Day 4 - A long one

First, thanks for checking my blog. Second, if you haven't been to my blog yet check out the first post as it explains what we are doing here for a terrific charity.

No pictures today since there was nothing to take a picture of! Just a long day in the high desert of New Mexico and north Texas. More than 400 miles recorded without a hitch. We wound up in Fort Stockton TX which is in the middle of nowhere, and tomorrow it is a 600+ mile drive to Brownsville TX, on the Mexican border. Got our Mexican insurance all lined up and also arranged a meeting on the Mexico/Guatemala border to transfer title to the truck when we enter Guatemala. Right now it is sleeting outside and we may get some snow overnight. Kind of tired of the cold (14F in Taos this morning) so hitting the border will be a pleasant change.

Hope all of you are well and your holiday planning is going smoothly. Please take the time now to go to www.lampcharity.org/donate and make your donation to this worthy group if you haven't already done so, and again thanks to those of you who have.

Best to all...

Third Day

I sure hope everyone had a great Thanskiving Holiday. Let's not forget what giving thanks is all about...

As for our journey on the third day: Wow! Checked the oil first thing this morning and not a drop gone! We may just make it! Got to Taos New Mexico today (another 400 +/- miles) going over the Continental Divide (almost 8,000 feet) via Monument Valley - some awesome sights plus a bit more snow than yesterday. Dropped off the hutch that we were lugging along safe and sound at my buddy Bob's house (it looks awesome!). Next two days will be brutal - going all the way to Brownsville Texas in just two days (about 1100 miles).

I want to thank ALL of you who have donated already most sincerely for your generous contributions. This means so much to the people of Jalapa, who honestly need the money more than we do. I spoke with one of the founders of LAMP this evening and apparently they suffered a severe drought in Jalapa this year so they need your donations even more desperately than before. Please spread the word to your friends and coworkers about this needy cause! Think about making a donation in a friend's or family member's name instead of sweating over what to give them for Christmas. It will make both you and your loved one feel that much better! Here's how to donate: www.lampcharity.org/donate

From COLD but pretty Taos, Don and Ruth, sore butts and all

Day 2

429 miles today: Las Vegas to Kayenta, AZ, which is in the heart of the Navajo nation. Lots of scenery of the desert southwest, and a bit of weather as well - got some snow near the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Tomorrow we head to Taos with another snowstorm forecast, and of course we have no chains. But it's flat out here, right? Old Red chugging along nicely, still cruising at 75 when the sign says it's ok...

First day done! Started with 359,506 miles on the odometer, and went 485 miles today. Old Red ran like a champ... First stop was the mailbox to send out property tax bill, second stop was fifty feet later to snag out an oak branch we picked up at the mailbox. Got kinda lost and wound up in Las Vegas. Our journey took us on a dirt road this morning - my choice and I believe quite appropriate considering Old Red's history. We also wound up with some extra baggage - we're hauling a hutch that was made in Mexico to my buddy Bob's house in Taos. That's a couple of days away and snow is in the forecast. Tomorrow off to ??? We'll let you know then.

Cheers for now...

Only a couple of days to go now before we leave. I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have so generously donated so far. The response has been tremendous! I thought I was nuts for doing this but we work in such a fantastic industry I just knew you all would support this crazy effort. Just to let you know, I will miss Old Red tremendously. I NEED a truck so will have to buy one when we get back. Two weekends ago I hauled my last load of firewood, and just yesterday hauled a tractor in the back of Old Red for a couple hundred miles. Darn thing just keeps chugging along.

Couple of things to mention: first, Goldsmith Seeds isn't the only flower seed company that has a farm in Jalapa. Pan American Seed has a farm at the other end of town where they produce seed and cuttings. Second, Rick Brown of Riverview Farms actually posted my story on his website! Check it out at
http://floridafriendlyplants.com/Blog/post/2009/11/24/Support-Health-Care-in-Guatemala.aspx

What a generous group you all are. I'll check back in Friday after the fist day on the road (Aromas CA to Henderson NV).

Well, it's only a week and a half before we leave. I had a chance to load Old Red up with firewood over the weekend - the last of hundreds over the years...
I've got a couple of questions for anyone interested. First, any suggestions on places of interest or which route we should take? We're going to have to take a more southern route to avoid snow chances I would imagine. I do plan on entering Mexico at Brownsville, so if anyone has driven through Mexico along the Gulf Coast any helpful hints would be most appreciated. Second, any suggestions on what I should do to Old Red to prepare for the journey? Darn thing runs just fine so I am leaning towards just an oil change. Seems to me that if I did something like change the transmission oil I might jinx the thing...
Don