Welcome to Las Cruces, NM

You may remember the Road Runner cartoon.

And Sesame Street's Big Bird.

Well, here's another famous bird that you won't see on Saturday morning TV.

On Interstate 10 east bound In a rest area on the south side of I-10, just west of Las Cruces and just east of the Picacho Ave. exit, between mileposts 134 and 135. Only accessible from the eastbound lanes.

A giant, bigger than life, Road Runner sculpture made from recycled trash

watches over Las Cruces, NM.

Many people have stopped at the rest stop and were amazed at what the sculpture is made of.  However many more people are not able to travel to the site to see for themselves.  So with the use of modern technology (not really, just a Canon T5 Rebel camera and a 300mm telephoto lens), I've taken a few close ups for those that can't make the trip to get a little closer view.

Starting at the head.

If you look close you can see many tennis shoes that have met their match.

In the body you can see computer parts that have computed where to go when they can no longer compute.

Also you can see crutches that have helped their former owners back to health so are no longer needed.

They are now helping to hold this statue together.

Bicycle handle bars with the hand brakes still attached.

An old belt that couldn't hold up those over sized jeans anymore.

And all the way down to the tail, a spatula that could't flip one more pancake.

BX electrical cable and even Aladdin's Lamp.

It's good that these objects have been given a new lease on life and have a purpose of enhancing our travel with beauty and awe and not being buried in a land field.  They also make us think about how disposable our society has become not only with objects but also with people.

If you get the opportunity, stop by and see what other objects you can see in the sculpture.

If you can't stop by, just look closely at these pictures and see what else you can find.

For more information on the sculpture look here.

And as always stay safe and...

Happy travels,

Leonard

Postcrossing

Wanna make friends around the world?

Try

find out more here

What is Postcrossing?

The goal of this project is to allow anyone to send and receive postcards from all over the world!

The idea is simple: for each postcard you send, you will receive one back from a random postcrosser from somewhere in the world.

Why?

Simply because, like its founder, there are lots of people who like to receive real mail.

Receiving postcards from different places in the world (many of which you probably have never heard of!) can turn your mailbox into a box of surprises — and who wouldn't like that?

Is Postcrossing safe?

Your personal data, including your address, is important to you (and to Postcrossing), so  Postcrossing was designed to be safe and work hard to protect you and your data.

find out more here

So, you can leave the country

without leaving your computer!

And as always stay safe and...

Happy travels,

Leonard

About the Bus

I have been working on my second bus conversion since 2012.  I have been living and traveling in it since 2014.  People always compliment on the outside and seem to wonder what's on the inside. In today's world it's understandable why people don't ask to see the inside.  Even though I'm still tweaking it, I'd welcome anyone who wanted to see the inside.

The bus in 2012 when I got it

The bus in 2014 when I moved into it.

But for those who don't happen to be where I am when I am, to see more of the work that actually went into building it,  I'm working on a website to detail the process. The website is See Inside The Bus.com. The website is still under construction but some of the details are viewable now.  To get a preview of what will be there you can see some at Instructables.com. 

I hope you enjoy the mini tour.

And as always stay safe and...

Happy travels,

Leonard

On the Road Again

Roving Craft Shop

EASY (Like A Sunday Morning!)

Is on the move again.  And this time the craft shop is in operation.  I'll be making crafts and personalized gifts wherever I stop.  I'll also be teaching free craft lessons.  Imagine not just ordering that special coffee mug for your loved one but actually making it yourself.  That will add just that special touch to your gift.  I will keep you posted where I am.  If you are in the area you can come out and take a free class.  If you're not in the area you will be able to order custom made items on the internet and I will ship them to you wherever you are (currently only in the US).  

For more information visit Roving Craft Shop

Safe Travels and Happy Crafting

Leonard & Easy
leonardsteward.com

A Future Homeowner

Here's a future Habitat home owner and her children standing in what will soon be her living-room.

Below is her own personal ground breaking ceremony!

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What's scarier than a woman with a gun?

A woman with a nail gun!

Way to go Joan!

More pictures

The Original Snowbirds?

Well we got a dusting of snow about the same time as the rest of the country. This was the scene here in Altamont, Kansas the day after the first snow of 2014.

Are these the original snowbirds?

Big Brutus

One of the first couples I met here in Kansas said, "If you're visiting the area, you've got to see BIG BRUTUS".  My first thought was, 'Whose Big Brutus?'

Brutus of the Popeye The Sailor comics.

If you're a former viewer of Popeye The Sailor cartoons you may remember Popeye's arch enemy, Brutus.  Brutus was definitely big.  He was bigger than Popeye and Olive Oyl together.

Popeye and Olive Oyl.

A Saturday off seemed like a good time to search out this Brutus fellow.  I Googled it and got non definitive directions to the place.  Seriously!  Under the link, "Where is Big Brutus" the directions were, "Located 6 Miles West of K7 & K102 Jct. & 1/4 Mile South Near West Mineral, Kansas."  How was I supposed to enter that into my GPS?

Then I figured that if this guy was as big they say, I shouldn't have too much trouble finding him.  And I didn't!  The question shouldn't have been, "Who was Big Brutus?"  It should have been, "What was Big Brutus?"  As I set out in search of this Brutus fellow I set my GPS for the town of West Mineral, KS.  

And lo and behold, while I was yet two and a half road miles away, there he arose on the landscape looming over the horizon.  Had to be at least two miles as the crow flies.

Big Brutus off in the distance.

I stopped in the middle of the road to capture this.  Continuing on to the Big Brutus Museum I watched as he grew larger and larger.  

Big Brutus watching over the  museum.

Pulling into the museum parking lot you can see Big Brutus looking over the museum roof line.  And yet he's still about a quarter mile hike behind the building.

Big Brutus is billed as the largest electric shovel in the world.  Pictures can describe Brutus better than I ever could.

This is the electric cable used to power the big fellow.

You can just about see two people approaching Brutus.
Shows how small they are or how large he is.

• Bucyrus Erie model 1850B
• largest electric shovel in the world
• 16 stories tall (160 feet)
• weight 11 million pounds
• boom 150 feet long
• dipper capacity 90 cu. yds (by heaping, 150 tons 
• — enough to fill three railroad cars.)
• maximum speed .22 MPH
• cost $6.5 million (in 1962)

Find out more about Big Brutus on his website at http://www.bigbrutus.org/.

Here they are walking by one of the tracks.
The tracks are taller than a tall person.

Here's a man standing in the shovel.

Here's me standing next to the shovel.

Standing under the back looking straight up.
Looks like there is a walkway at the top.

Standing under the boom.

Underneath Big Brutus.

Interesting fact about the tracks.

Could call him "Big Foot".

The inside is full of portals like being in a submarine.

Many of these portals lead into unlit caverns.
Wonder if there are lost souls in there?

Panoramic view of the motor and gear room.

Apparently you could go out onto the boom at one time.

Looking down.

I wonder if that little block is a wheel chock?

The dragline.

Three head drill bit.

Dragline engine room.

The drivers seat.

View from the drivers seat.

Inside the museum.

RV hookups.

You can camp here with water and electric hookups for $15/day.  There are showers and restrooms available while the museum is open.

RV hookups.

If you're traveling through south east Kansas, Big Brutus is an interesting spot to see.

Where will I be next weekend?  Won't know until then.  You can follow my entire school bus conversion and my travels at leonardsteward.com.

Thanks for looking,

Leonard