"THAT'S ALL FOLKS...."!!

Well, the visa runs out tomorrow. Time to go home!!

Thanks for watching !! XXX

















(P.S. If you've been peepin' at this blog, i'd love to know... just leave a comment or email me direct at vaughan_sally@hotmail.com )

MY TRUSTY STEED.....
With 10,000 miles on the clock and a sticker collection, my little saturn was transferred to its new owners. Cool thing is i get to keep the plates as souveniers!!!!

CRAZY CARZ ...
A final trip to the Cadillac ranch with mum, and a few pics of noteworthy vehicles.
Point of interest..... If you get to see the new Pixar movie "Cars", keep an eye out for the desert landscape - the mountains are based on Cadillac Ranch. Unmistakable when you know where to look.

'TEXAS' THE MUSICAL....
Staged in an amphitheatre in the canyon, Greta and I took mum to see this spectacular performance.

Think "Oklahoma", and just change the state!! The special effects are brilliant, and there are real horses and waggons that gallop around in the background.

ALL IN A DAYS WORK.....
Forget the glamour of the rodeo, this is the reality of working life for your average cowpoke. After the round-up, cattle are penned in the corrall then put in the chute to be 'worked'....





First they are vaccinated...








...then branded.....

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED....
Next, is the castration..... make sure that knife is nice and sharp...











....a swift cut and a quick tug.....







.....and 'hey presto!!'..... a load of bollocks!!!









....these will be cooked on the grill and deep fried for a tasty snack at the end of the day!! mmmmmmmmm!!

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH......
Drivng back from Denver with mum gave us the opportunity to revisit Sally and Jim Kohler in Oklahoma.
The year seemed to have closure with this visit since the kittens from last year had now had kittens themselves, and Shady Lady, who was pregnant back in September, has now had her colt...
The old wooden windmill was still there, but it will probably be replaced next year by something more efficient.
My mum loves big American trucks.

Wind farm at Lamar, Colorado.
I pretty much knew the routine for feeding the cattle this time round.....

Mum gets behind the wheel of a pick-up.

'BLUE PETER' SUMMER EXPEDITION .......
As the starting point of their summer expedition of the 'Southern States', this long running BBC childrens programme came to Amarillo in search of all things wierd and wonderful. As a result of my recent meet up with Stanley Marsh, i was invited to go down and 'help out' as they filmed at Cadillac Ranch.






Their brand new presenter, Andy, had lost all his luggage so i had to whizz him around for a new wardrobe....

......it wasnt worthy of a BP badge apparently, but i got a sticker!!!

Out at Cadillac Ranch, LBK and his friends were busy running amok and being brilliantly weird and wonderful.....







"...but it says here, they'll be filming Dr. Who next week, sweetie!!!"

Andy makes his mark....
The Blue Peter ship of course....



.....and i got my debut as lighting asistant.....

The episode will be televised in September.

COUSIN PENNY AND FRED, REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA....
I went to California to meet my distant cousin, Penny.
She and boyfriend Fred were very hospitable and it was great to make contact with another relative.

They keep wolves as pets.....

And Fred cleans his pool with a vacuum contraption that he invented himself!

SAN FRANSISCO, CA,.....
Penny invited to me to eat at the seafood restaurant where she works as a bar tender.
Then i had a day to see the city.


Golden gate Bridge from Angel Island.


Great to meet you cousin!!!

THE 'DELICATE ARCH', ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH......
I took a day off the train to explore Arches National Park.

A 3 mile hike takes you to the site of this spectacular natural arch.

DEAD HORSE POINT, UTAH....










A headland above a canyon where cowboys would round up wild mustangs and head them off into a natural corrall (the old mesquite fencing still remains). Legend has it that the cowboys would take the best horses and leave the rest to die...hence the name.