Friends

One day in Williamsburg, I was in Maria's Restaurant at the same time as Rex and we struck up a conversation. I'd passed his house several times on my way between Albuquerque and Deming and the Mercedes 220 had caught my attention. He invited me to stop by anytime.

After retiring from teaching at a university, he'd taken up ranching. Eventually he'd succumbed to the drought but manages  to get by.

With Blue Dawg

Robin dated his son and during that time they'd become friends. Tired of living in the Northwest, she rented out her house and moved down to help out around the "ranch."

Their house is the only one on highway one between T or C and Socorro. They've shouldered the responsibility of assuring lost Easterners that T or C is just down the road, Socorro DOES exist and there's a freeway access ramp not too far in either direction. They've even saved a few as more than one foolhardy hiker has shown up without enough water.

Homeland Security

In Socorro, buying beer, the cashier asked to see some identification. Even after my hairy eyeball she, with the sweetness only a woman can conjure, informed my driver's license'ld expire in three days.

Thinking to avoid the long drive back, I took a number in Truth or Consequences. There, perhaps a projection, perhaps not, I worked to detect a hint of solace nestled in her comment: "We're Homeland Security Compliant." "Congratulations!" I rejoined. She followed it with a Teutonic-inflected, "Und your dokumentayshun ist INadeqvit!"

UPDATE 1/23/18 5:46 pm

I returned to ABQ, files, adequate documentation, and took a number at the nearest Albuquerque Motor Vehicle Division facility. 

The "helpful lady" circulating through the crowd said it was all about quelling terrorism. And her son is a Green Beret and he knows ALL about terrorists!!

Eventually, as with constipation, it came out in the end.