Gone Fishin

In my early teens, my family and I lived in Alaska.  Five glorious years of outdoors of the most exquisite kind.  This is a shot of one of our favorite camping spots, Long Lake.  See the little bit of land at the bottom of the lake?  That was the campground.  The lake was our playground.

Camping was something I think all of us looked forward to every year.  I should maybe say, I know my brother and I did for sure, my sister too young to wander to far from camp still.  My mom?  I don't know, still having to cook, clean, house keep for us all, just on a smaller scale, the housekeeping part at least.  The cooking...not so much, we ate like kings on those camping trips.  Tang, moon pies, Chicken In a Biskit crackers with squirt cheese and so much more....heaven.  My dad?  Yes, he was on vacation, but he worked his butt off to make sure we were always comfortable and safe and saw as much of Alaska as our car and camper could take us to.



 

Camping trips always included fishing.  Big time fishing for my dad and brother.  For me, smaller fish and something I learned to love to participate in.  My own pole, tackle box, baiting my own hooks, cleaning my own fish and then one year, I was gifted with my own pair of waders.  It changed my fishing world.  No longer confined to the bank, I was able to wade the streams and lake shores....in a word....waders were freedom.

When I made the move to Ruidoso, one of the things on my "to do" list was to take up fishing again.   The Rio Ruidoso just outside our door isn't a deep stream, but the call of freedom from the bank was to strong to resist, I needed to be able to step in the stream and not be satisfied with standing on the bank. I wanted the freedom of waders again.  I compromised.  Wading boots.  

I'm also realizing the boots are symbolic of other freedoms that I was seeking by making this monumental move to the "wild".  I'm discovering those freedoms in little bits and pieces as the work world is finally falling off my shoulders and I have the chance to look up and around me once again.  Freedom to go in to the "wild" with my boots on.  To step in to the stream of life again.  To wade from the confinements of the shore. To enjoy "wader" freedom again.  Magical.



Queso Blanco, New Mexico style

My new find this week. Velveeta Queso Blanco. I have it on good authority this isn't anything new, just new to me..

Green chills are also new to me when it comes to cooking. My only experience of them in the past has been when Al had green chili cheeseburgers on trips to New Mexico.  These come already roasted and chopped in the frozen food section. This is the HOT variety, but they also come milder.

Can good old Velveeta and Rotel be improved on?  We'll see. Covered and popped in the microwave for a few minutes......and you get

PURE HEAVEN in a bowl. I don't think I'll ever go back to the old standard. Life is good. 

Come see me..

Grindstone Lake

One of the top items on my "to do" list here in Ruidosowas do a lot of hiking. Al and I did some overnight backpacking a few years back.  This are is full of trails, both rustic and developed. 

Yesterday we checked out the Grindstone Lake Trail located just a few miles from where we are.

This is a local fishing hole and not just for Ruidosians. There was a pair of Osprey at the lake. 

This one was on the shore and the other was circling above

Of course afterwards there was the obligatory "reward". An adult beverage at Inn of the Mountain Gods 

What a view. 

Apple boy

A trip to High Rolls today for the annual apple festival was suppose to net us some fresh cider and fresh apples, apple pies, apple turnovers, maybe some apple butter?  

Turns out the festival was more of an arts and craft Faire. 

The drive was pretty and we came across this Apple Boy located at the Old Apple Barn Store where you could purchase just about anything with your name on it, pencils, bracelets, key chains, bedroom door signs. You know the kind of trinkets I'm talking about. 

I need to find the real crafts that aren't geared to the tourists passing through. Another item I'll add to my "to do" list

Werk

Remember that time I said "I'm tired of sitting at a desk. I want to get off my a@@ and do some real labor". Today was that day. 

Brenda prides herself on having a well kept, beautiful park for people to visit. The pictures on the website don't show how pretty this park is. We'll work on that.  I need stronger arms and shoulders, I'll work on that too. Life is good and ibuprofen is my friend. 

Someday....

Remember when you said "someday, when I have time I'm gonna....."  well now is my someday. I've not hit the point yet where this isn't feeling like a vacation and I'll be packing up to head home soon, back to the grind. 

I left Texas with a huge to do list. First and foremost on the list was to be still. To sit with myself. Without phones, or needing to have answers or watching a clock. I imagined how I would fill my time what I didn't count on was how much of it there is when you don't have a set schedule.  I may just throw out the to do list and just do.

Saying Goodbye

This morning was the first tough farewell of many to come.  Saying goodbye to my bff not knowing when we'll actually get to see each other again.  In times past, we've always had the next event in mind and a count down began with the leaving til the next time.  Not this time.