St. Francis de Paula Mission

This Mission sits in the middle of the village and was built in 1865 to commerate the battle of Round Mountain where the settlers were fighting with the Apaches. It is one of twenty two missions built around that time scattered throughout California, Arizona and here established under Fr. Junipero Serra.

The front walkways are a riot of color right now with the blooming along both sides leading to the church.

The day was perfect and the brilliant blue sky looked the same as I imagine it did a hundred years ago when the church was younger.

Christmas time is the time that the church gets alot of attention, the village goes all out with luminarias and the church glows from every angle.

Red or Green?

This sign is all we need to know- The official state question is "Red or Green?"

You can see the new crops are coming in by the mixed red and green chiles. The dark ones are the dried red chiles.

This little shop in Tularosa sells a variety of in-season fruits and vegetables as well as varying heats and styles of salsas. Enough to make a New Mexican's mouth water.

The ristras are the most common form of the strung together chiles, but circles and hearts also make their appearance. The ristras are mainly for storage of the chiles. You break off what you need for cooking. For the red enchilada sauce, the chiles are soaked to get the pulp.

What a beautiful sight. Not only are we gearing up for our next year stash, we know that fall is in sight.

I personally think the chile crop and the county fair are the harbingers of autumn.

Higos y Higuera

Figs! Higo is fig in Spanish and Higuera is fig tree. There are several varieties around here.
Big white figs and these small honey figs. They are good off the tree, in jams, mixed with other fruits or however you can imagine them- Grilled and served with pork chops or in a salad with baby greens, goat cheese and basalmic vinegar...

The leaves are very distinctive on fig tress, and the trees are all over.

This one is ready to drop!

Tularosa Vineyards

I knew it was getting close to harvest season on grapes. I wandered out to Tularosa Vineyards yesterday to talk to the owners, Dave and Chris Wickham.

Their vineyards and winery is located just north of Tularosa on the way to Carrizozo.

They have been making wine for twenty years in this area and are the best known of the local vintners. New Mexico has over 400 years of wine making history that dates back to the Conquistadors. The monks started planting and growing their own grapes to have wine because it was too hard to get shipments from Spain. The long hot days and high altitude make for concentrated flavor in the grapes. We really have ideal conditions for vineyards.

Tularosa Vineyards has several medals and ribbons for their varietals as well as their blends. Proprietors Red, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet and many others.

I hit the jackpot and they had just started the harvest that very day! These are Riesling grapes, usually the earliest to mature. Tularosa Vineyards harvests and buys grapes from other vineyards in the area that are smaller. There are quite a few people in the area with a few acres of vines.

The large bins are dumped into this beast to be juiced and the stems extracted.

Fresh grape juice!!!! From here it goes into the fermentation tanks and continues it's journey into wine.

Old Road

We took a drive yesterday up to the Old Road. It is on the old road to Ruidoso, thus the name. This used to be Highway 70 and now is simply known as "the old road."

This is my favorite place for Red Chile enchiladas! It is off the beaten path for sure, no signs or even road names, but has a very loyal and steady clientele. When we got out we could just begin to feel the change in the air. It was the first time it felt and smelled like late summer. It was a promise almost, not tangible, but present none the less.

We went mid afternoon and I managed to get shot before more people came in. The building is on the reservation, and caters to many of the locals.

They upgraded menus awhile back, they were on boards- no matter, my favorite is still availible!

Bliss! - The bright red of the fresh chiles is the first indication of a great enchilada!

Three Rivers

Once you leave the highway it is several miles up to the camping areas and to the water. It is a beautiful drive with quiet all around.

Adobe ruins of an old home along the way.

Beginning to get some altitude, and out of the mesquite into the pinon.

And then into the Juniper. New Mexico has 6 out of the 7 climate zones.

Off to the side, hidden from the road are the streams. It is generously called 3 Rivers, who knows maybe they once were. They have the run off from Sierra Blanca and are icy cold all summer. Perfect for storing watermelon while camping.

The rocks in the stream make alligator skin patterns in the water...mesmerizing to watch.

Plum Crazy

This ditch water

Gives us THIS!- Apples

Plums!

I came across this old tree in a mostly- gone orchard.

Not too noticeable until you get close then you get these great spots of plum. Our climate is very hospitible to many kinds fruit trees. It is August, so if you are from here, you know what is next....GREEN CHILE! Just a few more weeks and we should start seeing the crops come in.