Cycling Across America #60
Into New Mexico
Part 60 of the Cycle-Across-America series. (Read from the start in Boston or see the full index)
The storm that had stopped me by ice-raining into my face had dropped baseball-sized hail 100 miles in one direction, and in the other direction, dumped a load of snow. When it reached Kansas City it dropped so much snow on trees that had yet to lose their leaves that they came down under the weight.
Excerpted from my handwritten journal:
October 22nd
Shortly before noon I left the town of Denver City and the largest Carbon Dioxide plant in the world. Maybe that was the horrible smell.
At the Post Office I had armed myself with stamps and explained my presence. This detour brought me finally over the 4,000 mile mark. I forgot to cheer. I think it was because I was looking at the flags in the wind.
Burger and fries for breakfast at yet another Dairy Queen. For the first time when it wasn’t on the menu I asked for a hot tea. It was so cold outside.
There was no snow on the ground. The advisory was still in operation for the county until 2:00am when I went to sleep, but no signs of it having fallen now under a cloudless blue sky.
5 minutes later the friendly waitress apologised. There was no hot tea, would I like a hot chocolate? What a great idea. Had she suggested coffee as an alternative I wouldn’t've spoken to her ever again.
As ever in Texas everyone wore cowboy hats. They were all in their 60s and male, and they all talked and joked across tables. Everybody knew everybody else.
With the strong west wind I knew there was no time to look at the museum so with 2 bottles of ice tea I left the town of Denver City and its population of 5,145 people behind.
[The rest of this day is continued below the fold]
Lovington was only 32 miles away but that took 4 and a half hours in the wind.
After 14 miles it was time to say good-bye to Texas. More immediately it was time to say good-bye to cotton. Under such a perfect blue sky it looks fantastic, especially beside ploughed fields of orange soil. The colours are almost abstract in their arrangement.
In the wind the cotton shimmers as thousands of white speckles peep in and out of the dark green leaves. In the rain the cotton takes on a pink appearance I don’t understand, but is very warming nonetheless.
The grasses of Texas like that of Kansas and Missouri seem so much richer in colour in the rain. As well as cotton to the state line, there was peanuts, and the oil fields continued.
I saw a couple of large very fat (almost an inch) grasshoppers and was pleased they didn’t jump at me. They were not as interesting as the Salamander I saw yesterday.
Like yesterday the hawk I saw today coped a lot better with the weather than I did. The only Monarch butterflies I’ve seen travelling to Mexico in the last few days have been motionless on the ground.
New Mexico is my 22nd state. The shoulder stopped at the state line and the condition of the road deteriorated dramatically. All the way into Lovington millions of cracks. That could be significant in terms of tyre wear. Will my tyre make it to Phoenix?
I saw a flock of 120 or so birds. They just went around and around and landed and took off a couple of times. They were large with a very long beak but I didn’t get a close look at them.
Pale yellow grass and oil pumps. The skyline broken by pylons and oil wells.
Eventually I saw the water towers of my destination and a hour later was here. I liked Lovington instantly.
The town was established at the turn of the century. Cattle were driven through here and later ranching came to the area. The first shop was built in 1908 and was named “Jim B. Love Grocery Store”. It also housed the first Post Office with Jim B. Love as the postmaster.
In 1917 Lea County was formed from parts of Chavez and Eddy counties, with Lovington designated as County Seat. Oil was discovered in 1928 but did not have a significant impact on the economy until 1950 when the Denton Pool, located 9 miles north-east, was discovered. In a short time the Denton Pool had 92 two wells and along with subsequent oil developments shaped the economy, labour force, and lifestyle of present day Lovington.
The population here has increased with the oil and gas industry from 411 in 1920 to the approximate 10,000 of today. In 1982 Lea County led New Mexico’s 32 counties in crude oil production and was 2nd in natural gas production. Crude oil = 71% and Natural Gas = 29% of total production in the state. Retail trade here = 1.2% in the state. Only 2 counties have more irrigated cropland. Lea, the 11th largest county, has 8.5% of the state’s total irrigated cropland.
Every year here on the 4th of July a big celebration is held at Chaparral Park. Approximately 7,000 atend. This is where they host “The World’s Greatest Lizard Race”. Over 100 lizards are entered each year.
Mack’s Motel. Yet another one run by Asian Indians. Only 22 dollars and clean. Fell asleep when I came in the door so it was too late to phone home when I woke. I’m also in another time zone and this weekend coming they change their clocks here so I’m confused.
Spoke to Kansas City on the phone and got some advice on flights back to Boston via KC. I suppose come Phoenix I’ll have to seriously think about it. Today most of my thinking about home was about the dog and I began to worry whether she’d still be there when I get home.
I like this town. Love Street and the square with the County Courthouse surrounded by trees so rare down here. The altitude is 25 feet short of 4,000 feet even though it’s flat for, well for ever, so perhaps it’s not surprising that it’s freezing now. The temperature is in the 20s.
Walking back across a large car park with my pizza a girl drove up to me and offered me a ride. Even though I was only going across the road she insisted as it was so cold. I was grateful. Like the girl in the pizza place she was friendly, more than people were in Texas.
Wrote a postcard to friends back in Ireland. I like writing them, little pieces of conversation - monologue to friends.
Forecast for next 2 days is good, but can I believe them?
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