Last Rest Day In Carlsbad

Bob went out with Harley and Debby Ballard for a steak last night, and then was offered a bed at their house for the night.

The following morning, 21 November, Bob went with Harley to his Bus depot at 6.30........... he runs school buses, had a cup of coffee, and then borrowed his pickup to go and grain the horses. Jim Ballard came round about 8.30and took Bob to see the Carlsbad Caverns, which are actually in Whites City. The Caverns are spectacular and really massive, with stalactites and stalagmites and stretch for over 100 miles.........well worth a visit. They are situated up in the mountains. The boys had a bite to eat, and then Jim took him for a drive to recce his way over the next few days. They drove all the way to the Frijole Camp site, which was good, as it's very barren along this way, not many people living there, and water is in very short supply. Bob made a few adjustments to his plans.

That evening they had steak done on the B'que, and Bob again slept at Harley's house. I think he's glad of a bed when he can get them now, as the nights are so cold.

When Bob was riding from Artesia to Carlsbad, he couldn't find any water for the horses, and eventually stopped a water truck along the way, and they kindly let him have a couple of buckets. It's a good job he wasn't down this way in the Summer, else he would have really struggled.

Harley,Jim and your family...you have done a really great job of helping Bob, and we would both like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you so much.