[Healeys] On the Road to Conclave (Day 6)

[BJ8 Healeys]

Hello, Healeyphiles -

Our stop for Thursday night, Artesia, New Mexico, appears to be situated on the western shore of a large underground lake of oil.  There are hundreds of oil wells pumping away in the scrubby desert on the east side of town, but none at all on the west.  
Artesia's business district has been spiffed up and looks nice.  There is a very interesting (and huge) bronze sculpture in the middle of town that shows a gang working on an oil derrick floor.  Plaques scattered around the sculpture plaza 
describe the history of oil exploration in New Mexico and explains what is going on on the derrick.   The residential part of town that we saw suggests that the living out there ain't easy.
During dinner, a boy about 11 or 12 asked if we owned those "cool cars".  We took him out and made some photographs of him in the driver's seat.  His face stayed lit up in a wide grin the whole time, so maybe we have added another to the "Future 50".

>From Artesia, we proceeded to the very end of US82 at Alamogordo, site of the explosion of the first atomic bomb.  The drive was through the Guadalupe Mountains.  Overcast skies kept the temperature very cool and pleasant.  The Healeys generated a lot of interest and admiring words at our rest stop in the mountains.
>From Alamogordo we took US54 for the run down to El Paso, Texas.  Just before we reached El Paso, George's car was struck by DLRS again.  The bad rotor only made it 300 miles before failing.  At this rate, George is going to need a truckload of rotors to get home.  He found what he thinks is an original rotor in his parts supply, though, so maybe that one will last.

The only other problem of the day was discovered when we arrived at the next night's stop, Lordsburg, New Mexico.  We found that our reservations at the Holiday Inn were no longer valid because the property had been sold and the new owners had no record of them.  A a couple of aggravated calls to Holiday Inn's Priority Club number and minutes of waiting on hold finally got the issues resolved.  

Happy Healeying!

Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
AHCA National Delegate