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...

10/24/2014

Again and again I encounter strangers who touch my heart. These people bring my guard down and remind me that there is goodness in this world. In this day and age things move quickly, people are out to make big money, and conversations have become a sea of electronic acronyms. There are less dinner conversations and less time for meaningful human interaction.

My days of rest in Van Horn have replenished the resolve to make a difference in this world. Crystal and I were treated like royalty at the Hampton Inn Van Horn. Jessica the GM was so good to us. With a wonderful southern accent she would tell us, “Please let me know if you need anything.” They had everything we needed on a rest day; laundry room, plenty of food, and a bubbling Jacuzzi...

10/22/2014

Sleeping next to an old train station would be pretty cool if loud trains didn’t chug by during the night. The iron horses are so much louder when there aren’t competing sounds. Crystal and I were so exhausted from the previous day, there wasn’t much that could rouse us from slumber.

Dewdrops practically formed on my eyelashes on the grey overcast morning of day 53. A hot green tea with honey got me moving. The drink is packed with antioxidants and I like the way it tastes. I nudged Crystal to take to the streets with me. The abandoned shops lined both sides of the main strip with ghosts of a time past haunting every corner. We walked into an old shop which sold stones and gems. The lady there said the town was dead...