Faith, Folklore, and Friends

If you take Interstate 25 North out of Albuquerque, then exit onto Highway 550 West, eventually you will come to this sign. Turn south on CR 7900 for 5 miles (paved), then right on CR 7950 (unpaved, ungraded, ungraveled). It can be a real adventure. This is part of the Colorado Plateau, arid high desert, and it is beautiful. The brochures describes the road as unpaved and rough. We saw sporadic windmills, all with a water tank for the cattle. No electric wires on this landscape. It takes more than a rough road to scare us away, although I worried that my teeth might fall out and I was a long way from Dr. John.  I couldn't have called him anyway; no cell towers around here. We were averaging ten miles an hour, so the livestock had nothing to fear from us. The livestock looked sleek and healthy, which surprised us because there were no green pastures.  I guess what they have is nutritious. They got bored with us rather quickly. I've ...

    Aruba is the last island we visited on this cruise.  It is part of the Southern Caribbean chain of the Lesser Antilles.  Like Curacao, it is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.       Sometimes, it felt more like Arizona than a Caribbean island. Because of the arid climate, there is no farming done and all their food has to be imported. The only grass I saw was at resorts; most people there can't afford to waste water on grass. The California Lighthouse, named after a shipwreck near the site.     Open bazaars selling items from China. The downtown area is modern with high-end shopping and casinos.   I wonder how many years it will be before I can hear "Aruba" without instantly thinking of Natalie Holloway.