I loooove Texas ! Big , hot , and loud ! Picture below will be of my drive this morning . I took a turn after El Paso . Nice to see that city prospering a little , but still brought me to tears seeing the Mexican side of the border filled with shacks . Dan and I have never forgotten the first time we saw it in 1998 . We’ve seen poverty before , but nothing like that . It’s haunting to see compared to the US side .

Anyway , we left Los Cruces this morning , heading east on I-10. I drove a long straight boring stretch, then up and down a little pass . Freaks Dan out to have me drive a pass , but I figure after driving the first day’s Madras/Maupin/The Dalles, I can drive anything ! You just have to use your brain .

The first five minutes is always an adrenaline rush . We sit up high with a huge front window . The rig and tow weigh 11 tons , so starting and stopping take awhile . Getting the feel of the wheel also takes awhile . The Eagles. “Take it Easy ” came on my headphones , so that was a nice start . Followed by Buffet ,Degraw, BTO, Pharrel, Denver, Elvis and Eliza’s One Direction, the 91 miles flew by .

Could have been because I was driving 70mph, too ! Speed limit was 80, but the road was rough and sometimes windy, so 70 was all I had the guts to drive . I even passed a semi . My first one ! The kids and I think he must have been a trainee .

Half way through my drive , I pulled into an inspection station . The Border Patrol definitely has a large presence here , and due to one being shot and killed a few days ago , I said another prayer for them . Not a job I could do , so I appreciate that they are trying to keep drugs and illegal migrants out of the US.

I saw the agents pass each other a look as I pulled up and will never know if it was because I was a female driver or the typical tourist RV . I prefer to think they were dazzled by my driving ability .

As the K-9 sniffed around the outside of the rig, the agent asked how many were aboard and if we were all US Citizens ? Made me sweat just to sit there , so I don’t know how guilty people can get through all the checkpoints.

I answered the questions , hoping all the while they wouldn’t ask to board . Psycho Jessica would probably try to bite , and Lady would probably put her paws on his shoulders and lick his face . Who knows what the kids would do .

We shared a conversation and a hot tub the other day with a Canadian who travels all over . When he answers “no” to the second question, he is asked to pull aside . Glad we did the stack of paperwork to get the kids their citizenship and passports years ago .

My back was screaming from sitting so long , so I pulled down on an off ramp to a gas station . At the stop sign I offered Dan the wheel to pull up to the pumps . We have to keep his blood pressure down, and he leaped into the drivers seat.

Now we’re heading south on 118 to Davis park and the observatory tonight . With losing another hour , we should be able to stay up for the program tonight . Can’t wait ! Did I mention how much I loooove this state ?!