March 28, 2009 Saturday $30.00 Walmart, $25.00 gas, $5.00 ice cream cone, $5.00 worms, $5,00 campground

We left Pancho Villa State Park and headed to Deming. Saw a road runner bird when leaving the park.
Stopped at Walmart for supplies and started for Gila Cliff Dwellings.

Saw Black Canyon Reservoir and went in to check out possibly fishing. We stopped and asked someone about what fish were in there and what bait to use. He was very informative. Al said, "OK, we are going to get a fishing license and be back." He said, "When you get back, come and have a beer with us." We went to Mimbres to get a license but she didn't have any licenses to sell. So we headed on up.

Al had 2nd thoughts about fishing here because, one could park along the shore all night and there were some other RVs there. It seemed that every place we stopped, they were carrying out beer. He thought that since this was the week-end, there might be a big party there and he was curious of why these young guys wanted us to come back and have a beer with them.

Then we saw Lake Roberts and the desire to fish got stronger but we had no license. Stopped at another place to get a license and they didn't have one either. But they did tell us about fishing in the Gila River. He told us to go to the fork in the river and fishing was good there. He said the state had just stocked some Gila trout and they were big. He said that they were natural trout to this area and had been on the endangered species list. He said they are bronze with dark spots. They told us to drive farther up to "Doc's" and that he had licenses. So we continue on.

We are on mountain road where the speed limit is mostly 15 and 25mph because of the curves. It is paved but no shoulder.

We are now Gila National Forest. In just a short time, we have gone from the desert to the forest. We decide to stay in one of the campgrounds there. We see a man cleaning fish and another man carrying some fish. But the trout aren't very big. It is a Saturday so there are many families out here and cooking out. This campground was $5.00 with Golden Age Passport, no hook-ups.

There was a huge 40ft diesel motor home that came into campground. I could see the look in Al's eye. I said, "Why do you like those so much?" He said, "Oh, you know if we had lots of money or won the lottery, I would like one and then you could drive it." I said, "That is why you have what you have is because I drove the big one so much that I knew what I wanted in this one."