Day 11: Wednesday, Oct. 6. Lordsburg, NM to Demming, NM
Did that title get your attention?
Something funny happens to the things you think about during the day when you see it constantly for 8 hours while riding on the shoulder of a highway. Today, New Mexico presented us a special treat. There were literally hundreds of grasshoppers all along the highway shoulder. Jacques and I did our best to avoid them, but our efforts were futile. These grasshoppers are not like the ones we find in Kansas or Colorado. These were gigantic ones; trojan warrior type grasshoppers 4 or 5 times the size of midwest grasshoppers. These were stoic grasshoppers, unwavering in their desire to stay their course despite a large bicycle wheel speeding towards them. They also had a healthy desire to mate, and perhaps even more disturbing, was their equal appetite for those grasshoppers that had already met their maker. Apparently, grasshoppers are carnivores. But really, I'm not sure insects with exoskeletons can be considered meat.
Enough already.
We arrived in Demming at about 4pm. We were very fortunate to stay with Don and Mary Lou, who gave us plenty of chicken and food to eat. Don, a former motorcycle shop owner, has ridden across the US several times, and has an especially keen sense of good roads throughout Texas. Taking Don's advice, we will probably stray away from some parts of I-10 as we cross Texas, and take some less traveled and therefore less busy highways.
Don's friends John and Barb joined us for dinner in Demming. John's cousin is Beth, who was my trip leader at Beautiful Gate, the organization and orphanage we're doing this ride for. John is also an avid bicyclist (with an amazing bike) and will join us on Thursday's ride.
For now, time for some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's.
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