Saturday December 10, 2011

Saturday, December 10, 2011

We left the campground just outside Deming today.  This has been a restful area for us.  The views were spectacular and Judy and Maurice certainly know a lot about the area and about rocks.  Dan and Judy had a great time discussing the rocks all over the grounds.    Deming is about 30 miles north of Mexico.

As we were leaving the area heading back to I-10, we were traveling the back roads on the open range and had to stop for the cattle on the road.  Dan got a good picture of one that was on his side of the truck.  There is a different type of vegetation today from what we’ve seen so far.  It’s clumpy and green and bushy.  I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about from that description.  What else would you expect as you approach the continental divide? 

Again I am enthralled by the scenery and as we headed toward Arizona there appeared in the distance on the right, a magnificent mountain, purple-hued, and I could not help by think of “purple mountain majesty”.  I cannot describe the feeling it gave me.

When we saw a gas station in the distance we decided to head in and give Junnie his break (not to mention one for us).  It was all Dan could do to open his door the wind was so strong.  We had not felt it at all.  We’ve been asked several times if we had had trouble with the strong winds and we have not felt them in the truck and I hope we don’t.  Dan looks so cute chasing his hat across the parking lot.  He retrieved it before it was flattened by anything while I pumped gas at $2.97 a gallon.  That was much better than the $3.29 we paid last time.

Down the road, the outside hatch door popped open so we stopped at the first rest area we found and there were several other campers there.  We got to talking with a family from Ottawa.  They’ve been on the road for two months. They were a young couple with three children.  We got lots of good information from them about places to see and things to do.  You meet the nicest people on the road! 

Arizona   has no welcome center on I-10 and that bummed me out!  I like maps because I need to see where we’re headed and where we’ve been.  Besides, I might find some place we really need to see and if I don’t know it, we’ll miss it.  Seems logical, doesn’t it!  That’s OK.  We sometimes go on old I-10 and it is devastating to see the ghost towns that are a result of being bypassed by the new highway.   We saw three such towns today and it’s been that way through Texas, as well.  It must have been hard for the people in the towns to see their environment dry up, and for them to have to move elsewhere in order to make a living.  We did see one place right off the interstate that advertised, “fresh jerky”.   Dan whipped the truck so fast I had to hang on and tell Junnie it was not anything to be concerned about as I watch the trailer careen around the corner.  Seems to me we didn’t need fresh jerky, but I guess I was wrong.  While he went in to have a sample (ha), I watched dust devils curl across the parking lot, one right after the other.

What came next just left us in awe.  Up ahead there was a mountain that looked all craggy and sharp every which way.   As we drew nearer, we had trouble believing what we saw.  Mountains upon mountains of boulders piled on top of each other and precariously balanced…both sides of the road.  The only thought that ran through my mind, other than the fact that we have a phenomenal world in which to live, was ,  Ï sure hope we don’t have an earthquake while we’re among these stone monuments.”  “ We’ll not make it out, if we do.”  I remember being amazed by the Alps and the jutting slanted slabs of the rocks in the mountains there, but  this was even more exceptional, I thought.  What a wonder and marvel it was to see.  What beauty God has provided for our enjoyment!

I must also report that the lost has been found.  Several days ago Dan’s cell phone went missing.  Today it re-appeared, fully charged and turned off.  No wonder it wouldn’t ring when  Kryn , Kathryn, and I were calling it.  It’s time to turn mine off for a day or so!

Tomorrow is the third Sunday in Advent.  We’ve been told of a little Methodist church down the road a bit.  Hope their service is at 11 çause that’s probably when we’ll get there.  We just hope they are serving lunch after service.

Blessings,

D., F., & J.