Day 9

Day 9 - Friday - June 15, 2012

0500 Wake up.
0530 Get the kids up.
0614 Leaving Rio Rancho.  65 degrees - it's a lovely morning.
0627 Rio Grande River
0629 Twisterz for yummy breakfast burritos!  There is a used book store in this shopping center.  Maybe we should check it out sometime.
0635 Starbucks
0645 Getting onto I-25 South
0648 A news story about Siri users filing a class-action lawsuit because Siri doesn't work very well.  The John Malkovich-Siri commercial is nothing like real life experiences.  I'm not surprised after the hilarious demonstration we got when Dad was visiting us in May.
0657 A water usage report.  Apparently water use was up in May... time to conserve, Albuquerque!
0701 I-40 East.
0728 Cows
0750 Clines Corners - getting onto 285 South
0813 Encino, NM.  Elevation 6,280 feet
0819 An engine train is coming up on the tracks from behind us.  It has just 3 engines and no cars.  I wonder if it will be able to pass us.
0824 It seems really strange to be driving east in the first legs of the trip.
0828 Vaughn, NM.  This town is half run-down ghost town and half up-to-date.  Both halves just intermingle which gives an odd impression.
0848 Sheep and baby lambs.
0857 A dog riding on the back of a flat-bed truck on the highway.  He doesn't appear to be tied down at all.  Kind of scary!
0934 Roadkill - looks big.  Too big to be a deer?  I can't get a good look because we are passing a semi as we pass the roadkill.
0938 Deer roadkill - half in my lane and half on the shoulder.  Seeing this deer makes me think the other animal must've been a deer also.
0945 Roswell, NM.  The welcome sign says that it is the Dairy Capital of the Southwest.  I have to admit that dairy is not what I think of when I think of Roswell.  In my mind (and probably most people's minds), Roswell is the Alien Capitol of the Southwest!  Current temperature, 82 degrees.  Stop for gas, $3.16/gallon.
1031 I have been watching but I haven't seen any signs of smoke from the Ruidoso fires.
1040 Stinky cows on a feedlot.  Then I see a road sign for Funk Road.  Coincidence???
1050 Artesia, NM.  This is not a water or natural springs area as I was imagining it to be.  Looks like it might be oil?  It is definitely a very industrial town.
1106 Seven Rivers Highway
1117 Carlsbad, NM.  Elevation 3,110 feet.  94 degrees.
1120 Sonic for lunch.  There is a sign annoucing half-price shakes all day on June 20 to celebrate the longest day of summer.
1150 Leaving Sonic
12:21 p.m. Black River
12:37 p.m. Texas state line.  Central Time Zone.
1:40 p.m. Lots of oil rigs out here.
2:20 p.m. Pecos, TX.  99 degrees.  Home of the world's first rodeo.
2:27 p.m. Mosquito Lake
3:10 p.m Fort Stockton.  Stop at McD's for iced coffee for me and Rolo McFlurries for the kids.  It is very busy here.
3:26 p.m. Gas, $3.54/gallon
3:38 p.m. My knee still hurts.  :(
3:43 p.m. Windmills
3:58 p.m. Passing a truck hauling a windmill blade.  Those things look much bigger up close!
4:23 p.m. Fort Lancaster Scenic Loop sign - says it is only open from 8 to 5.  I've never seen operating hours for a scenic drive before!
4:25 p.m. Pecos River
4:30 p.m. I'm glad the scenery has improved.  Looking at desert-ish hills is much nicer than flat, boring desert.
4:44 p.m. Reuben from Acclaimed Services called.  They will refund us part of the charges but I need to call the office to have it done.  Since I'm driving with minimal cell signal, that call will have to wait until next week.
4:46 p.m. That leapfrog car is really starting to annoy me.  I'm using cruise control so I'm not the one with the constant speed changes!
4:47 p.m. Kids are watching a movie - Space Jam.
5:00 p.m. The police have stopped a car that passed me back when we first got on the interstate.
5:44 p.m. So the guy that just got a speeding ticket has passed me again.  Seems to be really pressing his luck today!
5:48 p.m. Text from Ron.  His flight into Houston has been delayed.
6:00 p.m. New transmission power lines are going up.
6:02 p.m. Junction, TX for a potty and stretch break.  My feet are swollen from driving all day.
6:52 p.m. Culver's in Kerrville for dinner.  I am so hungry!  Should've stopped earlier but really wanted to hold out for Culvers.
7:25 p.m. Gas, $3.38/gallon.
7:55 p.m. Arrive at the ranch.  Almost 8:00 right on the dot!
10:00 p.m. Everyone has finally settled down and is in bed.  Ron is on his way, driving from San Antonio.