A bowl of stars..........

On the edge of the Mogollon Rim, Az. - we had been gone a week to smoky Colorado and the sky had been filled with smoke from a huge fire NE of where we are, with smoke and ash going north of Denver and east of Chicago.  Skinny Minnie cannot look down. 



Another great dining room on the Mogollon Rim.  You breathe pine essence up here and the air at 8000' is cool and windy.  We are in an area where we cross country ski - used to - and it gets several feet of snow. Notice that the wilderness behind seems groomed - not like real wilderness where you are are aware there are critters in the bushes.  No real ground cover here except something that looks suspiciously like poison oak. This area is two hours from our Az. house, which is not our home any more.  Good thing.  As we are free to roam.




The Rio Grande Gorge  below where we spent the night  - as far from the Gorge as I could convince Robert to park.  He told the ranger that I was nervous.  Damn straight.  This land is in New Mexico, across from theTaol ski valley, and is full of juniper and pine trees.  The sky at night is beyond awe inspiring, with more stars than can be counted, cool air and a sense that we were alone in the universe.  The camp ground was so clean, and only two other campers were around.  The road, which gives hiccups to one's breath, follows the cliff edge with the river  full of silt from the spring run off- has camp sites in some beautiful green trees below.  My knees consider the hike down, and my brain considers the fear of falling out of the top campsites into the gorge.  We stay on top, as close to the middle of the plateau as we can get.  I'm no dummy.



King of the Mogollon Rim - back in Az.  We hated to return to Az so soon as rumour has it that it is heating up.  But we get to sleep in the best bed in the world at Eileen's house, fall in the pool, enjoy the cats and eat out with friends.  After camping with a bowl of stars, it is ok.  Not too shabby.  I fell in love with New Mexico again, and even Robert said it was "kind of fun".  Yup.  I had remembered a driveway to the Taos Pueblo, from a trip years ago and kept talking about the white liliacs along the side of the road and the bridge over a small creek.  Now, there is a parking lot, a building wanting $10 per person, and $6 for a camera permit.  We went into town for lunch instead.  It always felt a bit intrusive going through the pueblo in the past, as you can see inside some of the houses and how they live.  It was all free then.  Now, no lilacs and more unsmiling faces.  Pay up, gringas.



Harold and Robert, who might be saying something like, "get that damn camera out of my face"......We had held a Christmas sale a few years ago, of our jewelry and Debbie and I left to put out flyers.  Harold and Robert were alone in our house, sitting on the couch working on some jewelry when two ladies came in to check out the jewelry.  Harold and Debbie's dogs, small fluffy critters were there and the ladies made some assumptions about the relationship between the guys.  . These two lost an opportunity to be the sales guys from hell.