The Road.

Today I stopped and smelled the flowers along the way, only covering about 300 miles compared to the almost 700 miles on Saturday. No really I smelled the flowers! Only 7 miles out of La Junta, CO I found my self drawn to the side of road. The only trees in sight were the signal poles along the railroad tracks. Looking down the tracks they seem to go to the horizon.

Because gas in this neck of the woods runs 4-4.20 per gallon I have been taking a relaxed pace along the road. That relaxed pace allowed me to see the vivid blossoms on a road side catus near Colfax, NM. You can see the catus in the "Not Trains" photo album see the links on the right.

Not far from the blooming catus I decide to find out were county road A38 leads. It just happens to end at the Dawson cemetery, all that is left of the once 6000 strong mining town of the same name. The marker states the mine opened in the mid 1800's and shut down for good in 1950. There doesn't appear to be a single brick left of Dawson, if there is it's on private property. The road kept going... behind a locked gate with a no trespass sign on. While exploring the cemetery I suffered a unprovoked attack by a catus, and yes the needles are very sharp. It was just one needle, but it hurt.

Back on the road I travel up the Cimarron valley going from 6000 ft to 8600 ft and from 95 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. I pass by the alpine lake at Eagle Nest. Soon I'm on heading down the other side towards Taos and points south, including supper, but is the next post. GAW