In New Mexico

Right now we are in Hanover, NM. I recently finished my dinner of chips and salsa, a salad, chowder and spinach lasagna. YUM! All of this from a lovely woman named Pat. She is my hero of the day. From fellow cyclists I had learned about a website for cyclists called warmshowers.com. Hanover looked like a good final destination so I contacted this stranger and she has graciously welcomed us into her home. She even provided a trailer with two beds, HEAT!, a shower, toilet and so much delicious food. She's wonderful.

I cannot express the fullness of my gratitude for all the people that have hosted us.

Last night we camped at 6300 feet in January. For dinner we ate a can of Dinty Moore canned stew which we heated over our campfire. For the rest of the night we played cards (you would have been proud of me Grandma!) and attempted to keep warm. We weren't very successful at the latter part. Yesterday we climbed and climbed and climbed.

The previous day we biked from Globe, AZ to Safford, AZ. After learning that we were lucky we weren't attacked by local javelinas we climbed again and were stopped by a couple of flat tires. Once we reached Safford we stopped at the local bike shop to get new inner tubes which is where we met a guy named Mons Larson. While my Dad was shopping, I called some local motels to check on the availability. The guy at the Econo Lodge answered by saying, "Quit calling, we don't have any rooms!" Mons informed us that they are building a new copper mine in the area and that miners and construction workers have been living in the hotels. Mons could sense that we were feeling homeless so he invited us to camp on the property where he and his parents have homes. Once we reached their land, we were welcomed in, fed dinner, provided with a bed and warm showers and good conversation. They even trusted us enough to leave us alone while they attended a meeting at their LDS church! What a lovely family. I'm so thankful for the generosity and kindness they showed us during our unexpected visit.

Peace and love.