On the positive side...

 

I didn't want to come across as a grumpy old man... although the description fits.  Leaving Deming, NM, around 8:00 this morning, the road was good all the way to the Texas border.  We assessed our fuel situation as we approached Exit 0 (Anthony, TX) - we always stop for fuel there, since it is generally the least expensive all along this route.  Gas was $3.25, so it was tempting, even though we were both good on fuel.

I told Joan, "I can make it to Fort Stockton with what I have for fuel onboard - gas there will be more expensive, but we'll save some time, since we'll have to top off in Fort Stockton anyway."  She was in agreement.

Going through El Paso just before 10:00 am on a Sunday was a good move - traffic was light and we didn't get slowed down or terrorized by the usual crazy-ass drivers there.  Most of the road construction that we have experienced there for the last decade is done, so there wasn't a stretch where they put 4 lanes of traffic in a space designed for 3 lanes.  And the road stayed decent as we rolled southeast out of El Paso.  Mother Nature gave us a tailwind... which is good for the fuel mileage.

We stopped briefly, for Joan to divvy up the lunch she had prepared this morning; of course, Rufus got his lunch on schedule, and we rolled.  Our stop was in Fort Stockton - they have a Flying J with RV lanes, so it is generally convenient... even though the gas price is usually the highest along our route.  In an amazing turn of events, the price for unleaded at the Flying J there was $3.15... which means I got it for $3.10 (with my GS discount).  Yes, even cheaper than at Exit 0.  A pleasant surprise.

The plan is to do about 450 miles... where we generally do 250 to 300 when making miles with the RV/cargo trailer/car.  That would put is in Ozona, TX.  We have never overnighted in Ozona when going across west Texas... because there was no RV park in our apps/guide book.  Joan found an Economy Inn motel that has RV sites.  The reviews weren't great (2 out of 5 stars), but we'd have to push uncomfortably further if we didn't stop there.  Plus, this gets us almost 2/3 of the way across west Texas.  Another long day tomorrow, and we can be home on Tuesday.

I shot a few photos along the way, but there isn't a lot to view out here.  Heading east, looking into the sun...

The Las Cruces "skyline"; well, the mountains to the east of Las Cruces...

Into west Texas, with miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles (that is a quote from my friend Charlie Jones).  The elevation here gets above 4,600', so the greenery in the desert here hasn't blossomed.

An interesting notch cut for the Interstate years ago...

The traffic was significantly less today.  More 18 wheelers, fewer RV and cars, about the same number of motorcycles.  The wind was up to 18 mph, mostly from the west.  I didn't get a photo of the dust devil that passed between our motorhome and the truck in front of us... yes, I slowed for it, to let it get across the road.  Insert your own "Annual Blowing Dirt Festival, Jan 1 through Dec 31" joke here.  I've made the joke many times.

High desert terrain...

We pulled into Ozona just after 5:00 pm.  I usually like to get off the road earlier, but there is no reason to stop along this stretch, so we drive 'till we're tired today.

The RV parking (can't really call it an RV park) is a gravel lot, with 30 amp electric (we need power because the heat has begun and we'll need a/c to be comfortable tonight - I saw a high of 91º today).  They have water and sewer... first I've seen both of those connections in the same enclosure (???) in any campground anywhere... not sure that is up to code.  But, we don't need water or sewer, but Joan saw they have cable TV.  Fortunately, the cable situation was better than last night's park.  It is a bit "snowy," certainly not high-def, but I don't know if we'd get anything on the antenna here.  And something is better than nothing.

There are a few RVs here.  You go to the motel office to check in... the motel has seen better days, too.  I asked the lady who took my money (who spoke very broken English) if it mattered what site I took - we put the coach in a site before I went to register.  She said, "You done - you go now.  Bye."

With 3/4 of the sites empty, I figured we were OK to park the Equinox in the site next to us.  Nope, while we were having supper, a guy knocked on our door and said, "Your car is in my spot."

"We'll get that moved right now."  No chance he could have taken one of the many other empty sites.  We moved the car to in front of the motorhome, where it is sticking out well beyond the site.  No other sites in front of us, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Steph likes us to text here when we're down for the day.  My text to her: "We are down for the night in Ozona, TX.  Very sexy here… it is an erogenous Ozona.  Just kidding.  Another west Texas shithole.  But it is a nicer shithole than Van Horn.  (What isn’t?)"  I'm sure there are plenty of very nice people who live here and enjoy living away from civilization and find charm with the blowing dirt.

If all goes as planned, we'll be out of west Texas tomorrow.  One more big city to roll through: San Antonio, the 8th largest city in the country; and one of the largest in land area.  And traffic.  We're 200 miles from that, so we should roll through there well after their morning rush hours.  You have to plan ahead.

There is nothing we have to get back for on a schedule.  Just looking to get back home.

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After the sun went down, Rufus wanted to go for a walk.  Yes, I was tired, but he has been cooped up all day, so out we went.  A teenage boy about 4 sites east of us saw Rufus and asked if he could see him closer.  "Sure, he's a friendly boy."  I think this young man may have been on the spectrum - he couldn't look me in the eye, but he was very friendly and respectful with Rufus.  We visited for bit, then Ruf was ready to stretch his legs a bit.  The young man said, "Good bye, Rufus."

Ruf and I walked to the far end of this gravel lot, where he could sniff at some greenery, mostly weeds...

He walked nice, with little guidance from me.  Looking back towards the RV sites...

That's us with the white Equinox in front of the motorhome.  Lots of empty sites.  That motel you see in the background is not the one that is connected with these sites.  When I told Rufus it was time to "go home," he turned and headed right for the coach.  Because, he's a good boy.

We're two time zones earlier since we left Arizona.  Even so, I think we'll all be ready for bed early tonight.

It's a tie!

 

"The new baseball rules?" you ask.  No.  It's a contest between eastern Arizona and western New Mexico for "Who Has the Worst Interstate Road Conditions?"  And... they both suck!  We considered pushing on to Las Cruces, New Mexico, but the RV park we like there was full.  We found a site at a park we've stayed in in Deming (50 fewer miles).  I have to say that I was relieved... first of all: to get a site.  And second: that we cut 50 miles off from our considered distance for today.  Of course, that just means I have 50 more miles to do tomorrow... or the next day... or the next.  As you get into the eastern New Mexico or west Texas area, you have to plan for an RV site.  There's a lot of nothin' out here.

Now, on that "relieved to get a site" thing above.  There were more RVs on the road today than I have seen in a decade - seems that a lot of folks who RVed their way south for the winter are starting the migration north... on the first of the month.  There's always a lot of movement in the parks on the first of the month.

And not just RVs on the roll today - so many 18 wheelers and lots of cars with stuff loaded up above the back windows... just lots of people on the move!

Gas was $4.49 to $4.59 per gallon in the Phoenix area.  Getting between Phoenix and Tucson before topping off, we got gas for $3.99.  Yep, 50¢ per gallon less expensive... because everyone knows it costs less to truck gas to the middle of nowhere instead of in a populated area.  That would be as close as I come to an April Fool's joke.  Gas is 50¢ per gallon more in Phoenix because... they can.  When we rolled into New Mexico, gas was $3.44... yes, over $1 per gallon less expensive.  Someone is going to say, "That's because the state gas tax is less in New Mexico compared to Arizona," and that is a true.  The state gas tax in Arizona is 18¢ per gallon; in New Mexico, it is 17¢ per gallon.  So, it seems logical that that they should charge 99¢ more per gallon in Arizona, because... they can.  No tie here - the gas distributors in Arizona are dirty thieving bastards.   They win.  Those of us who buy gas there lose.

I'm glad to be down for the day.  After the pounding from the roads, I am wore out.  All we need for the evening is an electrical plug in.  But, look - they also have cable TV.  I hooked our cable up to their connection (like you always do), and... nothing.  No channels.  I called the office to see if they still had cable, and I was told, "Comcast scrambles their signal now, so, you need a cable box to get a signal.  We'll bring one to your site.  You just hook it up between your cable connection."  They did, indeed, bring a box right out.  No instructions on the box, but one of us (and it wasn't me) didn't ask how to connect it.  So... still no signal.  But, it is fun messing with the cable for an hour or so.  Really, I just want to watch Saturday Night Live tonight.  So, when the cable box finishes running through the channels yet again, if we still don't have a signal, we'll see if we can get anything on the OTA (over the air) powered antenna on the roof.

Yep, another 20 minutes with the box search for channels, and... still no signal.  

While driving today, we did see a bit of ground color.  No photos because I was driving... and the ground cover moves by fast from the driver's position.  I did get this photo of Picacho Peak, because it is far enough away that it wasn't just a blur...

 It's a rather distinctive landmark between Casa Grande and Tucson.

Rufus spent most of the ride today asleep on my lap...

That does not look comfortable to me, with his head on the door pull (which isn't padded).  He did get a bit of exercise when he bounded from somewhere behind the passenger seat, over his short tower, and onto my lap... a bit like someone dropping a bowling ball in your lap... if the bowling ball had claws.  Fortunately no one was injured in this stunt, although I did swerve pretty good from the surprise of it all.

Now, we'll settle in for the evening; Rufus got a walk in and discovered a new pointy plant he hadn't seen before.  Not like the spiny stuff on a cactus, just firm and pointy.  He put his nose on the pointy end... he didn't care for that one bit.  Walking past that plant on the way back, he did not stick his nose on it.  He isn't just a good boy, he is a smart boy.

I looked up OTA channels in this area, and we pointed the powered antenna in that general direction... yep, there's NBC.  We don't need no stinkin' cable.  And, I'll be able to watch SNL tonight.

 

That's a wrap...

 

We got most of the ready-to-roll work done yesterday.  What's left is stuff that, by necessity, gets done right before we pull away: patio mats, windshield cover, utility hook-up hoses.  The cargo trailer has some empty space... on the way here, there were two extra guitars, an amp, and two 12-channel mixers that rode in the trailer.  That stuff sold while we were here.

We will go through the motorhome's cabinets to make sure the contents are secure and won't rattle... and something always rattles or tinks the first day out.  (like glasses bumping together)

Some of this won't get put away until we are done with it tomorrow morning.  The plan is to get to see Steph and Dan this evening, so we can get in last hugs and say our good-byes.

Sometimes we do side-trips on the way to or from home - we plan to make some miles and head directly home... maybe 4 days instead of a week or more.  Mother Nature is giving us a pleasant day here today - cool and breezy to start, but a high of 72º.  As we roll east, it looks like we will be in the 90s at some point.  No chance to ease into the hot stuff.

Rufus knows something is up - he is on high alert.  I took him for a walk this morning, and he was nearly glued to my leg.  These furry ones are intuitive.

Looking through my Facebook Memories for the last 10 years, this is the time we were rolling.  Not a routine, but we do try to pick the best times to be in a particular place.  In the past, this has been a good time to be here in the desert.

The site is looking sparce...

Plenty of rigs rolling out of the park this morning.  Our turn tomorrow.

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Steph and Dan came to visit after work.  This will be the last time we see them for a while.  The conversation was good.  The hugs were even better.

Until next time.  

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After we said our good-byes, Joan and I pulled up the patio mats (takes some effort - they are staked down), shook them out, and put them away.  In the morning, utilities to put away, check lights, and hit the road.

Getting short...

 

You're shrinking, Jim?  Yeah, probably.  But that's beside the point.  The "getting ready for the road" is in process.  It takes a while to place everything in travel mode.  The big stuff is done: the CTX and Xmax are strapped down in the cargo trailer.  E-bikes (and that beast of a rack) are mounted on the Equinox.  Most of the stuff that was on the patio has been packed.  The sanitation process has begun on the fresh water holding tank.  "Didn't you do that right before you left Texas?"  Yes, but that means that water has been in the holding tank for about 2 months.  The tank has been pumped out and fresh water with bleach is in.  That will sit overnight, then get pumped out.  Then the tank should be good to go when we put more fresh water in.  The gray and black tanks will get filled, dumped, filled again with some "tank blaster," then dumped again.  We will leave with those tanks empty.

Tomorrow, we'll pull up patio mats and exercise the leveling jacks.  Double check everything in the cargo trailer, say our good-byes to Steph and Dan, then hit the road Saturday morning.

We have "our heads in it."  Time to go home.

 

It's official...

 

I am a part of the band - Danny gave me the T-shirt with the band name on it...

 We had a good time making music today.  This will be my last get-together with the guys until we come back to the Phoenix area.  They are all fun to be around, and we enjoy the camraderie.  It's nothing serious; we take turns picking songs.

Clockwise: back row left, me; back row center, Tom; back row right, Ron; front row right, Danny; front row center, Gil; front row left, Mark.  These guys get together to make some music every other week.  I will miss these get-togethers.

Threesome...

 
Triple play?  Whatever you want to call it, out for 3 rides today.  First, I took Joan's Xmax for a short(ish) ride.  Out to Hwy 85, onto I-10, then some local cruising.  That Xmax impresses me every time I ride it...

It is so competent at everything it does.  Feels really "flickable" compared to my CTX.  And gets 80+ miles per gallon doing it all.  Which is a good thing, since gas here in Buckeye is $4.59.

Joan hasn't been riding, so it is good to "exercise" the bike, keep oil flowing through it, and keep the battery topped up.

After putting the Xmax away, I got out on my CTX...

With no destination, but a plan to meet my Honey for lunch at 2:00 at the Garden of Olives.  I like their food, and they have $6.00 "entrees to go" after you have bought your meals.  We picked up a couple for Steph and Dan, and a couple for us to have while we're on the road heading for home.

I rode to the Cycle Gear where we have bought stuff in the past; didn't really need anything, just wanted to look around.  Nope - it is an empty building.  Another one bites the dust.

Ride #3 came after lunch; Joan took the extra entrees, so she could put two of them in Steph and Dan's fridge.  I rode north.  Then west.  Then south.  Then west some more.  It got to 79ª today and was just a nice day to be out on a bike.  This will probably be my last ride before we head out Saturday.

Getting close.

Still looking...

 

Not for Mr Goodbar.  Because I haven't had any chocolate with sugar in it in months.  I got out on the CTX today, still looking for some color out in the desert.

I went south today; past Palo Verde (yes, the town near the nuclear power plant), out Hwy 85, the back on roads that ran near the Estrella Mountains.  I saw plenty of cacti, but none with flowers blooming.  Some pretty ground cover, though...

 Ya take what get.  Several hours of varied riding.  It didn't suck.