ESCAPING REALITY

FINALLY!!!!

A couple of years ago our daughter and her husband bought a vacation home in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  Finally we were able to escape reality and go check it out.   

Trish has the cabin decorated cute as can be, comfortable and welcoming.  I know I'm bragging, but darn this woman is phenomenal...she is a fantastic wife, mother, hostess, cook, photographer and a heck of a tour guide.  She lives her Christianity and all that know her are better people for knowing her.  I love her, that's all.  :)

This was an anniversary trip for Walt and I and we chose a beautiful area to celebrate our 45th.  Isn't he cute???  He and Trish went for a bag of ice the night before our anniversary and that bag of ice turned into this the next morning...sneaky little devils!  The hummers loved them as much as I did, I think!

This was Marti's first road trip and first time she has spent the night away from home other than at Mom's.

Seat belt on, check.  Bunnie and purple ball packed, check.  Pillow Pet on board, check.  Blankie, check.

 

 

She did real well other than not wanting to potty on the leash or eat...minor details...but she got over it quickly and was ready to go with us every time we headed out the door.

All it took was for her to see this sign and she was ready to hunt bear!  Trish told us that there was a bear that came down the hill behind their house and they had seen it a couple of times.  We did see where one was raiding the dumpster every night (read trash strewn everywhere).  There was a report from a resident that a mother and cub were seen coming out of the dumpsters not long before we got there.  That would be a shock, take the trash out and find a bear in the dumpster.

Marti sprung to action and headed to the hill searching for a bear, when that failed she parked on the deck and prayed then started watching...

The hill behind the cabin where bear have been seen.

Searching for bear.

Dear God, please let me catch a bear.....

She looked to the left.....

She looked to the right....

She looked down

Finally she decided to make a "bear blind" hoping they wouldn't see her and get scared.

Unfortunately, despite her efforts,  all she found were deer, turkeys, chipmunks, woodpeckers, hummers and other birds,  but no bear.   It was amazing at how close the deer would come to the decks with the dogs out there, even the birds were unafraid and would land right next to our hand on the railing.  Trish walked out to chase a couple of deer off one evening so the dogs could make a  potty run and they came toward her instead of away.  Beautiful creatures.

Annie did catch a duck, but Marti wasn't buying it.....

The little prayer garden is one Trish built and is perfect for the area where she put it...blends right in with the surroundings.   The deer stopped to say hello.

We spent the first day trying to breathe...lots of difference in elevation....so took it easy and just drove around a little.  One of the wildfires, The Little Bear Fire, came less than two miles from their cabin before being contained.  Part of the drive was through the burned area, and it was heart breaking.  Other than captions now and then I will let you see what devastation a wildfire can do, in this case a lightening strike not arson. These are drive by shootings so are not perfectly clear and a lot are shot through bug juice on the windshield....doesn't change the heartbreak though.

The first 5 pictures are of a camp that my grandkids attended.  Hopefully happy memories will ease the sadness of seeing these....

Someone's home....

How close the fires came to this home.

A metal roof?  The heat was so bad it melted it?  But not other things around the fireplace?

Another dream literally gone up in smoke.

A Bed and Breakfast with its gates closed.  Wildfires also have a large economic impact on the communities in the affected areas.  Hopefully, the structure is ok and they will be back in business soon.

There was a man here cleaning up the rubble, I just wanted to go hug him and take him a tuna casserole or something.  It is a helpless feeling to see the horror and not be able to do anything to help.

This reminded me of the aftermath of a nuclear attack in a science fiction movie, unfortunately it wasn't fiction.

The propane tank didn't explode....

Hurts my heart.

This fire came very very close to a dwelling and only burned a part of their land.

They were appreciative - close up of the sign in the above.

 The entire town of Ruidoso was appreciative, we saw several cars with simply "Thank you" written on the windows.  This shop downtown expressed it well.

 OK, back to happier subjects...miscellaneous shots around the cabin.  

The little birds, don't ask me I am good knowing it was a bird, would come eat a seed then take another and head to a tree and tuck it under the bark.  At first we thought it was feeding babies or something but it went to different parts of a tree and even a different tree each time.  Watch for Hoarders - Bird Edition coming to your TV soon.

 Annie, our beautiful grandlab and Marti's hostess.  Since Marti was a baby she has adored Annie and looked to her for direction.

 Sunrise at the cabin...doesn't get much better than cool temps, hot coffee, the American flag and the beautiful scenery of New Mexico shared with people you love.

A pretty little creek running through town...made you want to slip your shoes off and wade.

Thistle growing beside the road.

 Several of the cabins have this growing in front of them.

 Another patch of wildflowers growing on the side of the road.

 These sweet babies were waiting for us when we got back.  There were 7 in the tree playing and I just loved sitting there and watching them...well, and photographing them.

They were particular and went for the dried cranberries.  Friends that are smart about such things tell me this is an Acorn Woodpecker.

Thank you Trish, Bruce & Ruidoso for making us feel

(MORE TO COME IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.....)