Sand everywhere!

We have a friend who lives on an RV ranch out in the desert near Deming, New Mexico.   Last time we visited he took us out in his ATV.   There was only one problem his ATV is for two people, him and his dog, but the ATV has a tray carrier at the back.

   

The original plan was that DB would sit in back and I’d share the seat with the dog.   Didn’t work, DB is too tall and wouldn’t fit.   Okay, that left me, so with a cushion to sit on and a step to climb in off we went.

    

Our first stop were some petroglyphs and grinding holes,

 

right near the entrance to the ranch, all you can see from the road are some rocks.   Among the petroglyphs are footprints and what looks like a river, or maybe it’s a snake?

A little further out in the desert we followed part of the old Butterfield Trail, the remains of Fort Cummings aren’t far away from the ranch.  

One trail out to the foot of the mountains we gave up on as we were fighting our way through the brush that had grown over the trail. 

We also stopped at a wooden marker erected by residents of the ranch that marks the gravesite of Private Charles Williams.   Eight miles west of Fort Cummings, Private Williams along with Private John M Kelley of the California Column, First Cavalry, Company C were attacked by Apache on 25 August 1866.

 

An Apache lance killed Private Williams instantly, even though he was wounded Private Kelley managed to escape. 

After that we wended our way back through the desert to the ranch.   When we arrived I looked like I’d been in a dust devil, dust absolutely was everywhere.   My sunglasses and eyelashes were coated with dust and my once black t-shirt had turned a dusty sort of grey.  

As he was inside the ATV DB fared much better than me and was only slightly dusty.   Dust aside, we had a blast, but if we ever do it again I want two cushions!!!

Have fun, we are!