Our ride today to Dulce, NM was supposed to be about 70 miles with 3000 feet of climbing. We didn't know that 10 miles from our destination was a very hilly 30-mile detour. Over the Continetal Divide. Twice.
We ended up doing 90 miles with 4600 feet of climbing. (The map shows the intended route, not the actual one.) We were two tired puppies when we arrived at the Best Western.
On the
way we had noticed a strange-looking white mushroom cloud ahead
that changed size and shape rapidly. (See photo at right.)
We worried that perhaps northern New Mexico has very unusual
thunderheads. The good news is that we didn't get rained on.
The bad news is that the cloud was actually smoke from a forest fire raging just north of Dulce. Our intended motel, the only one in town, was reserving a big block of rooms for the firefighters. They did offer us a smoking room with only one bed for $60. We managed to look sufficiently forlorn that they were able to find a 2-bed non-smoking room for the same price. That's more than we normally want to pay, but a hot shower and a warm bed look very good tonight.
I made a big mistake in not purchasing some call options on Coca- Cola stock before I left home. We have not been keeping close tabs on the quantity of soft drinks we have been drinking, but I'm sure it is a significant bump in worldwide distribution.
We have definitely climbed out of the desert. There is green vegetation and actually some *trees* along the way. There are also giant fields of wild sage growing everywhere by the roadside. Adam harvested a couple pounds to mail back to some of his friends who value it as a kind of sanctifying incense.
The day after tomorrow we should be in Taos which is holding its
San Antonio Feast Corn Dance on that very day. With luck we may
arrive in town early enough to check it out.