April 2017

 A selfie with our friend the Joshua tree in the Mojave desert

Greetings!

There is always a point in our travels when we reverse our trajectory and aim Sierra's wheels toward the sunset, retracing our passage through the time zones and gaining hours as we move west. This moment occurred a few days ago when in an unprecedented marathon of driving (for us) we journeyed well over 600 miles in a single day, trekking from El Morro National Monument in New Mexico to Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert of California. Our wrist watches now show the same time as the clocks waiting for us in Talent, Oregon. We anticipate joyful reunions with the folks back home who braved the winter without fleeing to southern climes. Sending virtual hugs to all, whether we are soon to squeeze you in person or we simply carry you with us in our hearts. ~  Brian and Andi

Wish You Were Here

Our alarm clock went off at 5:30 am but we had both been lying awake for an hour. Without stopping to make breakfast, we drove through dark, quiet streets to the very downtown core of Albuquerque for a brand new adventure. We were going to take the Rail Runner passenger train to Santa Fe for the day. We shared a first cup of coffee in the station, then found our way to the platform and awaited the cute train with the bright red roadrunner on the engine. The train arrived from points south, about 4 cars in length.

Inside the seats were lightly cushioned and a cheery red, arranged in foursomes facing each other. With a quartet of seat to ourselves, we slid through suburbs, small towns and ancient pueblo lands, pausing every two to eighteen minutes to take on new passengers. Each time the doors closed, a warning sounded with the distinctive "meep -meep, meep - meep" of the tv cartoon roadrunner. In an hour and a half we were at the northern end of the line and began our walking adventure in Santa Fe.

This was not our first visit to Santa Fe, so for us the journey was more about the train ride, which we thought was a bargain at $10 round trip and free for seniors on Wednesdays this spring. Before catching an afternoon train back to Albuquerque, we had a delightful coffee stop for breakfast, browsed in a few art galleries, dodged in and out of gift shops, perused the Native jewelry outside the historic Palace of Governors, tipped some worthy street musicians and lunched outdoors at Cowgirl BBQ and Smokehouse. After a full day under perfect blue skies, we walked back to the train station and joined a large crowd of tourists, locals and commuters who also appreciated the charm and convenience of the Rail Runner.

 

RC Gorman Navajo Gallery

Life on the Road

When in Rome, eat like the Romans, and when on the road, experiment with cooking local-style cuisine. We have been doing this for years, crafting dishes with okra and black-eyed peas in the south, seafood along the Gulf Coast, wild berries in the northwest, and chilis in New Mexico. Lately we have paid tribute to the Mexican and Native American influences in Albuquerque by making meals with tortillas, beans, posole, peppers, onions, cumin, avocados, tomatoes and queso. Our mornings feature spicy huevos and at dinner time we have found that almost any ingredients rolled in a soft tortilla make a tasty burrito. This culinary challenge keeps us creative, helps us appreciate our surroundings, and has resulted in some terrific triumphs by Chef Brian. İBuen provecho!

Did You Know?

We were delighted to find an 18-hole disc golf course on Edwards Air Force Base. Upon acquiring a course map at the Fitness Center, we were told it is called Mojave Greens, a laughing nod to the desert reptiles found in this region. It turns out that a "Mojave green" is a rattlesnake with a bite considered to be 10 times more toxic than other rattlesnakes! Its appearance is similar to the Western Diamondback but we don't intend to get near enough to any snake to tell the difference. Let's just say we looked twice before retrieving our golf discs from desert bushes and rock piles.

Coffee Chat

Located about two hours west of Albuquerque, El Morro National Monument preserves a sandstone promontory with historical inscriptions at the base and ancient pueblo ruins on top. Our several enjoyable visits to this site inspired a tune we recently placed as track number one on our new Native American flute and percussion CD. Upon mentioning this to the NPS employees at the El Morro visitor center, they requested a copy, which we emailed along with kind words about their provocative monument. They replied enthusiastically with high praise and gratitude for the music inspired by the peaceful and majestic El Morro National Monument.

Now Hear This!

View from Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse

A blissful coffee shop interlude in Santa Fe was due in part to the gentle but modern music lilting in the background. Before leaving, we asked about the source of the tunes. It turned out to be a Pandora station called "Junip" and we have been streaming it ourselves whenever we want to be taken back to that special moment. In case you are wondering, Junip is the name of a Swedish folk rock band whose style defines this station.

 

Good times at the whimsical

Brent Baca Memorial Disc Golf Course

in Albuquerque

 

Brent was an avid local disc golfer who died too young.