Chama, NM -- home of the blown tire

Today is my rest day -- the first in 15 days. It wasn't planned that way, but I'll take it. Chama is off the route about 15 miles, and is just at the Colorado border. Here's how I got here:

I was telling everyone that my goal right now was to get through New Mexico. And, yesterday I got across the line and was all fired up. Not a mile later there's this huge BANG and my back tire is fishtailing all over the road. Turns out that the side of the tire got damaged somehow (probably cut on a rock) and the whole side was blown out. I tried patching it with some special patches I had for just that sort of thing, but the blown out spot was too big. So, I patched it up as best I could, put 15 pounds of pressure in it, and started walking. Eventually, a filmmaker fellow I met before the tire blew (whole other story) picked me up and drove me into Chama.

Tomorrow the tire will be here (overnighted from Madison) and I'll be back on the road. Until then, I've been hanging out at an RV park across the way from some retired folks named Ray and Ann from San Antonio.

Anyway, the first goal is done. Now it's Roosville or bust, baby.

NOTE: every person I told the blown tire story to told me that they told me to bring an extra tire along. I don't remember anyone telling me such a thing.