Journey Day 496 | CDT Day 159

11/20/87

Granola, then off for Pietown. Warm quickly, down to shorts and t-shirt. A couple vehicles, another cowboy with a trailer disbelieves me walking. One break, just before the 36 intersection, three miles to town. The Datils looming larger. Allegre Mountain too.

The Datils loomed larger. Allegre Mountain too.

Meet Mark Devlin, he passes with bad brakes. He comes back and we knock off six Coronas in the road. Good b.s. session. He's fried, bad wreck.

I drank Corona beers on the roadwalk into Pietown.

Get's cold, beer's gone, we part. Into town. Lester comes out, I walk in, find his pad. He has food waiting. I munch with a Miller, then shower. A tour of the park, the town's minimal development. An overgrown ball field, wood pile. Pop, writer Milan Kozak, come and go. We talk the Gila, etc. Go to cafe, where his wife of 35 years has a divorce settlement. Indian family, laborer with a bad back complete cast in the cafe. Ice cream, java. Back to Lester's house, we get ready and head to Jonay's bar in Quemado. Gas up, head in, Paul of the highway department joins us for beer, stays for hours. Others in and out, keep the beers coming.

Sheridan, woodcutting Mexican and semi-literate worker come in. Apparent kin, win at pool, pee on the floor. Jonay makes them clean up. Get drunk, talk with everyone, including two Mexican chicks. We b.s. with Chicago archeologist with power company laying line. Look at Jonays' wild find. Talk with forest firefighter, interesting work.

Place clears out, we drive home. I knock off Oreos, fall down stairs, luckily only bruised. Crash after opening boxes.