this one's craazy

[willoweyes]

Hey, craazy, I have just been to fly fishing heaven in New Mexico.

There is a little town called Montezuma, north of Las Vegas, on the Gallinas River. Intrigued by stories of the hot springs there, we made the journey.

Montezuma. OK, rising like the Overlook, or maybe Hogwarts, a castle is plunked down in the middle of the wilderness. It is the University of the Americas, established by Armand Hammer for geniuses. The hot springs are on the university property, and so close that you could fish from your soak, flows the Gallinas. Trout fish are jumping, snagging giant red dragonflies reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth.

There are ten soaking pools, beautiful, lonely, and one of them is surely just right for you.

After soaking, we walked up the Gallinas, and I picked a basket of chanterelles, each golden, scented of apricots, and as big as your hand. there were also wild rasberries.

I felt so good for a few days afterwards, that I almost had to force myself to perform self-destructive acts.

[sidecross]

This was the best news I have read in a very long time!
.;)

[Isaiah Mpski]

I know exactly where you're talking about Willow.Great place to get well because it is not as well known as some of the enchanting places in NM,third largest state,47 th in population,like Ojo Caliente.
When you fish,try to go thursday afternoon.They stock the rivers generally on every thursday but I would check with the local fisheriery to increase you're chances of catching fish.
There is hardly anything better this time of the year when it is almost freezing a little higher up than where you are to get up early in the morning and while you're drinking that first cup of coffe to watch the trout that you've caught the day before get ready to become breakfast,and then the day gets so hot that it's so hot .
The ladybugs mate up there this time of the year.You can literally find swarms big enough to completely cover your arm.(there's some money for you Charlie).
If you head back to Santa Fe from where you are,get off at Pecos and drive north till the road runs out.Get on your horse or mule,head north for two or three days and you'll find yourself at the Governor's retreat.In the shadows of Old Baldy.Of course he just take a ten minute helicopter trip but the area is as beautiful as any in this world.And rugged,but i have seen idiots on bicycles and skid up there.
Gott I love New and Old Mexico.

[craazyman]

that sounds very nice Willow. Yes, nature is wonderful when you're the one at the top of the food chain. LOL.

Seriously, how could you stand in front of a trout river in the mountains of New Mexico, with fish jumping, AND STAND AROUND PICKING FLOWERS???!!!!! I guess the school didn't even have a loaner rod and reel and a couple of k-mart dries? A bunch of geniuses, for sure.

Yes, one of those hot pools would do me just right. I am in such severe need of a vacation like that, that the English language is inadequate for a full expression of it. Soon, soon, soon.

Seriously, Willow, I am very happy for you and am glad you all made the trip happen. My God we need those experiences, just to remind us what being alive can be like. I have never been to New Mexico, but it sounds wonderful.

[Isaiah Mpski]

Hey Lord CM,a great weekend trip can be had the Labor Day weekend and preferably the weekend after the labor day weekend.Fly to Albuq,rent a car and drive to Santa Fe-an hour to the north.It is a harvest festival-an ancient one to the local Catholic Indians,the climax of which is burning the devil on Sunday or Saturday night.The two days and nights before are always a blast.

I have a degree from UNM and spent about four years in New Mexico.One with a brujho on the San Juan Pueblo on the Rio Grande.
In fact my child Sunni was conceived in a warm spring that was flowing into the Rio Grande.I tease MM and tell her no telling how many sperm were in the river that evening.
StageCoach Springs.A few miles north of Taos where the stage coach crossed the Rio Grange during the 1849 gold days in SF.12 days from Kanas City to SF.Two hundred dollars one way.More than one man lost his pants at "the crossing" at StadeCoach Springs.In the movie Easy Rider,where Jack Nicholson get stoned for the first time was filmed at StageCoach Springs.
One of the most famous,if not successful was the commune called The Buffalo-a mile or so from the warm springs.I lived there in the early 70's and then rented a hogan on the rim,where I worked out and ran to the springs twice a day.I was just over 30 then.Great life,little money though but man was I in shape-so I thought-until I got the piss kicked out of me in Albuquerque a couple of times.That was it I told the feds-no more fighting for me unless it was with a gun or a set up deal.

Doanal Rumsfield has a place up there somewhere.Maybe you'd run into him.I'm sure he needs some cheering up bless his heart.

Has anyone heard fron Drew Hempl since the disaster in Minn?

[bopes]

Has anyone heard fron Drew Hempl since the disaster in Minn?

It does seem odd the normally ubiquitous Mr. Hempel hasn't posted since before the incident.

[willoweyes]

If you conjure
Instill
The importance of the family
the importance of the forming/
Defining
moment.
Which is irretrievable as death.


In Santa Fe, days follow a pattern; still and cool in the morning
Hot, busy middays
and a dark and burly thunderstorm each afternoon--

Everyone is a writer. The best writers can be found scribbling in the alameda Street laundrymat.

A real writer never brings his laptop to the coffeeshop. He is too busy watching. (He may bring a quarto of paper and a pencil stub, to capture the defining moment or two).

[Isaiah Mpski]

Yes that is July in Santa Fe.
In September it snows on the mountains sometimes.
I made it as far as December,then I had to come down to Espanola.
Yes isn't Santa Fe great?

I can image that ever writer or artist that came there got the same incredible feeling;like that first cup of coffee in the morning,and a thick steak by a warm fire with two feet of snow outside.
God I miss it..

[Isaiah Mpski]

I spent most of October and November in Velarde,about a half hour drive from Taos toward Santa Fe.It too,like Alcalde,is built along the side of the Rio Grande and Velarde is well known for it's apple orchards.
I stayed most of the time with my girl friend Janet Cohen from -you guessed it-New York City.
She was working at the Santa Fe opera as a set artist.
Things were getting more violent everyday at the rented adobe house where the Brujho,me and Salman lived.I saw one poor fellow stabbed and another get his chest kicked in and I'm sure one left from there only to show up in the river.
Janet was really a pretty good artist and most of our days were spent in Santa Fe trying to hawk her paintings to a few of the Gallery owners I knew.
We also went one day a week to Ojo Caliente.You could get a mineral springs bath then for about five dollars.
Ah.New Mexico.Land of Enchantment.

[JCCamp007]

We're headin toward LV,New Mexico Willow.

[willoweyes]

I feel a little twinge of envy! But I can't be leaving the farm these days, when Spring seems more than a promise at last.

Kiss the mountains for me. and the sky.

[JCCamp007]

You've got a whole month Willow,less you're talking of carrots,onions,turnips,lettuce,kale,spinach,radish es,brocolli,cabbage,garlic,shallots,leeks.
I don't have any money to head toward the promised land,less I rob my litagation -set aside-expenses and I still need a couple more K for "expert" witnesses.
I think throwing a couple more lawyers in the ocean would get things moving faster but better not press my luck.