The Beginning

May 2, 2021

Howdy folks,

I'm taking a break for a couple of weeks as things are really busy here at the ranch with spring finally coming on. So, in order to keep my weekly letters home going I decided to revisit our initial trip out here to interview for the ranch job in October 2020. It was a mad dash out to New Mexico from Pennsylvania and then a measured, but tireless return that brought us by a few sites of interest. The following is the two-part email from six months ago, spread out over the next two weeks...

Original email sent on October 22, 2020:

We just ran out to New Mexico, as some of you know, to interview for a job taking care of a ranch. The interview went well and we accepted the position. Erin and I will be leaving the day after Thanksgiving to drive out there and be there by December 1. We will be staying there as caretakers with the task of taking care of wild mustangs and dogs, as well as the house and property itself. There is about every kind of wild critter there that you could imagine(deer, elk, bear, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, etc.) and the management of that in and of itself will be part of the job. We left on Saturday night at 9pm and just rolled in this morning at 12pm. We did 3649 miles in 111 hours...sort of a personal record for us. Previously, our best was driving from San Francisco to Lewisburg in 48 hours... but that was only 2750 so I'm still judging each by their merits. We wanted to share our little, mini-adventure with you through a series of photos. This is Round 1.

Near Wagon Mound, NM

After meeting our new friend, Kim, at her place in San Jose, NM, we drove for a little less than an hour to a rest area near Wagon Mound, NM. I always liked the name of that place and imagined an ancient heap of wagons from the Santa Fe Trail, but realized in driving by it later on the next day that it must have been named for one of the many iconic buttes that surround it. We slept in the car the whole time with the three dogs and had: humans up front; dogs in the middle; luggage in back. We awoke to a glorious sunrise and made breakfast for us and the dogs before charting our course and getting started back home for the day. The first five shots are from here.

Raton Pass

We wavered between going east from Raton to check out the Capulin Volcano, but instead opted to go up and over the famed(dreaded) Raton Pass to Trinidad, CO. The next two shots are from an overlook at the top of the pass.

Eastern Colorado

We got off the interstate in Trinidad and struck across the plains in a northeasterly direction towards Bent's Old Fort on the Arkansas River in La Junta, CO. The next two shots are from the long stretch of road that we drove on to get there. You could literally see forever.

Sand Creek Massacre Site

One of the most horrible Indian massacres in the history of our country happened here in 1864 committed by some over-zealous local troops who wanted to help the government solve the 'Indian Problem.' I've always been drawn to this site and have always wanted to visit here but thus far have never made it. This was my body's first visit to the place but not mine, if you can catch my drift. The site was closed but we were able to observe the site of the massacre from the rise of the hill from whence it commenced(the first shot) and then saw one of the most picturesque trees and landscapes that we had ever seen right across from the closed gate of the National Historic Site. I'm glad that the site was closed, actually, as the visit was powerful enough to begin with. I'm not sure I could have handled walking through the killing fields where 230 were slaughtered under the American flag of protection and the white flag of peace...mostly women, children and elders.

We finished our trip by visiting Monument Rocks in western Kansas and saw the most amazing sunset that the universe has ever produced. Once I take a shower and blow the stink off I'll send another batch of shots just from there. Erin already bathed and is slowly falling asleep. Me, I can still be detected by nose from about ten feet away and have been too wired thus far to commit to a proper washing.

Take care.