Oliver Lee SP, Alamogordo, NM - Apr 2008

As the spring temperatures started to warm up in southern New Mexico, we began to make our way north -- seeking out cooler weather. Having lived in central Texas for nearly 25 years, I had grown weary of hot weather and so now I try to keep one step ahead of temperatures as they creep up towards 80 degrees. Our doggies (being a flat-faced breed) also have a difficult time keeping cool in warm weather, so we left Rock Hound and began our northward journey.

Our first stop was at Oliver Lee State Park. We had stayed there about three years ago and had thoroughly enjoyed the views from the campground as well as exploring the area and all the great attractions nearby. It was a good place to stop for a few days while we got a few chores done. We also made a return visit to the Pistachio Tree Ranch and bought some of their award-winning Atomic Hot Chili Pistachio Brittle -- a sweet/hot treat for the taste buds that we had discovered on our last visit to their store.

This year, I discovered that I really miss springtime in Texas -- most notably the colors of new grass, budding trees and wildflowers. The Hill Country of central Texas is nothing short of spectacular in the spring. While it can be hot, humid and have very unstable weather (have you seen the hail dimples on our RV?) the flora is, in a word, gorgeous. The arid deserts of New Mexico just don't hold a candle and I found myself looking long and hard to find bits of color in our travels. Oliver Lee had a few things -- pink and red salvias (only in the botanical garden) and a few yuccas in bloom. I even checked the National Wildflower Sighting website, but sadly, New Mexico didn't even rate a single link......sigh......

OK, since it doesn't have flowers, what does New Mexico have in the spring? In a word -- WIND -- lots and lots of wind. The locals have said that March and April are the windiest months, but ever since we crossed the border into New Mexico in February, the wind has been blowing. Sometimes it's only a gentle breeze, but often it's strong and gusting and drives us indoors. It also dictates our traveling and we always check the forecast before we move so that we're not driving on a really windy day. While in the state we've had three days of the worst wind we've ever encountered. Steady winds of 30 mph were not unusual and gusts up to 50 mph were reported. Since our RV does not have levelers nor stabilizers, it rocks and sways with the wind. I've sort of gotten used to it, but on really windy days, I take a Dramamine to keep from getting seasick.

All that wind does have some merits -- the dust that is kicked up will often create a spectacular sunset. We had one such beauty at Oliver Lee. Dark clouds enhanced the effect of a glowing, rust colored sky and the rocks reflected the orange of the sky making an eerie landscape. This is looking at Frenchie's Cabin (or what's left of it) in the light of sunset. I bet it was the wind that "huffed and puffed and blew Frenchie's Cabin down" -- ha!


Here, a yucca is silhouetted in the afternoon glow of a dusty sky.

To keep occupied during these windstorms, I tackled a new project -- baking bread. While at Rock Hound, Kate had shared a recipe for "no-knead bread" and pretty much convinced me that it was an easy task. Now, I don't care much for cooking in general and I'm borrowing a phrase from a friend when I say "if a recipe has more than three ingredients -- forget it!" But, Kate's bread was delicious and fresh baked bread is always a real treat in my book, so I gave it a try.
My first loaf was....well, how about if I just say it was edible for about two hours. Hot from the oven it had a crusty outside and moist inside, but after a couple of hours of cooling off, it became dense and hard as a rock. The diagnosis -- not enough water so the yeast didn't engage and it didn't rise. My second attempt was much better and since then, I've made a few pretty decent loaves. The only bad part of fresh bread (if there is a bad part) is that the two of us will demolish a small loaf in less than 12 hours -- not good for the diet.