New Mexico 2013 Part 2

Slicing all the way down the length of New Mexico runs a mighty river. It becomes the border for a huge section of our country once it leaves New Mexico and enters Texas. The Rio Grande is a truly grand river.

I look down at the water and contemplate how many people will swim across it looking for a better life. I contemplate how many tons of drugs will be ferried across it. I contemplate how many millions of dollars will go the other way across the same river. A hundred years ago I would have contemplated how the hell to get from one side to the other.

The John Dunn bridge provides a majestic crossing. You might recognize this bridge.

They call Montana Big Sky Country. New Mexico has seriously big sky. It is always seriously blue. Bluer than any sky I have ever seen.

Before we went to the hot springs at Ojo Caliente Jonathan and I took a hike. We hiked to some old mines up in the BLM lands.

Mica was the target here. Everything glittered with mica dust in the area.

The hike was nice, but the objective was to take in a soak.

For thousands of years people have been taking in the waters of Ojo Caliente (the 'hot eyes' for you unwilling to take in Spanish). It is said that the hot springs was a neutral zone for all the Indian tribes of the region. I doubt it, but it makes for a good story.

The Spa has been making many improvements over the past few years. A couple of the springs still flow directly out of the ground as they used to.

The Soda Spring is a very peaceful space.

... or it was until our group showed up.

The Arsenic Pool was only 104 degrees. It has been loosing a degree or two for a while now. I still like this one even though it no longer the hottest. I like to go from here...

... to here. The main pool is only 88. Then repeat, and repeat again.

We usually avoid San Diego, I mean LA, I mean Santa Fe. It is a cool place to visit, but it has become very California. Every time we come here a song pops into my head. Take a moment and take in the Boys. I suggest reading on while you listen.

Governors Square has some great architecture. Great shopping, too, if you're into that kind of thing.

Not one square edge. I like that.

Every place you look is a photo in New Mexico.

The graveyard of Madrid (mad rid, not ma drid) was revisited.

I want a fence like this around my grave if I am laid to rest. 

Why is Mr. Flores watching me? He looks pissed even though I swept the leaves off of his grave. 

I sure do like seeing my wife smile like that. Once this is our home I think she will smile a lot more.

I admire the early folks who settled this land. What it must have taken to build this coke plant out in the middle of the desert. 

The kilns are all that remain of a once prosperous community. Man comes, he goes. The land always remains.  Mother Nature always reclaims hers.

In the last hour of our visit, we had a mission to accomplish. We needed to restock for the year. That is our half bushel of extra hot Hatch chiles before the roasting.

We found just the right place...

This was a popular spot at Montgomery and Wyoming in Albuquerque. 

Fire-roasted goodness! 

See the two big bisected circles at the bottom? Each one is centered in a section. Do you know what a section is? 650 acres. Kansas has some seriously big farms. I wonder where all the water comes from.

All good things always come to an end. I wish this good thing had never come to an end. I already long to return to the land of enchantment.