Saturday, April 17th

Chalk up another 8 miles, 4 this morning and 4 in the afternoon. This morning, when we woke up, I didn't think we would be walking at all. It was very dark, raining and cold. But after a while, it stopped raining and the sun came out, so Ruth took me to marker 62 and I started walking east. I passed through Carrizozo at mile 65. We are "east of Carrrizozo" which is a victory in my mind.

 

We started walking east from San Antonio, NM on June 2, 2008 headed for Carrizozo, NM, 64 miles away. 684 days later, we made it. Of course, actual walking days were 9, for an average of approximately 7 miles a day.

 

This afternoon, Ruth walked with me for 2 and a half miles as Carol wasn't feeling too good. We are now at marker 70 and Capitan is 15 miles away, Billy the Kid and Smokey the Bear Country. If John feels better and if it doesn't rain, we may move to Capitan tomorrow. John said he was feeling a smidgen better today and actually got up and walked around outside a bit.

 

Today I found a knife and a spoon (to go with the fork I found yesterday), a toy gun, a fishing bobber and a New Mexico license plate. Stay tuned ...

Friday, April 16th

Put us down for another 8 miles today. We did 4 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the afternoon. Carol and Ruth, locally known as the 2nd string, are fast becoming the varsity players. Look out, John!

We walked to mile marker 62 today and tomorrow will walk through downtown Carrizozo tomorrow.  We expect the streets to be lined with people.

This afternoon, we walked through the "Valley of the Fires", the lava field that I wrote about earlier. About half way through, a van stopped and a women and two young men about high school age got out and crossed the highway to talk to us. She was a teacher and her two students and they were geo-caching and wanted to know if that's what we were doing. We said no and told her about our walk and all the trials and tribulations along the way. She said that she lived in Lincoln, which is east of Capitan, and we were more than welcome to park in her lot when we passed through. I need to keep a small notebook and pen with me so I can write all this down instead of relying on memory.

John was feeling better this morning, but I'm not sure he felt so good this afternoon.

We found a quarter and a fork today, which brings our grand total of money to $1.08. That includes 2 cents that Carol found in the laundry room. Stay tuned ........

Thursday, April 15th

This morning, Carol, Ruth and I went out to mile marker 50 and walked 4 miles, 2 miles for Carol and 2 miles for Ruth.

Carol found 2 dimes, a stocking cap. Ruth found a quarter and a yellow plastic bucket and I found 13 cents. Also saw 8 deer.

A rancher pulled over and asked if we needed any help. We said no, that we were just walking and had someone to pick us up. He said OK, " it's a long way to anywhere out here" We couldn't agree more.

We went to Ruidoso again this afternoon as John had a doctors appointment. Dr. Reed told John and Ruth to take it a day at a time as John's recovery may be slow.

Ruth gets a extra pat on the back as she walked up the steepest hill yet !  Stay tuned ........

Wednesday, April 14th

This morning we took John to the hospital in Ruidoso for a CAT scan. The results were that John has a hematoma, a blood clot that the body will absorb over time. John will get better and thanks for all your prayers.

This afternoon, the Coast to Coast Walk made history. Due to the fact that John can't walk right now and also that we are so far behind schedule, it was proposed that Ruth and Carol walk for John by proxy. Motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

So, we are back on the road! Starting at mile marker 47, Ruth walked a mile and a half, then Carol took over and walked a mile and a half. Way to go girls!! WOO HOO. Ruth found a screwdriver and Carol found a plastic storage container. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, April 13th

Yesterday morning, John was feeling better, so since I was going to the post office, John decided to walk with me. He did fine, but I think he got a little tired coming back. That afternoon, we went to the Valley of the Fires Recreational Area, just 3 miles west of Carrizozo. We went into the visitor center and there was Johnson Stearns, a fellow we had met at the Presbyterian Church in Nogal. There were two other men in the center and Johnson couldn't wait to tell them about our walk. I'm not sure if they thought we were brave or stupid. The Valley of the Fires is a lava flow that originated only 1500 to 1000 years ago, which makes it a relatively recent flow. By this time, John wasn't feeling too good, so we went back to the RV park. Before we leave, I would like to walk the nature trail as it takes you into the lava flow itself.

Today, John had a routine doctors appointment in Ruidoso. While he and Ruth were at the doctors office, Carol and I went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero, NM just outside of Ruidoso. The inn is owned by the Mescalero Apache Indians and is situated on an indian reservation. The view is stunning with Mt. Sierra Blanka in the background. See photos. And, they have everything there, skiing, hunting and fishing, golf, horseback riding, etc. This place would put anything on the Las Vegas strip to shame. Too bad I can't afford it.

Upon returning to Carrizozo, Ruth got a call from the doctor. John's lab results were not good. He either has a hematoma or an abscess. He is scheduled for a CAT scan tomorrow. Please keep John and Ruth in your prayers. Stay tuned .......

Sunday, April 11, 2010

John did get out of the hospital on Friday after all. He is back "home" in Carrizozo. John is glad to out of the hospital, but he is on pain pills and antibiotics and doesn't feel like doing much of anything. The walk can wait while John heals up.

This morning Ruth, Carol and I attended the Nogal Presbyterian Church. Nogal is a small community about 10 miles from Carrizozo. The church was built in 1885 and originally was a school. In 1953 it was converted into a church. It was a very friendly church as everyone there, about 25, greeted us upon arrival.

After the service, one of the members, Johnson Stead, told us about the Valley of the Fires State Park, which is only a few miles west of Carrizozo. Johnson was a native of Carrizozo and a volunteer at the state park.

Also, after the service we met Rev. E.W. "Bo" Lewis. At one time, Rev. Lewis pastored a church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and knew Rhodes Stipp, our former pastor in Hot Springs.

On Tuesday, we are all going back to Ruidoso as John has a doctors appointment in the afternoon.

Let me take this opportunity to say that John and I are walking to raise money to fund a house for a deserving family in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Send your gift or whatever you can afford to Garland Co HFH, PO Box 171, Hot Springs, AR 71902. Please write "Coast to Coast" in the memo section of your check.

Donations to Habitat are tax detectable.

Stay tuned for more adventures of Charlie Brown and Ziggy ........

Thursday, April 8th

John is feeling much better, although he needs to get his strength back. The doctor is going to release him tomorrow. While in Lincoln Co Regional Hospital, John has received the best of medical care, from Dr. Reed and the entire nursing staff and especially nurse Kristie and nurse Kristi.

The plan now is to let John rest before we even try to walk again. I think in a week, he may be able to walk a little. So, now we are going to play tourist again. We may go back to Ruidoso, visit Capitan and Alamogordo, etc. May catch up on reading and laundry.

News flash ! Dr. Reed did not like John's pathology report and John's release from the hospital is not a sure thing. We will know more in the morning.

On the way home, Carol and I saw multiple herds of deer. We knew they we here, we just hadn't seen any. Got some good photos that we will post tomorrow. Stay tuned ......

Tuesday, April 6th

After attending the Easter morning service the First Baptist Church in Carrizozo, Carol and I had lunch at John and Ruth's "house". Then, we were off to Tucson to pick up our repaired Malibu. When we left, John was complaining about some stomach cramps, and was going to lay down. We told John that we hoped he felt better and left. We arrived in Tucson about 7 pm and checked into a motel. The next day, Monday, April 5th, we retrieved our Malibu, returned the rent car and even had time to buy a door latch that had broken on the motorhome. Once we got on I-10 and headed back to Carrizozo, Carol called Ruth to see how John was. Ruth informed us that John had gotten worse and she took him to the clinic inCarrizozo that morning. There was only a physicians assistant there and he said that he was reasonably sure that John was having problems with his appendix and sent them to the Lincoln Co. Medical Center in Ruidoso, NM, about 40 miles away. The doctor at the hospital confirmed what the PA said and an emergency appendectomy was performed on John early in the afternoon. Carol and I arrived at the hospital around 4 or 5 in the afternoon and John was sitting up in bed. All things considered, he looked OK. The doctor is not going to release John until Thursday morning at the earliest. Ruth and Carol are going back up to Ruidoso this morning and I will go back up as soon as I tie up some loose ends.

The walk is still on, only delayed, again. We don't walk very much, but we have some interesting stories to tell. Stay tuned ......

Saturday, April 3rd

We didn't walk yesterday, took the day off. John, Ruth and Carol went to Socorro to shop and I stayed "home" to tend to various chores. That afternoon, we went to the San Antonio General Store to see Mrs. Denmark, but she wasn't there. Got all dressed up for nothing.

This morning we went to the Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945. We went to ground zero and took us good photos. Going early was a good choice, as busload after busload were arriving as we left. The site is only open 2 days a year. First Saturday in April and first Saturday in November. We just happened to be here at the right time.

We returned to the Bird Watcher RV Park for the last time, said our good-byes to Bill and made ready to move the RVs to Carrizozo. After setting up the RVs at the Sands Motel and RV Park, Ruth took us out and we walked 6 miles. We are having an early Easter dinner tonight, as Carol and I are driving to Tuscon tomorrow after church to pick up the repaired Malibu. I found an 8 inch pliers and a fork in the road, we took it. Stay tuned .......

Thursday, April 1st

Carol took us out to marker 28 this morning. Wind gusts were up to 40mph. It came across us from south to north, but as the road turns, it was hitting us more in our face. After we had walked 5 miles, Carol drove us back to the RV park. We drove through a minor dust storm. Visibility was limited, at times, to about a half mile. I'm sure the locals have seen much worse, but I had not.

We have been walking in the "Jordana del Muerto", which translates into "journey of the dead man". It was a south to north route traveled by early Spanish travelers. It is noted for it's complete lack of water.

Yesterday I wrote that Bingham consisted of one building, Bingham Rock Shop. I got the number and the name wrong, it is Blanchard Rock Shop and there are two buildings. The rock shop was having a sale on Trinitite.This is the glass that was formed at "Ground Zero" during the world's first atomic bomb blast. (more about the Trinity Site later) The other building was a house that had two signs out front, "Carrizozo Cider for sale" and "closed". They probably don't sell much cider.

Ruth fixed us some delicious potato soup and banana pudding or lunch. Yum-O!

Back out this afternoon, we walked another 4 miles. The wind almost won the first mile. Toughest mile yet, but we kept walking. We are starting to go uphill and the terrain is changing from desert cactus to scrub Cedar trees. We are on the Chupadera Mesa and will be there until we go beyond Carrizozo. John had found a box of cable ties this morning and this afternoon, he found even a bigger box. I found a pair of blue jeans and a kids hooded sweatshirt. Nine miles today. Stay tuned....