CHANGES OF SCENERY

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Before I forget (because I forgot yesterday or the day before, I don’t know) I saw a tree that had mistletoe growing in it. The only reason I know it was mistletoe is because my cousins Heather & Richard in Kentucky showed them to me when I was there. It is a parasite on deciduous trees where is draws water and nutrients. The bare tree looks like someone decorated it for Christmas with dark green tufts dispersed among the branches. I like to think of it as Druid Decorations.

As I finished up in Oklahoma and entered the top north piece of Texas, that punishing wind finally diminished and the driving was a little easier. Coming into Texas, the land changed significantly which leads me to wonder if they drew up state lines based on changes in landscape? I thought Oklahoma was flat and open but it is nothing compared to Texas. Miles and miles of flat brown nothing except black angus cattle. I know why they have black cows - if they were brown they’d never find them! It is actually quite boring driving through territory like that because there is nothing of interest. The red earth of Oklahoma is left behind and everything here is brown. There are absolutely no trees other than a few scrubby ones near the ranch houses. Probably planted to provide a bit of shade. However there are plenty of windmills stretching out for miles in neat rows. Right out of nowhere on this flat land, there appear funny hillocks looking like someone dumped a monstrous load of dirt in the middle of the prairie. And they are red soil again. They look like giant gopher mounds pushed up out of the earth. Hmmm…. The land is mostly used as pasture for the millions of beef cattle but I did see a couple of fields of last year’s cotton crop and one field that looked like it had been planted with corn. In one of the fields that looked like hay I saw a fairly large herd of pronghorn antelope.

Approaching New Mexico border, the land changes again. This is much more desolate and desert like - as far as the eye can see there is nothing but stunted juniper trees and cholla cactus with prickly pear and yuccas growing along the roadsides. There is a short greyish blue grass that covers the ground which has turned bright red again. Rocks are red sandstone. It never ceases to amaze me how the landscape can change so much over the distance of several miles. I move from the flat desert into an area that has red and brown mesas stepped like a giant carved them to walk up. Many of the mesas that I can see close up are covered in big boulders.

As I drive along I can tell I am gaining altitude. There is snow among the trees on the sides of the road. I was hoping for warmer weather today instead of colder. Last night in Weatherford Oklahoma was probably the coldest night yet. I worry about the water lines in my van. My little electric heater had a hard time keeping the inside warm during the night but Malika helps with that because she sleeps next to me and keeps me warm. I probably should have turned on the furnace. Coming back down from the high altitude, I suddenly see large snow covered mountains off in the distance. These are closer to Santa Fe than where I am going to be but still mighty impressive looming there on the horizon. These are the Sangre de Christi mountains.

I am impressed by the fact that Americans are not afraid to advertise their faith. There are huge white crosses along the throughways and billboards posting ‘Jesus is Alive” or other messages about Jesus and God. Back in Indiana I observed the biggest cross I had ever seen. It was at a Crossroads church which are famous for their gigantic statues of Jesus or crosses. There are billboards advertising trucker stops that are Christian based.

My campground for tonight is in Edgewood, New Mexico just before Albuquerque. There is snow laying around the campground and the office person tells me that a couple of days ago they had a big snowstorm. What I’m seeing is the remainder from that storm. Tonight I will turn on the furnace for sure.

The internet keeps cutting in and out so if I don’t get this posted tonight you’ll get it tomorrow.

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