New Mexico

A real entrepreneur is somebody who has no safety net underneath them.
- Henry Kravis

Social Safety Nets are non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level.

There are twenty one churches listed in Tucumcari plus a CAA Program Center:

Safety nets are vital for every person in different ways at some point in time. With that statement I like to imagine that this family has created a private little safety net for themselves each night in their home:

If I were a kid in Tucumcari, I would choose this bench in the Original Park to be my quiet safety net from “life” if I had a tough day.

Speaking of being a kid, I woke up this morning to more snow than in Albuquerque. It was wonderful and I took a long walk after I made three snowballs and threw them at a post. Missed all three times – but it was still fun.

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“The City is dying…No new businesses are being allowed to come in….”
- Waitress at a restaurant along Route 66.

She went on to say the city needs larger businesses to receive the permission to come into Tucumcari. They are not getting this. In my words, she went on to say how the city needs work; the city needs to come alive. I decided to take a look at the city – as always, what I do is not in depth, just observation.

This just happened recently: http://www.cnjonline.com/news/big-37230-country-tucumcari.html

As I am finding in small cities, there are different style homes right next to each other: There were many that were boarded or in dilapidated condition with looks of repairs in progress. Others were in fine condition. For whatever reasons which I am not bothering to analyze, I was moved to tears as I saw homes boarded up – it is hard enough to see small businesses boarded up when you try to envision the hope and happiness felt by families in first moving into a home or owning a store. People need work to build and expand; people need to supply all those people with the materials to build; people need to create the items to be sold – we used to learn all about this in what was called, “Geography” – learning about states, areas and what was produced.

I am going for a walk – 48 degrees – feels like 32 degrees or less. Rain/snow expected tomorrow. Yesterday was warm enough not to need a jacket.

Overheard a man talking to his friend, that he was in shorts and a shirt as he played golf on Saturday and then he went on to say: “Golf is a stupid game, but I love it.” I liked that.

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“Larger than a hill smaller than a mountain.”
- Meaning of Spanish word ‘cerro’. Great description for Tucumcari.

This site will talk you into visiting here: Tucumcari

If you like Jimmy Driftwood, than this is a must song called: Tucumcari. Truly, I never heard of Jimmy before today.

I started early driving and arrived at 10:30. We had a thirty minute delay due to an accident about an hour outside of Tucumcari. This was my view during that time.

The motel said I could not check in until 2:00 pm. So I went to get breakfast and ask about a Coyote Calling Contest being held today. No one knew. I went to the gas station, and someone said that sounds like a college event. I went to check out the newspaper and the Saturday edition had not arrived; comes out twice a week.
I was directed to Route 66 and was told the Community College was right there by eleventh street. I stopped by the Buckaroo Motel first for further directions.

He said right nearby on the other side of the street. All I saw was Radio Shack and it was closed – looked like for good.

As I was leaving the parking lot I saw several cars turning down a street and I followed with my car windows opened. I heard loud cheering so I knew I had found the Contest.

Parked, looked around my car for a tape recorder, and then hurried into the park.

Turned out to be a girl’s softball game between Tuc and Cap – both short names for the cities. I stayed as I love baseball. Sorry to say when I did leave Tuc was 10 points behind but they have just joined the league. Amazing how fast the girls can pitch the ball! Both sides were trying to end the game quickly.

I found the community college. A young lady where I ate breakfast said that this was a great college and helped kids get ready for the colleges and universities in other cities. She said it was really a vocational prep college and that she went there for two years and is now commuting an hour and a half each day to go to nursing school.
I asked her what was the best thing about living in Tuc and she said the Community College. I asked her the worse thing and not surprising she said it was boring. Nothing for kids to do and most of them when they leave high school, leave town.

While on Route 66, I took pictures of used to be hot spots.
Here are a couple.

Eventually I found the Community College:



I never found the Coyote Contest – maybe it was at the
Senior Center.

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