Set the alarm for 7:00, as Diane was leaving at 9:00 and we needed to be out before then. Just made coffee, then packed up everything and was ready to leave by just before 9:00. Said our good-byes and more apologies to Diane on our way out, and headed down to a farm up the road to pick up hay. We thought we were getting grass hay, but it turned out to be an alfalfa grass mix, which I'm sure the horses will love. Then we headed back to a gas station, having discovered the tires on the truck were a bit low (actually, WAY low), and we put in enough to get us down the highway to Belen, about 20 miles south, where we figured we could finish it off while we were dumping and getting gas, which we did (and they even had free air, as opposed to the first station where $1.00 got one tire filled). Then we stopped to fill up a propane bottle, grabbed a sandwich at a Subway in the Wal-mart before heading south, a bit later than we hoped but with still enough time to get to Roswell an hour before dark as we had planned. Had conflicting directions between Google Maps and Gracie (my Verizon GPS), but I stuck with Google Maps this time, which took us across one of the most desolate, empty areas we've ever been. I can understand why aliens would want to land near here, they were sure to be seen by very few people! Arrived at Bottomless Lake State Park right on schedule at 4:00, stopped by the office to pick up a map, then headed down to the Lea Lake Campground, which has about 5 sites set aside for equestrians, though there are no actual facilities here, and high lining was a challenge as all the "trees" are more like tall dry bushes which required some imagination to accomplish. It was more like a head-high picket line rather than a high line, but the horses as so accustomed to that now they were very cooperative. Managed to get set up, even the satellite dish, before it got too dark. Crashed for the evening, all the more fatigued after having such a stressful day yesterday.
