On the Road Again

     It was toss-n-turn all night.  RV mattresses are not known for their comfort.  Especially when your back is very used to a tempurpedic.  Awake at 5 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to get out of bed after laying there another hour.  Decided to read email until Steve got up.  Took a quick shower, had a Cap'n Crunch breakfast, then we unhooked and got back onthe road about 8:30, later than planned. 

     Started across what we call The Badlands.  Flat.  Sandy.  Scrub brush and drilling rigs.  Stopped in Pecos for diesel where it's expected to reach 106 today.  It's not even 10 a.m. yet and it's already 91. 

     Our cold breakfast left us wanting a little sumpin-sumpin so we picked up a 44-ounce Tanker of root beer at the truck stop and broke out the link of dried sausage, a staple and tradition for all our road trips.

     Serenaded by The Mavericks, Dixie Chicks, and Nanci Griffith we see mile after mile of pump jacks, like giant grasshoppers on the plains.  We pass through towns of Orla and Malaga, once thriving, now scenes of forlorn and forgotten neglect.  I wish I had an hour to wander the vacant streets and alleys to photograph the detritus left behind by those who once called these towns home.

     Driving into Carlsbad the temp drops to 86.  No humidity.  Construction slows us to a moderate crawl and we are able to see things we otherwise might miss.  The sign outside one bar promised "Midget Wrestling Tonight!" but I couldn't get to my camera fast enough. 

     Full clouds to the north and east look like they may be dropping rain.  The further north we were the heavier the clouds became.  Enormous gun-metal gray clouds were pregnant with the promise of a good downpour. 

     I'm practicing with my new camera and clicking away at all my favorite things:  clouds, windmills, trains, old buildings.  We pass from the driest fields of the deadest cactus to, finally, pastures of endless green.  The road goes on forever, taking us past a thousand pine poles, green mile markers, and the occasional white cross planted in the hallowed ground to mark where souls have left this earth. 

North of Vaughn we finally make it into the red hills.  We open the windows to feel 73 degrees and smell recent rain and the pinon pines.  What a heavenly combination !   A few miles past Clines Corner we pass through a shower and the temp dropped quickly to 60.  It rose again, but still felt great.  The awesome clouds stayed in view.  We haven't seen skies like that in so long. 

Finally arrived at our destination 7 hours after leaving this morning.  We were expecting a great spot promised us by the owner, but found out that some "nice old lady" named Flossie gave our spot to others.  To say we were upset is a gross understatement.  The only spot they had was the one I least wanted, having researched it all before we made reservations, but that's where we ended up -- between a sewer grate opening and the sewer treatment area.  Nice.  Supposedly we will get our original spot on Tuesday.  But a kind review on TripAdvisor ain't gonna materialize. 

To perk ourselves up we changed clothes and left to run into Santa Fe for dinner or shopping.  It started raining, this is monsoon season, after all, and we really needed new windshield wipers, so we stopped for that.  On to the restaurant choice for the evening -- Marias.  They were voted Best Margaritas.  It looked like a long wait so Steve went in search of this famous concoction.  And, what do you know...he found it !  We were soon called to our table, a cozy two-seater in a back corner.  Our waitress and table person were exceptional.  Steve ordered a combination plate of chile rellano, green chile enchilada, a tamale,and the requisite rice and beans.  He also ordered a cup of green chile stew.  I ordered a dainty six-piece tostada chiquitas.  Steve was giving me the rellano and we were to share the stew until my spoon nearly melted when it touched the lava-like stew.  OUCH !  That stuff was HOT !  Steve thought I was nuts until he began eating it, then sweat beads were popping out all over.  Complimentary sopapillas with honey finished off a delightful dinner. 

Back at the park we waited for what we expected to be a beautiful sunset with all the clouds, but it was nondescript, so we came inside.  Sated and tired ...those pillows look soooo soft !   As soon as I finish, that's where you'll find me.    Good night.