jan 8, 2012

((( For some reason I lost the ability to add pictures to the blog---))) Dan

Greetings from outside Las Cruses, NM!

We are so glad to be inside and warm.  Temperatures  plummeted during the last hours of our driving.  We could see ominous skies to the south and blue skies with billowing cumulous clouds, north of us …yet with flat bottoms that were turning grey.  But I am ahead of myself.

Our campground this morning had homemade waffles and hot coffee for all the campers.  We had checked on a church for services and allowed time to be ready, but it does NOT take me as long to get dressed as Dan thinks it does and we were ready to go to the 10:30 service (that was held 3 miles down the road) at 9 AM.  Shoot, we were ready to go, so we did.  I punched in “Methodist Church” on the GPS and the nearest one sent us north to the little town of Safford, Arizona.  Have you ever been on a road and there was no one else in sight for miles?  That’s the situation we had.  It was a beautiful drive and not broken anywhere by traffic.  We passed a huge sign telling us to watch for animals.  We’ve been doing that all along, but still no luck, so far.

  As we approached the town we discovered lots of churches and each one had pretty full parking lots and signs that encouraged everyone to worship with them at 10:00.   According to them, we were late.  We trudged on and reached a lovely Methodist church that encouraged passers-by to worship with them at 10:30 AM.  We had 10 minutes to spare!  YES!

The church was lovely.  Behind the altar is a huge contemporary styled, stained glass window of the Jordan River, with a baptismal font pictured in the foreground.  Above this was a brilliant star and a beautiful dove descending toward the river.  The colors were very soothing and it was apropos to the sermon.  Once again we heard of John the Baptizer and his proclaiming the arrival of one greater than he.  The emphasis today was that we are to show Christ to others by our actions, our attitudes, our grace and our love, all of which we have only when we have Christ.  The minister used to visit his uncle who was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB, in Goldsboro.  I’m amazed that our huge country can be so small!

Before we reached Safford, I had checked to see how to best return to I-10 and behold…US70E was the  route to take.  I remember, years ago, learning in school that US 70 went from NC to California.  Dan looked at me with raised eyebrows when I told him this on the way to California.  Whew!  I have been justified about that remark.  On the drive through the vast areas of stark beauty on our way to New Mexico, Dan saw an Emu (so he said).   I saw a flock of geese, we both saw ducks, horses and cows as well as one yapping dog before arriving in New Mexico.   US 70 brought us down to Lordsburg, NM.  When we crossed over into NM, the mountains disappeared and there was nothing except what I grew up calling, Yucca bushes.  Sometimes people called the plant, Spanish Bayonets.  At the Joshua Tree National Park they call the ones with bunches of arms at the top, Joshua trees and those of Mexican descent say there are pronounced as YUUUka, not Yuck-A.   I secretly think they’re all the same plant, but don’t tell anyone I said it.  I still have a spot on my leg where one of the spikes on the yucca we had at the corner of our yard, bit me!

After crossing into the area of NM that is devoid of mountains, I want you to know I saw a Looong horn steer on the north side of the road.  On the south side we passed hundreds and hundreds of Black Angus, free---range cattle and calves.  Both sides of the road are always fenced even when they don’t say anything  about being free---range.  That seems to be the norm.  Fences everywhere even when we can see nothing that’s eating, or anyone who is walking or any reason to be in the fenced area.   We’re back to seeing bleached blond grass again and this time the cattle were feeding upon it.  There were also huge areas of dairy cattle and buildings telling us to drink at least three glasses of milk a day and to eat ice cream.  Sounds good to me.  I must remember to do that sometime.

As I drove, the black clouds hinted at earlier opened themselves and began washing the truck and trailer for us.  We did have enough time between downpours to set up for the   night.  What a shock when we opened the truck to discover how much the temperature had dropped from the last rest stop.  There’s mention of perhaps one to maybe three inches of white stuff by morning.  At one point when we were near Phoenix, I had thought about asking if we could head north to the Grand Canyon since the weather had been so beautiful and everything seemed to be quiet.  I am glad I let that thought pass!

We’re snug and full from the evening meal and Dan’s relaxing while I salve over this blog.  I shall turn everything over to him to find an appropriate picture/pictures to go with these ramblings.

We’re having a wonderful time, but we’re missing each of you!

Blessings,

Trailer Trekking Troopers