What a perfect Sunday! I've never thought I could do my worship outside of church, but this was truly a sacred and holy day.
When we left Las Cruces, NM at 8:00 a.m., it was 41 degrees and very cold. The road and the ride leader were perfect. I thought she slowed her pace to accommodate me, but she said going faster would have made us even colder.
We rode by acres of bright green chili plants, and more acres of pecan orchards. All the orchards looked like they had been thoroughly vacuumed under and around every tree. We saw cotton fields, vineyards, dairy farms, and some mighty gorgeous horses. There were lots of cyclists out too, all going the opposite direction.
My roommate, Marge, in the cowboy hat, was our SAG today. Dianne and Eva, pictured with her, were my riding companions.
We entered the great state of Texas around 11:00 a.m. I had arranged to meet an old and dear Army friend, Paul Parks, at a bike shop at mile 52. I was there before 12:30. We really are getting stronger and faster! He took me to see the handsome UTEP campus, and the impressive Sun Bowl stadium. It's amazing to see the shabby and meager structures of Ciudad Juarez right across the Rio Grande. I enjoyed a Mexican omelet with Paul, and then got busy doing our laundry and soaking in an epsom salts bath before dinner.
Breakfast was oatmeal and yogurt. Dinner was a variation on tamale pie, Spanish rice, salad, and gorgeous fresh fruit with creme anglaise. I ate very small portions, because I didn't feel like I burned many calories.
This perfect day came to a close with a vivid sunset, showcased by the twinkling lights of a sprawling El Paso. 849 miles behind us. 2,251 to pedal. 41 days to go.
The very best green chile in the world comes from Hatch, NM. It is a small town near Las Cruces. The pecan orchards look vacuumed because, in a way , they ARE. They spread tarps under the trees and then a big machine shakes the tree so the nuts fall on the tarp, then they take the nuts to be processed.
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