the 3rd

65 and a caboose! We're in Carlsbad, New Mexico, at Walmart and that's how long the train was that passed across the road. Opa and Elliot counted together and were very impressed. It's finally almost pleasant outside, in the sunshine we can do without a jacket for a bit.
The unanimous consensus about staying in Lubbock was: half a day. We got there at 3:30, couldn't connect with Opa's old friend, sent mommy and Opa in the Prius to the local Walmart for swim outfits, and went for a nice swim before dinner in the campground indoor heated pool. Mommy cooked, Oma did laundry and Opa put glue on the crack in the PVC pipe.This morning we went for an even nicer, longer swim. Then Opa put the Prius back on the dolly and topped up the propane, and by 11:30 we were on the road again.
From Lubbock we took rte 62, southwesterly, into New Mexico  (mountain time), back into Texas (tiny piece of central time), on our way to rte 10 and El Paso (mountain time). Maybe on to Las Cruces in New Mexico. Right now we're in Carlsbad. No, we're not visiting the caverns, we've already done caverns in Virginia - Opa and I will see them another time, I guess. So far the landscape has been flat, flat, and flatter, with occasional short scrubby trees in the brown grass. Occasional oil pumps; cotton fields, cotton bales, and cotton machines; what looks like small refineries; and our first salt flat. Many signs with "potash" on them. Different kinds of salts! Other than more salt flats there should be desert landscapes and also some mountain. The tail end of the Rockies maybe?
The kids are pretty well adjusted to RV travel by now. They play some Nintendo, do puzzles, draw and write journals, enjoy their dolly and lego heros, and when the afternoon wears on, they watch a DVD on the portable player. There is not much arguing - could be a lot worse!