Back in cactus country

10/29/2018. Elevation 4811

We did 238  expressway miles today mostly FBB (Flat Brown & Boring). Once we got to the western edge of the TX panhandle/NM border we started seeing flat top messes. While it looks flat the ground is tilted at a fuel milage sucking upward angle. The gusty head / sideways wind didn’t help anything either.

We’re staying here in a New Mexico State Park, for 3 nights because of a fast moving cold front moving through. It’s a strange set up here and I bet it causes some trouble in the summer months. Without reservations, like we did, you enter the CG, the empty spots have a green sign on them saying that the site is available for just 1 night. That’s it that’s all you can have the spot for. If you want to stay longer you have 2 choices, stay and hope nobody reserves your spot online forcing you to move or you can reserve the spot online, for an additional $8 dollar fee.

The Blue Hole in on the southern edge of Santa Rosa, I have seen a couple of videos about it but didn’t realize where it was until we followed the signs. It’s clear blue, that you can see way down but not quite to the bottom, it’s 81 feet deep 60 feet around and cold at 61 degrees with an outflow of 3000 gallons a minute.  Where else in the desert can one swim or go scuba diving?

10/30/2018

We did a few hikes today, the longest at 3.125 miles along the pre drought shore line of Santa Rosa Lake. Yup, you guessed it it’s down also. Along with the usual cacti and other plants found in this area we also found a bat, in a tree, he looked cold to me, we had on long sleeves and it was kinda overcast . I looked around and didn’t see any others “hanging” around. He was hanging just above my eye level, at first sight I thought it was some kind of strange growth on the tree.

Then by far the most strenuous hike we did was the 1.7 mile hike we did behind the dam, wow, coming back up that hill got the ole heart rate up. We ended having to stop once to catch our breath. It was even a paved and gravel road, the steep parts were paved.

The dam is across the Pecos River, it’s not much of a river, here at least, but where water is scarce it’s vital.

Over all it’s an area large area we’re in the “Staked Plains”   https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llano_Estacado

Last but not least you guys sure are slipping on your rude comments about a picture I posted the other day.