Hello from New Mexico

I am reaching the "where are we?" stage of this trip. Hard to remember where we woke up. Thinking hard I remembered it was Amarillo. Last night it cooled down some and the humidity dropped so we both must have been sleeping well and kind of slept in. So we didn't leave the RV park until 7:30. About an hour later we stopped to have breakfast - took us about an hour to eat. So by then it was 9:30 
The weather was remaining a lot cooler and less humid. Bill kept commenting on how good he felt. How great it was to be able to breathe. So guess it's good we got this far this fast. 
Eventually we left Texas behind and entered into New Mexico and another time zone. We usually make it a habit to stop in Tucumcari, NM but it was just too early to stop and stay.  

 Saw this planted field in bloom. Reminds me of the yellow fields in Idaho that grow rape [Canola refers to both an edible oil produced from the seed of any of several varieties of the rape plant, and to those plants, namely a cultivar of either rapeseed or field mustard/turnip rape.] It sure is a bright yellow. Saw several fields of it 

 Now that is just what I want SNAKE STUFF - one of the many, many signs for a "trading post" almost makes me want to stop and go in. 

 Hum...the clouds are starting to build up in the sky. A while ago there were none. I've been watching the weather for New Mexico and Arizona since we left home. Seems like there has been rain in both states every day. That's what we need some rain. 

 And they continue to build. Sure was pretty out though. Red dirt, green plants and blue sky. Makes me remember why I love the desert. Don't think I've ever seen it so green here in New Mexico.  

 Please excuse the bugs on the window - some of them really splattered. Thought the landslide was kind of interesting. Looks like a dump truck just dumped a load of gravel. Today was a day of gaining altitude. Got up to over 7220 feet at the Continental Divide. And pretty much stayed high - I think Gallup is over 6000. Surprisingly the altitude isn't seeming to bother Bill. He is just so excited about being able to take breaths without effort. 

 Looking more and more ominous in the distance. A couple of views we could actually see the rain coming down. (and miracle of miracles today it wasn't raining in Brown County.)

 Saw this flag proudly waving up on a hill in the middle of no where. I'm surprised no one has made some one take it down. 

 Checking the weather on the phone. Looks like we are driving right into it. It didn't pass before we got there, but it wasn't as intense as it looked on the phone. 

 Just enough drizzle to smear the bug guts when the wipers went over them. Not hard enough to clean them off.

Soon we were out of it. Then we decided to stop and get diesel, cheaper in NM $2.69 then in AZ and we were getting low. Also decided to eat then I wouldn't have to mess with dinner. Again spent close to an hour eating etc. The RV Park in Gallup was only 20 miles further on We stay at the USA RV Park in Gallup all the time. Nice people, very clean, big pull throughs, WiFi, 50 amps and if you want cable TV. $33 a night. 
We had no sooner settled in when the heavens opened up. Thunder, lightening and buckets and buckets of rain. Glad we were already here. 
We traveled 436 miles today and tomorrow should be able to make it to Vegas by mid afternoon. Thank goodness. my behind is getting numb.