DAY 10 - 34.5 Miles

What a great day!!  Yes, we walked a lot through nowhere in really rural country, but we started the day by stopping at the house where Buddy Holly recorded "That'll Be The Day" in 1957 and finished the day visiting the Billy The Kid Museum.  The museum not only showcased Billy's life and death at the hand of Pat Garrett, but also displayed so many artifacts of the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s. There were guns, cowboy items, old glasses and plates, old toys, tools, farm equipment, washing machines, typewriters, cameras, signs, a stagecoach, covered wagons and buck boards, and a huge room of antique cars and trucks and much more. We talked with the owner, 84, whose parents collected much of the memorabilia and opened the place in one room in 1953.  We also talked to a nice couple and their 2 sons who were visiting.  

While we were out on the road, we saw a man walking along with his dog on a leash and rolling a huge balloon/ball painted like a globe. What a sight!!  This guy was walking in small segments to raise awareness for Diabetes.  He had no support and was relying on the kindness of strangers to help him get from place to place with his van. Today he had left it with some guy he met who said he would pick him up later. We gave him water, fruit and cheese and said we would take him out for dinner with us if he showed up in town, but we didn't hear from him. Maybe we'll see him on the road tomorrow. 

DAY 9 - 36.7 Miles

Another good day of walking but not much to see other than grassland. There were very few ranches and only a half dozen cows. There wasn't even much roadkill.  What we did have all day were trains in both directions. Yesterday we were held up for almost 10 minutes by a long and slow train going through town as we were walking and driving. Today we walked parallel and close to the tracks. It is amazing how much "stuff" is being transported.  The majority of what we saw was containers and trucks without cabs, but there were also coal cars, oil tankers, automobile carriers, and one whole train was all flatbeds carrying army equipment - jeeps, tanks and ambulances in desert camouflage.  

Tonight on the way back from dinner we drive by a small rock and roll hall of fame in town. Buddy Holly wrote Peggy Sue around here. 

DAY 8 - 34.5 Miles

We walked to New Mexico!!  Another great day. After spending last night in NM, we drove back 27 miles, walked the first half of the day on a really rural road with more farmland and a huge cattle area that was either a slaughterhouse or a ranch to raise cattle to sell. There were so many of them crammed together on dirt - no grass.  The second half of the day was walking through a couple of small towns and then a larger city of 47,000.  We went directly from the road to a movie theater and saw The Accountant, which was really good. In the parking lot while walking to the car, a couple in a truck stopped us to ask about our shirts, and we had a really nice conversation with them.  They also recommended a nearby restaurant for dinner. Since there is a big softball tournament in town, there were several teams eating in their uniforms, so we were ok to be there in our walking clothes, too.  We also had a nice conversation with a couple of women players. 

Some thoughts as we leave Texas behind us - we really liked this state because the local people were so nice and friendly, the scenery was interesting, the rural areas especially were very clean, and even the small houses were well kept.  The drivers on the road were always waving at us, people stopped to see if we needed help a few times, and we felt very safe here. 

We made if back to the hotel to see the last 4 innings of the Cubs' win. Go Cubbies!!!!

DAY 7 - 35 Miles

Another gorgeous day out here in the boonies. More of the same scenery, but the highlight was a sightseeing trip to a wildlife sanctuary to see Sandhill Cranes that are here for the winter.  There were a lot of them, and we saw them flying around and standing but could not get too close to where they were. We did hear lots of sounds from the birds, though. We also went to the snail visitor center and saw some old wheelbarrow and tools that the WPA donated in 1938 and then saw some huge prairie dogs and their homes. 

One more photo

Forgot to post the biker dude photo. 

DAY 6 - 36.4 Miles

25 degrees cooler this morning than a few days ago and high of 74. Beautiful day and so much better for walking. More of the same scenery with some new crops - corn, peanuts and a couple of vineyards.  We even walked up to peanut and cotton plants to check them out.  No people encounters today, so we entertained ourselves by climbing into the buckboard in front of the hotel and taking a photo of a motorcycle dude checking into the hotel. 

DAY 5 - 36.4 Miles

It was a little cooler this morning, and we started earlier because we were closer to where we finished yesterday, so we walked a little more today. Pretty much the same scenery - ranches, cotton fields and huge pieces of equipment harvesting and sorting, and a small town.  Maxine had an encounter with a very nice rancher who stopped to see if she needed any help, and they had a nice conversation. 

Usually we do laundry in the motels, but there was no facility today, so after we cleaned up, we went to the local laundromat, put our clothes in the washer, hit the Walmart (we're in a bigger town for the next 2 nights), and went back to use the dryer. What an interesting half hour!!  First we enjoyed making friends with 2 adorable girls ages 9 and 6 and chatting with their parents and 12 year old sister. We all watched out the window as 2 young men carrying ducks walked by along with 2 little boys. Then 2 police cars arrived, the ducks were driven off in one, and they boys were detained by the other.  The family said there was a pond a few block away, and the young men probably stole them from there. Check out the photos. 

We ate dinner at a cute local restaurant, and not only did we chat with the owner, but there was a couple eating next to us, and we really enjoyed talking to them. They were relatively new to the area and were so nice. They even gave us their phone number in case we needed anything.  We took photos with them, and they posted one of us on their FB page. They promised to follow our blog.  While we love walking and being out on the road and seeing our great country up close, the experiences we have engaging with people along the way are so special.