John and I both thought long and hard, neither knowing why we had a complete lapse of memory regarding our trip to Roswell New Mexico.  Our pug KatieBug, if she had any idea, was keeping quiet.  If you saw Men in Black, you know those alien pugs can be picky about with whom they converse and often clam up without a reason.

Those few days back in May, we arrived in Roswell New Mexico, took pictures, filed them away and without out a backward glance, moving on to the next destination. Until we were forced to pause for weeks between the border of Oregon and California, sandwiched between devastating fires and over the top levels of hazardous smoke, needing a myriad of tweak’s and repairs to LilyPad, we blocked the experience from our minds.  Having indoor only time on our hands for days on end, giving our future planning mode a long continuous break, the Roswell encounter reappeared squawking for attention.

Why had our minds gone blank to the events our pictures were claiming had taken place in Roswell?  How did a small fraction of time disappear, taking our bodies along but blocking our minds, leaving memories blank?  KatieBug, our pug, mumbled something in her sleep about green aliens landing  behind our motorhome while we were parked at the Roswell Elks Lodge RV Park.  Of course, being a pug, she naturally had inside information but was refusing to talk.

Our site was minimally landscaped but with all the essentials necessary for a few days “let up” in our travel.  No more interesting than the drive to this stop, it was flat, empty of prominent mountainous protrusions of any sort and planted with a few scraggly trees.   Like the freeway drive here, you could see mile upon mile across the horizon.

Offering us a preview of our upcoming October Balloon festival trip, the RV park airspace displayed views of the local hot air balloons similar to those we will see in Albuquerque New Mexico.  I took pictures of a few, the outside silence temporarily interrupted by the swoosh sound given off by fuel forced flames and hot air flowing into the center of each balloon, lifting basket, body and balloon high into the sky. I have always been fascinated by multicolored orbs floating overhead.

A few passed within shouting distance of their occupants.  I waved.

I don’t think for one moment the reason for our memory lapse was being of vintage age and forgetful.  Everyone knows green aliens can wipe out your recollection, leaving you in query of events.  Alien intervention, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

We passed so many fun and fanciful interpretations of aliens along with a few grey metal flying saucer dotting the downtown streets.

Wandering around town, we strolled into a few of the eclectic tourist-trap shops promoting alien casual ware,

passing hotels prominently displaying those rarely seen in person little green men,

gas stations sporting flying saucers, roadside signs claiming “official” UFO stops

and the space ship designed Mickey D’s with a Jetson style galaxy mural painted on the building next door.

As the sun began to warm up the town, we headed for air conditioning and used our Groupon for entrance into the number one tourist destination, located on Main Street downtown, the International UFO Museum and Research Center.  Entering, we watched a video and strolled through the compact but well stockpiled museum of things UFO.

Food for thought, the video brought to mind questions from 1947 newspaper exploited claims of people involved being crazies.  Answers were provided by people interviewed, most were professionals, well educated and creepily well informed about government secrecy including having read paperwork and memo’s by government officials.  I exited the video unsure how I stood on the subject.

Technical machines from 1947 lined a wall, set up to look like a government office.  Aging myself again, they had the typewriter and rolling stand my high school supplied to students taking typing class.

There were several walls dedicated to photo’s of UFO sites, spaceships, newspaper articles and “proof” of extraterrestrials.

As one would expect, the museum offered a presentation of life size aliens and a spaceship complete with eerie otherworld sounds and coordinating flashing lights.

Interest drawing to an end, we exited after purchasing a tiny plastic green alien to hang from LilyPad’s front fan, hooked near the copper sun and plastic Chinese “luck” symbol.  Our length of time rolling in a motorhome has encouraged our acceptance of the tacky side of interior decorating.

Leaving the downtown area, we passed an alien driving a vintage western wagon, a fitting Texan ending to our Alien experience.

Back to the Lodge and our site, a long walk for KatieBug under a setting sun, dinner and sleep.

One last day, our only plans were to walk through Cahoon Park for a leisurely stroll with KatieBug.

Long stretches of walkways, continuing down several blocks, shaded by dense tree branches and, at the end, a peaceful miniature Japanese Water Garden.

Preparations for the next day included stocking up on groceries, programing both navigators for our morning exit and sleep.

This post is out of date succession because those darn little green aliens messed with our brains.  Next post will be from Santa Clara California.