Happy New Years!

      This old car has sat up on this hill for as long as I remember.  It is here for one more new year as I am so we might as well ring it in together!  It sits above High Rolls.... Happy 2010 and here is to a great new year.  I have had a great time with this blog and so enjoyed being able to bring you a glimpse of my world.  I cannot wait to see what I uncover next twelve months.  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.  I will talk to all of you next year!

Old Wooten New Mexico

     On highway 82 east of High Rolls and Mountain Park is Old Wooten.  I have no idea it's origin, but will try and find out what the history could be here.  I imagine it is railroads.  

Not much left, just this scattering of buildings, a business or two and perhaps a home tucked in the canyon.

If anyone knows more, please leave a comment!

Ski Cloudcroft

One more snowman for our collection.

The ski area in Cloudcroft is the Southermost ski area in the United States, and is up and running this year. It has been in existance since 1963, but does not open every year. This year has been good already for the ski areas and the first time it has opened since 2005.

I remember hot chocolate here as a kid when we would come up intertubing.

Christmas in Alamogordo

                               This is one of my favorite displays that is up every year.  I love the Peanuts!

These are the last photos from my old camera and therefore not the best, but you can see the luminarias mixed in with the lights.

                                             Close up of the luminarias.  These are the traditional ones, made with brown paper bags, dirt and a votive candle.  They cast such a soft and welcoming glow ~ the night recedes just a bit while they flicker and light the paths and outline homes and churches, neighborhoods and creches.

Even this truck got into the spirit!

                                                                      

One of those days

     Well, my broad hints paid off and I received a camera for Christmas!  I have been limping along these past few months with a VERY old digital camera that was many generations ago... and it sucked batteries like no ones business!  I also managed to come down with a wicked cold for the holidays so not much action here.   This is the weather we have been experiencing,  cold at sunrise and nippy the rest of the day...

I took these facing west at sunrise, It always amazes me how the birds space themselves on the wires.  Like they know the personal space of the one next to them and do not get too close.

The cats have another way to deal with the cold, find a sunbeam.

                                

Feliz Navidad

    Aaahhh, Christmas at last!   These are the state cookie of New Mexico made by yours truly.  Biscochitos.  They are similar to a short bread with anise.  The village of Tularosa sets out lots of luminarias and gives out these cookies to the carloads of people who come to enjoy the lights.  I will post the photos of the lights also later... that was last night.  Today was bright and clear.

This was my Christmas scene. 

That is Sierra Blanca in the background.

Sacred to the Mescalero Apaches.

                                                                 Merry Christmas!!!!

A light dusting of dust

And what a lovely picture he paints... I know it is Christmas, but I wanted to toss this in to remind you all that we ARE in the desert and we refer to the dust as ENCHANTMENT.....  He goes out and rolls like a buffalo, clouds of dust kicking up... he is black by the way....

Not impressed being the subject.  Off to find fresh dirt...

Merry Christmas EVE!!

Christmas tree ornaments

Some ornaments with the traditional southwestern motif (including child made from a desert gourd).

and not so traditional...

And I love those homemade ornaments!

Can you tell this one's from the 60s?
 
And this boot from the 50s.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Every ornament has a memory attached and takes one back to the years when they were made.
 

And finally the eclectic ones bring laughs and memories.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

JM

Sierra, Sands, Starlight, Yucca

The old Sierra Theater.  It was in use all through my high school years, it had the large stage with the red velvet draping and curtains.  It had a balcony that we liked.  Once the mall opened and the multi-plex was invented these went dorment.  Not all bad, as we never got first run movies.  I think maybe Jaws or Star Wars, but not right away.....but sooner than most that we got to view. 

Now it is the Flickenger center for the performing arts.  They have many different types of entertainment and are a cause worth supporting!

This was the Sands theater, literally a couple of doors down and across the street from the Sierra.  It is much smaller and hasn't retained it's history.  I recently saw a row of the theater seats sitting out on the side of the building.  Sad.  It is a local broadcast station now.  At least it hasn't been torn down.  Besides these two we had two drive-in movie theaters, my favorites.  The one north of town was called the Yucca and the one west of town was called the Starlight and that is the one I remember going to as a child.  I remember having a station wagon full of brothers and sisters and brown grocery bags of popcorn that my mom made.  The movie I distinctly remember is the Henry Fonda and Lucy movie- Yours Mine and ours.  The Starlight stayed open much later than the Yucca as I also went to see movies throughout high school.  Now an empty lot...

Red Rooster Drive In

     Another blast from the past!  In the 1960's and before, I am sure...this was a drive in.  Reminds me of Al's on Happy Days.  It was called the Red Rooster and the sign was shaped like a rooster.  I remember booths around the inside and sitting there getting a hot chocolate once. 

It is a thrift store now, and the rooster, alas gone.

UPDATE~  Found this old photo of the Red Rooster!

Let it Snow

More snow pics!  We had severe winds yesterday, very unusual for us in winter, but it crippled the mountains and left them without power.  They had 2 1/2 feet already then 60mph winds come along and it was not pretty.  Trees in the power lines and frantic texts for propane heaters and generators from friends that needed them. 

This is the Founders park with snow still falling!  We got more snow in one fell swoop than we have in the past several years combined!

I was trying to get the water tower but it didn't show up, only the railroad crossing.....

Events in the area

This time of year brings brings opportunities to visit local venues. Friday night was the Second Annual White Sands National Monument Holiday Open House. The walls of the parking lot area and visitor center buildings were decorated with luminarias.  It was a treat to see luminarias early in the season and these were the real thing, set up and lit by La Luz 4-H mbembers.

Los Guapos provided msic for the evening and a story time was held for children.

The museum book store was open as was the gift shop. On the patio good food and friendly people welcomed the guests. The posole, jerky, pancakes, candy and chips and salsa were samples of some of the food items offered in the gift shop. With the temperatures in the 20s, hot coffee and cider were very much enjoyed by all of us who braved the cold..

Today Chris Turri held his Third Annual Studio Open House.  Chris is a La Luz artist who makes metal sculptures using mostly reclaimed steel and bronze colored by a patina process which provides varying shades of green and blue.  He uses these materials to make art pieces that range from huge outdoor yard sentinels to small 4 inch spirit masks that he individualizes with petroglyph figures and such things as recycled wires and nails for hair. The results are pieces that add a southwest flair and whimsy to walls and outside areas.  Chris's studio was open for viewing and he and his wife Jan warmly welcomed guests into their home for refreshments. (Beautifully and deliciously provided by Virginia Copeland)

JM

Another Snow Day!

The snow started in the evening and this morning dawned white again. 

The waning full moon of the other night was briefly visible.

The resiliant prickly pear cactus.

  I've always know of pyracanthas; we had one in our yard growing up, but this picture made me realize the origin of the word; pyra meaning fire. And we had been told as children that the berries were poisonous. Upon looking now I read that the "berries are not considered poisonous unless large amounts are eaten".  Maybe our mother was just covering her bases with her warning.

The everyday scenes are enhanced with the rare white.

JM