Spring Break travelers log............

As is our custom, here at Casa de Cuckoo, we drove. We always go for a drive when Papa alias Sweet Man has time off work. He and the kids chose the mountains.....they usually do.

We headed to the Sandias through the canyon that is named Tijeras (scissors) only this time instead of heading up to Sandia Crest or Madrid, we headed south on NM14 to Mountainair.

The drive this time of year never fails to give us some surprises. Wildlife, forest changes and a look at how everyone up in the mountains fared during the winter. Lots of folks must have had the same idea. Lots of hikers, bikers, bicyclists, and lookie loos. Most of the traffic ended about mid way thru the  mountains. Then we were pretty much on our own through villages like Torreon, Punta de Agua, Escoboso....don't you love the way the names sound...er look?

Every once in awhile we came across locals and stopped to talk and ask about the state of the mountains and general talk......it really is an experience that I think most folks skip. We stopped at a great little hole in the wall for lunch.

The Alpine Alley in Mountainair is a cross between an art gallery, library, bookstore, coffee shop, cafe, diner and there was live music. Well I tell ya we scored on the place, the food and the fun. Great eats, fun folks to visit with and the kids got to dance to some guitar strummers extraordinaire. And even got a round of applause when they finished. Outside the cafe and in there are local works of art. This ship and star are on a larger sculpture done by the local welder.

Since we are city folks and love goats and donkeys, we asked if there were any farms close by. We knew about Sierra Vista goat farm back towards Albuq. but were curious about any locals. They sent us to a place called Jackass Junction.......uh no, but it was a good try. We did see horses, cows, goats, rabbits, red tailed hawks (a pair doing a mating flight) but not one donkey, mule or burro. Boo hoo on the part of Ry. He thought we would for sure see "donkeys". And that's a whole long other story that I will share some other time.

We changed the subject and drove up to a place, Capillo peak, where there had been a forest fire 3 years ago. None of us had ever seen anything like that......whoa. We met some folks who have 80 acres there and had 40 acres burned. They gave us an insight into the events of the fire and also how they view the beauty that is left now. That was a gift we never would have had otherwise. Isn't life interesting? The forest to me looked like nowhere land but at their story telling I could then see the beauty of what Mother Nature had done in the fire. 

And we found a wonderful playground for the kids to work off some energy. Plus.....we brought home trip rocks....to be seen later. You know what a trip rock is don't you.....everywhere we go, my grands find a rock and bring it home. You should see my front yard.