DAY 120: HOBBS, NEW MEXICO - SEMINOLE, TEXAS

Please say HELLO to Dave. Dave, Jeremiah, and I shared last evening at the RV Park. Dave kept the RUM & COKES coming as we related life-time stories huddled around the Mesquite Fire-In-The-Pot.

Early this morning, I left for my first walk before anyone else was showing their face. About two hours later, walking East on US 180 - already back in TEXAS and having crossed into the Central Time Zone, Dave pulls up beside me, offering a ride back to the RV Park.

After explaining my walk program, I had to decline Dave's offer. He drove off, only to return 15 minutes later with a chronological series of events/places up ahead. He again drove off, but came back one more time to check if I needed anything and invited me to lunch with him when I finally walked back to SPIA.

I finally returned at 1:30 pm and waited until nearly 2:30 for Dave, but he never showed. So, I said my goodbyes to Greta - RV Park Manager - and Jeremiah.

Sorry, Dave...was really looking forward to lunching with you, but it was getting late and I still had 3 more hours of walking to do.



US 180 leaving HOBBS - the ultimate "oil" town...looking East.

HOBBS is only 3 miles from the Texas border.

I lost most of my pictures today as the camera was not focusing properly...in retrospect, I believe it was all my fault. My eye glasses darken in the Sun light and in bright light as we had most of today - it was overcast in the early morning -, I cannot see the image in the camera without taking off my glasses...very difficult while trying to walk. I believe I must stop, take off my glasses, find my object, hold the shutter button only half way down to allow the camera to properly focus - especially in the intense lighting - and only THEN, depress the shutter.

Some pics turned out OK, but I lost nearly 3/4 of them as they were out of focus.

HESS OIL is a big player out here. This is a HESS "welcome" sign to the town of SEMINOLE, TEXAS.

Most may know, but for those who do not, the Seminole was a large Native American (Indian) tribe in Florida. The Seminole were fierce and fought to defend themselves and their land against the White Man. When finally defeated, the entire tribe was rounded up and transported to the Far West...at the time the Far West was Oklahoma Territory. There is also a town SEMINOLE in the State of Oklahoma, as well as this town of SEMINOLE, TEXAS, where SPIA, SAM & ME are spending the night in the parking lot of Wal*Mart.

As an historical note of interest, many who followed my Blogs of last Summer know that the North Central Indians of Oregon also fought with a vengeance to keep the White Man away. They, too, were sent to the East...and were mostly split up into non-family groups to really put an end to the Tribe. Today, descendants are trickling back to Oregon, their ancestral home.

This Castle-like home is along side US 180 near SEMINOLE, TEXAS.

A "Sprinkler" irrigation system for a grove of Nut trees - next to the Castle-like home -

One of the most efficient systems I have seen adapted for orchards.

Many Texas ranchers along US 180 are using large Rotary Sprinkler Systems such as in the above photograph.

The water is "sprayed" onto the plants from the many sprinkler-head suspended from the RED color pipes hanging down from the main overhead pipe. This puts the water directly on the crop. A good deal of evaporation occurs from spraying - a fine "mist" really, but much more conservative of water than the "flooding" method we so often see; i.e., Siphon Pipes drawing water from open irrigation canals or ditches.

On the above two photographs, the Rotary Irrigation system is "anchored" to one spot and the entire machine rotates around the central feed pipe. The machine travels in a circle on tractor-like tires. Looking closely, one can see the small electric motor between the two wheels. Some Rotary Systems have as many as 15 or more sections, reaching vast distances from the anchor point. From a Commercial Jet at 36,000 feet, one can see hundreds of round fields on the surface of the United States. Each of those circles is one of the above Rotary Irrigation Systems doing its thing.

A Business - closed today, Sunday - along US 180, supporting the irrigation systems for the ranchers.


The flag was most impressive and very large. Took three pics of the flag...all out of focus.

According to HESS' Welcoming Sign, SEMINOLE is the #1 oil producing region...of where, HESS does not say. The landscape is dotted with hundreds of Oil Wells being drilled or Oil Pumps drawing oil out of the ground.

At shallower depths, the ranchers drill for water. The above photograph is of a Water Well Drilling Operation...it is much smaller (shorter) than oil drilling towers.

This is a HESS Oil Well PUMP. HESS has dozens of such pumps near SEMINOLE, TEXAS. That Preying Mantis-like head moves up and down about 15 feet, drawing oil out of the ground 15 feet at each stroke. Many Oil Pumps deposit their oil in oil tanks along side the well.

HESS, on the other hand, apparently feeds the oil directly into underground pipes...in the far distance I could see large oil tanks, but too far away to photograph with my zoom lens.

HESS has a sign to keep visitors away from their pumps...it says: CAUTION - POISON GAS.

DAILY REPORT: Walked two sessions today for a total of 32 miles.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 32 miles @ $0.02 per mile - $0.64 for the day.

Gonna get to sleep early this evening...sun is about to set & will try to get a good photo. In the morning, will walk East...still on US 180 toward the town of LAMESA, 40 miles away...do not feel I am up to 40 miles at the moment...but then, who knows until one tries.

From LAMESA, TEXAS, we will turn South East on US 87 to the town of BIG SPRING, TEXAS, which is 44 miles South East of LAMESA.