January 8, 2006

January 8, 2006

Silver City to Las Cruces, New Mexico

YEAR 2 DAY 205

 

Today was sunny and warm again. Apparently this area gets 350 days a year of sunshine. Sounds like my kind of place.

This morning we prepared for departure, hitched up, and left Silver City RV Park. Before we left Silver City, we stopped at Wal-Mart to replenish groceries and supplies. We headed out of Silver City southbound on Hwy. 180. Halfway to Deming we stopped at City Of Rocks State Park, just to see it. We had heard a lot about it. It's a strange phenomenon. Out in the desert, all of a sudden there's a huge collection of massive boulders, larger and taller than large houses.

A few miles past City Of Rocks State Park, we stopped at a road side rest area to have lunch. The sun was shining brightly, and I suggested we eat lunch outside at one of the sheltered picnic table. Each picnic table is within a small shelter, because of the intense desert sun. We started to eat our lunch, but inside the shelter, in the shade, the strong wind felt chilly. We returned to the trailer. It's odd that out in the sunlight it feels warm, but as soon as you're in the shade, the wind makes it feel cool. There were signs posted all around the rest area to beware of rattlesnakes. I've seen signs like that before in the southwest desert, and I find it slightly amusing, and slightly disconcerting.

After lunch, Joanne drove. Her driving on a two lane undivided highway is very stressful for both of us. We continued on Hwy. 180 back to Deming, where we were a few days ago, then turned east on Interstate 10. Joanne continued to drive on the Interstate, until almost at Las Cruces. We changed drivers just outside Las Cruces. While finding our way to Sunny Acres RV Park, we passed the Post Office, a propane refill station, and Aamco Transmission. Great ! We need to go to all three tomorrow. We registered at Sunny Acres RV Park, got set up on our site, and unhitched. We rested for awhile before going for a walk around the park, checking out the facilities.

At Wal-Mart earlier today, I started the grocery shopping while Joanne refilled some water jugs at the water refill machine outside the store, so she didn't see some of what I put in our grocery cart. She just commented as she put away today's grocery purchases that the little jar of chili powder that I bought today does not look at all like the little jars of chili powder we purchase in Ottawa or Winnipeg. I guess New Mexico's version of chili powder is different than Canada's. Not surprising, since we're not very far from Hatch, New Mexico, the undisputed chili pepper capital of the world. We drove through Hatch last year. It was interesting to see huge bunches of chili peppers, hanging on their vines, drying in the sun. There are so many varieties of chili peppers available locally, that the produce sections of local grocery stores usually have 6 or 8 feet of shelf space dedicated to varieties of fresh chili peppers. Joanne is reading a recipe out loud to me as I type this. It’s in a local magazine, and is a recipe for New Mexican Apple Pie. It includes, amongst other ingredients, like apples, half a cup of mild green chili. HA HA HA !

It took both of us working together to dig out a cactus needle which was deeply imbedded in my thumb for the last few days. I got a cactus needle in my thumb the other day, and pulled it out with tweezers, but evidently the end of it broke off deep under the skin. It’s been bothering me, and getting worse every day. I did today's accounting then started today's journal entry while I barbecued some beef sausages for supper, and Joanne made fresh potato salad. After supper we spent the rest of the evening reading the Sunday newspaper and watching TV.

DSK