Friday Morning sun on the mountains look hoping to be a better day - dropping one of blood pressure meds, the water pill, will probable help my energy

Here is the other thing that will help my day, I am treating the chip seal shoulder like gravel and riding on the outside tire lane

The traffic into Marfa all but disappeared. Able to stay in the fast lane almost all the way.

and this is what is really helping my today one heck of a tail wind. I have to set the brake when I stop when going up hill or the wind blows the trike away. YA YO

I tie my coat on to make a sale and away I go.

The Marfa Lights viewing area 5 miles outside of Marfa, I stopped at the first place and got a hair cut - 30bucks ouch. picked up some water at the store and rode the wind outa there.

The other item I found at the little grocery store in Marfa was EmergenC Vitamins, that is a powder and I add to the water bottle.  I am rolling now.

Meet Ann and David Winkler-Morey there story is on Pedalstory you can Google them. started last June and have done over 7000miles so far.

These two folks were heading into the wind, what a tough slog. Nice of them to stop and trade cards. Good Luck David and Ann.

Rolled into Alpine just in time for the 5pm service at Our Lady of Peace Catholic church. Father Mike set up with a camping spot on the grass between the school and church

Sometimes I am really surprised how this works. There are no coincidences. There really is the God of all things keeping it all in order. All I have to do is cooperate a little. Notice how they are flying two of flags I am.

From a 20 mile day and all in to a 45 mile day and feeling great, what a little help from God can do.

So now I am feeling even better than before, and ready to keep on trucking after a good nights sleep here in the church yard. Thanks to the parishioners who spoke with me and took pictures after the service.

This Prada display is a piece of Art work 8 miles in any direction from anything. the not as fat, fat guy in the mirror

Today was a killer for me physically. I only thought yesterday chip seal shoulder was wearing me out. That and I have no energy it seems at all.

This art work was donated by the estate of a local ranch owner and maintained by another. I guess there is lots of money in cotton, pecans, and cows.

Made it to Valentine, Tx in time for a good break. This is the war memorials going into town. Everything is closed except the Library.

The Kay A Johnson Library in Valentine, cool place and story. Also only place to get good water from the outside hose.

Kay Johnson passed away a few years ago and her daughter and friends converted this old house on the highway into a small library. Lots of dignitaries, political personalities and Generals have contributed from all over the world. Kay Johnson lived in Austin and owned a ranch out here to get away  and rest.

The inside of the library.

The sunset again spectacular I am beat.

I only got 20 miles today. I am completely done in. My skin is wrinkled and won’t pass the pinch test for water content. When I get off the bike I am dizzy and weak feeling – I have run 6 liters of water through me and am not retaining any. Sounds like a combination of dehydration and low blood pressure. The two often go together and not totally unexpected. So tomorrow I stop taking the water pill as part of my BP meds regime. That is good news.

leaving Van Horn Toward Marfa it's a great day.

Leaving out of Van Horn my anticipation was 40 to 50 miles a day – boy was I wrong.

Here at break having lunch after 10 miles the chip seal is a little tough - slows me by 2-3mph.

Lots of crunchy peanut butter, Marmalade and tortillas lunch and dinner and snack time cheaper than energy bars and has the protein, carbs, sugar and I like em. Read about the tortillas on the web from bicyclers going to Alaska.

The chip seal shoulder  has not been smoothed out by cars and trucks like the travel lane – too busy to get up on the highway.

Just a neat shot of the landscape at 6MPH

Four sword palms just hanging out – going even slower on a bike helps you really notice more.

so here is one of crops out here - King Cotton and we thought it was desolate.

And there is a close up of the chip seal almost as bad as a gravel road only harder.

and here is the another crop Pecans, Miles and Miles of orchards

The trains coming at me every few hours would blow their whistles - nearly everyone waved back or honked thier horns.

a beautiful sunset on a pretty tough 30 mile day

beginning to suspect I have lost enough weight and water and my Blood pressure is dropping. Missed Valentine by 8 miles.

More of the frontage road to Serria Blanca - cleared the top thanks to wind yesterday. The Flat just at dusk worked out well too. Fixed it this morning.

Serria Blanca, Hudspeth County court House was built of adobe in 1919 - Looks like it has held up pretty good.

Sierra Blanca,m Tx - If you only see the couple of blocks near the freeway you would think the town is dead - its not.

Got 2 gallons of water and had some coffee and snacks – at the Exxon station. Talked with Grandmother who worked there – She had moved to Sierra Blanca from San Antonio after her daughter and grandchildren had move here. The have a nice school and she likes it. Her youngest granddaughter is 13. More good people doing good stuff.

On the road to Van Horn - another one of those sites you might miss at 80MPH on the hill top in the middle of here and now. wonder what the story is up there.

The frontage road is on North side of I10 through here so I see into the windshields of the cars, trucks and RVs heading west. Having driven this section more than a Dozen times over the years. I get the sense that those driving, experience this country as if they are watch TV, except for the bugs on   the screen. Climate controlled and the picture blurry at the edges as your flying along at 80mph. as I am looking into the windshields I get a brief sense of walking by a window and peaking into for a brief second into someones house.

Here is the end of the frontage road from Serria Blanca to Van Horn that runs on the North sided of I10

Your about 5 or 6 miles short of Van Horn, Tx. not to worry.

Here is the cross over the divided section of I10 - the traffic was light and you can see a long ways - but do not dally.

Once you have crossed over the 4 lanes to the east bound side the shoulder is very wide and smooth. The Ice Trike coasted all the way to the grocery store in Van Horn about 7 miles, cranked the pedals just to keep from getting stiff.

Tuesday PM In for the night nice camping area and indoor activity room. Austin on his way to Kerrville, Tx stopped and we talked, He had went to Texas Tech many a year ago. Had played music at local hotel in 72'

Some days 2 or 3 folks come out. This is a small world in many ways.

We just need to keep in mind an old sales tool that IBM marketing taught back in mid seventies to get customers motivated to buy computers. “FUD” factor Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt will motivate just about anyone to do just about anything. Just watch the News and the commercials, for the FUD factor. Oh what did the devil say to Eve “Did God really say you couldn’t eat of the fruit of this tree? uncertainty, doubt?

Thanks for spending a couple of minutes with me Austin.

If your riding by this is a good deal for 4 bucks not fancy, but nice.

riding out of Tornillo on Monday -Just more cotton - Weather reports wind advisory out of the west.

Hwy 20 ends and your on I10 the tail wind is picking up a little

The climb into the mountain ahead is long and steady. Thanks to the tail wind I was able to get 38 miles in. Wished I would have filled up with water at Ft. Hancock because McNary has nothing that open.  Oh Well

The look back to El Paso - Boy this 30 mph and higher gusts are a God Send for pushing me up hill. Mary Cahoon was the other with a Coke.

Not much to see into the Valley, for the dust the wind kicked up  – I was really getting worn out. The wind is what got me this far. Running a little low on water and gas until Mary Cahoon on her way to Big Spring stopped her Honda Shadow motorcycle on the freeway and walked over to the frontage road to say Hello. She had a Diet Coke and pleasant talk that got me to the top. Thanks Mary.

The is lots of older rock walls and houses in El Paso just like in Las Cruces, NM

Very Pleasant ride up to the middle of El Paso. Following El Pasino drive

Then you get to some less pleasant sections.

getting through the mess near the center of town. It’s here  I say my little Guardian Angel Prayer.

Now those of you who have read this from the beginning, have read about the Hawks.

Just as I was finishing my little prayer at the top of the elevated lane with little shoulder – I catch a view of this bird gliding up to the freeway light pole. Yep It’s a Hawk watching me. Just a little sign from the one who protects us all that He is working in all ways. “Be Not Afraid”

Oh yea, didn’t get run over either.

This is really nice National Park little known about. The 1963 event is not heard much either.

You can look it up on the Internet.

Didn't have my passport or I might have thought about crossing since I was so close. Last time I did was when Ron Yates and Rhonda lived in El Paso. along time ago.

Stopped at the Laundromat and washed everything, did some blog updates from there,

The room was 10bucks off for the 3rd floor, they have an elevator and the desk fellow let me put the trike in the lobby for the night. This how I got both cloths and body clean on the same day. Tomorrow is another shower, just for fun, Breakfast downstairs and off to late Mass in Clint, NM. Miles for the day 34.

The next morning I found the Panco Villa state park - with great little museum, and hot showers of which I had one. Gen. Pershing and 10,000 troops didn't catch Pancho.

This was also the first military use of motor vehicles – So with the latest Technology available at the time 10 Thousand men into a foreign country we didn’t catch the man who gave the orders for the strike on American soil. At least this latest time we were able to find where he Osama lived and kill him there.  Oh yea Pancho was killed at home a few years later as well.

The guide told me and a couple of others there that a couple of years ago a fellow came in who said he was the Grandson of the Mexican Major who led the attack – The reason was retribution on the Store owner who killed and house was burnt down for bad gun deal with Pancho forces.

The best part was the Shower and the movie in the museum for 5 bucks. Wish I would have seen last night.

I didn’t get on the road until after 1pm. it was worth it.

The tarp is to keep the wind off me for a little break. Yes I still riding the trike. Today cold head wind a good work out.

Been 100 miles on Hwy 9, which is on  the old rail bed at this point. Good thing too.

Thursday pm road late in to night about seven thrity PM the New Mexico Police stopped me to see why I was riding so late someone had called in - must have been the other car on the road beside the border patrol.

I rode to mile post 115 just as I told the officers, so they would know where to keep track of me during the night.  One of the them said to be careful there were lots of bad guys out here,  my reply was of course that’s why your here to watch out the good guys and Thank You, you are doing a great job so far.

Wenesday Morning Flat tire a mesquite tree thorn finally made its way all the the way to the tub. Replaced tube with selfsealing to go with the armor liners inside the kevler lined tires.

Best part about this picture is the way the flags are flying - Great tail wind and really needed for the railroad up grade

it is cold and I am wearing three layers on top and long underwear, gloves and baklava head piece.

There is just lots of thinking about stuff out here and waving to the Border Patrol and any other cars.

Everyone waves back.

The post office is the only place left open in Hatachia to get water. Vera was most generous and wonderful to talk with. Good people everywhere. Yep the Border Patrol fellow directed me here.

Hello Vera, and thanks again.

Coming into Colombus, NM lots of big grain farming. They are also building a 50million dollar Alge bio diesel farm out here. Guess who is paying for that one.

Colombus - 50 mile day and spent the night next to the Family Misson Catholic church.

Spent time talking with the fellows at the Quick Mark gas stop, charging my phone and drinking a coke. The Algae Farm company brought in there own workers and built places for them to stay.

A Great day and am sleeping in what I am wearing.