ANOTHER DATE SHAKE AND SUPPER WITH JEANIE

 Slab City

Morning Bud, Did ya sleep good?  yea me too. Well Ima gonna fill this  2 1/2 cup coffee mug with some of that good ole Colombian coffee and take myself a little walk around, want to go? I dont blame ya, setting in that chair soaking up the sun aint a bad I-DEE. Reckon I better get my big ole sombrero on so I dont get sunburned ears.

I would look like you if that happened. :-))  see ya in a couple hours.

 I found the canal over there. They say there is plenty of fish in it ,if your a mind to fish. 

You aint gonna believe this Bud , a warm shower in the middle of this place, aint Mother nature wonderful.

Yep Bud, you climb down that ladder and there is a natural warm spring shower.

Picking, singing and dancing over at the Range.

Now this appears to be a big draw here. I dont see eye to eye with this guy, Leonard on his religious beliefs,but that aint the point.... Well Bud the point is, that's is his mountain and those are his belief. As far as I am concerned he is a prime example of " Dont just talk the talk, walk the walk" I just cant help but admire what he does and who he is.

I will tell you right off Bud. It will be a cold day in July at the slabs, when I put a dime in a church collection plate for their big fancy buildings.  I  will leave a little something with Leonard to help him with his work.

 Time to roll Bud we got two dates today and even in my hayday that was kinda tough.

Did you see that sign Bud? Ima getting one on the run ,you want one?

Bud my friend, the next exit  on the 91 freeway is Yorba Linda Blvd. Looks like we have just about made it. Where you going to be wanting to go?... You want meet Jeanie ya say? Man, that was pretty rude of me, I should have  invited you for supper. I am going to grill Bratwurst and make German potato salad with Texas sweet Tea.

Here we are, that Jeanie's house right there

Look at that, here it is December 23, and green grass, leaves on the tree except for the sycamore. Man I love Orange County,CA.

Where you from Bud?... Around, aint no answer but I'll just let it go at that, I might be a tad nosey. Well it's time to meet Jeanie. I bet she heard Blackie and is waiting for us with a big smile.

Hey  I sure have missed you. Jeanie this is Bub, Bud this is Jeanie, AKA "Baby Girl".

A friend ask me if Bud could ride along from Austin, Figured the company would be a good thing.

 Wow it's 5 P.M. already, I better get some supper started. I told Bud I was going to make ONE of your favorites. Bratwurst, German potato Salad and Texas sweet tea. Well Ima gonna switch out the potato salad with shells and cheese and make a German Chocolate cake.

 It's ready, Bud did Jeanie talk your ears plum off :-))

 I  gave Bud a guided tour on the way out here. He aint done much talking,but we had a pretty good time, some good date shakes and really bad Truck Stop coffee.

Well thank you, I aint much of a cook. In fact I am not a cook at all but I guess I am going to have to learn. Jeanie and I will be leaving here about the 15th of February, and she loves good  food and it has to be pretty.
 Looks like Nephew,Kevin,  found the cake before I got the icing on it.

The plan Bud, is to see if all this stuff I have done to the box will work for Jeanie, like rolling her in and out of the shower, make sure she can transfer to the bed and back to her wheel chair and that the folding hospital tray and computer desk all work for her.

If there is any problems I will fix them while I am here until January 10th. Then I am going to ease back to the shop over in Texas, where The other truck is. On the 15th they are suppose to change the box over and do the rest of the work and have the new rig ready to roll February 1st.

Man, look at the time, Bud you might as well just spend the night. WHAT??.... Your wife is picking you up when she get off work in about 20 minutes.

Where do you live Bud?... JUST ACROSS THE FREEWAY IN ANAHEIM HILL, you say. wait a minute my head is spinning. What were you doing in Austin?... YOU DOG!!! Your truck is in the shop... YOU ARE A TRUCK DRIVER.

 I guess you guys did set me up big time on this one and I will be walking in circles for years from the way you guys pulled my leg.... I bet you just about broke up when I pulled your leg over that 183 Mile marker stunt.:-)))))) Well I reckon I had it coming cause I have pulled enough legs over the years.:-)  CANT BELIEVE YA GOT ME THAT GOOD .

That must be your wife now Bud, ... Nice to meet you  MS. Bud, would you like a piece of German Chocolate cake?.... Did you know this guy is a DIRTY ROTTEN DOG ;-))  Merry Christmas and you guys dont be strangers since you know where we live. 
 Tomorrow Jeanie tries out the Box.
I plan to have a great day, I hope you will join me

Rojo

I GOT A DATE.......WITH A DATE SHAKE

Morning Bud, no problem with the coffee lets just get a cup in the  truck stop and haul Butt.

Bud you ever been at a cross roads and didnt know which way to turn?... Well that is where I am right now and I have one mile to make up my mind. Do I turn left and get that Date shake a Dateland over on Infernal-state 8 or do I turn right on AZ 85 and go up to infernal-state 10 and get a date shake at Indio,CA. Think I will go right and over to the Infernal-state 10.

Did you say why are you turning left ? because I am the captin of this ship, Jeanie said I could be when she is not here, and I changed my mind. I want a Date shake from Dateland and are we less than a hour from there.

I sure wouldnt want to live here but i love to visit.

Man  was that ever good, both of them,  That outta last till I get to Indio and then I'll get another one. We will be in Yuma in less than an hour. The Infernal-state goes around Yuma now but I am going to take you just like I use to go. This big ole hill up here was always called Telegraph pass by the drivers. Heard folks call it something else now but it is still Telegraph pass to me.

Just on the east side of Yuma was a Truck Stop called TED'S. We fueled with him all the time and would you believe we wrote checks for fuel. It was around.12-15-19 cents a gallon. Ted opened another place over at Quartsite and the buildings are still there but he closed the truck stop a long time ago. He had a big nice restaurant and good food . I haven't been to Q in years so I don't know whats up with the place. Main highway went right in front of Teds,before the infernal-state.

 Ted's here in Yuma was on old U.S.80. They washed out trailers, fixed flats,changed oil, did mechanic work, and washed trucks, the whole bit. That was back when Truck stops were real Truck Stop ,not just do it yourself convenience stores for trucks.

Sometime we hauled grain from West Texas to a feed mill 5-6 miles out on 95 north and then come over here and get the trailer washed out.Sometimes we hauled iced chickens from Mississippi to Phoenix or LA and we would do the same.

Lettuce field

Lettuce head in the Field

Then we would run down here a little ways until U.S. 80 intersected with U.S. 95 south and go to Somerton and load Lettuce headed for New Orleans or Dallas. After I got the lettuce loaded, I would come back here to Ted's and fuel and the next stop would be that Truck Stop at Sierra Blanca,TX that I showed you. Well Bud I mean except when the bladder couldnt go any more, then you had to pull over. I got a ticket for that over by Wilcox,Az once, by a female Highway patrol no less.

Ole Marty Robbins might have crossed the Brazos at Waco but Rojo and Bud just crossed the Colorado at Yuma and we are in CAL-I-FOR-NI-A.  Winterhaven is a nice little town, I always liked it a lot.I Had a friend that ran that little produce stand right there. Reckon he has been dead 25 years or more years now.  He thought Neal was top shelf.

 Looks like those people sure have a lot of fun on those sand  hills..... I don't know what those rigs  are , I think they are called Quads or Dune buggies, Just not my kinda thing, takes about 5 minutes in the sun and this Redhead looks like a lobster.

We are going to exit up here on old U.S.80 and then S33 to 78 then 111. That will run us up through Holtville, Brawley and up to Niland and all the way back to the infernal-state 10 at Palm Springs. No I didn't forget the Date shake at Indio. 

They sure grow a lot of hay over here. I bet we see 20-30 loads headed west once we get on the infernal-state 10

I am going to show you what they call the Freest place on earth. I found it several years ago but I still dont know much about it.I want to bring Jeanie here  so we are going to try to learn a little about it,but we aint going to spend a lot of time there.

Ima gonna stop here in Niland at this little store and ask directions,just been here once and I was coming from the other way.... Were all set now. This place is called the Slabs or Slab city. I hear there is another place in CA called the Slabs and this is Slab city, I don't know for sure. What I do know is this is a old military base that was abandoned years ago and people come her for the winter and park for free. No Rules, No Regulations,No Rent. I guess you could call this a NO PLACE :-))

Bud, how about you go that way and find out and I will go this way and we will meet back here in 2 hours.... OK that's the plan.

Beat me back huh bud, well what did you find out?...... Yep me too. Just find a spot but don't crowd your neighbor cause thats why they are here. no electric, no water ,but a water truck delivers and no dump. I kinda like this place, ya know Bud, I like RV parks about as much as I like infernal-states.

Looks like most everybody has solar power and there is a guy over on the main road that installs systems. I cant believe a Golf course of sorts, a library, and a pet cemetery.Several  clubs of different types, a church and open air dance hall. Ya know Bud there has to be a ole sore head or two in these 600-700 people but everybody I met was real likable down to earth folks.

Wish we had time to spend the night here but it's the 22nd already and Jeanie is expecting me to be there the 23.... What do you mean it aint the 22nd?.... doggone if you aint right its the 21st and that settles it. I want to see a little more here, how bout it Bud?.. Done deal.

Tomorrow; Another Date shake and supper with Jeanie.

I plan to have a great day, I hope you will join me

Rojo with Bud tagging along

Back to Billy the kid, Duck races and my Son,

8:30 A.M. update edit. Must have gotten some bad food... I had a terrible nightmare last night. It was horrible, the phone company called and told me to report to a place in Anaheim,CA for orientation because they were putting me to work. I still have a cold sweat going.

Today's regular post. 

Looks like I am the Lazy one today,I didn't even hear the generator start but that breakfast smell brought me right out of the sack.

That sure was a good night last night Bud. I am not real crazy about the noise from the Infernal  state highway but just setting and a looking at the night sites  was worth it.

Billy the kid

Remember I told you about Bill the kid a day or two ago... well I got some real mixed emotions about that story. So he killed , what like 20-21 men. How many ya reckon John McCain killed in his high powered Jet before they shot him down?  or how many did you kill that was shooting at you in Viet Nam?... now Bud that, "But it was war" stuff wont hold water, that dog just wont hunt with me.Billy was in the middle of the Lincoln county wars. They convicted him of killing the Lincoln County sheriff and sentenced him to hang right over yonder the other side of that field at La Mesilla. By the way this was once Lincoln county right here where we are setting.

This souvenir shop was the old courtroom where  where Billy was convicted before he escaped.

Reckon we better get rolling or Ima gonna miss Christmas with Jeanie, I just don't see that happening.

Any way making a long story short..... there you go with that snickering again. There was a war going on, the Lincoln County war and as far as I am concerned Billy was just a solider in the war. Lincoln county sheriffs,  and most of NM  officials ,for that matter have never been known to be  on the up and up. But I recon that's just how politics go. 

Well ole Billy Escaped  from the jail at La Mesilla and made a lot of folks mad, one of them being Pat Garrett, the then Sheriff of Lincoln County. Ya think Billy might have set on his horse, where we been setting and admired the valley and mountains just like we did? That would have been doggone peaceful without all that vehicle noise and folks around.

  Billy rode over  past white sands to the Hondo Valley,Lincoln. White Oaks  and then over to Ft. Sumner. That's where Pat Garrett caught up with him and shot him in the back. They have a Billy the kid museum and memorial  over there at Ft Sumner.. 

Billy's grave at Ft. Sumner,NM

 Old Lincoln County courthouse at Lincoln. There is a bullet hole at the bottom of the inside stairway. where Bill shot and kill a deputy.

Remember that Canyon on the side of the Organs mountains that I  showed you?  Well that is where that Coward Pat Garrett got his. In the back, just like Billy, when he got down off his buckboard to pee.

Here we are at the home of the world famous Duck Race. Thats about all I can say about Deming, They had to come up with a reason to have a party, so they have a Duck Race.

 Bud do you believe history repeats it's self?..... Well I do and you want to know why?..... your right,  I am going to tell you anyway:-))  Remember when we were over at the truck stop in El Paso and I told you I was at one time a undercover Narcotics cop?.... Well I was a Lincoln County Deputy on loan because I knew the trucking world. Thats how I came to know "copper Penny". My regular patrol area in Lincoln County included  Capitan, Home and burial place of  

the original Smokey Bear, Ft. Stanton, Lincoln and the

Hondo valley from the intersection of US 70 and US 385 East to the Chavez County Line. All of that area was Ole Billy's playground. I resigned in '77.In '78. The Deputy that took my Place was shot and killed by an escape prisoner from the Lincoln county Jail, 100 years after Billy shot and killed Sheriff Brady.

 Wow we been scooting right along. I guess if you have to be on an infernal-state highway, stepping along at 80 makes it a little better.

 We are going to be over the hump at Gila Bend in a bit but I want you to just look at those Saguaro cactus. Those suckers are sure pretty and bloom too.

 Gila Bend at last. Ima going to stop here at this truck stop on the right, one of the few that is still around after all these years.
I told you yesterday that I was going to tell you about my Son. Well he is the best truck Driver I have ever known, and as Grandmaw use to say I have know"A plenty".


 He was about 9-10 and we were on the way back from LA with a load of who knows what, in July or August. We got off over around Quartsite and the air conditioner Quit on us. That was a cabover International and this thing over the engine has always been called a Dog-house in a cab over.

We put my produce thermometer on the dog house and it pegged out at 120 degrees. It was hotter than hot.We got here to this same truck Stop and stopped to cool off and get some ice and something to drink.


Bud, you  just about have to know my Son to really appreciate this. When Neal dies there is a waiting line to get his voice box. Ima telling you it's like brand new.. What do you mean ,you can understand that? To say that Neal talks slow is like saying the Pope is just a little bit Catholic. If he starts to say yesterday it will be tomorrow before he gets it out.


 Right over there across the street by that sign is where I parked. I was standing up by the radiator knocking off bugs and he came around the side of the truck with the side of his face all scraped up and his mouth bleeding. He had missed the step getting out and fell about 4 foot hitting that gravel face first.


I took him over to the rest room and got him all cleaned up and the blood stopped. I was just about to go into the truckers store to get something to put on his cuts and scrapes and he said. "Daaaaaddy  the whole time I was a falling I was a wishing that was a swimming pool coming up at me"  I tried awful hard not to bust out laughing, because it took him about 10 times as long to say that as it took him to fall.

I remember the first time he drove a big rig he was about 12-13, it was a International Emeryville. We were coming back from the feed mill in El paso on US 54 when it was still 2 lane. I pulled over on the shoulder and he got in the drivers seat and drove pretty doggone good. he had the shift patten down good and he knew when to shift. he drove a few miles and pulled over on the solder so we could  change drivers before the Border patrol check station.

International Emeryville

I also remember the last time we drove together too. I had the pleasure of co-driving with him in '86-'87.  We left El Paso every Saturday evening and stopped in Dallas,ST. Louis and ended up at Chicago O'Hare airport on Monday morning. We would catch a shower and some sleep and then do it just backwards. We would get to El Paso Wednesday morning ,catch a nap and shower and leave that afternoon for Dallas.  we would get to Dallas Thursday morning and shower and sleep and get back to El Paso Friday morning. We spent a part of 7days a week in a truck.

Neal was the smoothest driver I ever Knew, when he stopped for a stop light, you never rolled forward in the bunk and when he took off you didn't roll back. He didn't take chances if he got to tired he woke me up. Best as I remember we drove in 6 hour shift. He took me a through a snow storm that was unreal and we picked up one of our company drivers on the way back that had crashed his rig in the storm. Neal went around this long sweeping curve that had two bus blocking all but about 1/3 of the road he  went between them like there was nothing to it.We had ice and snow every inch of the way from D/FW airport to Chicago O'Hare airport.


He didn't get stuck once that trip and I got stuck 3 times. he never let me forget it. :-). we were the only truck that made our delivery out of the whole company. Neal and I got the Drivers of the year award that year.

The last tip I drove with Neal, My foot slipped on ice on the step of the truck at the St. Louis terminal and I fell Flat of my back and neck. He hauled me home in the sleeper and they told me I would never be able to drive again. Reckon they were wrong huh?


A few years later Neal was living in Edgewood NM and I stopped in to see him, about supper time he wanted to go down to this little Restaurant  just down the street. We had a mighty good meal and one fine looking waitress. When we got ready to pay out I ask the cashier what the waitress's name was and I wanted to leave her a tip.
I ask if she was married or had a big old boyfriend that had arms that drug the ground the cashier said no she don't have a boyfriend.


Well being my usual mouthy self I said" Ya see this old boy here , well he aint got a girlfriend either and his only problem is he is a little shy" when we walk out the door Neal said "Dad your a little shy too ,maybe a brick or two. I dont know to this day if he already had an eye on her or if  that kicked it off. But here is the results either way it was a great deal.

Everybody should be so lucky as to have a son like Neal, a Daughter -in-law like Lisa, and grand kids like Colette, Zac, Lizzy,and Jessica

Tomorrow: I got a date....... with a date shake.

Rojo

NO GOOD DAY IS A LOST DAY.

Hey Bud, Time to roll outta the sack. I don't hear that Generator running ,which means you aint got no coffee going. Let me get her started up and I'll scramble up some eggs and make some toast. Wont be Mayor May style but It will get ya buy. AWWWW coffee.

I parked up here on the west side of Las Cruces for a reason, Look out there. What a sight to see, makes Me wish I had one of those High dollar panoramic picture cameras. Those Organ Mountains in the back ground are just beyond words. The little city of Las Cruces all spread out along the Rio Grande and up the side of the Organs. We have ringside seats to it all. Don't cost a penny and look up, Bet you aint never seen a sky that blue. Mother nature is sure treating us fine this morning.

 




You set up here in the late spring and watch the Onion harvest. In the summer the fields will all be green with cotton, Chile and pecan 
trees and in the Fall the cotton is white and the Chile is Red. 

Right here is where US 70 meets up with That Infernal, ah I mean, Interstate -10. If you look out the window at the head of the bed you will see a monster size metal Roadrunner.That is the New Mexico state bird. Van Horn,TX claims to have the largest roadrunner in the world but I am not to sure about that. I think in a year or two I'll take a tape measure to these two and find out.

 Some say this is the best place to retire in the U.S., I dont know but it is mighty fine. Warming up real nice out there for late December. We might just set up the chairs and lolly gag around up here for a tad and enjoy the view and the good weather Mother Nature is providing us.


 See all those shiny Tall tanks down there right across from the Truck stop, guess what they have in them....well Bud at least take a guess. Yea right. Tequila,you wish.  :-) Well at least you played along and took a guess. How about pure concentrate Louisiana hot sauce. NO JOKE. Speaking of joke how is the leg to day? Dont look like you are walking in circles :-)). I have hauled a many a load of Cayenne peppers from over in the Roswell,NM area in there. They process them and ship the concentrate to Springfield MO. and thats all I know about that story. 

Right up the valley to the north about 35 miles is where the world famous Hatch Chile come from,You had some of that in your scrambled eggs a bit ago.

 Roasting  chile's

About another 35 miles is T or C New Mexico. The town was  called Hot springs NM until back in the early 50's when Ralph Edwards, the host, of a radio show called Truth or Consequences offered to broadcast from any town that would change it's name to Truth or Consequences. Hot Springs did it and  Edwards did it and the rest is history. 

They have a monster lake up there , Elephant Butte. Its a big recreational area and some Dang good Stripper fishing.

 

Here is a little short side story about T or C. back in about '63 I was Hauling  a load of Pinto Beans from Dove Creek, Colorado to El Paso. The flu hit me in Albuquerque and I spent a day or two at a truck stop on old 66. I got to feeling a little better and thought I could make it to El Paso.  I rolled in to T or C about Midnight sick as a poisoned pup. Stopped at the truck stop and went in to see If they had anything for the flu. They just had one waitress about 19-20 and a cook and when I walked in the waitress said" D--N another ole Redhead" I didnt have any Idea what she was talking about and was to sick to care. Come to find out, she had a thing for Redheads and her husband was Redheaded. 

When she got off work the next morning she brought me a container of chicken soup. I got to feeling better and made it on to get that load of beans unloaded and then spent about 3 days recouperating at El Paso Truck terminal. 

I stopped in at the Truck stop at T or C 2-3 months later. I ask about her and they said she had moved on.

Never saw her again until '83 when my best Buddy was in the Hospital in Ruidoso, NM. I walked in his room and his nurse said " Another D--N ole Redhead, Looks like you are feeling better than the last time I saw you"

  Well she was single and I was single and we kept company for 3-4 years. Last I heard she married a Redheaded chile farmer over around Hatch.We did both quit smoking and went to AA together she already had about 7 years and I had about 6 months.I got my foul language cleaned up but I don't reckon she ever did.

Bud, look where that sun is we been setting her jacking our jaws all day long... Snickering like that can get you a long walk home :-))...How about we whip up some supper and watch the sun go down on the Organs and the lights of Las Cruces come on.You wont ever forget it,it's mighty pretty sight. If that little truck stop diner was still down there on old 70 we would just go have a Mexican food supper, been gone now for 20 years or so.

Tommorow : Back to Billy the kid, Duck races and my Son, He is the best Dang driver I ever ran in to.

Rojo  with Bud riding along

MORE MOVING WEST

Morning Bud, you looked a little droopy eyed this morning.... Yea I think them Dang coyotes held their yearly convention over there last night. Beats the heck out of listing to trains over on Route 66 though. Ya ready for the Mayor's "Start the day right breakfast'?... Dont ask just order it.

Morning mayor, We will both have #1 and I am paying. I know you remember about the 2 cups of coffee .

Well lets see, if I remember right, that is the Cornudes Mountains over there to the North east,Finlay Mountains over there to the south west and the Sierra Diablo Mountains to the East...... Yea they are pretty at sun rise and sunset but I haven't seen it since '87. If Mother Nature wants me to see a sunrise she is going to have to change it to between 8:30 and 10 A.M. I don't know anything worth getting out of bed for that early unless Jeanie needs meds, the house is on fire or I gotta pee :-)))

About 1/2 way up this mountain is the Texas - New Mexico Border

 cornudes mountains

sierra Diablo

Yep Bud, that is a platter not just a plate. 3 platter size pancakes,3 eggs, and a Ham steak. " Start your day right" breakfast. You can take what you dont eat with you, gets a little soggy before lunch but it is still good.

Reckon it is time to check the oil in Blackie, bump the tires, and do a safety check. I'll spruce it up a little inside just in case the Dudes at the border check station want come in and look for Illegals or Drugs. By that time he will have his air pressure up and we'll get him turned around and pointed West... and play Trucks some more.

Just down the road about 20-30 miles we will drop off the Hueco ( pronounce WACO) mountains, you will be able to see El Paso 30 miles away.

 These mountains are known for the Hueco Tanks a very popular spots with locals

Hueco tank

 I want to show you a Sub -Culture, that most folks don't even know about, when we get to El Paso.I lived and drove out of there in '85-'86-'87. I continued to live there until '91.I bought and remodeled a couple of houses and then decided I never wanted to own a yard again.

We are going to turn south off of  U.S.82/190 onto Avenue of the Americas and run it over to infernal,I mean I-10. There are 3 truck stops at that intersection. We are going to park for a couple of hours and turn the CB radio on channel 19. We will just listen and go to the channels we are directed to go to Then we are just going to walk around them for a bit. You will learn a few new words and in general just think " where the heck have I been all my life", You are not alone.

You know what, that is how it is all over the earth. Just  billions and billions of little sub cultures that I call ant hills. It would take pages and years to write them all down. Religious, fraternal organizations,Gangs,Sports, lifestyles and it goes on and on. Just a whole bunch of little ant hill concerned with their own well being.

Well it's been a couple hours now.We followed the CB channels around and could have gotten our wheels and tanks polished,bought smoking dope,(420), co-drivers ( speed), nose candy, (cocaine)  and every kind of stolen item you might want  and there must be 20 coin operated ladies( prostitutes) working this lot.Drivers call them lot lizards..... Sure the cops know it but there aint enough cops in the world to stop it. This is just one area,I know 5 more within 20 miles. 
 You remembering hearing "Copper Penny", she is a lot lizard, on the CB a while ago?  I knew her in '76 when I worked undercover narcotics, She was 16, her sister was 25 and her sister is the one I really knew. Her sister was a Heroin addict and dealer.  She had 3 of the sweetest kids you would ever want to meet. I feed those kids a many burrito or hamburger when I would be at their Moms house and they had nothing to eat. Always wondered what happen to those kids when she got arrested. Wow  that makes Copper penny about 50 now. Wonder how much of her life she lost in lock up.

Now lets take that short walk to the Restaurant and store and fuel desk. This place burned down in the late 80's so it is pretty nice and well kept inside. Back in about '72 this chain started with just a portable building right here, They had 6-8 pumps with a gravel drive way, so you didn't get stuck in the sand. The portable building had a shower, pop machine and  vending machines on one end and the cashier on the other end. The building was right over there about where that back row of trucks are parked. I bought fuel here the first week they were open. They didn't even have underground tanks. One week this was open space and the next week they were  here.

Nice place huh?  See all those people at the gas and diesel pumps out front?,,,,,, You think they have any idea what is going on out back?... no way Jose, you see what I mean about the ant hills?

Let's walk over here to the last row of trucks on the West side. You see that well worn dirt path going over to those buildings? strip joints and topless clubs. They got their own little ant hills. OK  I think I have made my point about sub-cultures. 

Are you hungry yet?...... Didn't think so,Lets go play trucks.... Where we going to stop for the night you say. who knows, when it happens it happens

Out here 20 miles or so ,I am sure you are going to want to roll your window up that other ince or two..... Because long in the 70's  California put a tax on Milk producers or the land got to high or some such thing and the a lot of the Dairymen just picked up and moved to cheap land in New Mexico.Some people say it stinks others say It smells like Money. It smelled like money to me because I had one or two trucks hauling feed or hay in to the Dairies. We hauled sugar beet pulp from Hereford,TX, cotton burs from Seminole,Tex, and grain from all over The Texas panhandle and new Mexico.... You know maybe their right that is pretty rank Odor

Mighty pretty little town with the Organ mountains in the background.

Here we are in the Las Cruces area you are going to find thousand of Pecan trees right along the road.They grow some mighty fine Chili peppers here.

Onions too. Now I think thats pretty cool because I Love all three of them but Guess what. Lots of Billy the kid history.

Ya know what? Ima getting a little on the tired side and I think your left ear is about to bleed, so Ima going to let Blackie have a rest too and we will start on that story tomorrow.

I plan on having a good day, I hope you will Join Me

Rojo