Rant warning. Cody Jinx Radio on Pandora. “Diamonds and Gasoline” playing, Turnpike Troubadours. What a great day it’s been. The weather has been perfect! Today I’m at the Ute Lake State Park in New Mexico. I don’t know why I have this desire, want, need to be in Texas and New Mexico. I mean, I can enjoy the outdoors just as easily in Alabama, I know, I know.
I arrived at Ute Lake State Park in Logan, New Mexico, despite my aversion to cold weather. I bought a “Little Buddy” in Amarillo, determined that I wasn’t going to give in (I was close). I had heard about it on one of those many YouTube videos that I watched about van camping before starting this trek. What a great invention for a tent camper / van camper.
The first camp site I picked had lots of great shade and I spent the first night there. Shade (hello, what are you thinking, this is not summer), you need sun lady!! I decided that I wanted to spend another night but changed spots to a totally open site. Yes, sun!!! Stretch and I walked around the entire loop (quite large). Around 3, we did it again except we went exploring down by the lake. I was being very cautious but had to slap myself (mentally) that there aren’t any ‘gators here. Do have to keep my eyes open for snakes though.
I want to stay here, but I pay close attention to the weather and there’s some sort of cold front arriving on Thursday. Going to get down to freezing. Now I need to move further south.
Before we got to New Mexico, we drove through Northwest Texas. I had inferred in a previous post that I was very disappointed in that I was expecting cowboys, longhorn cows, cattle drives but instead I found giant, alien-like, noisy wind generators. I found it!!! The town of Wildorado, Texas, west of Amarillo. I saw cowboys and cows, in a cattle feeding lot. I’ve never seen so many bovine in one spot. I was really hoping to see them being driven across the millions of acres that I’ve crossed since I started driving, but I’ll have to settle for the feedlot.
Vega, Texas. I’m in love with that little town. The landscape changes quite significantly after this area, like something out of a Clint Eastwood western. Life must have been so hard but so rewarding.
Many, many (Jimmy Carter era, many) years ago, Ed, Patrick, Ashley, Kim and I visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield Memorial. I can see myself standing looking around and feel this terrible sadness overcome me. We then visited the nearby Crow Indian Reservation. I remember saying to my husband, Ed, “I’ve been here before, a long, long time ago.” Still always feel that way when I think about that visit. No, I’m not claiming to be Native American (a la Elizabeth Warren), but I’ve never felt such a strong feeling before. I’ve never been a follower or believer in the afterlife (perhaps I should be), but that’s as close as I’ve ever come. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I was born in the wrong century. (Sorry for the political innuendos).
Linger Along With Me 
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