Opening the Mountain Land for the 2012 Season

Opening the Mountain Land for 2012 Season

Packing up the Avion at home for the move to the mountain site. Note Carol's new stone guard for the front window.

Departing Albuquerque

Parked on site and getting set up

Carol puts out the Santos to protect us from things that go bump in the night :-)

Carol out for a walk to see what is new in the neighborhood

We found some nice wildflowers like the Indian Paintbrush

Carol had great luck finding pot sherds, agate scrappers and a mano. (The mano would be held in the hand and used to grind grain in a metate. See Wikipedia

Our dogs love these outings as much as we do

This is an early morning picture with the sun shining on the Continental Divide in the background. Note the star gazing bed

The dogs have their own bed but that doesn't stop them from

joining us in ours. This picture was snapped moments before the bed collapsed with the weight of the four of us.

Mutually sharing the warmth. The days were sunny and warm but at 7,600' elevation, the temperature plummets after sunset.

Talking about plummeting temperatures, here is what our place looks like in the winter with some visitors

Note the elk on the right

Elk close up

A curious coyote

We do have a real bed inside the Avion. Carol is enjoying her book with a cup of coffee.

Talking about books, we were surprised and pleased to the the New Mexico rural bookmobile appear

I had not been inside a bookmobile since Deerlick School days. This one was very nice with bench seats, wooden bookshelves and good lighting.

Carol applied for a library card and checked out a book.

Enjoying green chili stew with chicken and quesadillas

Carol had brought lots of roses from home for our table

Anne drove down from Durango, CO to join us for a day before we all returned to Albuquerque.

We left the mountain land in the afternoon at 73 degrees and arrived in Albuquerque to 89 degrees.

That in one of the reasons we love being up there in the summer!