ABQ to Childress, TX

The last two days we drove more than 500 miles each day, and close to 600 yesterday.  Today we did a bit more than 400 miles, an easy day.  Through NM into west TX. Not a bad drive.  Going east from Albuquerque the landscape was great, huge rocks, tall rock formations, gigantic mountains of rock.  On one side were the mountains, on the other side of the highway was a vast expanse of empty land, the horizon at least a couple of hundred miles away.  As I crossed into Texas, the landscape became even more empty and flat, for as far as I could see.  North west Texas is not pretty. I drove this part of the route last year and was appalled by the dead, decaying clumps of houses along the highway.  Even the towns are slowly succumbing to neglect.  This town, Childress, is obviously a way-stop half way between Albuquerque and Dallas, so there are at least a dozen motels, many fast food places and a few family owned restaurants.  A couple of hardware stores, a Wal-Mart (how appropriate,) gas stations and not much else.

It is 95 degrees outside right now, almost 7:00 in the evening.  The motel room is fine but the air conditioning is lame, barely cooling things down.  I asked for another room and checked out the AC in that room and it was about the same.  I think it is just that the heat outside has made the building like a baking box so it won't really cool down until midnight, if then.  Hey, if it's gonna be 95 for the next ten days, I am not sure how that's going to play out for me.  If you know me, you know how much I love the heat.  NOT.

I felt sorry for Cooper, he gave me a 'heads up' that he had to go out and do his business, but as soon as we walked outside, about a half hour ago, he stopped and turned around to go back into our tepid room.  No luck, pup, gotta do it.  But it's hot on his feet, there's no grass except prickly weeds so it was a gingerly managed pee and poop.  He will be really happy to get to Grand Prairie and not have to be in the car for many days, unless it is to go to the dog park.  He also will be happy to run!  Not just a short walk but a full-on run!  And he can have dog communication with Jenn's dog, Bebe, instead of just listening to me talking about which motel we are staying at.  Tomorrow, Cooper will be landing happily.  Getting to sniff other dogs, how good is that?

(...time passes...)  It's now almost 9:00 and the temp is down to 84 but my room still hovers around 80.  I brought in a club sandwich from a family restaurant across the street and it was actually quite delicious.  I intend to be out of here by 7:30 in the morning, rolling into Jenn's a bit after noon.

til then.

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