetime on occasion. I decided to spend the day making plans for my time in Abilene State Park and finding a good route to get there. Then I watched movies, Sunday is a day set aside by God for resting and who am I to argue!
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
-Genesis 2:2-3
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” -Exodus20:8
May 10, 2021
Today was another work day, this time the focus was on my budding photography business. Working in Lightroom, importing my photos to organize them, perhaps make some minor adjustments to cropping, straightening, etc. and then saving them as smaller files to facilitate uploading to my Instagram and Facebook pages and my new website. Lightroom is a very complicated program and there is sooo much to learn. I rely heavily on things I learned from the Lifelong Learning Center classes in Missoula and the websites I have found to help me figure out how to do what I want to do. I am also working my way through a series of photography lessons online. My other project for today is to update the blog so my family can log in to see what I am up to! And I just got word that the parts are in, so I will be up early tomorrow to take the truck in and hopefully get on the road by noon or so…
As I think about where I am today in light of where I thought I would be five years ago, the difference is staggering! Bill and I were so close that if I itched, he scratched. We literally did everything together – work, camping, fishing, hunting, everything. I will miss him every single day until we are reunited in Heaven. Every time I have a challenge in front of me, I hear him encouraging me, telling me I can do it, I’ve got this! As I continue on the grand adventure we dreamed we would take together, I see his face before me and feel his arms around me.
“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in nowise lift up herself. And, when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, ‘Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.’ And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” -Luke 13:11-13
May 11, 2021
I arrived at Johnnie’s at 7:30 after spending an hour getting Nohana ready to roll the minute I get back to the campground. Brought a book to read, but once Katy arrived, we spent the time in conversation ranging from children, to travel, to politics, to the pandemic, to Jesus Christ. We are very much in sync and it is such a pleasure to see a young woman so rooted and grounded! Jeff replaced the broken boot, but also found the upper coolant hose needed to be replaced, so he got that done as well. Back to the campground and on the road by 11:00. About a six-hour drive to Abilene State Park and all new territory for me. I was surprised to see so many wind turbines along US 380. The oil wells, I expected, along with the alfalfa, wheat, and other small grain fields. There were huge banks of the turbines, sometimes planted among the oil wells and grain fields. It is quite a sight. I stopped for fuel in Post and, note to self, make SURE there is a driveway in your preferred exit direction. I didn’t realize it was a curb until the front tires on the truck dropped suddenly. At that point, I was committed to the path, so I just went very slowly. Found later that Nohana really isn’t designed (nor decorated) for 4-wheeling. Jumbled a few things around, but no real damage was done. The entire drive was under cloudy skies but as I drew closer to the State Park, the mist/fog began to close in and I could only see about 50’ around me. A bit unnerving when you don’t really know where you’re going and the road is pretty narrow. A lot of twists and turns later, we got to the campground without mishap and set up in time for an evening outdoors, then dinner and a movie before bed.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21
May 12, 2021 –Day 7
Abilene State Park is one of those places where you can just relax and be quiet. Lush vegetation means privacy and bird songs wake you up every morning. After the heat in Roswell, the cool trees were exactly what we needed. The park is laid out so well that you only see a few campsites from wherever you are parked. There are yurts available for rent as well as campsites and they appear to be stocked with everything you need except sleeping bags and food. Several waste/recycle bins are scattered throughout the park and restrooms with showers are available. The many loops in the road can be quite confusing; Jake and I took several walks to enjoy the atmosphere and found that the signs pointing the way back to Nohana came in very handy. As we walked the grounds where the original buildings from the 1930s work by the Civilian Conservation Corp still stand today, I could admire their workmanship and wonder how their lives were affected by this project that now brings so much joy to so many people.
“ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
All set up in our beautiful site.
This awesome tree was in the site across the road from us.
This building from the 1930s was repurposed to house a snack bar, restrooms, and other administrative areas.
I don't know the purpose for this building, but I'll bet the view was terrific! Sadly, all the doors were locked.
May 13, 2021 –Day 8
Travel day from Abilene State Park to Plantation Place in Sunnyvale, near Dallas. A long drive, mostly in the rain and lots of traffic near the end. Getting set up was fairly easy as this is a pull-through site with full hookups. I’m here for a week to give me time with family and maybe a chance to catch up some of the accounting work.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." ~ Matthew 6:34 The Message
May 14, 2021 –Day 9
Opal Lawrence Historical Park is in Mesquite, TX. I was given a full tour of the house and buildings by Nancy Riley, Historic Homes Coordinator. After the tour, she was kind enough to allow me some additional time inside the home for some interior photos. Huge kudos to Mesquite, Texas, for preserving this property and others so that future generations can see "how things got done" back in the "olden days". For me, there were some childhood memories as well, recognizing things like the butter churn, just like the one that my brothers and I used at the Ranch to help Auntie make butter.Yuummmm! The Park provides a special hands-on tour for classroom teaching and they partner with several of the schools in the area to reach out to future generations of caretakers.
"Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord." ~ Psalm 102:18
May 15, 2021 - Day 10
Catching up with my cousin and her husband. It has been about 10 years since we last saw each other, and as always, we had a blast!! Talking about memories we each have and finding out what’s new in each other’s lives today. I was also introduced to beekeeping as her husband has taken it up since his retirement. I was treated a few weeks ago to video of him capturing a wild swarm that had landed in one of the trees in their backyard. He showed me how he monitors the health of the hive regularly to make sure the bees are doing well. We were well protected, until he ripped one of his gloves and was stung. The act of stinging releases a pheramone that signals the other bees to attack the intruder. I was able to provide covering smoke until he could get some misting water going to discourage the bees and we could make our way back into the house. He says that he has been stung enough times by now that he doesn’t really have a reaction. Happily, I did not get stung. We had a great visit and I promise to return before I leave the area. Colleen gave me some family photographs and writings from our grandmother. She said she had read through them, but thought I should be the family historian. I am happy to take them. Perhaps, someday, I will use them in writing my own family history. For now, I can use them to learn a bit more about the grandmother I will meet for the first time in Heaven.
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." ~ Romans 15:4
May 16, 2021 - Day 11
Rain in the forecast all day today so this will be a good time to catch up on some accounting work. Poor Jake, he will be confined to quarters for today, it’s just a steady rain coming down. We both get soaked with just the short, necessary breaks outside.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28
May 17, 2021 - Day 12
Well, the next few days will not go as anticipated. Did not expect to have rain in the forecast all day every day for several days! Thus, I will find some indoor stuff to do to replace the outdoor stuff I had planned. Yesterday was spent doing accounting work, today I will do some internet research and see where it takes me!
"For with God nothing shall be impossible." ~ Luke 1:37
May 18, 2021 - Day 13
Today another visit with my cousin is on tap, this time for lunch – pulled pork sandwiches. Pat showed me his process for extracting honey from the hives when it is ready to harvest. Of course, there is a whole process that must happen before there is honey to harvest. Like, less rain so the bees can get out and gather pollen and nectar. Flowers can sometimes take several days to recover from rainstorms and begin producing nectar again. Like all agricultural processes,bee keeping is in the hands of God. He provides the sun, rain, and all other elements needed in their own time to produce a harvest. As always, we have a blast together. Colleen is my hero in so many ways!!
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowhsip with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ~1 John 1:7
May 19, 2021 - Day 14
Today was a working day, mostly accounting but also a little on the photography business. I still have a long way to go to finish the online courses I am taking. Good thing they are done at my own pace!
The rain did clear up enough for me to take a walk around the grounds. Plantation Place is a beautiful park, I wish the home were available for viewing, but it is a private residence. I don’t blame the owners, but I’m sure the house is as wonderful inside as the grounds are outside.
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." ~ Psalms 24:1
May 20, 2021 - Day 15
This was a travel day. I knew it would be interesting when I heardrain on the roof upon awakening. The drizzle didn’t show any signs of letting up and I decided I might as well get hooked up and on the road. By the time Iwas ready to roll, I was drenched and it was raining in earnest. I changed shirts (one advantage of having your house with you!) and waited to see if the rain would ease a bit. It did, so we took off. Within 5 miles, I was on dry pavement. However, I did have light rain almost all the way. Luckily, most of the drive was on I-20 so the rain wasn’t a huge issue. The biggest problem was the condition of I-20 through Shreveport! Oh my gosh!! I slowed down to 50 to minimize the bouncing caused by the uneven pavement and I still had to deal with disarray in the trailer when I got parked. Since it is a major East-West freeway, I-20 comes with a huge number of 18-wheelers. I find that most of them are courteous but it does mean that now and then, between us, we cause a rolling roadblock and other drivers get impatient.
Pulled in to Landry Vineyards in the early afternoon to spend the night. They are part of the Harvest Hosts family and they are great hosts! Very welcoming and they even offered to let me take extra room so I could have Nohana level since there will only be 2 guests tonight. With their permission, Jake and I took a short walking tour of the grounds and then I headed to the Tasting Room. Wow!! Theyhave a huge venue as they also provide several events throughout the year and the Tasting Room is lovely, overlooking the vineyard. I opted for the dry wine selection, but was allowed to customize a little to add 2 of their signature port tastings. Boy, was it worth it!! They were all so good! I purchased 3 bottles to take with and spent a lovely evening reading and enjoying the quiet. Clouds obscured the stars but that seems to be the theme lately, I haven't seen five continuous hours of sunshine since I left New Mexico. Same for star-filled nights.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." ~ Jeremiah 33:3
