June 14, 2016 … leaving Elk City, Oklahoma, for Tucumcari, New Mexico, continuing west on I-40. Another beautiful day, and the land continues flat topped by so much sky!
The Texas border …. I-40 goes right through the narrow top part of the state. We decided to go straight through and not to stop this trip.
More of the same, as far as the eye can see … sky is getting a little ominous …
Suddenly windmills!! On all sides.
Interesting building. Silo? Farm? No idea.
Little church with a giant cross
Near Exit 105 …
Suddenly, we were passing a CAFO – (Confined Animal Feeding Operation). The close-packed thousands of cows went on and on and on … It took many minutes to pass it, but it was on the left side and these are the best pictures I could capture at 55 mph. Just sooo many sad black-&-white cows squashed together on bare ground under the hot sun. Their stress was palpable even as we rode by.
Right beyond the CAFO, we passed fields with actual grass and relatively few cows grazing. It makes me wonder if these are part of the same operation – I suppose these are the lucky “grass-fed” cows. Or do they give all of them a turn at the grass and call them all grass-fed? Forgive the cynicism, but it was quite a shock to actually see such an operation.
Leaving Texas … I’m sure there is much to see and do there, but it will have to wait for another day.
