Why is it that ...

There a special place in my heart for low riders? The maroon caddy heading away from me has a mural of Mary on the trunk.
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NM: Pimp my trike

New to me... Pimped out bicycles, all chromified and snazzy. Many are three-wheelers, all are low. Is this what the high cost of gasoline has done to the younger generation of low riders?

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Yes, that is a giant floating chile pepper!

Fall in NM means all things chile. At the game last night the wind was blowing from the red direction (earlier in the season green is the pervasive aroma). Since there has been no soccer this year, I miss smelling the chile processing plants. Saturdays at the Farmer's Market usually provides a good whiff of green roasting, but not as much as hours of fall season soccer on bleachers near the factories.

This weekend is The Whole Enchilads Fiesta, in which LC legend Roberto Estrada will again make a ginormous enchilada. New Mexico heat is the order of the weekend, whether from the sun or the chile.
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Handlebar survey

The bumper stickers are running 5-0 Obama on my commute. I saw only one bumper sticker on 2 rides and 3 on the other. I am not great at catching every car as it drives by, but on days with a headwind, counting stickers takes my mind off the slogging, even if it raises questions.

• Is my commute populated with no McCain supporters?
  
• Are McCain supporters there but too apathetic to say so on their cars?
• Should I count every SUV that passes as a possible McCain supporter and all Pruises as Obamians?

Actually, I am surprised overall at the low numbers of stickers I see. In past years, being a battleground state has meant taking politics to the newspaper, yard signs, roadways, t-shirts, billboards, hats, bumpers, and any other space available for opining. Will keep checking in on this very important story...

Must go - the parade is coming!

Hillsboro Peak

Sunday's hike took us to Hillsboro Peak. Starting elevation was 8200+ feet, and the top of the hill was 10,011 feet (tower was 61 steps higher).


Susie and Phillip joined us. The weather, scenery, and terrain was beautiful.


The Forest Service Lookout (MJ) gave us a tour of the tower (imagine how long that took...). Many times I have been to towers, but this is the first time I have ever met the lookout. What I learned: beer is never unwelcome!

A few wildflowers were out. There were fields of iris plants, but only a couple remaining blooms. Must have been gorgeous a couple weeks ago. And a last little guy saw us home.

Hike was longer that we thought, but there is nothing like a New Mexico Blue sky.

Road Art

Not really road art, but it is art beside the road. Close enough. I am such a sucker for road art, like the giant catfish of San Antonio.

Road art gives character to bland places, not that there is anything bland about Southern New Mexico and Highway 28.

And King Arthur called. He wants his helmet back.

What did Stu and Mel do on their 25th wedding anniversary?

Aahhhh. Chope's! Enchiladas beyond compare.

Windy today, predicted to end at 4. Nearly 2 hours ago. Still windy...

Made for a good excuse to goof off and not work hard around the yard.

But we did use Sierra Vista and the need for some plants as an excuse to go to south.

From these pictures, it looks like there is only one enterprising mural painter in Southern New Mexico.