Vulture medicine: oh sister....do not treat me as a stranger...

Recently big dark birds have been circling over the neighbourhood, gathering in a nearby tree.

Sitting in a coffee shop I hear snatches of conversation from the oldtimers meeting for breakfast, at the next table: "The buzzards are back."

Buzzards. Vultures.

I think about the goddess Isis and the headdresses worn by my ancient Egyptian sisters. I wonder about the significance of vultures circling, circling, circling over la casita. Roosting across the road.

So very Western too.

I think about patience and I think about High Plains Drifter. Carrion eaters get a bad rap but they do clean up the place.

Sometimes getting rid of rot is necessary.

I believe these avian roomies are Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura)

Smelling just as sweet

Seems I have been using "Stoner" wrong and I am indeed a Stoner. It has nothing to do with (legal) marijuana use at all.

Pennywhistle blue

Walk softly and carry a roll of duct tape

Spotted in a local parking lot. Lettering created with camo duct tape. 

Yes, New Mexico does normally require a rear license plate, unless you have recent purchase temps - which is probably that white paper in the window, left side.

Or unless you are a Rednek (sic), as a perspicacious friend pointed out

Measuring life in sluggish petals

Vernal Equinox: the blossoms outside the library are still tight buds

Two days and a strong wind later they are still holding out on spectacular

Red Pony roadtripping: across state lines ( again)

First light on Chimney Rock (southern Colorado) from some backroad.

The geese in that dark shadow were loud. A river hides there.

A rose by any other name

Having read, in Hillsboro,  about the women in history state historic marker initiative (this previous post), I couldn't help wondering about the chauvinism in this historic marker which I spotted in Socorro.

Did this philanthropic woman not have a name beyond Widow Garcia?

Of course I did an Internet search. Other sources give her name as Francesca Garcia.

The actual building is curious to photograph because the walls deliberately slope outwards giving all one's images a vertiginous swoop - a swoop which certain dictatorial autoedit functions try to correct.

True wealth?

The true wealth of the region? 

It looked like just another commercial building. 

Then I saw the chile ristras hanging out front. Bank of the Southwest in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (and yeah I know it is a shitty picture. Bad pictures happen when one's only tool is an iPhone and one is overdue for a feeding and watering.)

Across the road I discover that the tattoo and bicycle shop has closed. Pity. It was one of my favourites. The reflections through the door held me hostage a while. Thinking about the ways I spend my time playing truth or consequences. In New Mexico.

Snakes, signs and omens.

I found a fascinating snake gate into a walled cactus garden in Hillsboro, a little historic town on the Geronimo Trail.

Hillsboro appears on many New Mexican Ghost Town lists. I  not sure that I agree about the ghost town part.  The town has a public library, a museum, a school, a coffee shop and a police car parked permanently on a corner.  Way too much life for a ghost town.

Looking for a toilet, I found a park with a plethora of informative directional and historical plaques. I did learn a lot. 

Hanging out in Hillsboro,l there is no shortage of reading matter. 

I found the information on Sadie Orchard, the bad woman who did a lot of good, fascinating, though I had to wait until I could do an Internet image search to find a picture

Other signs showed me where to go. I do love maps!

The trail was calling, so I gave up reading signs and got on my way on the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway

Though it seems I was also maybe on this

And this.

For a ghost town Hillsboro certainly is very chatty in the sign department.

Chasing ghosts: Lake Valley

Lake Valley ghost town archaeological site was closed to visitors when I arrived before 9 am. 

Disadvantage of being an early riser.

Though signs assured me that staff were on site 24/7, no one had arrived to open the site by 9:23 am. 

I contemplated the silence, admired the scattered ancient glass shards and cow dung, thought about moonshiny hopes and dreams of silver mining then, with a jangle of the family heirloom bridewealth on my wrists, the Red Pony and I continued on up the trail.

Interestingly there are apparently more than 400 ghost towns in the state of New Mexico. More on them here. That's a lot of exploring under this blue blue sky. Luckily Red Pony is eager and doesn't cost much to feed and water.

Bring on the rest of my life.

Vanishing Point

Chasing the roadtrip vanishing point. Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway.

Farming wind

A wind farm somewhere down south on the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway heading to ghost town Lake Valley and almost ghost town, historic Hillsboro

A piece of the action: the ides of March

An angel wing was found hanging out on a street corner in historic downtown, Silver City, New Mexico.

Elsewhere blossoms frothed.

Good morning, Chihuahuan desert!

 View of a desert dawn while up to my neck in a 110 degrees natural hot springs pool. Faywood Hotsprings

Desert bivouac

Camping in the Chihuahua desert at Faywood Hotsprings, I score the campsite closest to the pools which are just the other side of that fence

Turning up the heat

This dude towers over the road as one drives through Hatch - the (green) chile capital of the world.

When in Hatch, eat green chile. My Hobbit second breakfast on this day: green chile queso wedge fries. 

Hatch food is not for culinary wimps -  this is chile heat at its best, at the source! 

Doing what it takes for the heart to endure

Guanyin in in the courtyard. Pelican Spa, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Last time I saw this palm it was wrapped 10 foot high up the stem in wool blankets against the winter cold.

Seems the heart survived.

A slice of passion pie

Breakfasting on a strawberry pecan vegan bar at the Passion Pie cafe, Truth or Consequences,  where the pink elephants wear glittery g-strings and blue spectacles.

Desert dawn

Elephant Butte Lake State Park

Spot the cottontail.

I spotted a Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)on the shores of Elephant Butte lake. This big, long-legged cuckoo, is generally very difficult to photograph, especially with an iPhone in dawn backlighting. They move fast, really challenging my stalking skills.

Blooming vygies

A little bit of familiarity greets the day in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  A version of Lampranthus I believe.