Bottomless ... Lakes State Park, New Mexico

I blew a headlamp, again, and only another Prius driver can appreciate my unique anguish. A YouTube video suggested"Just pay $100 to have it changed. It will take hours, and you need tiny hands." He had a bad attitude.

It's easy. First, lay out a pair of rubber or nitrile gloves, your new headlight bulb (type 9003), and a screwdriver.

Ignore the screwdriver and rip the one remaining pin from your engine bib with your hands.

Remove the air "purifier." Squeeze your tiny hand behind the headlamp. Don't try to look. Just use the Force, Luke. Unsnap the connection. Open a beer.  Let it drop into the engine compartment. Curse mildly.

Smile at a kind offer of help, and continue. Unscrew the rubber boot and slip off. Slip off your other rubber boot and proceed barefoot. Pull out old bulb, scrutinize for broken filament, set on engine. Put on glove, open new bulb, set it next to old, identical bulb. Curse mildly. Call for another beer, sit down.

Hour 2:

Slip new (???) bulb into bulbhole, gently spin to seat. Reconnect to confirm bulb is working. Cheer. Disconnect, work boot back onto bulb chamber. Work boot back onto bulb chamber. Work boot back onto bulb chamber. Curse mildly. Call for new beer.

Evening:

Decide bulb is not seated. Reseat bulb. Reset spring. Reset spring. Curse. Apologize to large family walking past. Offer them all a beer.

Work boot back onto bulb chamber. Work boot ... SUCCEED! Reconnect.

Morning:

Phone Toyota dealership, beg them to take $100.


We spent three nights at Brantley Lake State Park.

We drove to Carlsbad Caverns to find that Texas was occupying it. When we saw the ticket line, we couldn't remember which of us had wanted to be there.

Vermont Chris traveled this way, and so I got to hang with her for a while.


On to Bottomless Lakes.

Today was the UFO Museum. The Truth is Out There®

Authentic replicas of possible likenesses of putative aliens.

Roswell humor:

Not "autopsy," necropsy. I could no longer take this exhibit seriously. 

I have the feeling I meant to tell you something. I must have been neuralized.

Alamogordo to Carlsbad, New Mexico - Brantley Lake State Park and Guadalupe National Park

I got dozy, so I pulled over in Hope, New Mexico.

Buses are welcome in Alice's Treasure Box.

This just seemed like too much Americana in this iconic place not to photograph.

Still too much Americana.

I spent the night before in Brantley Lake State Park. It was my intention to boondock down by the water, but I felt especially tired and dry-camping suddenly felt like work. Electricity and water near the toilet? $4? Sold. It's a comfortable park; the only downside I could detect was the drifty smell from Artesia. 

After Carlsbad Caverns, I drove on to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas to spend the night. The campsites are only parking spaces, but, for the view of El Capitan? All is forgiven. $4/ night with National Parks annual pass. 

Nope.          Nope.
Nope.                   Nope.

That was then, and now I just left Rockhound State Park. Found no rocks I needed to hound - just a nice, easy trail and terrific views of the basin.

 

Next ... maybe a fast trip to Flagstaff to see some cousins? Maybe I should check with them first? Nah - they love it when I walk right in without warning.