An unwelcome early morning wake up yesterday , old friend pain showed up and just wouldn't leave ! No telling what set it off , maybe the way I slept or could be just too much activity , at any rate along about 5:30AM I was wide awake and though I'm not saying I was bright eyed and bushy tailed , I was AWAKE . No chance of sleep now , get up , do the coffee thing , sit down answer a couple of E-mails , wait for the sun and listen to the birds start their routine , finally figured out why they like the roof of the trailer so much . Water ! Moisture condenses on the roof top at night and the little fellers get up there in the morning to have a drink . Wish I could train them to hit the button on the coffee machine , would save me all of two steps ! Anyway , after the sun started it's ascent , I once again decided to avoid the inernet news and load the van for a road trip . No particular destination , but , I am known for having a loop to ride to clear my head and do a little therapy thinking . Checking the list for a trip ; extra water , gas can , some snacks , cell phone , yeah , a beautiful day and a full gas tank . I'm good to go ! Out on highway 80 , up through Granite Gap and take the road to Cotton City that runs across the valley . Cruising slow and easy checking out the ranches , here's the road to Lords burg or over to Animas . Left or right ? Take the left to Lordsburg , I can stop and get an ice tea and have a bathroom break , even if it means a few miles on the interstate . AHHHHH! the traffic , the noise , the damn trucks traveling at light speed , and the smell ! I had to roll the window up ! An exit was spyed promising a way to Silver City / Deming , works for me . I'd rather crawl through broken glass than drive on the interstate ! Here we go , ice tea firmly gripped onto a road I can deal with back to a normal speed , a signpost directs me towards Deming , rail road tracks to my right and wide open desert on my left this back road takes me all the way over to Rt 11 and down to Deming . As I perambulate around town I don't see much activity . It's Sunday morning and not many businesses are open , a few restaurants getting started . A few more empty buildings since I was here last , the big grocery finally has closed it's doors , guess Wally world was too much for them , back to RT11 and down towards Columbus ,traffic is light except for State Police and Border Patrol . Outside of town the fields are greening up a couple of machines out baling the first cutting of hay , a couple of fields ready for planting , a pecan grove being groomed for the summer . A real wake up is the many empty houses along the road , I mean nice places , what's up with that ? Have to ask Cissy when I see her on Tues . Down in Columbus even less activity than Deming , this drug / border thing is really hurting them , stopped at the gas station at the intersection of RT 11 and RT 9 to gas up and practice my bad spanish . Remember in the desert a full gas tank is a happy gas tank !
Taking a right onto Rt9 {Pancho Villa's was closed for brakfast / lunch ?] and the journey homewards was started . once you leave Columbus there is wide open desert all the way to Hatchita , on your left you are looking into Mexico and the wasteland that comprises the natural border that separates us from that country .
I'm sure everyone is aware of the illegals thing , here is what they have to come through to get here ..
I'm not making any judgments or saying who is right or wrong , this is what an illegal will endure to get into this country , miles and miles of it !
Traveling onwards towards Hatchita and finding it even more desolate than I remembered , continued towards Animas . The only surprise was at the Playa training station , it looks like an interstate exchange out in the middle of the desert ! Not a thing for miles in any direction , it just sits there awaiting the hoards of people it was designed to accommodate . More on this later . Just outside of Animas there is this little turnout with a marker and some stock pens ,
Doesn't look like much does it ?
Here's the surounding countryside ,
Like I said , pretty much wide open spaces , imagine coming through here 80 to 100 years ago the only sign of civilization would be those stock pens and the rail road tracks , I expect they would be a welcome sight! Perhaps even water ! I trundled over through Animas and started the ride down the pass to rodeo . Rusty's was a welcome sight from the hilltop and as I turned into the Ranch , Bob and June sitting on the porch taking the afternoon breeze was picture perfect . A quick stop to regale them of my trip and over to my comfort spot to hold the couch hostage with a fan on me !!
Stay tuned ...
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