Jan 4

Today's entertainment is counting traincars en locs.  So far we had 97 cars, three locs; 84 double high cars, four locs; just now, one with 140 cars (some empty) and four locs, followed by a four loc with 113 double cars. We're wondering how many of the containers are empty - but Opa Henk is sure those locs can pull all those cars over the Guadalupe mountains, no problem.
Since Carlsbad we have had some awesome terrain. Some mountain right there, buttes maybe, hard to tell from the road. Then the Guadalupe Mountains, with formations we don't see in the East. The high point at the pass was 5695 ft! To our surprise, since we were in New Mexico, there was snow in all the nooks and crannies where the sun doesn't reach. After a pretty steep descent we drove through salt flats, with tufts of grass, a few cows, and later a few abandoned tiny dwellings. And snow in the nooks and crannies. When dusk was setting in we narrowed in on another bit of hills/mountains, and because we didn't know how steep or curvy, we drove on to El Paso first and made dinner later, at a !guess!! yes, WalMart parking lot. Then on to a pleasant RV park in Las Cruces.
This morning Opa Henk's vacation was over. We had an extra hour thanks to the mountain time zone, and while he worked on his computer we leasurely breakfasted and showered. We were still on the road by 9:30. We're in arid country, with dry grass, tumbleweed, fewer and fewer short shrub/trees and yuccas. And snow in the, yes. But it's by no means boring. There is a railroad alongside the road, hence the entertainment; and it's a large flat area, surrounded on all sides at the horizon by beautiful mountains. Rounded ones, pointy, flat topped, ragged; low, high, multiple layers fading to blue in the distance, the taller ones with a definite white cast on the north side.  Great cellphone and MiFi reception due to cell towers on various tops. The continental divide is here someplace too.
Almost in Arizona, which will be our 15st state. There's a different plant all over, maybe sage brush? and hardly anything else. With snow in, uhhuh.