Greetings!
As in years past, Albuquerque has been very good to us. We
have been residing in a friendly, familiar RV park on Kirtland Air Force Base.
A level place to park and an electrical hookup constitute living the high life
for us; cottonwood trees, mountain views and spring blossoms are just a welcome
bonus. The base fitness center, library and stores are a short bike ride from
the RV park and we have taken advantage of them all. Albuquerque is also one of
the best markets for our concerts, so we have had a productive month. From here
we head northwest to the very heart of the Four Corners region for scenic
canyons, mysterious petroglyphs, dramatic sandstone formations and favorite
microbreweries. We hope spring brings you splendors, mysteries and your favorite
things, too. ~ Brian & Andi
Wish You Were Here
For those of us not blessed with wings, an impressive
simulation of the flying experience is a ride on Albuquerque’s Sandia Peak
Tramway. From a base elevation of 6500 feet, passengers are transported 4000
feet upwards in a dangling tram car that can hold 50 brave souls. With wonderful
cousins who were visiting us from Colorado, we took a tramway “flight” as they
call it, on a pleasant spring morning. It was an unforgettable 15 minute voyage
above craggy granite slabs, deep canyons and tiny tree tops far below. When we
reached the top, all of Albuquerque and its surroundings were spread out for
our visual enjoyment. We made a survey of the ski lifts strung down the snowy
backside of the mountain and admired the vistas in all directions. Temperatures
at the top are generally about 30 degrees cooler than where we began our
journey, though, and we were all content to climb
back into a descending tram
to finish one adventure
and begin the next: the gift shop!
Life on the Road
This morning we sat on our RV sofa and watched out the
window as Mr. and Mrs. Dove built a nest in the cottonwood tree that overhangs
our campsite. He brought her twig after twig while she wove them into a little
round basket in a protected intersection of tree branches. They paid us no mind
whatsoever and this was not the first time that our home on wheels has given us
a front row seat for critter watching. It seems we drive a big “duck blind”
that screens us from the view of creatures outside. Once Sierra is parked, many
animals seem to take no notice of her, nor do they see or smell the human
occupants. Tinted glass and partially closed Venetian blinds also help make us
undetectable. Unobserved, we have been
allowed close-up peeks at birds, elk, squirrels, jack rabbits, deer,
cottontails and even coyotes. Of course, we never use our stealth windows to
spy on our human neighbors…
Coffee Chat
We are about to enter the area covered by what AAA calls its
“Indian Country Guide Map” of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. For
entertainment laced with local information, it is fun to read regionally based
fiction about the Four Corners area. Our authors of choice are Tony Hillerman
(featuring Navajo lawmen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee), James D. Doss (with
Charlie Moon of the Ute Tribal Police), and David and Aimee Thurlo (Ella Clah,
Navajo Police Special Investigator). If you are up for a longer read, try the
Anasazi Series by Kathleen O’Neal and W. Michael Gear, a trilogy beginning with
“The Visitant”.
Did You Know?
The famous “Clovis Points” made by ice-age men are named
after Clovis, New Mexico because these particular stone weapon tips were first discovered
near there. A more appropriate name might have been “Portales Points” after the
closer town of Portales, but the inside story is that Portales was in a “dry”
county and the archaeologists preferred to reside somewhat farther away across
the county line in Clovis so they could wet their collective whistles after a
long day at the dig.
(Photo: modern Clovis Point made by
Tommy Heflin of – you
guessed it – Portales.)
Albuquerque Collage
