Moo to you, dear reader. This is northern New Mexico, hours from our destination of Gila, off in the southwestern corner of the state. A place neither of us had ever visited, so, when pondering this year’s road trip, we easily settled on it.
Heat signatures and west we go towards Silver City.
The desert is far more pronounced than our region of the divide.
The landscape more jagged and toothsome.
On this trip, we learned all about the existence of sky islands, where desert ascends into pine forest. Oh, wondrous altitude! That glorious view from on high was wildly scented of resinous vanilla and parched earth. Good glory…
Here, and the photo above, we are gazing east from the Gila Wilderness, south of Truth or Consequences.
Tailings from the Chino Mine and most gigantic dump truck extraordinaire doing the work of organizing the landscape.
Our stay, four bumpy miles along a rugged road from Gila. We’ll spend three nights in this quiet paradise.
The Juper-dog…
…and what she saw. Bands of regal Gambel quail dashing purposefully toward an abundance of seed.
Up close and personal. So handsome!
Light form Swainson Hawk (yes?) silently diving and soaring, a daily gift from above.
Wisdom and peace come when you start living the life the creator intended for you.
Geronimo
We stayed in Apache Country, and this humble mesa was once the refuge of Geronimo. How about that?!
As we are often prone to do on remote journeys, we bought ample provisions at the nearest grocer (45 minutes away) and settled in. Cereal; ham, cucumber, and cream cheese for sandwiches; radish and lettuce for salad, and cold brew coffee on repeat.
Our phones stashed, a television we never turned on, we listened to nothing but the occasional wind and the chirrup of birds. We took many short walks and a few longer hikes, spying an incredible number of wildflowers in full bloom (their own post to come). We read and window gazed and napped and cuddled.
sycamore
Just across from this majestic tree lay a clutch of mesquite in flower, so very alive with bees. Riotous and whispering like a gaggle of gossips!
wet and dry and mossy
Our fantastic and generous hosts provided fresh, local eggs, a loaf of homemade bread, and a colorful bowl of fruit.
Come evening, we slipped into the hot tub, and when cloud-free, gazed upon a shooting star or two, countless satellites, and a million visible stellar neighbors. When it was windless, we failed to recall a more quiet place in all our travels.
Historic interlude: The book on the arm of the chair above was a collection of old and new photos of New Mexico, and this one in particular (from the late 1800s), is very meaningful to me. In this church, Santa Cruz de la Canada, in 1743, and well before the independence of these United States in which I live, my many times Great Grandparents, Olaya Xiron and Valentine de la Cerda (guess what day he was born?), were married. My heart…
The church, though altered, still stands, and I have visited it, but never been inside.
Such a wonderful assortment of birds: a myriad of hummers, hawks, crows, chickadees, sparrows, finches, cardinals, scrub jays, doves, orioles, the quails, and more I cannot recall.
It was perfect, and we could not have asked for more.
Next stop, Tucson!
