Day 2


The crew slept well.  I got up early and mad everyone cream of wheat.  I had the kids help me get ready to push off as they are getting old enough for that sort of thing.
The journey North carried us through the usual seemingly endless miles of high plains.  What once nourished millions of buffalo and Native People, now reduced to corporate farms.  What a thing it must have been to see, the endless prairie, uninterrupted by fences or large irrigated fields.
We decided to take a different route West this time.  We would skip the usual lunch spot at Capulin Volcano, and take a course directly West. The road was much smaller, but it seemed to travel along some parts of the old SantaFe trail.  There was really only one stop on the desolate stretch of road.  The "stop" was really just a collection of a couple of buildings and a local mercantile.  Amy had looked up this shop on her phone and multiple travelers had raved about the home cooking and hospitality.  This would be our lunch stop.  We pulled in, letting the travel weary children run about for a bit.  Inside the store was a motley collection of local, jams and honey, jewelry, blankets, soda, and a counter from which you could order food.  There was no menu.  The lady behind the counter simply responded, "We have burgers and brisket sandwiches today".  A quick query of the children revealed that all but Grant would opt for the burger.  They were made to order and we made our way outside where they had a lone picnic table that overlooked the interminable grassland.  There was an arid breeze blowing, providing a sort of relaxation that was simple and elegant.
As we had gone into the store, we encountered an elderly man.  He smiled at the antics of the children, pleased to remember the simple jubilance of childhood.  The food was delivered to the table, and even Luke, who is normally picky made short work of the mean.  The brisket sand which was delicious, and the pinto brand that accompanied the meal was just as good.  They had a hint of the green child flavor in that New Mexico way.
We finished our meal and headed back to the rig.  The old man stopped us and asked us where we were from.   We discussed our travels and inquired some about his history.  He had moved to the area 65 years ago as a boy and has lived there since.  His face was sun beaten, weathered and tough in that old rancher way.  He seemed to have a softness there as he discussed years of ranching and memories.  He still ranches, but said he is to old to get up on his horse anymore.  He asked us about Austin, all his life having never traveled further than the Northern part of Texas.  We finished the chat and he wished us a genuine safe trip, and we promised to stop back by in the future, should life carry us this way.  He eats lunch at the mercantile daily and has done so for the past 20 years.
The route then carried us along the plains until it slowly climbed into the New Mexico mountains. Various podcasts filled the speakers to the children's delight.  One podcast in particular from an NPR segment told the tragic tale of a young man who had a severe head injury and the emotional roller coaster as the family decided to withdraw care and let him die.  It was a powerful piece and made for some interesting conversation in the car.
As we finished our trip, we had one last climb up a steep grade.  The Endeavor struggled mightily with this, all the while I vocally coaxed her struggle.  A machine cannot hear, but it seemed the thing to do.  Our campsite sits along a flowing river and two small lakes.  We decided to take the kids fishing, but this ended in disaster as there were any tangled lines and tears.
We returned to the campsite and cooked dinner.  A nice quiet evening was relaxing and we ate our stomachs full. There was some bickering as the kids ran out of steam.  Alex has since learned to play the Ukelele.  We got the campfire going and Alex decided to play "Riptide" on her instrument. Harris joined in on the Bongo drum and the rest of the family on vocals.  It sounded surprisingly good and I just sat back and smiled.  Great family moment.  We allowed the fire to burn down and as I sit here typing, I wait for t