Sandia Crest

I had to work today, but Marcia and Kelly took the Tram up to Sandia Crest to view the world from two miles up. Kelly took lots of photos.





It was hot at the summit, but the adventurers took off to explore one of many mountain trails.


It's hard to believe, but there are sea fossils at the summit. They found these fossils on the trail.










When they returned, I took them out to Las Mañanitas for dinner. Kelly likes to preserve her meals for all posterity with her camera. Exhibit 1: Beef Enchiladas, New Mexican style (i.e., FLAT, not ROLLED). The two containers of condiments are chiles - red and green.


I borrowed Kelly's camera to shoot these.



Kelly leaves tomorrow. She's busy trying to cram everything in her duffle bag. I think I may be taking a trip to the Post Office tomorrow to mail a few things for her.

It will be lonely here without Kelly.

Pancakes & Rattlesnakes

I had a hankerin' for a heap of hotcakes at Old Town's Church Street Cafe this morning, so the three of us left the house shortly after 9. At that early hour, we had no trouble parking near the Plaza.

The Church Street Cafe is housed in the oldest building in Old Town, constructed in the early 18th century by the Ruiz family. The building remained in the family until 1991, when the last surviving family member died at 91. The hostess seated us in the patio, a delightful area in the back where we enjoyed blueberry pancakes, huevos rancheros and, to Kelly's satisfaction, OJ with plenty of pulp.




Of note was a stunning table and benches inlaid with beautiful tiles. I thought Judy might like to see this table, so here it is. And before I forget, Happy Birthday Judy!


The American International Rattlesnake Museum, located just a few blocks from the cafe, is home to the largest collection of live rattlesnakes in the world. While I'm neither ophidiophobic nor especially enamored with slithering reptiles, I admit sensing a palpable creepiness in being surrounded by dozens of venomous vipers, spiders, scorpions, and even a gila monster, though all were secured in sturdy glass enclosures. To be honest, I kept checking the floor and enclosure tops to make sure none had escaped. Nonetheless, the exhibition was pretty amazing, even if I had chills more than once. Kelly seemed fascinated by the poisonous creatures.


Kelly reprimanded me (and rightly so) for tapping on the glass. I just had to do it. Tsk, tsk...can't take me anywhere.

Kelly brushed up on her rattlesnake trivia. You just never know when you'll need to know snake facts.

On the way back to the car Marcia and Kelly checked out a 1926 Model T parked in the Plaza. It was one sweet ride, beautifully restored and spotless.


When I got home I took Murphy for a long walk along the ditch, where he happily swam and cooled off. I, on the other hand, became so overheated in the midday sun that I needed to place an emergency phone call to Marcia requesting a cold wet cloth and Gatorade, which she and Telly delivered to me in minutes. Though the ditch water looked therapeutically cooling, I'd rather collapse than immerse my body in a muddy arroyo. Blech.

It's summer and this is high desert country. One of these days I'm going to realize I'm not in Florida anymore, and dehydration happens quickly. Thankfully, I don't mind the taste of Gatorade.

A better way to keep cool: Tara's Organic Ice Cream. Check out the flavors. My new favorite flavor is White Pepper Chocolate Chip. My next adventure in frozen delights: Tara's Green Chile Ice Cream.

Lavender In The Village

Up early, we left the dogs behind and drove 5 minutes to the 4th Annual Lavender Festival. Celebrated at several locations in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, a lovely farm community nestled in Albuquerque's North Valley, we began our day at Los Poblanos, a historical estate that houses a beautiful inn, a Cultural Center, and an organic farm. The festival was about everything lavender. We ate organic lavender ice cream, purchased lavender soap and lotion, viewed fields of lavender, and watched children and adults creating dried lavender wands. Morning classes were offered in cooking with and growing lavender. Most wonderful, however, was wandering through gardens amongst peacocks, and walking around a lotus flower pond in full bloom. We even said hello to the chickens. Marcia bought organic strawberries and other fruits. Kelly had a chance to speak with Farmer Monte, who assured her that she could most likely begin working at the farm in a week. (!!)


This is actually a footbath in one of the gardens, so folks could stop and cool their feet. (I saw no one using it.)
These lotus flowers were enormous!
Our second stop, not far up the road, was the Village Green, where we enjoyed an excellent performance by the Watermelon Mountain Jug Band, a grower's market, tons of lavender products, booths occupied by neighborhood businesses, and food concessions offering delicious organic fare and other dishes. Especially delicious was the organic mint iced tea.



Hot and tired, we skipped the lavender sangria and lavender wine coolers at the two participating vineyards, and went home so the adults could nap and the teenager could ride her unicycle. As I close my eyes this evening, I can still smell the delicate scent of fresh lavender.

Debbie Does Dallas, But Kelly Does Santa Fe

Kelly and I left for Santa Fe, a 50 mile drive, shortly after noon. After a brief stop at Galerie Esteban in Santa Fe, we had lunch with Roseta Santiago at El Farol, the oldest cantina in Santa Fe. The burgers were great and the company even better.

After lunch we drove to the Plaza, where Kelly rode her unicycle up and down streets that were closed to traffic due to a concert on the Plaza Stage. She drew favorable comments from pedestrians and was pleased to be photographed by tourists. Kelly found the perfect sunglasses at the Dollar Store, and bought several pairs to coordinate with various outfits. The green ones looked especially interesting on her today.

Happy Camper

Kelly's iBook died the night before we left Florida, and I think a part of her died as well, considering the possibility of a long separation from her laptop. The next morning, Judy drove the ailing computer to Sarasota for emergency repairs at Computer Advantage. Cory, their personal computer angel, worked his magic with the broken machine. Not only did he repair it quickly, he shipped it to Kelly in Albuquerque, and it arrived before lunch today. Kelly bubbled with delight to have her beloved iBook in her hands again.

THANK YOU CORY!!!

Cuervo: A Ghost of a Town

The town of Cuervo, New Mexico dates back to around 1901, when the Southern Pacific Railroad pushed through Guadalupe County. Cuervo is the Spanish word for "crow," and the town's name probably came from nearby Cuervo Hill. Around 1910, the town began to grow when the land surrounding Cuervo was opened to cattle ranching, creating a land boom. When Route 66, the "Mother Road," came through Cuervo, the new highway created additional income opportunities with gas stations and hotels.


At its peak, Cuervo boasted two schools, two churches, two hotels and two doctors, along with numerous other businesses. In the 1930's, Cuervo reportedly had a population of almost 300. By the mid 1940's, however, it had already fallen to less than 150.


When I-40 came along, parts of Cuervo were literally buried as the superhighway cut a swath through the residential section of the town. Long dependent on travelers of the Mother Road, the town immediately began to die. Today the area still supports a handful of people, who live on the south side of I-40 and on outlying ranches.



After a brief stop in this deserted town, we made a beeline for Albuquerque, arriving mid-afternoon. Mesmerized by the spectacular vistas, Kelly was afraid to blink as we made our way over and through the mountains. In all honesty, I was dazzled by the visuals as well. I never tire of close encounters with mountains.

It's good to be home.

Conchas Lake

The 37 mile journey to Conchas Lake took us through the desert on a desolate, yet breathtakingly beautiful road. We saw only 4 cars along the way, with nary a billboard, gas station, house, or cell signal. It was definitely surreal, and almost creepy. As my pulse quickened, cattle grazing on the desert prairie reminded us we weren't completely alone.

Once at the lake, there were few signs of civilization, and still no cell signal. The only gas station in the tiny community dispensed Regular Unleaded at a whopping $3.49/gallon. A small sign at the side of the road announced the "next gas" could be found 72 miles ahead. I patted myself on the back for having the foresight to fill up in Tucumcari after breakfast.




Kelly was eager to go for a swim.


While she wandered along the shore, I studied the flora and fauna.



By midday we left Conchas Lake to explore Cuervo, a ghost town 25 miles away.

Tucumcari

Tucumcari (pronounced TOO-kum-kair-ee) is nestled on historic Route 66 in Northeast New Mexico. The origin of its name remains a mystery, though there are several theories and legends surrounding Tucumcari Mountain and the town itself. After a restful night, we awoke to cloudless skies and cool desert air. Built in 1939, the Blue Swallow Motel boasts the best neon in Tucumcari. Each room has it's own private garage, and the current owners, who bought the motel in 2005, have restored the Blue Swallow so well that I felt like I'd entered a time warp when I stepped into Room 10. Though cable TV is available in all the rooms, much appears as it might have half a century ago.





Kelly spent a lot of time in the Executive Business Center at the Blue Swallow.


Our room housed a tall Hogan Brevatherm short-wave unit that served as a TV stand, and an old telephone that actually worked.



We left Tucumcari mid-morning, bound for the Conchas Dam.