Through these doors, one can only imagine the interior of Van Patten Mountain Camp, a historical resort built in 1897. It was worth the hike to see these ruins nestled in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Southwestern skies create a soothing back drop for miles along desert roads of New Mexico. This photo was taken on the way back from exploring the Badlands.
Driving south on Highway 125 towards Las Cruces, Nogal Canyon is a slight little dip along the way.
There’s one in every major desert? Hard Rock Cafe makes it’s presence known against blue skies and cacti on the way to Albuquerque.
Autumn adds colour to the drab of the desert. A blurry but beautiful western scene accompanies us on the way to Socorro, NM.
Claret cup hedgehog
Blushing red against grey spines
Spring in the desert
~
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/fresh-2/
Indigo on the horizon
Cauliflower clouds
Drawn childlike
Merely touch ups
On this ancient artwork
Like a desert backdrop
I wait for the curtain to fall
To end this dream
And here lies
The beauty of reality
The reality of beauty
Am I afraid to take another step
For fear of falling off this stage?
I am but a spectator
In this production
One descending particle
Over sandstone cliffs
Where wild mustangs roamed
~
Gabriella joins the team at dVerse and inspired us to write a travel poetry piece.
This view will be forever imprinted in my brain along with the
Out here
I could slip away
Fall through the cracks of
Time and existence
Mesmerized
By all that it is,
Unstirred and forsaken
Cosmic creation
A sweeping silence
That deafens the demons
And nourishes the soul
These are not bad lands
Does this blur have a beat?
My journey, my song
Is unwritten
Notes on pages
Lines on roads
Tarmac, tat-a-tat
Feeling kind of sick of that
Let me hear the wind
Drumming on mesas
Harmonizing layers
Of earth and sky
Tumbleweeds will try
To rock and roll my soul
And clouds can dance, you know
Written for dVerse Poet’s Pub
This week for dVerse Poetics, our prompt was the “rhythm of the road”.
Time is irrelevant
No meaning cast
Daylight dishonored
By shadows of the past
Seasons slide easily
Through white knuckled fists
Like tiny bright crystals
Too weak to resist
Time is a gift
To be treasured or wasted
Portraits and images
Carefully pasted
Time is mind altered
We stand early or late
Pausing… resuming
But time does not wait
Time is man measured
Designed and driven
Assumed, forsaken
Granted, God given
#18. “Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
The last “best thing I ever ate” was a Green Chile Cheeseburger in Hatch, New Mexico.
What is green chile?
It is NOT a jalapeno.
It is NOT just a chile pepper that happens to be green. It is what it is…green chile.
There is nothing like it. The flavor is so unique and the first time I tried it, it reminded me that there is so much in life that I still need to discover!! I know, I know, it’s just green chile. My point is that along my journey of 50 (ahem) years, I have become more open to new experiences, new places, new people and new foods.
Life is too short to waste a minute saying “eww, what is that, I don’t think I will like it”.
Green chile is now a staple in our house as an addition to breakfast burritos, chicken enchiladas and my personal favourite, green chile stew. Yes, this Canadian girl can make a mean green chile stew. Hatch has it’s own brand of green chile and you can find it by the can in many local grocery stores. You can also buy it freshly roasted or roast it yourself!
My husband and I go “home” to New Mexico approximately once per year to visit his family. My father in-law has made it a tradition to drive to Hatch for the green chile cheeseburger experience. Consisting of the freshest ground beef I have ever tasted, a perfectly melted slice of cheddar and….drum roll please….a slathering of one of New Mexico’s greatest treasures…GREEN CHILE!
Hatch, New Mexico is located about 40 miles north of Las Cruces. Rows of red ristras dress up this quiet rural town and can be purchased for a reasonable price at many roadside markets.
Driving into Hatch, you would not expect to find any culinary magic happening here.
Actually you would not expect to find much of anything happening here.
Population: 1,680
Then you see it…a line of people gathered in front of a small restaurant called “Sparky’s”. This speaks volumes considering the unusual array of familiar, yet unrelated statues adorning the entrance. Maybe they are there to disguise the true identity of this gem. Seating is minimal, after all.
You can choose to dine outside with Ronald McDonald and Sparky the robot constructed from tractor parts or inside surrounded by even more whimsical decor. I know what you’re thinking, but trust me.
Whether you find this place to be amusing or just plain odd, one thing is for sure. If you’ve been here once, you will be here again….and again.
It may be a good thing I am only in New Mexico once a year because the spicy potato wedges and old fashioned milk shakes are also delicious!
So if you are ever in the area of Las Cruces, New Mexico, be sure to visit Hatch, the self proclaimed Green Chile Capital of the World.
What’s the last “best thing YOU ever ate” ?
#16.”Worrying is a waste of time, but that won’t stop me.”
Aguirre Springs near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
What could be
Is nothing more than fear
Merely stopping you in your tracks
To steal your moments
Pocket your dreams
And play with your intentions
mishunderstood 