Valley of Fires

Access to the Visitors Center and viewing trails is closed due to Covid-19. However we took a drive over to see what we could see. 

The long dark band extending horizontally is the lava flow

According to the BLM website: Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

From a distance, Valley of Fires appears as barren rock but when you walk through the nature trail there are many varieties of flowers, cactus, trees and bushes typical of the Chihuahuan desert. Animals include bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barberry sheep, and lizards. It's also a virtual birdwatcher's paradise with great horned owls, burrowing owls, turkey vultures, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and golden eagles.

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Rob Jaggers BLM campground

Our destination was the Rob Jagger BLM campground near Capitan, NM. 

The photos I had seen were of a large gravel parking lot with some dispersed camping behind it on the mesa. 

 Upon arrival we were interested to see that things were in transition. A million-dollar renovation is underway at Jagger. 

Behind the gravel lot 20+ back-in and pull-through sites with water, electric and horse paddocks are under construction. 

The sites are BIG, designed to accommodate big trucks with horse trailers. Regular RV’ers like us are welcome, too.

When we arrived the 4 electric and water sites were taken, we were able to move to an electric/water site later. 

We have been comfortable here ever since. Due to Covid-19 all restrooms are closed, but a trash dumpster still serves the campground. There is also a dump station and potable water for those who are not self-contained.

We discovered that Riodoso, NM, about a half hour southwest has a Walmart, Hardware stores, some good restaurants with takeout (Covid-19 style), and best of all, an LCMS church. We have taken advantage of all these amenities. 

A big thanks to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and pastor Jason Rust for welcoming us so warmly. We even had packages delivered to the church for our pickup! It has been fantastic.

We visited White Sands NP on a previous trip. look for it in an earlier post.  

But Valley of Fires is intriguing.  Check it out in our next post.

And yes, the temps have ranged from mid-40’s to upper 70’s. 

Just the way we like it.

The Escape from Texas

The temperatures in Zapata had been creeping higher and higher throughout April. The next 10 days forecast predicted 3-digit temperatures every day. It was time to leave our wonderful winter home and head someplace cooler.


The packing was systematic and efficient. The plan was to depart Zapata and hole-up for a couple weeks in the high desert and mountains of New Mexico where temperatures were in the 50’s at night and 70’s in daytime. That would be a 2-day trip for us with an overnight stop.

The overnight stop was in Sanderson, Texas at Canyon’s RV Park.


Due to Covid-19 the arrangements and check-in were done by phone and a paper form dropped in a cash box with payment.








The place was pleasant, clean, and perfect for an overnighter. The park is sandwiched between a railroad track and highway. There was an occasional train whistle and some road noise, but after a hard day’s drive, a cold one, and supper, we slept like babies. We would gladly pay another visit to Canyons. The next morning, we were “on the road again.”

Our Winter Texas Home

When Darlene and I were invited by Abiding Savior Lutheran Church to be their Winter Texan Pastor it seemed like a great opportunity. We though we would try it out and see if we like Zapata and the congregation.



As the winter progressed, we realized what a great blessing the Lord had provided for us.


When the congregation wanted me to continue as pastor into he future. Darlene and I agreed that we wanted to come back to Zapata again next year and for many years to come. It seems to us to be the perfect arrangement for a full-timing RV pastor. A place to stay and enjoy doing ministry in the winter and 6 months to Mosey around the country enjoying God’s remarkable creation.

That's the place          all COE land behind

To be as comfortable as possible, we purchased a lot just adjacent to Lakefront Lodge. We enjoy the fellowship and activities and location of Lakefront, so the site seems perfect for us.

original lot         shed on the right

It includes all the hookups for two RVs, a “guest cabin”, and a shed with laundry facilities and storage for tools, etc.  The lot backs up on Core of Engineers land, so it will never see construction. And when the water levels in the lake are at normal levels, we have lake-front property.

Caliche truck.             took 3 loads

We knew right away we wanted to make some improvements: build up a flatter spot for our RV parking and build a “cover” to protect the RV from the brutal Texas sun and hail stones. Soon after the purchase was completed, the improvement plan was started.


Caliche was hauled in to flatten the parking spot, materials for the “cover” were delivered and the team constructed our winter cover.

Tractor to spread the caliche

Guest cabin with deck on the left     us on the new level pad

On the new pad     corner of shed & guest cabin behind

Materials for cover arrive

The support poles are installed

Roof trusses welded into position

roof trusses complete

Ready for metal roofing

Roofing going on

Rear gable & sides being readied for metal

Cover is complete.

We had the pleasure of parking under our new cover for one night before it was time for us to leave Zapata and start the Mosey’n Millers summer adventures.

Rocky is a metal sculpture as seen from our deck

A bobcat uses the trail from our place to Falcon Lake

Come on back to follow us as we head northwest, loop around and return to Zapata in late fall.