Return Trip May 9: White Sands, Black rocks, Brown River etc.

This has been a beautiful driving day!
Started out with White Sands National Monument, fine better-wear-your-sunglasses white sand dunes. The sand is cool to the touch and so fine, it is gypsum, it makes salt in your shaker look like rocks. The White Sands Missile Range is next door and before visiting the park one should check to make sure it isn't closed due to missile testing. The dunes are very entertaining.
We, Jack and I, visited Helen and her dogs today in the Village of Tularosa. Tularosa, I like to say that name, it is sylabically pleasing to say and hear and it represents a pleasing village. Helen lives in an endearing and appealing adobe home with wood and tile floors and 3 large pecan trees in the backyard (I wish I had not forgotten to take the pecans offered). I liked that house, I enjoyed the coffee and the visit, and Jack enjoyed the time with Shadow and Dexterous (I hope I got those names right). I liked the doors on that house too.
Stopped at the Valley of Fire, a park situated in the middle of an old lava flow. Black rocks with desert vegetation adding some green relief.
I wanted to find a place to get next to the Rio Grande so started down a paved road to a Game Refuge but the road turned to dirt and then got a bit rocky and rutted so I turned around and came back. Nearing the freeway I saw a man and woman trying to push their van unsuccessfully. I stopped to give them a jump start.
The rest of the day was spent driving thru lovely high desert scenery. The wind starts blowing about 10:30am and stays strong until sundown. Tried again down to the Rio Grande, closest I got was on a bridge going over it.