Hobbs ShakeDown journey

On Monday, March 11, I started out on a shakedown trip on good ole Henry David. It took an extraordinary amount of time to pack it up---I have yet to weigh all my gear. Hobbs is 70 miles from Carlsbad and you pass through oil and mining country. There is a slight elevation change--300-500 ft over about 50 miles. The last 15-20 or so seem fairly flat. The scenery at this time of year is dry and a bit drab. The county burned quite a bit of brush last fall to reduce water consumption. The weather was gentle on the way to Hobbs with a very light tailwind. On the way back home, there was a strong crosswind, hitting me broadside, for about the first 15 miles. I thought, "OK, I'm just gonna suck it up and then take a nice long shower, drink coffee and cream, and cuddle up in a blanket when I get home. I can do this!" But blessings abound! The wind changed speed and direction and gave me another light tailwind. I wanna write on my cycle: "May you be blessed with tailwinds!"
As always, I try to be observant, at least during Part of the ride. When I'm not jammin' to my ipod or Pandora! Even then, I try to notice and appreciate what is going on around me. So, here are some delightful events. For me, anyway.
On the way to Hobbs, about 20 miles from destination, I stopped HD (my trike) to stretch my legs. A good Samaritan in a bright yellow van stopped to make sure I was OK. We had a brief conversation and we shared a little about ourselves. He is a salesman from El Paso and was on his way to Lubbock, TX. He sells Nopalina, a fiber drink mix made from flax seed, oat and wheat bran, cactus leaves, and some fruit extracts. He handed me about 15-20 packets of the stuff and I shoved them in every little corner of my cargo hold that wasn't already packed. I told him how to make flaxseed crackers. (In fact, this morning, I opened 4 of his packets, added flaxseed, dried tomatoes, and water--let it soak all day and then blended it to break up the tomatoes. Now the mix is spread on a dehydrator tray and I will have some tomato nopalina crackers tomorrow!). Anyway, this kind man's name is Cesar Chavez. No southwestern resident is unfamiliar with that name---he was a famous farmer, laborer, and activist who helped create the National Farm Workers Association. Anyway, this is not the same man, lol, but a decent person just the same. So. If you get some nopalina mix (think--tastes like metamucil--yeck), think of this wonderful man who stopped to help a stranger. If you don't like the taste, make crackers!!
While in Hobbs, a good friend came to join me for dinner and we went to a cycle shop. While the owner and his wife did not have what I needed (elastic mesh), we had a delightful conversation about cycling. He had recently purchased for his wife a top-o-the-line Schwinn, cost 8 grand. I picked it up with one hand and raised it overhead. It was an engineering masterpiece and I wanted to jump on and give it a spin. But I refrained. Steven's Auto and Cycle shop, I believe, is the name of the business. The owners said they would keep me in their prayers. For this I am truly grateful. I send them goodness.
Now, on the way home, I had some more fun. This is what I see.
There are a lot of truckers out here. This is a lonely desert area. Miles between cities. Truckers and oil workers dominate the roads. It's a somewhat lonely life. Truckers note what is going on out there.  When I drive through town, I am fairly ignored. Well, not entirely. HD is a sight--not like a regular cycle. But, out on the road, truckers wave, honk, give me a thumbs up. It is an instant link--travelers on the road: the lonely, beautiful road. It makes us family. It is heartwarming.
A train track paralleled the road and, lo and behold, a lovely train from the mines rolled by. I stopped the cycle to take photos, as this is another part of the southwest. Mines, ranches, oil, and trains. It is a part of Americana. If you drive a car, eat food, and buy anything at all, you better appreciate the above list. Anyhoo---as I was taking photos, the train approached and the conductor waved out the window, sticking his head out a bit so I could capture him. Then we gave each other the thumbs up. It was a bit far away and I haven't harnessed the power of my camera, but I will try to at least get the train on the site.
There is a bar/restaurant halfway between Hobbs and Carlsbad. In fact, it is called The Halfway Bar & Grill. I stopped on the way to Hobbs and got a drink, used the privy, and texted kids to let them know where I was. On the way back, I stopped again and the lady that works the bar/restaurant greeted me with a big smile, recognizing me from the day before. She excitedly told me that a man stopped in yesterday after I left, asking if I'd been there and when she said yes, he wanted to know if I was married as he needed a woman "to spend [his] money on"!!
This is how this affected me:  there is a kismet on the road among travelers. These truckers, miners, oil workers work incredibly long hours. They make good money but often don't have time to develop personal relationships outside of their jobs. Seeing other travelers on the road give them a feeling of knowingness. They want to help each other, when there is a need. I was touched by his interest--not because he was actually interested in "me", it's just that he wanted to reach out to another person who might understand the lonely, yet often friendly, life that we all lead. We are all in this world together, yet we are also alone in our deepest thoughts and fears and hopes and dreams.
Here is to all you people out there. May we be One and yet Many.