Vacationing in Northern New Mexico… part 2 – Mountains and Deserts

One of the best parts of Bandelier is it’s location to the Jemez Mountains. One afternoon, M and I took a drive up into the aspens to check out a place called Valle Caldera. http://www.vallescaldera.gov/ This national preserve is an experiment in nature preservation. A Board of Trustees manages the land – allowing for recreation, ranching, and natural processes to occur in unison on the land.

The day we visited, it was windy and chilly, so we stayed on the highway instead of hiking down into the 12-mile wide natural caldera. I was hoping for elk but we’d have to get up at 4 am to see them… That’s too early for me, vacation or not. So we headed on up the highway and stumbled upon a great little hike by a high mountain stream.

Las Conchas trail runs along the east fork of the Jemez River

The geology was amazing

Michael really wanted to get his feet wet….

It was a bit chilly – he’s standing on a thin sheet of ice

yuck….

Someones artwork on a tree – I love random acts of art!

Once we left Bandelier and the mountains, we headed down to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. KKTRNM was the catalyst to going on this trip. M and I saw some pictures of this place and knew we had to go there.

I felt like I was back in the canyons of Utah

Once through the canyon, we climbed to the top of the mesa for some fantastic views!

I think they’re a bit phallic…. 🙂

Looking down into the canyon and narrows

Ginormous Ponderosa

After the very hot morning hike we headed into Santa Fe for lunch. Found a great local spot, the Blue Corn Brewery, who had excellent food. I highly recommend you check them out if you find yourself up there.

We had planed to camp at a recreation area by a reservoir. We both had reservations about that. Rec areas are notoriously crappy places for tent camping.So we scrapped that idea and headed into the woods once more. We camped our last night at a campground outside Santa Fe at 9,000 ft…. it was more than chilly. More on that next time…

Vacationing in Northern New Mexico…. part 1 – Bandelier (Ruins, Ponderosas, and Lazy Camping!)

M’s photo – one of the Ancestral Puebloan cave homes (caveates)

After a rough week, I was in need of a vacation so M and I road tripped up to northern New Mexico…. Bandelier National Monument, Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, and Pecos National Historic Site. It was to be a week of hiking and exploring – my two favorite things!

First things first – driving through east-central New Mexico is extremely boring.

4 hours of this…. ugh

But it got really good so it was worth the drive.

M and I spent 3 days camping and hiking among 1000-year old Ancestral Puebloan ruins among ponderosa pines and amazing rock formations, before stumbling upon a mountain stream above 9,000 feet and hiking among the hoodoos of the flat desert. Oh yeah, all the while learning about ancient peoples, discovering rock art, and hanging out with mother nature. In other words… a perfect vacation.

We had the campground almost completely to ourselves, leaving the crowds below the canyon rim. This was  perfect for so many reasons… no loud families next door, no creepy neighbors to smile at when you step out of the tent first thing in the morning, and completely empty bathrooms.

low-lighting and a cell phone camera = fuzzy M

camp food: fancy-pants homemade risotto with Fritos 🙂

Bandelier National Monument is a fantastic place to learn about some of the people who lived in the southwest deserts and canyons between 800 and 1300 A.D. Its also a fantastic place to climb around in the homes they left behind.

Along the main trail in Frijoles Canyon

M, ever a park ranger, takes a photo for the cool couple who took ours on the ladder

Checking out the inside of an Ancestral Puebloan home

original plastered wall with artwork – preserved for 1000 years…

Bandelier is full of ladder fun!

We found a lot of pottery shards at one ruin site

seriously, full of ladder fun

Ghostly footsteps of the ancient Ancestral Puebloans, carved forever in the soft rock

I’d love to look out onto this view from my yard!

There was also plenty of goofing off to be done…

Scary skull-rock face

Checking out the water levels from a flash flood in 2011

M trying to speed up geologic processes

Besides the great archaeology, Bandelier was a great place to commune with nature…

M’s photo – he loves his black and whites.

Watching a super-cute squirrel find his stash from last fall

Looking down into Frijoles Canyon

M watching the sunset and enjoying the afternoon silence

me watching the water fall through the canyon

M looking out into the canyon where the Frijoles Creek meets the Rio Grande

 

Inquisitive coyote on the side of the road. He was very responsible and waited until we passed to cross the street.

The one place you DON’T want to see wildlife….

Gardening: an update

So we’ve been gardening for about 2 months now and things are finally starting to happen! Our garden isn’t as awesome as my dad’s but he’s been doing this for at least 30 years. Plus he uses chemical fertilizer. I’m trying to NOT do that, but we shall see.

We wanted to get a shade structure… something that we could remove when necessary. Lowe’s sells them but they are way above our budget so we searched for a DIY way.

The inspiration…

Making our own shade structure – pvc pipe, pcv pipe corners, pvc pipe glue, quick ties, and burlap.

Lennox inspected; Lennox approved

M getting the frame together

Burlap across top to allow sun to come in, but reflect some heat

It was too windy outside to get a good completed shot so you’ll have to wait until we actually use it. Its for the dog-days of summer, which in southern New Mexico come in May… so you won’t have to wait too long.

As for the garden itself….

We bought tomato plants, and I installed a special DIY watering system Old coke bottles so that we can water the roots without the evaporation. They seem to like it….

The broccoli is going crazy.

Someone among us LOVES the broccoli.

We have potatoes!!!

The herbs are doing great, and they taste fantastic

M cleaned out the boys’ room and I got a storage area!

The pomegranates are blossoming. These are great for birds. Keeps their mind off my garden.

The lavender out front is kinda the same. I’m worried that they aren’t growing. They are flowering like crazy though! Every time I rip a flower off, they put another one out.

Soon I’ll be sowing sage and green beans. And in the fall we’ll try another round of spinach and kale.

Oh! and I haven’t killed my cilantro yet! WooHoo!

More Proof That I am Not a Botanist

Backyard Mystery Flower

The other day M and I noticed these gorgeous guys blooming in his backyard. I asked M what it was and he answered “a vinca”…  As this vinca was an unknown flower to me, I immediately took a photo so that I could look it up later on my awesome Audubon Flower app.

Cut to yesterday, I’ve got some downtime at work so I start my search for the mystery flower, inputting the info that I have.

Color: purple and blue

Habitat: urban and suburban

Month: April

Flower Shape: lobed (after some googling)

And what pops up?! As some of you may have guessed, a damned PERIWINKLE! (Latin Species vinca) Clearly, I am not a botanist.

Stay tuned for more – I’m sure to discover pansies, roses, and friggin’ dandelions soon.

(ps – I bet the other Audubon Wildflower users were thrilled to see my periwinkle sighting.)

Gardening… in pictures

Seeds!

Spinach and Kale getting ready to go

my gardening help…. an eager Lennox, while a reluctant Chicory hides in the shade

Planting in containers

Best gardening book ever! and I found it in a random used bookstore. Fate!

Meanwhile, in Carlsbad –

Lavender for the front bed

Cutting off awesome blossoms makes the plant healthier – we hope.

Let’s hope these guys grow big and awesome

red potatoes bought in Albertsons and planted in the backyard

the beginnings of broccoli

the family farm… and Lennox. Potatoes in the bins on the left, broccoli behind the chiminea, cilantro in front chilling with herbs bought to provide instant gratification.

drilling drain holes in bins. guess they aren’t all the same size. Oops!

Winnie wants to help too

to be continued….

Lost Journal Entry…

When I was posted outside the cave at Carlsbad Caverns, I got to witness some truly glorious spring days. You know those days when the sky is that perfect shade of deep blue, a few fluffy white clouds sail past to remind you of unseen winds, the landscape is a desert postcard of deep greens and accent greys, birds chirp and flirt and build homes for future chicks, and ravens play overhead to taunt you and your earthboundedness… yeah, those were the days I was inspired to write. I’d write on a tiny notepad I kept in my sexy NPS-provided fanny pack. I would write thoughts, aspirations, travel plans, and memories.

I recently found that notepad, and on it I had written this….

I discovered who I was the summer after college. I went to Virginia looking for something but not sure what. What I found was myself. The self that was hiding deep inside; the self that cried out for every trail that went into the woods along the highways we traveled during family vacations and led me down old farm roads during one of my drives. I realized that I was happiest when I was simply putting one foot in front of the other in the wilderness. I spent lazy summer afternoons lying on a mountain peak with a book in my hand, some good company and a beautiful view. I hiked through the ethereal Blue Ridge fog, the life-stealing heat of Utah’s desert and sand dunes in the Rockies. I’ve seen alligators, badgers, mountain lions and bears along winding wooded paths.

My life has taken me to many new places. I have met some wonderful and interesting people along the way. There was the practical joking law enforcement officer who engaged me in a battle of the wits, the guys who lived next door who rappelled from the roof of the house and the drunk, with whom I shared a wall, who had a heart of gold and a never ending supply of weed and beer. I have met mortal enemies and kindred souls, sometimes living with one or the other. The most interesting souls I’ve run across have been the thru-hikers along the Appalachian Trail. So many different walks of life and reasons for hiking the AT yet they all came together for one common goal; to finish the 1,200 mile-long historic trail.

I grew up a nervous child always pestering my parents with “what if” questions. Who would have guessed that I would grow to experience all that I have. I’ve been chased off a mountain peak by bolts of lightning that rained down around me and spent hours deep within the red-rock canyons of Utah never quite believing that I could get out. I have witnessed first light from the top of a 2,000 foot cliff and been woken by cowboys moving herds of cattle around my tent. I have hiked through the 120-degree heat of a Utah summer, camped in the howling winter winds of the Guadalupe Mountains and bagged a peak in Virginia during a blizzard. But none of that prepared me for the tiny holes and crevasses that awaited me my first season as a park ranger at Carlsbad Caverns. There I learned the true meaning of the words “pitch black” and understood just where the term “pinch” got its name.

I have lost toenails, gotten sun poisoning and developed a stress fracture for my love of hiking. I sold my apartment and all of its furnishings to follow my dreams and I’ve never been happier!

Happy discovery!

This was one of those perfect spring days

El Paso’s Tin Mines

 

This last weekend, M and I hiked to a series of tin mines in the Franklin Mountains. I discovered the trail from a great local blog, elpasonaturally. The first thing we noticed about this hike was although it was in the middle of the city, there weren’t any sounds of the city, no sign of the suburbs; not even a plane flying overhead.

a rare El Paso scene… no signs of the city!

The first 2 miles of the hike were on old mining roads that have been converted to hike/bike trails. This made for great easy walking over hard-packed gravel. We saw lots of small yellow flowers and a few early-crop poppies.

The old mining roads were built around 1901 as a way to cross through the Franklin Mountains, where the present-day Transmountain Road/Loop 365 runs. Several roads also ran from the railroad and highway heading up towards Alamagordo to springs located along the eastern edge of the Franklins. The geology of the Franklins is mostly limestone with some granite intrusions. The tin was discovered in these granite intrusions. Tin is very rare in North America. However, it wasn’t profitable enough so the mines were shut down in 1915.

The small dark dots on the left are mine grates… Up above you can see the lighter bands of limestone.

Grates covering mine trenches and shafts.

M striking his usual photography pose

After a few wrong turns, we made it to the entrance to the main mine. Luckily, I had cell service the whole hike and was able to follow the GPS map from AllTrails. It saved our asses several times. After some really loose rock-scrambling, we made it up to the entrance and were delighted to discover you could walk into the mines! I’ve never been inside an un-manned mine before.

 

We had brought headlamps because we thought we’d be able to look into the mine. Little did we know we would be able to walk pretty far back into the shafts.

My first thought was Mountain Lions and drug-runners would enjoy living in these unlocked abandoned tunnels. Should we come across any, we would resort to defending ourselves by whipping them with our cameras and water bottles. (Not a fantastic plan….)

I was enjoying the features of my new camera so we shot a quick video of M playing in the mine… Its on my YouTube page.

Also, you can check out this YouTube video… The guy recorded a half hour of exploring the tunnels. It’ll make you queasy in that Blair Witch sorta way.

The vertical pit that made it impossible for me to continue into the tunnel. What if it contained a mountain lion, or big scary cave monster?!

M or scary cave monster?

No scary cave monster… just M 🙂

After leaving the upper entrance, we found a route down to a lower entrance. This tunnel was much smaller than the upper one. You had to stoop over to walk through it, or crawl on your knees.

M went in and explored this tunnel. It was lit in the back by the trench that we walked along earlier in the upper entrance. It branched off in several directions, some tunnels going quite far back. From the looks of the 30 minute video on YouTube, we didn’t miss too much by not exploring it fully.

M heads in!

After leaving the mines, and getting a bit off trail in a washed out gully, we retraced our path back down the mountain to the neighborhood where we had parked. It was a very cool hike, a great place to take kids, and I’m glad we did it (in spite of my pulled thigh muscle that cramped up for most of the trip. I pulled it hiking a few weeks ago).

The muscle-pulling hike we did last time. See the tiny trail down below…. The car is parked down there.

50 Awesome Cover Songs… Because This List Needs to Exist!

Alright, as several of you know, I have a deep and abiding love of cover songs. Not the crappy cover bands that dress up like Kiss or only sing Foreigner’s greatest hits. I’m talking about really good re-interpretations of popular songs.

I was prowling Google the other night searching for new cover songs and was very disappointed. The only legitimate list I could find should have been titled “The No-Shit Cover Songs”. They added songs that we all know. There was nothing new or interesting about it. Maybe a coma patient who’d slept for the last 40 years might have appreciated this list, but not me. So, I’m making my own list!

(I’ve added links so that you can see each song on YouTube… not all of them are visually interesting so just close your eyes and dive in.)

The Lennings – You’re the One that I Want
This Austin band has covered one of the cheesiest songs from one of the cheesiest movies (Grease – which I LOVE) and has transformed it into an amazing ballad of love and devotion. (I’m totally jealous of my best friend who told me last night that she ran into them at the Austin airport a few weeks ago. They were performing this song!)

Ziggy Marley – Drive
Ziggy took an 80s staple and refined it in such a way that I want to lay in a hammock on a private beach every time I hear it. Come to think of it, I always want to lay on a hammock on a private beach somewhere.

Imogen Heap – Hallelujah
Never thought that anyone could surpass Jeff Buckley’s depressing quality, but Imogen’s version is even more haunting and beautiful. Then again, what Imogen song isn’t haunting and beautiful.

Iron & Wine – Wild Horses
Iron & Wine stays pretty close to the original Rolling Stones track but its still fantastic.

Karl Wolf – Africa
Ignore the typical rap video ridiculousness… its a fun song.

Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby / Too Cold
Vanilla Ice did what few artists do and re-released his own one-hit-wonder in an entirely different style. Bonus: for a laugh and a trip down memory lane… Ice Ice Baby

Limp Bizkit – Behind Blues Eyes
Um… everyone has remade Behind Blue Eyes. It seems to be a rock concert favorite. I love this version mostly because its an unexpected departure from L.B. usual annoying craziness.

Linda Perry – Baby, It’s a Wild World
LOVE all things Linda Perry!

Marilyn Manson – Personal Jesus
A totally rockin version of a Depeche Mode classic. Anyone want to discuss the vjazzling on his cheeks?

Marilyn Manson (again!) – Tainted Love
Another totally rockin version of an 80s song. Loving the “goth thug” in this very video that revisits the fantastic spoof “Not Another Teen Movie”. This is definitely in my top 10 favorite videos.

And….. one more from Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams
If the Eurythmics and Ozzy Osbourne had a demon child, it’d be Marilyn Manson. Just as smart as Annie Lennox, just as fucked up as Ozzy and his whole family.

Natalie Merchant – One Fine Day
I have a special soft spot for covers of do-wop 50s groups. They sung most songs so happily, no matter what the subject matter. Natalie’s version of The Chiffon’s classic is heartfelt and honest. Simply wonderful.

Billy Corgan (of Smashing Pumpkins) – Never Let Me Down Again
Another cover of a Depeche Mode song. They must know how much I love Depeche Mode. Billy sings this one as if he is the one taking a ride with his best friend… if his best friend were heroin. Whatever.. no judgement. This one is great.

Wheatus – A Little Respect
These guys are the reason I have a playlist on my iPod lovingly called “Annoying Boy Music”. They rock this 80s pop song! (RIP Britney Murphy. Clueless wouldn’t have been the same without you.)

Taken By Trees – Sweet Child of Mine
This chick takes one of the most iconic songs and really makes it her own. Well done!

Lady Antebellum – Learning to Fly
Great cover of a Tom Petty classic. Bet their video has a lot less skateboards…. Ahhhh the 80s.

Wyclef Jean – Stayin’ Alive
Ok, not a surprise but he rocks this. Plus, bonus points for his sweet disco-esque dance moves.

Radical Reinterpretations – Never Again
These people cover everything but this Kelly Clarkson cover is my favorite. I don’t even like the original version but I stumbled across this one night and its been a favorite ever since.

Bina Mistry – Hot Hot Hot
Who even recorded the original? Doesn’t matter – sometimes I watch Bend It Like Beckham just to jam out to this. I found the DVD extra video on YouTube.

Muse – Feeling Good
The name says it all!

Chris Cornell – Billie Jean
Awesome gravelly voiced Chris brings out the meaning of the lyrics in a whole new way.

The Donnas – Dancing With Myself
Yes, that is what the song is about. Yes, girls do it too. I heart The Donnas. Stay bitchy, ladies!

Rachel Stevens – Knock on Wood
Club anthem! I can frequently be found driving the highway and dancing to this one.

Dixie Chicks – Landslide
This song was my soundtrack for 2 years when I was living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. So heartfelt and amazing.

Alex Parks seems to only do covers yet she does them well so I’m not complaining. She was on Britain’s Fame Academy and has recorded a lot of covers. These are my faves.
Mad World
Yellow

Save Ferris – Come on Eileen
Remember ska bands? Where did they go? Anyway, thank god someone covered the second most annoying  song produced in the 80s (right behind Walking in Sunshine, bleegghh).

The Birthday Massacre – I Think We’re Alone Now
An ok cover of another, way more fantastic, cover – Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now. Ladies, go ahead and sing along to Tiffany. You know you want to.

Ryan Adams – Wonderwall
Screw Oasis. They don’t do the song justice. Ryan Adams does.

Ben Lee – Float On
I simply love this song.The fact that he left in the mistake towards the end just makes him, and the song, that much more endearing.  🙂

Wyclef Jean – Your Love
Yet another great remix of a fun 80s song. The 50 First Dates soundtrack is filled with cool reinterpretations of popular songs. Check them all out sometime. I won’t add them all here but they are great. For now, have some fun and dance along.

311 – Love Song
I love the Cure’s version and 311 stays pretty close to the original style, with a bit of island feel thrown in. Another great hammock song from 50 First Dates. Adele also did a very cool version.

Shiny Toy Guns – Stripped
Originally recorded by Depeche Mode (love it!), this version is more electronic and has more of a driving beat. Plus the addition of a female lead singer really pulls this version ahead of the original.

Cary Brothers – Something About You
Loving the Cary Brothers! They are great and their versions of some great 80s tunes are a welcome addition to my driving playlist.
If You Were Here This cover of the popular Thompson Twins hit makes me wanna cry from the moment the melancholy guitar opens. I love singing this at the top of my lungs when driving (alone of course. M wouldn’t appreciate it).
As I was looking on Youtube for the video, I came across another cover they did… a cover of Duran Duran’s fabulous Ordinary World. I’m now buying it on iTunes. 🙂

Starfucker – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Ignore the name of the band…. this song is fucking great. The original was great and this boy-led version does Cindy Lauper proud. (p.s. got this version from M… love it when guys have great music!)

Cowboy Junkies – Blue Moon
Remember how I said that these 50s bands sung everything all happy? Yeah, that theory came from hearing this cover back in college. Thank you Cowboy Junkies! They also did a great Patsy Cline Walking After Midnight.

Audra Mae and the Forest Rangers – Forever Young
This cover is so amazingly beautiful, both the acapella and the full band version. The full band version is off the Sons of Anarchy soundtrack. The acapella is simply a gift from Ms. Mae. This is the song I want played at my funeral. Feel free to sing along.

The Gourds – Gin and Juice
I NEVER liked Snoop Doggs version, but this bluegrass one is infectious. Turn it up and enjoy this guilty pleasure.

Flo Rida – Right Round
We’ve all heard it. It rocks and it was the best part of The Hangover. Its on my workout mix.

Anberlin – Enjoy the Silence
One of my all-time favorite songs by Depeche Mode has been redone with a harder edge. Perfect for those driving playlists.

Bran Van 3000 – Cum On Feel the Noise
From the 90s, this cover of the lovingly cheesy 80s hair-metal anthem is a great electronic pop song.

Katie Melua – Just Like Heaven
The not-so-great chick flick Just Like Heaven did one great thing…. it introduced me to this sappy amazing girly version of one of my favorite songs by the Cure.

Matisyahu – Message in a Bottle
Another song for the Hammock playlist. Great reggae-ish version of the Police classic.

The Raincoats – Lola
As M says – this version of Lola is a bit of a gender-bending brilliance. The Raincoats keep that gritty quality that made the original Kinks version so great. A great song to end the list on.

Hope you enjoyed it. I didn’t even cover the Frank Sinatra covers – Brian Setzer Orchestra, Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr. – they are all great but so common that they just don’t fit this list.

I also didn’t include the great punk rock bands like The Clash, The Ramones, and Cheap Trick.

Feel free to add your own favorite covers.

Please let someone cover anything by Garfunkel and Oates! I Don’t Understand Job 🙂

On the Bandwagon…

Kale!

ok, there; I’ve blogged about Kale. Figured I’d better do it since everyone else has been.

 🙂

more blogging to come soon, I swear. Just need to fire up the old scanner and pull out some old photos. Wait for it….

New Adventures in Gardening! Hopefully This Won’t Turn Into a Tragic "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" Garden…

I’ve previously posted about patio gardening here at the apartment in El Paso…. Green Ethics, Black Thumbs and Green Ethics, Black Thumbs, Pt. 2

I think we can all agree that I’m not a super-awesome gardener. The newest update in my black thumb is that my boyfriend, M, has graciously agreed to let me take over a small section of his yard in Carlsbad, NM for a garden.

After perusing the seed catalog over at Fedco Seeds, M and I chose several veggies and herbs. Basil, Cilantro, Sage, Kale, Spinach, Bell Pepper, and Broccoli seeds are all on their way to me! I also plan to buy some seeds at the local Lowes…. tomato, green beans, mint, red potatoes, garlic, etc are all being considered.

I’ve been researching gardening apps for tracking the growth, life cycle, watering, and weather of my local garden. I’ve been reading every gardening blog I can in hopes of finding some tips. My amiga over in Bisbee has a great gardening blog that I’ll refer to as needed… Poco Sobre Mi Vida. I’ll even be asking a lot of questions of my dad as the year progresses. Every little bit helps when you’re a plant killer like me.

This last weekend, M and I were visiting friends in Austin and came away with a great new idea…. Tubs! Instead of digging into the ground, laying some type of tarp-y ground cover and cutting holes for the sprinkler system, then filling with dirt, and building up the edges with fencing to keep the dogs and boys out, we are going to try tubs. Big metal washtubs that are movable, dog and boy-resistant, and hopefully highly grass and weed-resistant.

My dad is even in on this experiment. He gave us a  hefty gift card to Lowe’s to finance our new garden. Thanks dad!

I’ll keep everyone updated on the garden goings-on as the year progresses. For now, we are in the hopeful state of research and purchasing.