2 Wheels, 14 Days, 2,448 Miles: A Motorcycle Tour of Route 66

One of my favorite old Life Magazine covers, it 
seems to have influenced my young mind quite a lot.

(NYTimes) It’s a common refrain that Route 66 no longer exists. And it’s true, in a way. The 100-year-old road that stretches from Chicago to Santa Monica was decommissioned in 1985. You won’t find it listed on modern maps as a contiguous highway. And yet the 2,448-mile road — at first largely unpaved, then over time populated with so many motels and diners and outlandish attractions that it became central to the American experience, only later to be bypassed, forgotten, left to crumble — somehow endures. Continued

Celebrating Route 66

Michael Martin Murphey Cowboy Christmas Ball

Bob Wills in New Mexico

Mural honoring Bob Wills in Roy, New Mexico (Sixgun Siding)

(ilovenewmexicoblog.com) My daddy grew up in Porter, New Mexico, the youngest of ten children. He delights in telling what I think of as "baby of the family" stories (I have a number of my own. . .), about how the older brothers used to torture him by hiding behind the tank and jumping out to frighten him when he had to walk to the windmill after dark to turn the pump off, or how he sometimes had to stay in and help Granny Terry in the house because he was the baby.
Or how he had to be the designated driver of my Grandpa Terry's 1936 Ford sedan when his older brothers and the local boys wanted to go to Tucumcari to tomcat around during World War II. When he was eleven years old. Continued

A Visit from Saint Nicholas in the Ernest Hemingway Manner by James Thurber

It was the night before Christmas. The house was very quiet. No creatures were stirring in the house. There weren't even any mice stirring. The stockings had been hung carefully by the chimney. The children hoped that Saint Nicholas would come and fill them. The children were in their beds. Their beds were in the room next to ours. Mamma and I were in our beds. Mamma wore a kerchief. I had my cap on. I could hear the children moving. We didn't move. We wanted the children to think we were asleep. 

"Father," the children said. There was no answer. He's there, all right, they thought. "Father," they said, and banged on their beds. "What do you want?" I asked. "We have visions of sugarplums," the children said. "Go to sleep," said mamma. "We can't sleep," said the children. They stopped talking, but I could hear them moving. They made sounds. "Can you sleep?" asked the children. "No," I said. "You ought to sleep." "I know. I ought to sleep." "Can we have some sugarplums?" "You can't have any sugarplums," said mamma. "We just asked you." There was a long silence. I could hear the children moving again. "Is Saint Nicholas asleep?" asked the children. "No," mamma said. "Be quiet." "What the hell would he be asleep tonight for?" I asked. "He might be," the children said. "He isn't," I said. "Let's try to sleep," said mamma. The house became quiet once more. I could hear the rustling noises the children made when they moved in their beds. 

Out on the lawn a clatter arose. I got out of bed and went to the window. I opened the shutters; then I threw up the sash. The moon shone on the snow. The moon gave the lustre of mid-day to objects in the snow. There was a miniature sleigh in the snow, and eight tiny reindeer. A little man was driving them. He was lively and quick. He whistled and shouted at the reindeer and called them by their names. Their names were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen. He told them to dash away to the top of the porch, and then he told them to dash away to the top of the wall. They did. The sleigh was full of toys. "Who is it?" mamma asked. "Some guy," I said. "A little guy." I pulled my head in out of the window and listened. I heard the reindeer on the roof. I could hear their hoofs pawing and prancing on the roof. "Shut the window," said mamma. I stood still and listened. "What do you hear?" "Reindeer," I said. I shut the window and walked about. It was cold. Mamma sat up in the bed and looked at me. "How would they get on the roof?" mamma asked. "They fly." "Get into bed. You'll catch cold." Mamma lay down in bed. I didn't get into bed. I kept walking around. "What do you mean, they fly?" asked mamma. "Just fly is all." Mamma turned away toward the wall. She didn't say anything. 

I went out into the room where the chimney was. The little man came down the chimney and stepped into the room. He was dressed all in fur. His clothes were covered with ashes and soot from the chimney. On his back was a pack like a peddler's pack. There were toys in it. His cheeks and nose were red and he had dimples. His eyes twinkled. His mouth was little, like a bow, and his beard was very white. Between his teeth was a stumpy pipe. The smoke from the pipe encircled his head in a wreath. He laughed and his belly shook. It shook like a bowl of red jelly. I laughed. He winked his eye, then he gave a twist to his head. He didn't say anything. He turned to the chimney and filled the stockings and turned away from the chimney. Laying his finger aside his nose, he gave a nod. Then he went up the chimney. I went to the chimney and looked up. I saw him get into his sleigh. He whistled at his team and the team flew away. The team flew as lightly as thistledown. The driver called out, "Merry Christmas and good night." 

I went back to bed. "What was it?" asked mamma. "Saint Nicholas?" She smiled. "Yeah," I said. She sighed and turned in the bed. "I saw him," I said. "Sure." "I did see him." "Sure you saw him." She turned farther toward the wall. "Father," said the children. "There you go," mamma said. "You and your flying reindeer." "Go to sleep," I said. "Can we see Saint Nicholas when he comes?" the children asked. "You got to be asleep," I said. "You got to be asleep when he comes. You can't see him unless you're unconscious." "Father knows," mamma said. I pulled the covers over my mouth. It was warm under the covers. As I went to sleep I wondered if mamma was right.

Man Who Found Hidden Treasure in the Rocky Mountains Is Revealed

(NYTimes) Jack Stuef, 32, a medical student from Michigan, located a stash of gold nuggets, gemstones and pre-Columbian artifacts that had been hidden by the art dealer Forrest Fenn as part of a treasure hunt. Continued

The Library is Open

The good folks at the Clovis Carver Public Library would like me to remind you that the library is open. All the usual items and services are available and the hours are the same: Mon - Thurs 9:00 to 8:00 and Fri - Sat 9:00 to 5:00. Anyone living within a hundred mile radius of the library can get a free library card, and just like anywhere else these days, you gotta wear a mask.

Birding takes flight as calming pandemic hobby

Roadrunner, Endee, New Mexico (Sixgun Siding)

(Austin American Statesman) ... Although the recent coronavirus pandemic has curtailed group birding excursions, interest in the activity has grown.
 “Business almost doubled, if not tripled,” Wild Birds Unlimited Manager Kyle Johnson said. The 25-year-old shop closed March 17 because of a state mandate and moved to orders being filled curbside or online.
However, Johnson said patronage never dipped; instead the business has had a surge of new customers, including a younger demographic and birders from out of the area. He credits the increase to more people staying at home now, enjoying their backyards and the nature that lies within. Continued

Little Caboose on the Caprock

You never know just what you'll find clinging to the side of a cliff, this particular cliff being the northern escarpment of the Llano Estacado. Retired Atchison Topeka and Sant Fe Caboose, Number 999501, sits waiting for a train that'll never come. But what a view! As you can see, the owners converted it into a little cabin.

Treasure chest hidden in Rocky Mountains has finally been found

(Albuquerque Journal) The chase is finally over. Santa Fe art collector Forrest Fenn confirmed in a blog post Saturday that his famed – often infamous – treasure has been found. Fenn hid a chest with over $1 million worth of gold coins, jewels and other artifacts, and published clues about where to find it in a poem in his 2010 memoir, “The Thrill of the Chase.” The chest was hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountain region north of Santa Fe, but Fenn still has not given its exact location. Continued

The Santa Fe and Lamy Railroad

(Albuquerque Journal via Riley Switch) The rumors have been swirling around the railroad depot in Lamy since the turn of the year. On Friday, it became official: Novelist and screenwriter George R.R. Martin, Violet Crown Cinema owner Bill Banowsky and arts philanthropist Catherine Oppenheimer now own the Santa Fe Southern Railway Inc. The trio, who met through their various interests in the Santa Fe Railyard, are aiming to restore excursion trips on the 18-mile spur between Santa Fe and Lamy by 2022. Continued

Guide to Oil and Gas Museums

(American Oil and Gas Historical Society) Hundreds of technology exhibits at community petroleum museums offer insight to the nation’s energy heritage, which began with an 1859 oil discovery drilled 69.5 feet deep in Pennsylvania. Many museums are staffed with volunteer docents who worked in the industry and can teach young people about the complex modern business.
In addition to museums that often feature transportation (planes, trains, automobiles, and service stations), the 33 oil and natural gas producing states include many local museums with cable-tool derricks, drill bits, pump jacks, and equipment of all shapes and sizes. Continued

The Cowboy's Christmas Ball

Clovis train enthusiasts break out models at mall

 

(ENMNews) Whirring across a miniature track through molded terrain and plastic towns, model train displays are a holiday tradition. They also give hobbyists a chance to show off their collections.
For the past 24 years, members of the Clovis Area Train Society have been sharing their passion for pint-sized locomotives. Continued

Texas’ Best-Kept Secret: The Second-Largest Canyon in the U.S.

 

(Daily Beast) The history of this area is game changing,” Phyllis Nickum says as I stare into Palo Duro Canyon, a 120-mile-long chasm slicing through the level landscape of the Texas panhandle just south of Amarillo. Palo Duro marks the southern border of Nickum’s Los Cedros Ranch, a 3,000-acre spread where she raises cattle, horses, and harvests wheat and water. It’s also home to “Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West,” the ranch’s tourist arm, which celebrates Western heritage through history on horseback tours, eco-tourism, and chuckwagon events complete with singing cowboys. Continued

"Thundering Sounds of the West" opens in Palo Duro Canyon

Show or not, Palo Duro is always worth a visit.

(Texas Day by Day) On this day in 1965, the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation opened a sound and light show entitled "Thundering Sounds of the West" in an outdoor amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon. The foundation was organized in 1961, with Margaret P. Harper as president, to increase tourism to Palo Duro Canyon State Scenic Park through the presentation of a historical drama. Continued

Carson & Barnes Circus on the Way!

"The Carson & Barnes Circus is The World’s Biggest Big Top Show with two hours of fun and excitement for children of all ages!
Be amazed by our extraordinary artists from around the world as they thrill you with their death defying feats and exquisite artistry. Come early! The Midway opens one hour before showtime with a Free Petting Zoo, plus Elephant rides." The circus will be at Roswell, Clovis, and Pampa in May. Link

Chuck Wagon Cook Off in Logan: Apr 26 at 8:00 AM – Apr 28 at 6:00 PM

 

Join us for a chuck wagon cook off & serve a meal of chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, rolls and fresh apple cobbler. Each wagon will prepare a meal utilizing the same ingredients, but using their own recipe. Each recipe will be judged in the competition. Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Rick Martin/Sharon Reid 575-487-2284 Link

Tucumcari Rawhide Days: First Weekend of May

 

Entertainment For The Whole Family. Live Music & Dancing, Motor-less Parade with a Longhorn Cattle Drive, Gunfighters, Chuck Wagons, Trick Roper, Longhorn Photo Op, Blacksmith Competition, Fine Metal Art Auction, Food, Vendors & Kid Games. Continued

Registration open for Second Annual Caprock Genealogy Conference

(KFDA) Registration is now open for the Second Annual Caprock Genealogy Conference, sponsored by the Amarillo, South Plains (Lubbock) and Hi-Plains (Plainview) Genealogical Societies.

The Caprock Genealogy Conference if for those new to genealogy as well as those who are long-time genealogists.
The conference aims to expand knowledge and methods of discovering one’s family roots and is for anyone interested in family history research. Continued