10-25-2014
We stayed in Van Horn for an extra day in anticipation of Crystal’s care package. I had a creeping feeling that waiting for the package would bear no fruit. Small town post offices always take an extra day. FedEx and UPS have made small adjustments in efficiency and built their fortunes on perfecting logistics. When I run on the roads, even in the most remote areas, FedEx and UPS trucks are there. When they pass, I sit and wonder how often do the trucks make these out of the way deliveries. Trails once blazed by riders that carried mail, stage coaches that carried settlers, and the first trains that carried everything else are now blazed by fuel efficient FedEx trucks.
While I ran I noticed that the grasshoppers were back. I thought I had left them back in Arizona but there were plenty. Green hoppers, brown hoppers, and black ones jumped back and forth on my path. After making my way past several squashed snakes I wondered if they were trying to eat the grasshoppers. Otherwise there is no reason for them to cross the hwy, especially since they feel the vibration on the ground. I didn’t run too far on day 54 due to yet another late start. There wasn’t a firm destination which awaited. We decided to camp out by a picnic area. I took a shower with a liter of bottled water. It was a close to being with nature as one could feel. Festive Mexican music made it’s way to my ears. Less than a mile away people were dancing at a farm fiesta. I knew this because earlier a kind husband and wife stopped to see if Crystal needed help. The water and night air cooled my skin and cleared away my aches. I looked up to see thousands of sparkling diamonds strewn across the dark expanse of the cosmos. Crystal and I stared in awe at the vast night sky.
Through the night the sporadic train would rumble by . It was nothing new, just like late starts. The factors working against me are time zones and fatigue. It is only with rest that my body agrees to perform. The old 90 Hwy took me to Marfa Prada. It was a small building on the side of the hwy with an art display that consisted of Prada bags and shoes. Things like this always bring bodies, even if they just stop to look for a moment. What were the artists saying with this piece. Well, As I approached the building I saw something of a little commotion. To my surprise, Crystal was there telling the crowd about our mission. Some of the visitors had just finished running the Marathon Tx. marathon. So they were all kind enough to reach into their pockets and donate. The crowd vanished into thin air and so did we. A few miles down the road we reached Valentine. The population was 217 but I didn’t see more than three people. The movie Giant was filmed there and Marfa. I had heard a lot about Marfa but up till that moment I hadn’t heard of Valentine. Another casualty of the almighty interstate.
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