Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

What a delight! We had a private tour of the Bosque. I learned I will never be a "birder" but will always appreciate the great care that is put into refuges such as the Bosque del Apache. There were still numerous sandhill cranes and snow geese left to admire. What a wondrous place.

Elephant Butte State Park, South Monticello

Ann and Lyn had been here two years ago and had spotted an abandoned shack off in the distance. The shack had been pretty much wiped out but there were numerous rusted treasures our friend Ann coveted. She wanted to go again and see if the rusted bed springs were still there. They were. And we lugged them out of there and got them up on their Ford 250. Those rusted springs are on their way back to Santa Fe and a place in the garden on Spur Ranch Road.

On Elephant Butte Lake

We decide to rent a pontoon boat and take it out on Elephant Butte Lake for three hours. Ann takes the helm and leads us out. Then Claire takes over and Julie tries her hand at it, as well. The day is beautiful, the wind chilling us but the sun warming us up. Little did I know that I was getting a serious sun and wind burn. We are told that at the height of the season this lake and the state park host up to 700,000 people, making it the second largest city in New Mexico.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park

We have all gathered here. The park is huge and mostly empty. I couldn't bear to be here in the summer months when the place has hundreds of thousands of visitors. That does not appeal to me but for now being on the quiet water is lovely.

Elephant Butte State Park, New Mexico

We did not want to leave City of Rocks but needed to meet up with Lyn and Ann. We settled on a site overlooking Elephant Butte Lake. The temperature is in the high 70s. J is wearing shorts. There is a slight breeze and we anticipate a great dinner tonight with our friends, a roaring campfire, and a good bit of champagne to celebrate Ann’s birthday.

The day starts out warm. The sun is hot on Diana Rigg. Ann is having an azimuth moment trying to figure out how to get her satellite dish working on the Airstream. We hear a loud “Yessss” and know she got it up and running.

We get the dogs ready and all head out to walk down to the water. The lake has greatly receded and the “beach” is quite extensive. We will drive the truck way down on the beach tonight and have a campfire.

A side trip to the Marina is where I find this weak but open signal that gets me online. Julie and Ann go down to the marina. Ann longs for another houseboat like the one she and Lyn had on the Mississippi.

City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico

We came south on 180 out of Silver City and decided on a side trip to City of Rocks State Park.

The drive into the state park is long and straight through flat terrain and then on the horizon looms a giant version of Stonehenge – monoliths piled haphazardly out in the middle of nowhere.

Camping without water and electricity gives the camper an opportunity to pull their rigs or tents in-between the monster rocks and be hidden from other campers. It is our private camp. We hear nothing but wind and see nothing but eagles and hawks perched on top of the three/four story rocks and we share their expansive views in all directions. Each campsite is named for the star constellation the site faces.

This is a good site for walking well-groomed trails, for birding, and for mountain biking.
It is also a place to just relax and stare.

It was a treat to venture a few miles down the road from the State Park and visit with two old friends of J’s parents. He is 92, she 88. They live on 6700 acres of land that encompasses savannah, riparian, mountains and desert. They are spry, sharp, funny; they love the land and loath Bush. Our kind of people. Their place is full of peacocks, prize roosters, hens, cattle, horses, and dogs. The setting is sublime. He retired as a newspaper publisher at 62 and has been farming for the last 30 years, never stopping. They are slowly giving away their land to the state park system (City of Rocks) and environmental groups so that it will be preserved in perpetuity. Nice folks.

Caballo Lake State Park, New Mexico

It is a long drive from Santa Fe to Caballo Lake State Park, just south of Truth Or Consequences, NM. In February the unrelenting brown of the landscape and the high cross winds make the trip alternately boring and gripping.

Caballo Lake State Park offered respite. Our dog, Reno, isn't so sure.

We found a place along the Percha Creek amid salt cedar and mountains where we dry camped. Nobody else was there. Nice. The temperature was mild and since we had forgotten extra blankets we were sure we would make it through the night without having to turn the furnace on.

At 3:30 a.m. we were so chilled we turned the furnace on.

By sunrise the sky was pink and blue and gold and shone on the creek next to our campsite. Still quite cold but hot coffee and layers of clothes helped warm us up. Today we will take a side trip to Silver City and then check out other campgrounds in the area. Tomorrow Lyn and Ann come down from Santa Fe in their Airstream to join us for the week.

We decided to take a day trip to Silver City. The 75 mile ride through the Gila National Forest took two hours due to the 50 miles of hairpin turns that brought us down to 10 mph. We had no idea that we were entering into miles and miles of switchbacks but the long views were spectacular. We climbed 4000 feet to 8200 feet. Breaktaking!

We headed for the historic section of Silver City. Funky and sweet and a nice stop for us. We decided not to make the return trip through those hairpin turns and will head south towards Deming with an overnight stop at City of Rocks State Park.