La Llorna Trail

November 6, 2013

Tuesday’s High			66
Tuesday’s Low			48
Days in Las Cruces			135
Steps/Miles walked June 2013(in Las Cruces)		73,509	36.8
Steps/Miles walked July 2013		215,276	107.64
Steps/Miles walked August 2013		217,546	108.77
Steps/Miles walked September 2013		251,186	125.6
Steps/Miles walked October 2013		300,043	150.0
Steps/Miles walked Tuesday		23,121	12.0
Total Steps/Miles walked in Las Cruces		1,119,077	559.5

Well, wouldja look at THAT! Up there ^^^, 2nd to last line of the table. I walked 23, 121 steps yesterday! But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday, Scott and I drove down to El Paso to check out a new shopping mall, The Fountains at Farah. We were specifically looking for a table cloth for Thanksgiving. We checked out something called “Home Store”, which is a branch of TJ Maxx, then stepped next door to Stein Mart. Nothing at either of those.

We walked down the mall about a quarter mile to Pier 1, and looked around. Got some nice ideas for decorations, but the one and only thing I wanted to buy… wasn’t for sale. They had these nice glass bowls on display, with “stuff” in them. They had the “stuff”, not the bowls.

From The Fountains, we drove further east to World Market. It being lunch time, we stopped in at Pei Wei, a place we’d never heard of before. Discovered that it’s owned by PF Chang! Had a delightful chicken dish!

Our GPS, by now, had told us that had arrived at “your destination on the right.” My how proud she was of herself! (The GPS has a woman’s voice, dontchaknow?) But, of course, there was no World Market to be found. There was a Lowe’s. There was a movie theater. There were hundreds of stores in the worst laid out conglomeration of strip malls you have EVER seen. But no sign of World Market! So, we drove around and in and out. If I’d had a tank I’d have driven over and under, but…

Finally we came around a bend and there it was. The World Market, nestled right in beside another Pier 1. So, we wandered around for a while, as it’s been a long time since we were in one. (The World Market closed in Omaha about 5 years or so ago.)

We found our table cloth, some napkins. A bottle of wine… who can resist a bottle of Dachshund Wine????? And a nice serving dish for turkeys! And now I know what else I want for Thanksgiving!

Coming home, we tried an alternate route. It’s a nice one, one that visitors to our home who need picked up at the airport will see! But, had we followed the way I wanted to try, I think we’d still be driving!

And still, all this does not account for but 8000 steps! We walked the girls. We watched some TV, and then, at 5:40 we set out for our adventure!

The La Llorna Trail begins near where we live. One has to drive toward Old Mesilla Town, turn onto Calle del Norte, and drive to the Rio Grande. You all know what is on the OTHER side of the Rio Grande, don’t you? You’re RIGHT, the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, and more of Mesilla! No, not Mexico… at least not up here. Down around El Paso, if you try to walk across the Rio, you get in really big trouble! Or shot.

Anyhow, when we get to the river, we drive onto the levee, then down to a little parking area cuddled right up to the bank of the river. We met several people from a new organization I joined called “Jornada Hiking & Outdoors Club”. Every Tuesday, they do what is called the “La Llorna trail stroll along the Rio Grande”. We walked almost exactly 7 miles, leaving the trail head at 6:30 or so, and returning at about 8:45 pm.

For the most part, we walked without flashlights, so we could see the stars. And such a beautiful night sky! I can’t wait to do this walk next summer! It was not too cold, though the wind picked up as neared the finish, a wind out of the north. By the time we reached the end of our trail, it was about a 15 mph wind (checked the weather report, so don’t know for sure.)

We ate PBJ, with delicious Gooseberry Preserves, courtesy of our friend, Tony, who sent us some bottles of it from Omaha! Yumm!

DAILY GRATITUDE

I’m grateful today for my legs. Yes, my legs. For the past week, my legs have been a bit tired. I wasn’t sure if last night’s hike was a smart thing or not. But this morning, my legs are still tired. But no more tired than before the hike! I’m grateful God has given me this new found love for walking and hiking. I’m glad this new found love has introduced me to new people!

PRAYER INTENTIONS

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11

I’m foregoing the “Prayer Intention tiles” that I have spoken of over the past weeks today.

Instead, I’m focusing my prayer request on God’s guidance. The verse I’ve quoted, Jer. 29:11, has spoken to me for over ten years, actually, since about the same time as I first heard of the Prayer of Jabez. I believe this. I have seen the fruits of this all these years in my life.

I’m hoping that one of two prospects pan out this week. It would entail taking on a management position in a retail setting, in three small stores nearby.