Alien hunting

With Roswell being the site of the debatable and arguable crash of a space ship in the forties, even today on Coast To Coast AM late night radio show (formerly the Art Bell Show), a trip to town was inspired. The town has grown so large that the original over-done space alien motif has about been swamped into non-existence.

I quickly identified the main shopping drag which is US285 locally known as Main Street. Home Depot, Target, Uncle Wally’s, Ace Hardware, and endless array of restaurants. Go to the intersection of US285 and US380 , then head North, you can get anything you want, except Alice’s Restaurant. But if it is aliens you want, hang out at that intersection.

On Saturday and/or Sunday I will go play with the balloons at the Roswell Old Timers Balloon Festival. Went to one Ballooning once, too much walking and standing. But I willl try it again.

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Arrival: Bottomless Lake SP

Arrived at Lakes SP this morning, after annoying incidents at a fuel stop and a mis-directed detour at the park’s Southern entrance.

We came to a consensus that without more info, not to be had, that we were waiting at Brantley SP in vain for others to show up. So an an attempt to close the gap by moving to Bottomless, we discovered two ‘of us’ that are heading to Brantley Monday, and three ‘of us’ that left Bottomless for Brantley today. Needless to say not I.

I am moving toward cooler temps at 7000 ft. and that ain’t South. I will attempt to re-connect with the core group if they ever get near me. But then I do not know when that might be. they were ‘scheduled’, and emphatically so, to leave Alamogordo on Tuesday for Brantley, less a few that wanted to play with the balloons in Roswell. Now I hear Thursday, and that hasn’t happened yet. So much for ‘emphatically stated’ schedules.

Guess that is what happens when a casual trip is over-booked, with new ones joining daily, and no way to determine the plans of those that temporarily wander away. I have bothered to report my location, but I will cease to do so, as that approach has not triggered a like response by others, leaving me completely in the dark.

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Brantley

I have not been with the core group for many days. I do not know if it is splintered or broken down entirely. Emails from the leader reveal a few locations but not most.

Brantley is boring so I will be heading North for possibly . It is possible that a core group will be heading to Brantley later, but without information from them we must do as we wish.

Darryll and Rod are anxious to do some fishing. Perhaps Bottomless is the place. Waters here at Brantley are contaminated.

If I am in the vicinity on May 1-2 I may attend the Old Timers Balloon Rally at Roswell this weekend.

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Back to traditional camping/boondocking

Camped in the forest about 12 miles South of Cloudcroft in the forest. Camped in a parking circle that will accomodate maybe 2 RVs and a few cars. This is used for day access, hunters access, etc. There is evicence of camping here, especially if one trecks a ATV or jeep trail from here. But with Barth I am confined to the parking lot, except for walks.

Yesterday I took a walk and stumbled upon an earth movement monitor station. [no pic] The image will not display for some reason, so it is not here.

From there I took other roads to return to camp. Unfortunately I exhausted Annie T. Dog, thinking I might have to carry her a bit She was half dead till this morn. (I was tired too, at altitude 9800 ft.)

I also took a walk up another hill (gasp) to see a fire watch tower. A tall tower,  alas, it was not occupied. There are always great views from such towers, and visitors are usually welcome relief to the occupants. Gives them a break from talking to a microphone for entertainment.

With the trees blocking the wind, sighing in the breeze, it was safe to build a campfire before the chill of sundown. Maintained until 8 PM or so, it was time to coax it into extinction and retire to the nightly protection from chills and goblins in Barth. But it was nice to sit by a fire finally and listen to the gobble of wild turkeys in the distance. They saw me, but I never saw them. Judy and Darryll will be glad to know that the ‘group wood’ is still mostly intact in the back of Lone Ranger, ready for cowboy coffee at Brantley Lake, as there is ample firewood on the ground at this forest campsite.

I could coax only one of the city-dwelling NM tour bunch to join me. They love the city life, restaurants, sights of the city for entertainment. I thought a few might like a couple nights of basic back-to-nature camping. Obviously not. To each his own. I will be rejoining the group at Brantley Lake. Also the next syop, unless it degenerates into a Lodge parking lot. This will be the Ute stop. From there I will head to Utah, returning approximately a week later to wherever the city-dwellers are located.

A pic of Carroll C. by our campfire.

Looking forward to a nice campfire again today. But first I have some work to to cleaning and stowing stuff I have strewn for 4 weeks.

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