Yesterday the skyline was sharply etched in blue; today it's gray behind a haze of desert dust. With winds gusting to 40 and beyond, it was stay-in weather. For today's images I offer three photo studies: (1) Mesilla's religious history portrayed in the historic church and an alleyway shrine; (2) some of my local purchases … Continue reading 1-18-19 →

I was headed to Albertson's for a few groceries late this afternoon. There's something  compelling about the Organ Mountains - or any desert mountain horizon - contrasted against a brilliant blue sky. It compelled me to keep driving, about 10 extra miles into the foothills. Last hour of afternoon light, nearly-full moon rising, and surprising … Continue reading 1-17-19 →

Today was another work day, so I'll borrow from tomorrow. I finally got to spend some daylight hours in Mesilla, the nearby town with both Mexican and American roots and 150+ years of history. I enjoyed lunch al fresco (finally!) on the patio at Josefina's Gate, then wandered a half-dozen shops including this densely packed … Continue reading 1-16-19 →

Another laptop day, and lots of business and projects to catch up on. Extended writing gets postponed to complete an annual review, prepare a presentation, plan a conference. Tyranny of the urgent strikes again, but is put in perspective by peace, humor, and a broader worldview. Peace...in this doorway to nowhere - and everywhere. Humor...in … Continue reading 1-15-19 →

A laptop day. Visually uninspiring, so I present as assortment of wonders from our weekend adventure: (1) and (2) "Residents" of downtown Hatch. Don't ask, I don't have the answers. (3) Also in Hatch - again, don't ask, just enjoy.  (4) From Chloride ghost town, for anyone who remembers prank phone calls (Prince Albert, the … Continue reading 1-14-19 →

Despite the ongoing government shutdown, we drove up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. No easy feat - 120 miles, well over 6 hours, hundreds of thousands of acres of emptiness. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt the dwellings are a protected national monument. Thanks to Aldo Leopold they're surrounded by America's first designated wilderness area and an … Continue reading 1-13-19 →

True to form, we took the longest possible route to our ultimate destination of Silver City, NM. But really, who doesn't want to visit a ghost town named Chloride? We stayed at Bear Mountain Lodge (discovered through chance and Expedia), nearly unoccupied this time of year but still serving up beautiful rooms, a cozy main … Continue reading 1-12-19 →

Since we basically worked all day, I use this extra day to describe our weekend of adventure! Our road trip began in the sleepy farm town of Hatch, home of the famous Hatch chile along with numerous other oddities. We visited a half dozen stands and shops. We bought silly tourist trinkets. We learned how … Continue reading 1-11-19 →

Two very local experiences tonight! We spontaneously decided to go for a soak - 70 miles away in Truth or Consequences, NM. We fueled up first at Lotaburger, an iconic local fast food joint with really, really good green chile cheeseburgers. An hour of desert night driving landed us at Riverbend, one of nine hot … Continue reading 1-10-19 →

We returned to Mesilla for another excellent dinner, this time at the Double Eagle restaurant. Built in 1849, the building began as a private home and after witnessing plenty of Wild West history, eventually became a restaurant. It even has ghosts! We ate casual fare in the central courtyard beneath a glowing tree made entirely … Continue reading 1-9-19 →

My lifelong friend Tina is here to spend a few days! She's been camping in the Southwest this winter with her trusty RV and her best buddy Izzy. During the weekdays she forces me to have structure while she works remotely 9-5 as a travel agent. Over the weekend we'll no doubt find something crazy … Continue reading 1-8-19 →

Phil invited me (in writing) to do as much cleaning as I like in preparation for his first official VRBO customers, who arrive right after I leave. This is, of course, a little bit of heaven for me - arranging with an eye to what a visitor might need.  (Also a great procrastinating tool.) I've … Continue reading 1-7-19 →

I'm working on getting settled in Phil's spacious vacation rental. He teaches and lives in eastern New Mexico and has been developing this place as a VRBO property and future home. Forties-era adobe style, it has arched doors and stuccoed walls and tiled floors and added rooms and a courtyard - total hacienda! I spent … Continue reading 1-6-19 →

The village of Mesilla is a living history museum of New Mexico's origins. The site of Billy the Kid's trail and a major stop on the Butterfield Stage line, it has a classic plaza with a still-active adobe church that dates back to 1855. It's also home to great restaurants! This week I tried La … Continue reading 1-5-19 →

I'll be in Las Cruces for nearly three weeks, staying in my friend Phil's rental home. He was here to greet me and show me around for a couple days, starting with a hike to Dripping Springs in the Organ Mountains. Three miles into the foothills led to fresh water and the site of a … Continue reading 1-4-19 →

Barely an hour out of Las Vegas I noticed this little church, which led me off I-25, which led me on a winding frontage road, which led to this bit of Santa Fe Trail history. What motivates this love of exploring back roads? Past Santa Fe, I diverted again in search of Tent Rocks National … Continue reading 1-3-19 →

Viva Las Vegas! (In this case Las Vegas, New Mexico.) I spent the morning with Ryley and Jadyn, then stopped in Denver to share a HuHot lunch with Luke. (This is how family should be!) I headed south through Colorado, over Raton Pass, and into Las Vegas for the night. Being in New Mexico means … Continue reading 1-2-19 →

Happy New Year! It's that time for fresh beginnings, resolutions, and renewed commitments. Actually, I didn't formally adopt any of these for 2019. This sabbatical year in particular, I've already set more goals than I can reach - and January seems more a continuation of the journey than a time for starting over. However, I … Continue reading 1-1-19 →

A family bonus for New Year's Eve: my New York niece Jordan and her husband came out West to visit his family and spend 24 hours with us. We made the most of their visit with a New Years Eve fondue and entertaining game of Fishbowl. Lots of lazy hours and brunch the next morning … Continue reading 12-31-18 →

We love the New Year's Twilight Zone marathon! Well, some of us - my nephews Ryley and Jadyn are in the TZ camp. We watch for favorite episodes while doing jigsaw puzzles (well, two of us - Ryley is not in the puzzle camp). But he is firmly in the Monopoly camp - we always … Continue reading 12-30-18 →