Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

Lately, horses have been of interest.

She had a good experience at a life-coaching facility that has horses. The time had come.

Las Cruces & Socorro

La Quinta Inn & Suites Las Cruces Organ Mountains $76.00/night incl taxes.

Smog

Breakfast at Indulgence: Michelle's blintzes were good, my egg and sausage were mediocre. The biscuit was good.

Michelle's enchiladas at El Camino in Soccoro tasted like dog biscuits. My fish "fillet" and burger were about what you'd expect. After 10 years of driving past wondering, I now know. 

We've yet to try Leo's Bakery's doughnuts. Mediocre as it's been, it was filling. 

Best Western: $175.00! It was all that was available during Balloon Fiesta.

Pelican Spa

Surfing for accomodations, Michelle found Pelican Spa for $55/night through Booking .com.

The room is small, but the colorful decor lend a delightfully frollicing, dare I say, gaiety, to the ambience. (Surmisal suggests T or C has the highest LGBTQRS+ folks anywhere outside The Bay Area.)

The bathroom light turns the purple to pink!

Turquoise sheets!

Michelle's Photo

The Fridge

Out on the street, there's construction. The name & logo on this porta-potty could only be in The West.

My Gallery

Across the street is one of 14 super-computers in the U.S. I tried to intetesr them in my national, juried show of digital art (c. 1993) likely the first in the country, but couldn't get past the receptionist.

One of the few times I was thwarted in my endeavors.

Accordion Repairs

I had bought the accordion less than two weeks earlier from Tony Tomei. Throughout, he emphasized I was getting a $600.00 dollar instrument for $450.00. In addition, I got an hour and twenty minute lesson and a beginners book on how to play. 

The strap on the side with the bass buttons was frayed, but Tony said he'd sell me a new one for $30.00 and put it on for free...presumably sometime in the near future. Ten days later the strap was hanging by a couple of threads, but when I passed through Los Alamos Tony wasn't home. 

When I contacted The Accordion Club in Albuquerque they referred me to Luis Jaramillo.

I thought I'd have to leave the instrument with him, but he assured me he'd have it ready the day after next when I planned to leave. But neither of us expected to find that all the black keys were close to falling off. In addition to fixing them he crafted a new strap and repaired a "foot" of one of the white keys that fell off while he was making the other repairs.

He has the black key that fell off in his hand.

Leo Garcia - Abiquiu

At Abiquiu I met Leo Garcia, nephew of Jackie Suazo. He's had his gallery for 33 years and has a couple of pieces signed by Georgia O'Keefe. 

He's holding a book written by his dad about he and a brother, Jackie Suazo, who was adopted by Georgia and worked for her death in 1986.

Leo's uncle is in his eighties and in poor health, but the book contains stories of Leo's dad and Jackie's experiences with Georgia; well worth the $20.00.

Leo's gallery is a half-block off the plaza.

Only $18.66 from Amazon.

The Abiquiu Artists' Studio Tour is usually the 2nd weekend in October.

Chama River

Cibola National Forest was closed but I called the main office and was told there are only four enforcement officers for the entire forest; so I risked it.

There's a secluded spot overlooking the river where, if I put Phoebe behind the junipers, she can't be seen from the road.

 

Tony Tomei & The Continental

On my way out of town, the thought occurred to see if Tony Tomei, master rebuilder of accordions, was still alive. When we'd last spoken, about two years ago, he'd recently had heart bypass surgery and didn't sound as if he was gonna make it.

After a complimentary lesson of an hour and twenty minutes, getting my new beginners' book on how to play signed, I strolled out to Phoebe with this splendid Italian-made Continental (with a case) tucked under my arm.

RaaaaWWWWRRRR!!!

En Route To Los Alamos

The plan was to spend the two weeks before the urology appointment going over the mountain from Jemez Springs to Los Alamos, down the other side to Espanola and thence to Taos...and back. But the Santa Fe Forest was closed due to the extreme fire danger. 

Having gotten to Jemez Springs before discovering the forest was closed and it being too far to go back, I continued on toward Los Alamos.

As I went past I noticed the "teeth."

Unsure of what I'd seen, I made a u-ee....and discovered.

Sawtooth Mountains

It was out in the wilds somewhere where there was a place with the same name as several others ...Loon Lake or some such.

He was complaining about how annoying it is to discover there's a Loon Lake around every corner....and god nose where else.

But these are completely different from the Sawteeth in Idaho.

Yuh gotta get yer steps in in the morning cuz by 10a.m. it's too hot to do more than lie around waiting for the heat to abate. Then you get an hour of spectacle.

Morning light

Eagle Springs

The incontinence pads do double duty as sun blocks.

Threatening To Rain

 I was able to count all seven of the drops.

Once out by the actual wtilderness, there aren't many places to camp. I commandeered the far corner of this trailhead parking lot.

Out the other way

Everyone loves a rainbow

The spritz

Ojito Anticline

The White Ridge Bike Trails run atop the sides and and into the surrounding desert. There're hoodoos, the "hogbacks" (see: https://newmexnomad.blogspot.com/2022/05/ojito-hogbacks.html?m=1 and other interesting formations.

Ojito Hogbacks

 

They're just west of the anticline and the White Ridge Bike Trails trailhead.

Cake!

May 17th, 2022.....with Ms. Cook. 

The white in the left eye

 is scar tissue;

it's blind.

Roadside Cut Near The Tunnels

For the record....

May 5th I camped below The Tunnels on a small cut above the road overlooking the old mill site. I spent the day exploring 290 out beyond Ponderosa Winery with no luck finding a campsite.

Kristen suggested the Tunnels road which I KNEW had to be traveled WAY beyond The Tunnels to be able to camp, but this short (small) cut appeared across from the Giant Red Wall.

That woman's amazing!

Return to Ojito

There's just no comparison to being "out" somewhere where there aren't early-starters going by either dragging some huge "house" behind them or warming up their engines before embarking in a modest rig like mine. 

Linda Vista Campground

I can also enjoy missing the happy yammering of the walkers as they take their dawg(s)-- or themselves -- out for its/their morning constitutional.

Quieter Than Their Keepers

And I HAVE to appreciate the additional lack of the hum, however discreet, of the generator across the way (from that 30' Bounder) that you KNOW is keeping them feeling "just like home" with their  microwave, toaster and/or tv..... likely all at the same time.

Yes, I felt the need of a ready source of water to swab myself down after a night of lying, well, one SIDE of me lying, in my own pee and the Campground provided that.

But over the course of three days, we got the systems worked out and can now self-satisfiedly return to the peace and quiet of DRY (non pee-soaked) dispersed living.

As the lady said, "Old age ain't for sissies." "I'm in trouble," I rejoined.

I may be a sissy, but by god I'm an effing *resourceful* sissy!

And thank you David for helping defray the cost of the incontinence pads, diapers and Paw Pads (puppy training pads) that made up the major portion of my efforts at coping.

Sounds of Spring

Wrangling the incontinence, I went to the Linda Vista Campground on New Mexico highway 4 where I knew I'd have a water supply for cleaning up and washing soiled clothes.

The cottonwoods had just leafed out. That's the Jemez River. 

Journey's Place

I blogged about them when they 1st started. Back then it was hit or miss as to whether they'd be open. 

Although I forgot to ask if they're keeping regular hours, they've been there the last few times I've gone by.

Take the Escondida Exit off Interstate 25 about 2 miles north of Socorro. Follow the road to the east through the ninety-degree turn to the north and go about three quarters of a mile...on your left at: 34.1172493, -106.8960556

She takes your order at the window on the far right (behind post)

and calls you when it's ready. Cash only.

 

Seating

Profile

I had the breakfast burrito with red chili chorizo. Superb!

Hear the cranes near the beginning?