This afternoon, we returned from Colorado.

July 3. We left thinking that we would possibly reach Clayton, New Mexico, for our overnight stay. However, due to a little late start because of a QuikTrip gas up, a return home for a forgotten item, and thunderstorms, we recognized early on that Clayton was a dream.

Just before we left we received a call from the Waldrons. They were returning from Colorado where second daughter, Emily, was playing in a softball tournament. We maintained some contact with them as we headed for each other. Somewhere before our arrival in Amarillo, but after Clarendon, and they were in Raton, New Mexico, the two travel groups settled on Dalhart as a hook-up locale. The Comfort Inn was chosen and we secured room #43 and they, # 42. I had no idea how to punctuate that last sentence.

We visited late. We hit Sonic late as they turned out the lights for the night just before delivering our route 44's. Their children and ours gathered in #43 for t.v. and talking and jumping. The older crowd, including their oldest daughter, Abbie, lingered in #42. We decided to visit McDonalds in the morning together before we took it north and they, home. Again, a punctuation problem.

I believe that we visited the McDonalds in Dalhart during a trial combination psychology/nutrition exercise. About thirty patrons, including the eleven of us, were subjected to a thirty minute sausage biscuit/egg mcmuffin/hotcakes test of the wills. Would they give in and give us our food before we succumbed and blew up the place? We won. We outlasted them so they were forced to hand over the order.

Our goal for the evening of the 4th was to hit Ouray, Colorado, to see the downhill jeep parade. Leslie and I, along with a young Caleb, caught this spectacle by surprise several years ago.

We didn't make it.