Blowout

We got up nice and early Wednesday morning in anticipation of our trip to Tucson. I baked bread so we'd have some for lunch on the way, and we said our goodbyes to our friends.

You may recall that a week before Thanksgiving this past fall we were headed to Benson, AZ, about 45 miles outside of Tucson. Our fan belt broke in Anthony, NM, we had to be towed to Las Cruces, and we spent the next five days in a hotel room. While we were waiting for the repairs to be made we visited Desert Haven Animal Refuge and ended up in Williamsburg for three months as workampers there. This was ultimately a very good thing, for we have really enjoyed the last three months.

Still, it was with just a tinge of trepidation that we headed off to Arizona.  It was a beautiful sunny day and we were enjoying being on the road again.

Within the first half mile KC pooped and peed in his crate. This was his usual reminder to us that he dislikes travel. I prepare for this by covering his nice, cushy crate pillow with a Chux pad, which I remove as soon as he has finished displaying his displeasure. He then rides comfortably, if not happily, the rest of the way.

One hour into the trip we heard a BOOM and immediately the tire sensor alarmed. We had blown out the inside rear passenger tire. Bob did everything right: he did not brake, but stayed in control and gradually brought the coach to a stop on the shoulder of the road. We called Coachnet (our roadside assistance plan) and just five short hours and over $1300 later we were back on the road.

Ok, maybe those hours weren't that short! What did we do? We watched a train go by...

...we read our Kindles...surfed the web...sent and received texts from our friends Retha and Mike (who were waiting for us in Tucson)...and listened to podcasts. Truth be told, it was a very long day. 

Because we were so tired at this point, and because the wind had picked up and was now gusting pretty hard, we decided to call it a day and spend the night in Deming at a campground. We will start out again on Thursday morning for Tucson. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Last Day at DHAR

Our last day here at Desert Haven went smoothly. We spent much of the day storing things away and getting ready for Wednesday's trip to Tucson. I made a pan of Japanese Milk Bread Rolls to share at our last potluck luncheon, and we were happy to see one of the Shelter's dogs get adopted.

Susie-Q had been here a long time, despite her lovely temperament and attractive looks, so it was a thrill to see her chosen by a very nice couple. Eliana hugged her one last time, and she was off to her new adventure!

Back at the motorhome, KC was starting to get the idea that something was up. He really dislikes traveling but deals with it as best he can.

We sat outside as the sun went down with our friends. It was a nice evening. We will miss this place and the good people here.

Out with Friends and Seeing Dentist in Palomas, Mexico

The last few days have been very pleasant, winding down our duties here at the animal rescue and saying good-bye to friends. On Sunday Bob and I returned to the Passion Pie Cafe in T or C to meet up with Linda and Chuck. I met Linda when she came to see me and had a weaving lesson; since then we have become good friends. This was our first time meeting Chuck, and we all got along very well. We even returned back to their home to see it and for Bob to check out the boat that Chuck is restoring. While the guys were looking at the boat, I saw Linda's new loom and her lovely scarf she recently wove.  We had a very pleasant time and hope to see them again when we pass through the area.

We realized that this is probably about the closest we will be to Mexico on this year's loop around the US so Bob and I drove into Palomas, in Chihuahua, Mexico on Monday to get our teeth cleaned. It was an easy two hour drive, through Deming and south on route 11 to the border. Puerto Palomas de Villa (as it is formally called) is a little town that thrives on the dental and eyecare business, as well as offering inexpensive liquor and pharmaceuticals. We parked in the free parking lot just before the border and walked into Mexico. Ahead and to the left was The Pink Store, where you can have a very nice lunch with great Margueritas and buy handcrafted Mexican-made items. 

When we arrived we were able to meet up with our Las Cruces friends, Joan and John, and two of their friends for lunch. Bob and I enjoyed the company and our meal very much.

After we ate, Bob and I said goodbye to our friends who had to head home, and we walked around to kill some time before our dentist appointment.  We were amused to see a Donald Trump pinata.  I wondered, would a Trump supporter purchase this out of respect for the man, or would it be purchased so that someone who was not a fan could enjoy giving the likeness a few whacks? I guess we will never know.

We kept our money and just snapped the photo.

The store was also filled with lovely hand carved furniture and statues, pottery, figurines, handwoven blankets, jewelry, and more.

We had a nice time, despite the serious look on Bob's face here.

Our dental cleanings went very smoothly and we loved the price--$35 apiece for cash or check, $40 each if you used a credit card. When done, we walked back across the border, told Customs that we had nothing to declare, and returned home. An easy and fun trip.

Spaceport America

This morning we got together with fellow workampers Cindy and Cathy to visit Spaceport America.  Bob and I really did not know what to expect; we drove to the town of Truth or Consequences and got on a shuttle at the Spaceport America Visitors Center. There were 14 of us on the shuttle plus a driver and our tour guide, Mark. We started off for the one hour drive to the facility.                          

Within a few minutes into the drive, a family of javelinas was spotted. I have been hoping to catch a glimpse of some so I was pretty thrilled. Ugly little creatures, but very cool.

We drove past the Elephant Butte Dam, built 100 years ago. At the time it was one of the largest dams in the world, second in size only to the Aswan Dam. The Dam controls the waters of the Rio Grande.

The scenery along the way was stark, yet lovely in a desert-kind-of-way, and we watched several videos of the history of this region. Mark was very knowledgeable about the area and its background, entertaining us with stories of the past. We also learned that Ted Turner has invested heavily in Spaceport America, and through Ted Turner Expeditions has built a hotel in T or C to house its guests.

We arrived at Spaceport America and finally caught a glimpse of the iconic building. We learned that SA is the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport. What that means is that it is intended to be used by companies around the world for such purposes as sending researchers, tourists, and satellites into space. They have partnered with builders of spacecraft, so if a company wants to send satellites into space they can just purchase one and use SA facilities to launch it.

The spaceport is located in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin, which is Spanish for Journey of Death. This refers to this section of the Camino Real that connected Mexico to Northern New Mexico in the time of the Conquistadors. It is ideally situated for SA because of its isolation and low population, the almost-constant clear weather, the elevation and the southern location which is fairly close to the Equator, compared to the rest of the US.

Bob and I posed for a photo outside the hangar.

Inside, there is a huge window overlooking a massive work space, where a model of the Virgin Galactic's special plane that is capable of traveling to space. SpaceX, UP Aerospace, and ARmadillo Aerospace have used Spaceport America's facilities. We were a bit disappointed not to see a real space ship, but it was not to be.

There was a G-forces machine that visitors were welcome to try. Because of my back and neck issues I was not able to, but our Cindy did it! We were all impressed.

My bit of excitement came when I used the rest room and came out to find the space center completely empty. Our group had left to get back on the shuttle and no one noticed I wasn't with them. And there was a keypad on the door with an alarm that sounded when I tried to open it. I called Bob and he had the bus driver spring me from the spaceport. The tour guide said that was a first for him. It certainly was for me, too.

From the hangar area we went to another building that houses the emergency response equipment.  SA maintains an active firefighter and emergency response team, and we were able to talk with emergency personnel and go inside the vehicles. These teams are important in case there is a problem during launch or landing, and they train almost constantly for any situation.

We returned to town, watching more videos about the future of commercial space travel and the important role of Spaceport America in the launching of satellites and the future of America. It was a fascinating day!

Things are Winding Down

I am doing much better with my box tape loom weaving. My edges are not perfect but I am maintaining a consistent width overall, and I am enjoying my loom.

I put a 4 yard warp on, using two colors of carpet warp. I like this pattern--it's very classic. I did not use any warp separators, so we'll see how that goes!

Bob and I have completed our last scheduled work sessions involving animal care, yesterday and today. It's a little bittersweet; we know it's time to move on, but I will really miss some of my favorite animals.

I found three dove eggs today. With the weather generally warming up, the doves have been starting to nest. I felt sorry for the little mamas as I reached under them and removed their eggs. We replace them with pecans so they don't realize what we've done.

As I chopped vegetables for the peacocks this morning I heard a cat crying, and walked out of the food prep area to find a new cat walking around. Someone had just dumped him off and he is lucky he was found by us before a coyote found him. People can be so cruel.  I offered the little guy a dish of food and the poor thing just gobbled it down.

He has really pretty markings, and I named him Tanner. Later I was able to pick him up and I moved him to the "Howdy Room," used by people who want to spend one-on-one time with a kitty they are thinking of adopting. Since Tanner may have a contagious disease, he cannot yet be introduced to the general cat population and must be isolated.

Saying goodbye to all the animals today was very much like saying goodbye to my patients in home care and in nursing homes. I used to be a speech-language pathologist and between discharges and changes in my settings, goodbyes were frequent. This never got easier, and it wasn't easy today. We will still be around for another week, but it won't be the same. I do hope all these little ones find their forever homes.

Spanish Market and Open Studios in Las Cruces

We just keep having more and more fun! On Sunday Bob and I drove down to Las Cruces to hang out with our friends Joan and John. The Spanish Market was in town, and we enjoyed seeing all the wares on display.

We saw traditional pottery...

...carved religious figures called bultos...

...straw applique, consisting of wooden shapes (often crosses) with tiny pieces of straw, cut into shapes,dyed, and glued onto the wood.

...and Spanish dancers entertained us!

We drove to the restaurant called Andele in Mesilla, where we enjoyed some great Mexican food... Bob and I had the flautas and some great salsas and chips. Yum!

Then we were off to visit some studios.  In February, Lac Cruces artists open their doors to visitors, so that all may get a glimpse of the beautiful creations within.  We stopped at Lynn Unangst's studio first, to check out her petit pointe sachets and pillows, handwovens, and dolls.

Joan has been telling us about Tres Manos Weaving Studio, a non profit organization that teaches low income people of Southern New Mexico to weave, providing them a way to increase their family income. It is an amazing place filled with looms and handwoven articles of clothing.  I got to meet one of the weavers there, Anne Marie Detavernier, who showed me her handmade box tape loom. Anne Marie is a reenactor who uses her loom to make historical tapes in living history settings. She also gave me some tips on weaving with this type of loom.

We rounded out our tour by stopping in to meet Audrey Worthen and several other very talented silversmiths. Bob and I were amazed at the different lapidary equipment she used. We  enjoyed a glass of wine and had some snacks as we visited with the artists.  It was a very fun day.

Trip to Chloride

Bob and I drove to the ghost town of Chloride, NM today. It was a pretty drive, with some road signs like this:

When you see that kind of a sign you know you are in for a twisty road. And we were. But along with twisty roads we were treated to beautiful scenery.

It was 45 miles to Chloride, and I loved seeing the changing topography. After about an hour's drive we arrived and drove down the town's main street.  

Right in the middle of town is the "hanging tree." With a sign in front declaring the tree as "Chloride National Forest."

We started out by visiting the Pioneer Store Museum, and were given a tour by Linda, the daughter of the owners, and one of 11 town residents (not counting the ghosts.)

Chloride was founded in by Harry Pye, who discovered silver ore and was sure he was on the road to riches. Unfortunately, Pye was killed by Mimbres Apaches in 1879, within just a few months of moving to the area. In its heyday, Chloride boasted 9 saloons, a general store, a dry goods store, millinery shop, a restaurant, a butcher shop, a candy store, a town physician, a barber, a pharmacy, a Chinese laundry, a photography studio, a school, a brothel, a newspaper, and two hotels. Unfortunately, the Silver Panic of 1893 and a rapid decline in silver prices resulted in the town's demise.

While browsing through the museum I came upon this interesting object.  Any ideas what it was used for? See the end of this post for the answer**.

Next we saw the Grafton Cabin, which was was built in the mining town of Grafton, NM in the late 1870s, moved to Las Cruces in 1976 as a part of the Las Cruces Museum system until 2006, when it was moved to Chloride. The inside features a really neat fireplace.

The Chloride Bank is now the Chloride Bank Cafe, and before we headed for home we popped in for a piece of pie and a cold drink.

We really enjoyed our trip into the past, and were glad we made the journey to this fascinating old town. I think Harry Pye would be glad that his town continues in this form.

**Give up? The mystery object is a device used to encourage cows to wean their calves. It fits into the nostrils of the calf and when the young 'un tries to nurse, the spikes jab poor mama in a very painful manner, typically resulting in a kick. This apparently is very effective in teaching the calf not to try and nurse.