exposure Arts & Leisure in Southern New Mexico
Let’s party Page 8
Heart of the Gila Page 20-21
Watersheds Page 32
June 2017
Volume 22 • Number 6
2 • MONTH 2017
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MLS# 34140 • $14,000 2BD/.75BA FIXER HOME IN LORDSBURG. Central location, budget priced, sold as-is. House needs a new roof, electric & gas are off. In order to turn utilities on, a licensed electrician & plumber will need to assess and fix any code violations first. Most likely electric service will need to be upgraded.
MLS# 34383 • $204,000 Close to WNMU this family ready home provides wonderful east views with high ceilings, providing a huge living area for entertaining. The home also has a very large kitchen and plenty of cabinet storage and lots of prep area that make the cook of the family never feel cramped for space. The basement could provide for a guest quarters/rental for a little extra income. Garage has plenty of storage room.
Patrick Conlin, Broker
MLS# 34311 • $500,000
MLS# 34381 • $115,000
EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOM 2BD/2BA ADOBE PLUS OFFICE, ON 5.5 WOODED ACRES. Southern exposure, private, and views! Custom cabinetry, woodwork, & lighting. Built-in storage, multiple decks, courtyard, 2 car garage. This home has many high-end features, and a combination southwest/asian flair.
NEW METAL ROOF! Charming 3Bd/1Ba home centrally located in Deming. Large lot is enclosed by block wall. Backyard includes a detached storage shed/ possible workshop. Covered patio, 2 car carport, eat-in kitchen. Possible to add a 2nd bathroom in enclosed house footprint. Additional lot available! Owner may finance!
HAPPY ON HILL STREET! Becky - Ext 11 – This older home has been completely redone, and awaits its new owner. Beautiful hardwood floors, new tile and kitchen and bath. Custom window coverings. Metal roof, easy-care landscaping. Over-sized lot. 2 bedrooms 1 bath on main floor, + bedroom or office & laundry & storage on garage level. Price Reduced to $159,500 – See it soon! MLS# 32925
Mimbres Office: 2991 Highway 35, Mimbres, NM Toll-Free (866) 538-0404 Office: (575) 574-8798 www.mimbresvalleyrealestate.com robin@bettersilvercity.com
MLS# 34390 • $35,000
MLS# 34317 • $360,000
Hard to find, 4 bedroom home just on the edge of the City Limits. Open, large rooms with lots of windows and light. Great room with French Doors out to the back patio brings the wonderful back yard and patio inside and makes for great entertainment space. This home offers rural privacy just minutes from town, schools and medical centers. Take a look!
MLS# 34349 • $519,900 CUSTOM 4BD/3BA HOME IN DOS GRIEGOS PHASE 1. Quality construction & attractive landscape. Fantastic southern views from across your full length deck. Large open floor plan, generous sized bedrooms & halls. Tile & hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen with island & breakfast bar. 1.5 acre lot borders subdivision open space. Greenhouse located underneath the deck. Take a look at this home, you won’t be disappointed!
MLS# 34382 •$262,000 FANTASTIC 3BD/2BA HOME IN COPPER RIDGE, SET ON 1.1 ACRES WITH VIEWS. All city utilities! Large living area with vaulted ceilings, fireplace, built-ins, & access out to the patio. Eat-in kitchen plus dining area, all appliances convey. Private master bedroom suite, 2 car finished garage, & fenced area for pets.
MLS# 34363 • $76,900 Immaculate home just on the North edge of Lordsburg on 1/2 an acre. New double pane windows 6 years ago and laminate flooring through-out. This home has great, open living space and is ready to move into now! Clean as can be. Take a look!
4.5 acres in the Lake Roberts Subdivision with Gila National Forest Boundary. Abundant trees and wildlife. Lake Roberts is nearby for fishing, boating and hiking.
MLS# 34256 • $713,000
You are about to encounter a 21st Century, Southwestern Ranch Style Home in the small corner of New Mexico that was home to many famous gunslingers, including Billy the Kid. This custom built home sits on 40 acres with mature landscaping, fruit trees and a commanding wisteria canopy on the front porch, lending a special ambiance for entertaining outdoors. Main Home boasts almost 3,000 sq ft of flowing floor plan. Saltillo floors throughout the home give it the traditional flavor of the southwest. Nice flow with open kitchen/den with breakfast area. The formal living and dining area are where you can entertain a crowd, conveniently located just off the kitchen. Cozy guest wing and office allow for a level of privacy. The kitchen has custom built pine cabinets with tile countertops and lend a western flair to the home’s decor. Two apartments are set up each with separate driveways, entrances,
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 3
Father's Day Sale RECLINERS STARTING AT
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4 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com PUBLISHER
Postcards From the Edge
Richard Coltharp 575-524-8061 editor@desertexposure.com
Desert Exposure Travels
EDITOR
Elva K. Österreich 575-680-1978 editor@desertexposure.com
Alamogordo resident Linda Baker’s sister Lorrie Gervin visited from California in May and they explored a new (to her) corner of New Mexico. Together they discovered Silver City — again.
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Pam Rossi 575-635-6614 pam@lascrucesbulletin.com
ADVERTISING SALES Silver City Ilene Wignall 575-313-0002 jiwignall@comcast.net
If you have guests from out of town who are having a blast and reading Desert Exposure, shoot them with your camera and send us the photo with a little information. Or, if you are traveling, don’t forget to share, do the selfie thing with yourself holding a copy of Desert Exposure it to diary@desertexposure. com or stick it in the mail to: Desert Exposure, 1740-A Calle de Mercado, Las Cruces, NM 88005.
DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Teresa Tolonen 575-680-1841 teresa@lascrucesbulletin.com
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
Cary J. Howard, Stacey Neal, Ryan Galloway
WEB DESIGNER Ryan Galloway
COLUMNISTS
Sheila Sowder, Scott Thomson, Bert Stevens, Jim Duchene, Ronnie Joan Diener, Fr. Gabriel Rochelle, Marjorie Lilly, and Yvonne Lanelli. 1740-A Calle de Mercado Las Cruces, NM 88005 575-524-8061 www.desertexposure.com
ABOUT THE COVER
La Mariachi in Blue Dress Debbie Guerra moved to New Mexico with her husband in 1978 from Colorado. Encouraged by fantasy artist Lee Rommel, she learned to paint in watercolor and has been in love with the medium ever since. Living on the edge of Silver City, she is encouraged daily with the beauty of her surroundings and often paints plein air. “Watching the light change throughout the day and the seasons change with their varying colors, gives me a deep appreciation and reverence for nature,” she said. “Intrigued by this play of light and movement, my intent is to paint fluidly so that the paintings come alive.” Guerra’s paintings are currently on display at the Mimbres Region Arts Council Gallery located in the Silver City Wells Fargo Bank, 1201 N. Pope St. MRAC hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily except for Monday, closed.
Desert Exposure is published monthly and distributed free of charge at choice establishments throughout Southern New Mexico. Mail subscriptions are $54 plus tax for 12 issues. Single copies by mail $4. All contents © 2017 OPC News, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission. All rights to material by outside contributors revert to the author. Views expressed in articles, advertisements, graphics and/or photos appearing in Desert Exposure do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or advertisers. Desert Exposure is not responsible for unsolicited submissions of articles or artwork. Submissions by mail must include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope for reply or return. It will be assumed that all submissions, including email letters, are intended for publication. All submissions, including letters to the editor, may be edited for length, style and content.
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DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 5
Contents 4 POSTCARD • Reader Travels Sisters explore southern New Mexico 6 LETTERS • PNM at it Again Save our monuments and speak out on rates 6 DESERT DIARY • New Mexico Facts New books shares fun, interesting things 7 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK • What do I Eat? A look at what “they” say by Elva K. Österreich 8 LET’S PARTY • Fiesta Latina WNMU brings new event to Silver City 9 HIGH PLACES • From Tour to Tour Guide Finding friends on the trail by Gabrielle Teich 10 WINGING IT • Solstice Seeking Club discovers birding magic by Yvonne Lanelli 12 CHROMATIC SCALE • Call it What it Is Country music covers a lot of ground by Marty Racine 13 ARTS EXPOSURE • Gallery Guide Area arts venues listed 14 ARTS EXPOSURE • CLAYFest Geology, mining factor in annual event 14 CALLS FOR CREATIVITY • Artists, Filmmakers Needed Opportunities in Southern New Mexico 15 ON THE SHELF • Questions no Answers Poetry book review by Adam Palomino 15 MUSIC SCENE • Meditations Musician releases fourth flute album 15 MUSIC SCENE • The Joy of Singing LGBT 16 ARTS EXPOSURE • Arts Scene Latest area arts happenings 18 HOOT • Owls Take Over State park sees raptor dispute by Richard Anderton 19 BORDERLINES • Mining the Floridas? Luna County mountain range questions by Margorie Lilly
20 CONSERVATION • ‘Heart of the Gila’ Making a movie about a river and three teens who died 22 PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK • Get on the Good Foot What to put on our feet for the summer by Richard Coletharp 22 RAISING DAD • Kindness? A certain father makes new food judgements by Jim & Henry Duchene 23 STARRY DOME • Centaurus, the Centaur Punishment for defiance by Bert Stevens 24 ARTS EXPOSURE • Career Art Path Art immersion camp for middle schoolers 25 BODY, MIND SPIRIT • Grant County Events Weekly happenings in Grant County
SNOWDENEXTERMINATING Serving Southwest New Mexico since 1951
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25 BODY, MIND SPIRIT • Senior Centers Grant County centers to be managed by HMS 26 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT • Family Fun Day JUMP into Summer at Gough Park in Silver City 26 CYCLES OF LIFE • Into the Wind Resisting New Mexico air power by Fr. Gabriel Rochelle 27 TALKING HORSES • Think Like a Steward What responsibility do we have? by Scott Thomson 28 QUANTUM VIEW • Using Physics to Heal the Mind Part 4: Psychotherapy by Ronnie Joan Diener 29 TABLE TALK • Tranquil Buzz Old café has new face on Yankie Street by Sheila Sowder 30 RED OR GREEN • Dining Guide Restaurants in southwest New Mexico 32 WATERSHEDS • Two Goats Watershed improvement project helps supply to Alamogordo 33 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS • Events Guide For June and a little beyond 38 LIVING ON WHEELS • Reflections Life in the rearview mirror by Sheila Sowder
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6 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
Letters to the Editor
DESERT DIARY
‘Fascinating Facts of New Mexico’
M
arty Gerber put out a book, published by Terra Nova Books in Santa Fe, something to keep us on our toes.
What are the four New Mexico towns with three-letter names? Abo, Lea, Roy and Jal (an acronym for rancher John A. Lynch) Baseball is the national sport of what New Mexico Indian tribe? Laguna Pueblo, which has five semi-pro teams and hosts the All-Indian Baseball Tournament every September. When and where was the first rocket launched into outer space? Feb. 24, 1949 at White Sands Proving Ground (now White Sands Missile Range). What was the heliograph? A wireless solar telegraph that the U.S. Army used in New Mexico in the late 1800s during its campaigns against the Apache and other hostile tribes. The communication network sent Morse code
signals over more than a hundred miles of rugged territory via flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. What saint is the New Mexico town of San Jon named after? None. It’s a corruption of “zanjon” meaning “deep gully” in Spanish. Where did Thomas Edison build a plant in 1900 to extract gold from rock and earth with static electricity? At Dolores, in the Ortiz Mountains south of Santa Fe. However, his plan didn’t work, and he shut down the operation after a few unsuccessful experimental attempts. What New Mexico town bills itself as the carbon dioxide capital of the world? Clayton, in the far northeast corner. The carbon dioxide isn’t hanging in the air, though, but sits underground embedded in sandstone southwest of town. It’s used in oil drilling and the manufacture of dry ice. What Norse god was ban-
June 13, noon:
ished to Earth, landing in the New Mexico desert in this 2013 movie of the same name? Thor Where in New Mexico were parts of the original “Star Wars” movie filmed? White Sands Missile Range What famous ancient homes are said to have been found because of an attempt to avoid jury duty? The Mogollon’s Gila Cliff Dwellings north of Silver City were first spotted by a non-Indian in 1878 when Henry Ailman went into the mountains on a prospecting trip along with some friends who also were in a jury list and didn’t want to be called to serve. What is the origin of the state symbol? The Zia sun symbol was created by anthropologist Harry Mera inspired by a design he saw on a nineteenth-century water jar from Zia Pueblo. In addition to appearing on the state flag, the Zia is the shape of the state Capitol building, known as the Roundhouse.
Leave the wild places alone I am so outraged by people attacking our beautiful National Monuments including the jewel of Las Cruces — the Organ Mountains — Desert Peaks National Monument. Our national parks and national monuments are so crowded now. Then President Trump wants to reduce them and turn over this land to developers and special interests. It is maddening. Our national parks and national monuments contribute to the greatness of America. They actually make America great and the envy of other countries. Greg Lennes Las Cruces
Hearings to be held on PNM’s Rate Case Shortly after PNM received its last 9.5 percent rate increase, it filed for yet another rate increase. Customers will have an opportunity to voice our opinions to the NM Public Regulation Commission (PRC) about PNM’s request for this additional 9.26 percent residential rate hike. Public comment hearings are scheduled, one at 3 p.m. and one at 6 p.m. at each of the following locations: • June 12 at the Grant County Commission Meeting Room, Grant County Administration Center, 1400 Highway 180 East, Silver City; • June 13 at the Luna County Commission Chambers, 700 S. Silver Ave., third floor, Deming; • June 14 at the Los Lunas Council Chambers, 660 Main St., Los Lunas; June 15 at the Otero County Commission Chambers, 1101 New York Ave., Rm. 123, Alamogordo. Attendees may check with the PRC for any potential changes to the schedule.
The fairness of some of PNM’s expenditures in this rate case (PRC case no. 16-00276UT), including PNM’s reckless reinvestment in the San Juan Generation Station (SJGS) without comparing costs to fair-market prices for renewable alternatives, will soon be decided by the NM Supreme Court; in addition, PNM also slipped another $26 million of unnecessary SJGS costs into this rate case. The time is ripe for public comment on PNM’s continued breach of public trust. PNM is also seeking reimbursement and profit of $148 million for capital expenses in the Four Corners Power Plant (FCPP). Customers may remember that in PNM’s last rate case, PNM requested (and received from the PRC), cost recovery of $580 million in FCPP coal fuel costs when PNM tied customers with a take-or-pay coal contract to 15-years of continuing dirty coal power at FCPP. PNM did this without doing any financial analysis whatsoever. The $148 million in this case brings the total (so far) of PNM’s reinvestment in FCPP to $728 million dollars. Again, PNM made this three-quarters of a billion-dollar reinvestment without doing any meaningful economic evaluation or comparison to alternative resource choices. When faced with a similar decision at the time of the expiration of the partnership agreement, El Paso Electric Co. (ELE), which had a 100 MW stake in FCPP, did do a financial analysis. ELE determined that its ratepayers would save between $120 and $200 million dollars if it paid to leave FCPP and invested in solar and gas power instead. Likewise, PNM, with its 200 MW stake in FCPP, could have saved its customers between $240 and $400 million dollars. However, as is typical for PNM, it chose not to com-
LETTERS continued on page 7
July Deadlines
Space reservation and ad copy due
June 14, noon:
All stories and notices for the editorial section
I F Y O U H AV E A N Y Q U E S T I O N S , P L E A S E C O N T A C T: EDITOR Elva K. Österreich 575-680-1978 editor@desertexposure.com
DISTRIBUTION Teresa Tolonen 575-680-1841 teresa@lascrucesbulletin.com
SALES COORDINATOR SILVER CITY SALES MANAGER Pam Rossi Ilene Wignall 575-635-6614 575-313-0002 pam@lascrucesbulletin.com jiwignall@comcast.net
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 7
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK • ELVA K. ÖSTERREICH
Doing Food
Confusion in the health arena
S
o I recently changed my diet. The problem is, trying to eat healthy means so many different things to different people that trying to figure out what that means is tricky. Just in my small office where I work in the company of 12 fulltime folks, there is a vast difference in eating belief and habits. When I polled the folks in my office about food, most of them started with the phrase “Well, what they say is … but … “ Richard said, quoting Harry Callahan in “Sudden Impact,” “Nobody. I mean nobody. Puts ketchup on a hotdog!” Tracy will not eat canned spinach and is focusing on using less salt. “This is probably the hardest food task I’ve done,” she said. Less salt is something “they” agree is important to a healthy diet. “Everybody likes food,” Marty said. “You can’t go wrong.” Although “they” say it’s best to make your main meal in the morning, or at lunch time, Marty’s most important meal is at dinner-time at the end of the day when he can sit back, relax and enjoy. Lima beans and liver are some things Teresa won’t eat. Her philosophy is that wherever
you are you can find something healthy. “In any culture of food, you can find healthy ways of cooking it,” she said. “Stay away from cans, get your weekly Omega-3s. Find a new recipe and try it.” Children should eat what the adults eat, Teresa said. And, she said, “Don’t listen to people when they tell you what not to eat.” Anita is sensitive to gluten, and although “they” sometimes don’t really believe in gluten allergies, Anita and others really find a better feeling when avoiding wheat products. Letting go of bread may be difficult, and letting go of beer even harder for some, but both Anita and Mike agree, they physically feel much better for it. “I am trying to eat things that are going to help me instead of just what I want to eat,” Anita said. But in the end, Tracy said it best. “Sometimes I’m just going to go eat a green chile cheeseburger and fries — and cake.” For myself, I have simply decided not to eat industry meats any longer. I won’t go into gory details here but there is plenty of it on the internet, how animals are raised, treated and
slaughtered on a mass scale in terribly inhumane conditions. Nope, haven’t gone vegan, or even vegetarian, just generally pay more for meat if I want it. The good thing is there are lots of excellent sources in southern New Mexico for grass fed, humanely treated animals. We have a good number of farms and ranches that raise them. And even Walmart has plenty of organic choices available. The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as food produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets
LETTERS continued from page 6 pare its reinvestment to other energy resource options. Because of our regulated monopoly utility system, PNM makes more money when it spends more money; nevertheless, PNM has a legal obligation to ensure that its investments were prudently incurred. Customers should insist that the PRC deny PNM recovery of any of this $148 million. How can PNM show that the costs were reasonably incurred without contrasting them to alternative options? PNM’s reinvestment total (so far) of $728 million dollars could have solarized all of Silver City for every resident, business, fire station, school and hospital many times over. That would have offered a hedge against rising utility rates. Instead, all of PNM’s rate hikes have been because of PNM’s over-reliance on fossil and nuclear power generation, 91 percent of PNM’s portfolio. PNM has only 2 percent solar and only 7 percent wind on its system. It is an economic and environmental travesty not to take advantage of the wealth of our less expensive and clean energy resources. Another important issue that is ripe for customers’ comments is PNM’s request for an increase to our monthly fixed charge; the investor-owned utility proposes a dramatic increase from $7 to $13. Having PNM’s cost-recovery tied to actual total energy usage rather than either fixed monthly charges or residential “demand” charges (which could only be implemented if PNM
to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too. I started buying organic butter and cage-free eggs from Walmart, but since regulation enforcement is not quite what it should be, that is more a hope for humane treatment than a reality since huge milk-producing establishments like Colorado’s Aurora Organic Dairy procedures have come into question. Regulations for organic practices in the dairy arena require a given amount of time spent by the animals out in grass paddocks and, according to a Washington Post story, the dairies are allowed to hire their own inspectors who often don’t even see the cattle during the times of year they are supposed to be put to those pastures. The best way to ensure animals are treated well is to get products from local, known sources as much as possible. Luckily we live in an area where there are a good number of such sources. Too many to list here. What this new adventure has done for me, though, is created a culture of actually thinking about everything I put in my mouth and body. Even if it is not meat or dairy, does it have those products in it? What about cheese and the animals
used to produce that; how are they treated? How much of what “they” say is real? What this thinking does for me, is slows down the process and makes me grateful for my food and glory in the ingredients I am able to produce for myself. This year I have my own herbs, pecans, tomatoes, lettuce and beans. Next year — who knows? Elva K Österreich is editor of Desert Exposure and would love to meet Desert Exposure readers during her office hours in Silver City. Her Silver City days and location are changing once more and will be at Tranquil Buzz Café, which is the Yankie Creek Coffee House’s new incarnation, located at the corner of Yankie and Texas streets. So put your bonnet or ball cap on to save your head from the sun and head over to the café on Thursday, June 8, to say hello. If that is not a good time, she will be glad to arrange another day to meet you and you can always reach her at editor@ desertexposure.com.
ON STAGE
succeeds in its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI Project) or “smart” meter case), encourages energy efficiency. When PNM’s collections are shifted in these ways through changes in rate design, it hurts low-income and low-use customers. These sorts of shifts in cost-recovery also make it less affordable for customers to invest in rooftop solar panels. Solar panels offset the power-used portion of our bills, so if more of the expense in our bills is tied to aspects other than total energy used, then the pay-back period for installing solar increases and solar becomes less cost-effective for customers. Please tell the PRC that we do not want any increase at all to our monthly fixed fee. The fee was just raised from $5/month to $7/month in the last rate case, only six months ago. (And, tell the PRC to say no to AMI, so that we do not have to fight demand charges later!) The Hearing Examiners rightfully threw out a settlement between PNM and a dozen groups to raise rates 9.2 percent because it would have placed an unreasonable burden on residential ratepayers and because the hike “violated regulatory practices and principles.” Let’s demand that PNM divest from coal and nuclear power and not strap all these unnecessary costs and risks on us. PNM should pay for its own bad business decisions — not us! Tom Manning Director, Citizens for Fair Rates and the Environment
BAMM Rocks Cloudcroft Camp out at a mountain music festival
S
ummer’s here and it’s time for the 8TH Annual BAMM (Bad Ass Mountain Music) Festival. More than 15 bands play over two days and nights with onsite camping in the rockin’ mountains of Cloudcroft. The festival is held Father’s Day weekend, June 16 and 17, at Ski Cloudcroft. This year’s festival offers an eclectic mix of artists, from New Mexico to Arkansas and to Nevada. Everything from rock, reggae, funk, hip hop, indie, bluegrass and more will be ringing through the mountain. In addition to music, New Mexico’s Zia Facial Hair Club will be hosting their Beard and ‘Stache contest at the festival with their profits going to charity. The Odd Lab crew brings a dazzling blend of pyromania and fire dancing for Saturday night’s event and a wild circus and aerial act that afternoon. Visit www.bammfestival.com for the complete line-up. Gates open Friday, June 16 at 4 p.m. for all concert goers. Tent camping spots are available on a first come, first served basis, with limited designated parking for RVs and camp trailers. All camping is free with the purchase of a festival ticket. Music kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. and continues until 1 a.m. Saturday morning starts off with a 10 a.m. Yoga session, followed by a rocking line-up all day until the wee hours of the morning. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30 online or $40 at the front gate. Festival-goers may come and go as they please once they have acquired their wrist bands. Children 12
cutline here x yx yxyxy xy yxy xy xyxy xy xy yxyxy xy xy xy y xyxy xyxy xyxy y xy xy xy xy xy xy xy y xy xy
and under are free. If camping is not your thing, there’s plenty of lodging within the village of Cloudcroft. No pets. No alcohol. No glass. No open flames or charcoal grills are permitted. Propane grill/gas camp stoves are permitted. Along with great music there will be food trucks, woodfired pizza, a funky mix of local arts and crafts and activities for the children including the Piñata Bash, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
8 • MONTH 2017
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LET’S PARTY
WNMU Holds First Fiesta Latina New Silver City festival brings artisans in from Mexico to participate
L
atin rhythms and flavors are the focus of Western New Mexico University’s newest event creation. Master artisans from across Mexico and artisanal tequila are only a few of the focuses of Fiesta Latina on Father’s Day weekend, June 16, 17 and 18. Friday night kicks off with the Sneak Peek, an opening reception and dance where the artisans and their handcrafted work will be introduced. Patrons will have a chance to meet the artists and get a first look at the Artisan Market, as well as purchase goods. A ticket will also get guests into the dance with music by Baracutanga and a performance by Columbian dancers. Food and libations will be available. Saturday will host a full day of the Artisan Market, featuring artisans from all over Mexico, demonstrations, guided children’s activities, Latin inspired food and drink, and continuous musical and dance performances including capoeira, samba, folklorico, and mariachi’s. There will also be a tequila tasting from 1-5 p.m. featuring 15 small batch and artisanal tequilas from Jalisco, Mexico. Saturday evening features New Mexico’s “King of New
Patricia Castillo creates Day of the Dead sculptures at the workshops of Taller Alfonso Castillo. Mariachi Plata will be part of the musical celebrations of Fiesta Latina at Western New Mexico University June 16-18. (Courtesy Photos)
Mexico Music,” Tobias Rene, whose show consists of an eight-piece powerhouse band with a full brass section. Tobias is considered one of the most potent Latin entertainers of all time with explosive energy on stage. Beer, wine and spirits will be available for purchase from Little Toad Brewery & Distillery. On Sunday the Artisan Market continues with Latin inspired food and drink, children’s activities and free musical performances. The day begins with a
blessing of the fathers by Father Oliver from St. Vincent de Paul at noon. The Artisan Market and ongoing music and performances are free to the public. Ticketed events include Sneak Peek, opening reception and dance, $10; Tequila Tasting (10 tastes for $20); Headliner: Tobias Rene - $15. Tickets are available online. For more information call 575538-6469. Visit fiestalatina.org for the full schedule of events.
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Artisan Taller Alfonso Castillo mans a booth of products created in his family tradition. The Castillo tradition is one of the focuses at the upcoming Fiesta Latina.
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DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 9
S YZ YGY Handmade in America
Louis Teich, 14, looks at one of the remnants at the Lake Valley ghost town. (Photos by Gabriele Teich)
HIGH PLACES • GABRIELE TEICH
I
A Day Trip to Lake Valley
f big long hikes are not your thing we have a suggestion for you this month: Go on a day trip instead. You can still get a walk in and you see something new. Our suggestion: Lake Valley Ghost town, west of Hatch. In Hatch you take Country Road 26 and then 27 to get to this remote corner of New Mexico. Total drive time from Las Cruces is approximately 1 ½ hours. The site is only open Thursdays through Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This old mining town has several interesting buildings to explore, from the old school house to a cute little church. The school now houses a museum and the park hosts can talk about many interesting facts and tales about bygone days in Lake Valley. For example, find out where the lake that was the town is named after. Leave your vehicle parked there and go exploring on foot. A trail meanders through the village and you can find (but not take) many treasures strewn all over the ground. You will find everything from old rusted cars to a bank safe, sewing machines and mining tools. We were especially intrigued by the many purple glass shards and went back to the school house to ask about them. People back then made their own glass on site — we learned — and the manganese (or was it magnesium?) in the soil gave the glass the purple hue. Each building is explained by a sign in front, so you learn where the doctor lived (who still made house calls — where are those doctors now if you need them?) until the 1960s and for what each of the other buildings was used. Even the garbage of 100 years ago is interesting. We found a pile of glass at one end and a heap of metal cans at another site. Were they going to recycle that? Probably. Melting it back into new canisters and bottles. No plastic whatsoever. The main street of Lake Valley burned completely down in the late
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Residents of long ago Lake Valley clearly separated their trash, with glass on one side and tin cans on the other.
1900s and was never rebuilt because the price of silver had already plummeted and the mine wasn’t worth much anymore. Since everything was built out of wood, you will only find rusty nails, glass and ceramic shards. Not even the foundations of houses can be traced in the ground anymore. The desert has reclaimed the area. If you completed the circle back to the school house you will have walked at least a mile and a quarter. Now make your way up to the two dead tree posts on the hill across Main Street and check out the old cemetery. The oldest grave we found was from 1885. When you are ready to go back home, you have the perfect excuse to stop in Hatch for the “World Famous” burger at Sparky’s — according to our youngest, the best part of the trip. Have a wonderful day — and get out there! Our state is beautiful! Of German origin, Gabriele Teich has called Las Cruces her home for the last 18 years — and loved every minute of it, hiking the mountains in the immediate surroundings and all over this beautiful state.
10 • MONTH 2017
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Prickly Pear Cactus blooms colorfully at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. This display of flora in the Chihuahuan Desert is a good place to learn different plants and cacti.
Birders can observe much activity from overlooks along the Riparian Trail at Mescalero Fish Hatchery. (Photos by Yvonne Lanelli)
WINGING IT • YVONNE LANELLI
Solstice Seeking Club discovers summer birding magic
J
une 20 marks the magical summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. For keen birders such as the Lincoln County Bird Club, all
summer mornings are magical, as they train binoculars on favorite feeding spots, ponds and nesting areas. Field guides in hand, birders thrill to the sight
of both familiar species and new sightings. When I moved to the mountains of Lincoln County, I was surprised and fascinated by
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colorful birds soaring overhead or flying into pine trees. Having lived all my life in a big city, I knew only city birds such as sparrows and pigeons. Bluebirds, cardinals, eagles and hawks were as mythical to me as unicorns and chimeras. So I bought “A Field Guide to Western Birds,” by Roger Tory Peterson and made some progress. First lesson: what I’d mistakenly called a ruby-throat hummingbird was really a broadtailed hummingbird. Turkey vultures were next, their fringed wing edges and wobbly flight differentiating them from eagles and hawks which also soared over highways or perched on utility poles. But it was when I stumbled upon Lincoln County Bird Club that an entire world opened to me. On field trips to Otero County’s Oliver Lee Memorial State Park and Mescalero Trout Hatchery; Socorro County’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge; Lincoln County’s Hondo Valley and White Mountain Wilderness and Chaves County’s Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, experienced birders and
fellow novices shared information such as field markings, flight patterns, nesting and feeding habits and more. Do you put out bird feeders or nest boxes? Do you see a flash of blue out your kitchen window and wonder if it’s a bluebird or a blue jay? Do you get divebombed by a hummingbird when you wear a bright red shirt? Does a woodpecker knocking on your wooden house trim startle you? Then welcome to the magical world of birding … What made this day so magical? Was it the pair of great blue herons perched in Ponderosa pine trees, eyeing a small pond in reedy marsh? Half a dozen male American robins crossing our path? The spotted towhee grubbing through mucky underbrush “just like the bird book says!” It could have been the rich aromas of wild honeysuckle, apple blossom and smells-likedesert-after-rain creosote. Dramatic vistas of layered limestone
MAGIC continued on page 11
Expose your abilities
o you have a curious, outgoing, energetic mindset, preferably with experience in sales? We are currently seeking advertising salespeople who can work in one or more of these communities: Cloudcroft, Tularosa, Ruidoso, Truth or Consequences or Socorro. You could be the right person to help area businesses grow their revenues through Desert Exposure’s vibrant readership. Our dynamic monthly publication highlights arts, leisure and life in amazing southern New Mexico. Are you interested in being part of Desert Exposure’s growth, meeting new people and making some money while you’re at it? If so, contact Desert Exposure publisher Richard Coltharp. Send a resume and letter of interest to Richard Coltharp, 1740-A Calle de Mercado, Las Cruces NM 88005, or email to richard@lascrucesbulletin.com
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In the midst of the desert, birders can find the occasional pool or spring at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park.
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 11
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Yellow columbine bloom in profusion at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park.
MAGIC continued from page 10 representing millions of years heightened this magical day with Lincoln County Bird Club (LCBC) on a recent field trip to the Mescalero Tribal Fish Hatchery and Oliver Lee Memorial State Park south of Alamogordo. The Fish Hatchery’s riparian trail meanders along a quiet stream bed beneath willow, cottonwoods, apple and crabapple trees that shelter pine siskins, Northern flickers, red-winged blackbirds, Western bluebirds and broadtail hummingbirds. Wild asparagus grows along the stream bed and a light phase redtailed hawk soars above. Mourning doves, white-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves coo distinctively as the bells of St. Joseph’s Mission chime the hour. Pause at any of several lookouts along the trail to enjoy the waterfowl, including mallards. My magical moment? First sighting of a violet-green swallow. The riparian trail is open to the public at no charge. Take US 70 to Mescalero, exit at St. Joseph’s Mission, go under the overpass to the stop sign, turn left. Turn at the next right into the parking area. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park’s hiking trails provide ample birding. We choose the halfmile Riparian Nature Trail that loops above and along a narrow riverbed lined with wild grapevine, yellow columbine, prickly pear cactus, cane cholla, hackberry and desert willow. In the rocky hills that jut above us, ocotillo blooms in flames of red on its spindly tips. Large one-seeded juniper lends much-appreci-
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Genesis CareLine (866) 745-CARE | www.genesishcc.com ated shade, its exposed gnarled roots providing a place to sit. We’ve arrived at Oliver Lee around 11 a.m. and spend much time in the cool Visitor Center admiring its geologic, wildlife and historical displays. By the time we enter the Nature Trail, the sun is high overhead and many birds have sought shelter from the heat. Nevertheless, we hear ravens and see house finches, Cassin’s finch and a male black-chinned hummingbird displaying for the female. Three greater southwestern earless lizards sun themselves on large rocks, scattering as we approach to image them. The trail passes under remnants of Lee’s irrigation system, crosses “Frenchie” Rochas’s handmade rock wall and leads to ruins of his adobe abode. We finish at the Chihuahuan Desert Garden, a project of the New Mexico and Otero County Native Plant societies. An aboutto-bloom century plant intrigues us, and the numerous blooming cacti beg to be imaged. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is at the end of Dog Canyon Road, about 12 miles south of Alamogordo on US 54. Admission is $5 per vehicle for day use. www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/ oliverleestatepark LCBC info: www.lincolncountybirdclub.com or 575-937-5416 or jw_e@beyondbb.com. Yvonne Lanelli is a freelance writer/photographer enjoying outdoor life in Lincoln County. She can be reached by visiting www.evlanelli.com.
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Go Ahead and Call it Country
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’m tooling west out of Tennessee in the winter of 2016 and all the FM stations from Nashville to Jackson down to northern ‘Bama are doling out the pop-country hits. Country-pop? Well, the latest thisand-that. They’ve got the requisite twang in the vocals hailing catchy choruses and maybe a couple of hot licks, and the tunes smolder with romance. Everyone inside is twentysomething, handsome, cute and single, like a beer commercial. I get it that the songs are crafted on the assembly lines of Music City like so many candy bars and that they are matched up with the appointed singers and studio musicians in hopes of market saturation and breakout tours, because there’s a formula to all that and it often proves out. The singers don’t really live or feel the lyrics as interpret them with audio-centric airwave perfection, and a cynic might point out it’s all about the money, not the life-and-death demons Hank and Patsy and Merle and the rest of them battled back in the day, when country was real. But, listen. This pop-country jingle-jangle sounds pretty good. It sounds good in the car. The car has white line fever, and the choruses grab hold and escort you to the next town, and sometimes they howl on a lowdown Chris Stapleton piece like “Nobody to Blame but Me” that you figure you can hang with this stuff across the prairie to New Mexico. You’ll get the same song five-and-a-half times between rest stops, but, hey, these radio playlists are on a tight rotation. Which is to say, no matter how they reassemble it for public consumption, country music is so rooted in our national soundtrack that, despite the ebb and flow of its popularity or the design of this year’s model, it will always be. It can two-step, boogie, rock out, crawl in the dark on all fours or fall into a waltz, doesn’t matter. It
passes simple composition with a deep-down yearning and melodies that ride in from long ago and heartbreaks away. Skirting Memphis, where you pick up some gospel, the jingle-jangle keeps you company through Arkansas, from transmitters fading in, fading out, courtesy impermanent towns lost in the rearview mirror, to be replaced by soundalikes all through the water-logged hills. I wouldn’t slog those soggy bottoms full of cottonmouths and mosquitoes like the razorbacks do, being a desert rat myself, so I’m on the fly, heading to sunset, riding country all the way. You clear out to Oklahoma, where the forest thins and the “red-dirt” sound bred in Stillwater begins to cut in line. It’s got a little dust on it, and it’s not quite as sophisticated as the factory hits, and you know it won’t last past Oklahoma City. Approaching Amarillo there’s a DJ playing nothing but Texas. If it’s not Lone Star recorded it doesn’t get on. The tunes ride fiddles and pedal steel, and there’s a whiff of honky-tonk. But compared to the Americana down in Austin, it’s fairly mannered and predictable. I detect a formula, and though you admire its regional flavor it’s not catchy like Nashville, which, you just know, will beam back soon enough. In the winter of 2017, I’m on the “Outlaw Country Music Cruise,” sailing from Tampa to Cozumel and back, rocking the boat with renegade artists who, I guess, are comfortable being called country. Maybe this all dates to cosmic hippies like Gram Parsons or outcasts like Willie, Waylon and the boys. There’s country-folk and Southern rock, singer/songwriter and Americana heartland rock, bluesy country and rockabilly and, oh yeah, even some steel guitar and cowboy hats. If Nashville is the law, and these are the outlaws, they need each other to settle their brands. A few months later, Garth
Brooks and Trisha Yearwood hit Las Cruces for five sellouts at the Pan Am Center. He’s a country superstar, sure, there’s no other way to put it, but his music is a product of 1970s folk-rock and power-pop, and the show breathes arena-rock bombast. I’m good with it; if Garth Brooks is a country chart-topper, we can call him that, because he’s an Okie at heart. A few weeks later, the Las Cruces Country Music Festival sets up in downtown Las Cruces. First act on the main stage opening night is the Marshall Tucker Band. They left Spartanburg 40 years ago with a lilting reed-based orchestration, and they were pegged as Southern rock, kinda, sorta. At the festival they push extended, jazzy arrangements into sundown much as you’d expect from jam bands like Phish or Widespread Panic. But, look, if you want to call Marshall Tucker country, we can do that, because they’re bearded Southern boys and chaw like this ain’t manufactured on Broadway. Travis Tritt, who helped bequeath Chris Stapleton and Ryan Bingham, guys who wander through the poetry of this landscape, closes the show with a hoarse yowl that, yeah, we’ll call country long into tomorrow. Next evening, Bri Bagwell adds an Austin-College Station hipster edge. To me, it’s rock & roll, much as Lucinda Williams is rock & roll, but hey, call her country, that works, because she’s a Western gal and close to the roots, the roots that nourish this purely American strain forever and ever, amen. Carry on, wayward souls. Marty Racine spent 22 years as a music critic for the Houston Chronicle. Now he has fallen back in love with the guitar and also serves as the managing editor of the Las Cruces Bulletin. Racine can be contacted at marty@lascrucesbulletin.com.
follow the trail to downtown
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DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 13
ARTS EXPOSURE
Gallery Guide Silver City
Alaska Mudhead Studio-Gallery, 371 Camino de Vento in Wind Canyon. By appointment, Letha Cress Woolf, potter, 907-7832780. [a]SP.“A”©E, 110 W. Seventh St., 538-3333, aspace.studiogallery@ gmail.com. Barbara Nance Gallery & Stonewalker Studio, 105 Country Road, 534-0530. By appointment. Stone, steel, wood and paint. Sculpture path. www. barbaraNanceArt.com. Blue Dome Gallery, 307 N. Texas, 534-8671. Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www. bluedomegallery.com. The Cliffs Studio & Gallery, 205 N. Lyon St. and Yankie, 520-6220251. By appointment. Common Ground, 102 W. Kelly, 534-2087. Open by appointment. Copper Quail Gallery, 211-A Texas St., corner of Yankie and Texas streets, 388-2646. Fine arts and crafts. Cow Trail Art Studio, 119 Cow Trail in Arenas Valley. Monday, 12-3 p.m. or by appointment, 706-533-1897, www. victoriachick.com. Elemental Artisans, 406-B Bullard St., 215-593-6738 Finn’s Gallery, 300 N. Arizona St., 406-790-0573 Francis McCray Gallery, 1000 College Ave., WNMU, 538-6517. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Glasserie Studio and Store, 106 E. College Ave., 590-0044. Monday to Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Guadalupe’s, 505 N. Bullard, 5352624. Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Leyba & Ingalls Arts, 315 N. Bullard St., 388-5725. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Contemporary art ranging from realism to abstraction in a variety of media. www. LeybaIngallsARTS.com, LeybaIngallsART@zianet.com. Lois Duffy Art Studio, 211C N. Texas, 534-0822. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. Original paintings, cards and prints. www.loisduffy. com, loisduffy@signalpeak.net. Lumiere Editions, 108 W. Broadway, 956-6369. Vintage and contemporary photography. Monday to Friday. Mimbres Regional Arts Council Gallery, Wells Fargo Bank Bldg., 1201 N. Pope St. 538-2005. Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. www.mimbresarts.org. Molly Ramolla Gallery & Framing, 203 N. Bullard, 538- 5538. www. ramollaart.com. Moonstruck Art Gallery, 110 W. Yankie St., featuring fiber, mixed media, pottery, and jewelry. 575654-5316. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday-11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ol’ West Gallery & Mercantile, 104 W. Broadway, 388-1811/3132595. Monday to Friday, 8:30 -10 a.m. Seedboat Gallery, 214 W. Yankie St., 534- 1136. Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment.info@ seedboatgallery.com. Studio Behind the Mountain, 23 Wagon Wheel Lane, 3883277. By appointment. www. jimpalmerbronze.com. Studio Upstairs, 109 N. Bullard St., 574-2493. By appointment. 21 Latigo Trail, 388-4557. Works by Barbara Harrison and others. Soul River Gallery, 400 N. Bullard St., 303-888-1358. Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. Wild West Weaving, 211-D N. Texas, 313-1032, www. wildwestweaving.com. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wind Canyon Studio, 11 Quail Run Road off Hwy. 180, mile marker 107, 574- 2308, 619-933-8034. Louise Sackett. Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and by appointment. Wynnegate Gallery, 1105 W. Market Street; 575-534-9717; hours are Saturday & Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.; also open for Red Dot Tour, artist showings, and by appointment. Zoe’s Studio/Gallery, 305 N. Cooper St., 654-4910. By chance or appointment.
Pinos Altos
Pinos Altos Art Gallery-Hearst Church Gallery, 14 Golden Ave. Pinos Altos, 574-2831. Open late-April to early October. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mimbres
Chamomile Connection, 3918 U.S. Highway 35N, 5369845. Lynnae McConaha. By appointment. Kate Brown Pottery and Tile, HC 15 Box 1335, San Lorenzo, 5369935, katebrown@gilanet.com, www.katebrownpottery.com. By appointment. Narrie Toole, Estudio de La Montura, 313-7390, www. narrietoole.com. Contemporary western oils, giclées and art prints. By appointment.
Bayard
Kathryn Allen Clay Studio, 601 Erie St., 537-3332. By appointment.
Cliff
Gila River Artisans Gallery, 8409 Hwy. 180. Eclectic collection of local artists. Friday to Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Northern Grant County & Catron County
Casitas de Gila, 50 Casita Flats Road, Gila, 535-4455. By appointment. gallery@ casitasdegila. com, www. galleryatthecasitas.com.
Mesilla
Galeri Azul, Old Mesilla Plaza, 523-8783. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Galeria on the Plaza, 2310 Calle de Principal, 526-9771. Daily 10 am.-6 p.m. Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, 2470 Calle de Guadalupe, 5222933. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Potteries, 2260 Calle de Santiago, 524-0538. Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Rokoko, 1785 Avenida de Mercado, 405-8877.
Las Cruces
Blue Gate Gallery, 4901 Chagar (intersection of Valley Drive and Taylor Road, open by appointment, 523-2950. Camino Real Book Store and Art Gallery, 314 South Tornillo St. 523-3988. Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Cottonwood Gallery, 275 N. Downtown Mall (Southwest Environmental Center), 522-5552. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Cutter Gallery, 2640 El Paseo, 541-0658. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Justus Wright Galeria, 266 W. Court Ave., 526-6101, jud@ delvalleprintinglc.com. Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Las Cruces Arts Association, Community Enterprise Center Building, 125 N. Main St. www. lacrucesarts.org. Las Cruces Museum of Art, 491 N. Main St., 541-2137. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Main Street Gallery, 311 N. Main St., 647-0508. Tuesday to Friday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mesquite Art Gallery, 340 N. Mesquite St., 640-3502. Thursday to Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 2-5 p.m. M. Phillip’s Fine Art Gallery, 221 N. Main St., 525-1367. New Dimension Art Works, 615 E. Piñon, 373-0043, 410-925-9126. By Appointment. NMSU Art Gallery, Williams Hall, University Ave. east of Solano, 646-2545. Tuesday to Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nopalito’s Galeria, 326 S. Mesquite. Friday to Sunday, 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Ouida Touchön Studio, 2615 Calle de Guadalupe, 6357899. By appointment. ouida@ ouidatouchon.com, www. ouidatouchon. com. Quillin Studio and Gallery, behind downtown Coas Books, 575-3121064. By appointment only. Tombaugh Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Church, 2000 S. Solano, 522-7281. Wednesday to Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or by appointment. Unsettled Gallery & Studio, 905 N. Mesquite, 635-2285. Wednesday, noon-5 p.m.; Thursday to Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Virginia Maria Romero Studio, 4636 Maxim Court, 644-0214. By appointment. agzromero@zianet. com, www. virginiamariaromero. com.
Deming
Deming Arts Center, 100 S. Gold St., 546-3663. Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Gold Street Gallery, 112-116 S. Gold St., 546-8200. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Call first to be sure they are open. Orona Art Studio, 546-4650. By appointment. lyntheoilpainter@ gmail.com, www.lynorona.com. Reader’s Cove Used Books & Gallery, 200 S. Copper, 544-2512. Monday to Saturday 10 a.m.5 p.m. Photography by Daniel Gauss. Studio LeMarbe, 4025 Chaparral SE, 544-7708. By appointment.
Drive., 257-8675. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Quality Native American art and jewelry. Thunder Horse Gallery, 200 Mechem Drive, Ste. 1, 257-3989. info@thunderhorsegallery.com. Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Bronze sculpture by Rory Combs, Sarinova Glass and fine art. The White Dove, 2825 Sudderth Drive, No. A (at Mechem), 866-257-6609, www. thewhitedove2825.com. Daily, 9:30 a.m-4 p.m. Authentic Native American jewelry and artifacts. Kenneth Wyatt Galleries of Ruidoso, 2205 Sudderth Drive, 257-1529, www.kennethwyatt. com. Fine art by the Wyatt family.
Ruidoso Downs
Pinon Pottery, MM. 26465 U.S. Hwy. 70, 937-0873, 937-1822, www.pinonpottery.com. Pottery by Vicki Conley and other area artists, fine art by Anita Keegan and Virgil Stephens.
Alamogordo
Creative Designs Custom Framing & Gallery, 575-4344420, 917 New York Ave. Patron’s Hall/Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, 575-4342202, 1110 New York Ave.
Hillsboro
Barbara Massengill Gallery, 8949511/895-3377, open weekends and by appointment.
Lincoln
Old Lincoln Gallery, across from Visitor’s Center in Lincoln, 6534045. Coffee bar featuring 45 New Mexico artists. Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
San Patricio
Hurd La Rinconada, MM 281 U.S. Hwy. 70, 653-4331, www. wyethartists.com. Monday through Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Works by Peter Hurd, Henriette Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, N.C. Wyeth and resident artist, Michael Hurd.
White Oaks
White Oaks Pottery, 445 Jicarilla Drive (three miles past White Oaks), 648-2985. Daily 10 a.m-5 p.m. Porcelainpottery by Ivy Heymann.
VISIT OUR NEW WEB STORE AT sneezeweedsstudio.patternbyetsy.com
575-538-2284
Call Any Time!! CALL CINDY FOR INFORMATION AND APPOINTMENTS 575-538-2284 SNEEZEWEEDS@GMAIL.COM
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CHIRICAHUA GALLERY Rodeo, New Mexico Open Thursday - Tuesday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 575-557-2225 chiricahuagallery.org
Ruidoso
Art Ruidoso Gallery, 575-8081133, www.artruidoso.com, 2809 Sudderth Drive. The Adobe, 2905 Sudderth Drive, 257-5795. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. DJ’s Jewelry, 618 Carrizo Canyon Road, 630-1514. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Specializing in turquoise, Native American traditional, New Mexican contemporary and estate jewelry. Earth-N-Stone, 2117 Sudderth Drive, Ste. 14, 257-2768., 8081157. Pottery studio/gallery of Alan Miner. Gazebo Potters, 2117 Sudderth Drive No. 7, 808-1157. Pottery classes, workshops, wheel time, kiln firing, works by local potters. Josie’s Framery, 2917 Sudderth Drive, 257-4156. Framing, gallery representing regional artists and photographers. LongCoat Fine Art, 2825 Sudderth Drive (at Mechem), 257-9102. Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Contemporary Masters and historical works of art. Burnett Interiors showroom. Mountain Arts, 2530 Sudderth Drive, 257-9748, www. mountainartsgallery.com. Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tanner Tradition, 624 Sudderth
Carrizozo
Heart of the Raven, 415 Twelfth St., 937-7459, www. JudyPekelsmacom. Functional and decorative pottery, classes.
SEWING MACHINE SERVICES & REPAIRS... LONG ARM QUILTING SERVICES TOO!!!!
Rodeo
Chiricahua Gallery, 5 Pine St.,557-2225. Open daily except Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tularosa
Horse Feathers, 318 Granado St. 575-585-4407. Art, southwest furniture and decor. The Merc, 316 Granado St. 505238-6469. Art gifts by regional artists, books.
Featured Artist – Deb Harclerode Painter Meet and Greet, Saturday June 10
Mariah's Copper quail Gallery Grand Opening June 1st ANNOUNCING NEW HOURS: TUESDAY–THURSDAY and SUNDAY: 11:00–4:00 FRIDAY: 11:00–5:00 SATURDAY: 10:00–5:00 Follow us on Facebook facebook.com/mariahscqg 211 A N. Texas-Corner of Texas and Yankie in Silver City, NM • 575-388-2646
14 • MONTH 2017
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ARTS EXPOSURE
Ramping up for CLAYFest Festival 2017 explores geology and mining
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he sixth annual CLAYFest Market will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 29. in conjunction with the Silver City Farmer’s Market and other CLAY Festival events, including youth event Mud Fun! and the all-ages Mud Pie Contest. Artists and entrepreneurs are invited to offer decorative and utilitarian ceramics and other clay-reDE_4x2 lated items for sale at CLAYFest File
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Market. This year the market has been expanded to include gem and mineral vendors to apply to sell their wares in keeping with this year’s theme exploring geology and mining. Other geology and mining events at this year’s CLAY Festival include: • Central Mining District Bus Tour led by Terry Humble. • Walking through Mining History on Boston Hill led by Andrew Help
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Lindlof. • Lecture by Senior Economic Geologist with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Virginia McLemore, Ph.D: The Geology and Mining History of Mining Districts in Grant County. • Reception for The Disappearing Mining Landscape of Grant County exhibition at the Silver City Museum featuring photographs by Ann McMahon and Andrew Lindlof’s collection of rocks and minerals from three of the 19 mining districts in Grant County. In addition to geology and mining, this year’s festival will explore clay art, archaeology, petroglyphs and farm-to-table foods and land use. This year the festival introduces the “CLAY Matters” Lecture Series. The series covers a range of this year’s CLAY-related topics, including art, archaeology, petroglyphs, mining/geology and food/land. Lecturers include scholars and experts in their fields whose lectures have local focus and global reach. Lecturers also include workshop artists Bede Clarke, Marko Fields and Clarence Cruz, as well as photographer and author Eric Mindling,
Grant County
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ALASKA AD PO DHE TT LV E
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geologist Virginia McLemore, archaeologist and WNMU professor Cynthia Bettison, and archaeologist and author Polly Schaafsma. Lectures are $5 each, or you can purchase a $10 all-access CLAY 2017 “CLAY Matters” button that will gain entry into all “CLAY Matters” lectures. The annual CLAY Poker Fundraiser is back and will include a pre-poker training for newbies wishing to learn the game. Participants who attend the pre-poker training can knock $10 off of the tournament ticket. Pre-poker is free and will take place a couple of weeks prior to the tournament from 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 14 in the back room at the LittleToad Creek Brewery. Local poker aficionado
Cindy Gagnon will teach Texas Hold ‘Em style poker to those who attend. The Texas Hold ‘Em style tournament fundraiser is $50 per player and takes place on Saturday, July 29 and will be geared towards donations and fun – not the risk of wagering. Donated prizes from local businesses will be awarded to the top 10 players. First place is a week-long getaway at the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. All donations will be used to support the CLAY Festival and its efforts towards increasing artistic, cultural, and economic sustainability in Southwest New Mexico. For more information on these events and more, visit www.clayfestival.com.
Calling artists and filmmakers
523-0603
M-F 10AM - 6PM • SAT 10AM - 5PM • SUN 10AM - 2PM
SI
Silver City Museum Educator Andie Portillo looks through the Mining in Grant County exhibit currently on display. The exhibit is held in conjunction with the 2017 Silver City CLAYFest in July. (Photo by Elva K. Österreich)
NM
Mimbres Rabbits
Pottery can be seen at “The Place at the Palace”, Corner of Bullard and Broadway.
Letha Cress Woolf Artist-Potter
907-783-2780 Call for directions to my gallery 371 Camino de Viento, Wind Canyon, Silver City, New Mexico
The Grant County Art Guild is now accepting entries to their 32nd Annual Purchase Prize Exhibit. The show is themed “Quest for The Real West” and opens with a reception on Sept. 19 at the Pinos Altos Art Gallery. Entry forms must be postmarked by Aug. 2. This is the biggest show of the season for the Art Guild and is open to and draws applications from artists across the state of New Mexico. The Best of Show winning entry in the Purchase Prize Exhibit is purchased for $1,500. Check the guidelines and download applications at www.gcag.org. Applications may also be picked up at many local galleries as well as Leyba and Ingalls Art Supplies in Silver City. This is a juried show with an exceptional out-of-state judge and an associated three-day painting workshop. Info: 575-590-1587 or 575-590-1588.
Deming The Deming Arts Center, in collaboration with St. Ann Catholic Church in Deming, is seeking Hispanic artists for a Hispano Arts Market & Fiesta. Artists are asked to email a short bio and two Jpg images representative of their work to demingarts@hotmail.com, along with a $125 entry fee ($25.00 non-refundable) to Deming Arts Center, 100 S. Gold, Deming, New Mexico 88030. The art show runs June 24 and 25 and prize money will be awarded. The entry fee includes two-day booth space (10x10) for the fiesta at St. Ann’s (June 24, 25) and two entries for the juried show at the Deming Art Center. The Fiesta is open to
all traditional and contemporary Hispanic artists from New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Mexico. For information call Diana at 575-5447708. Booth space can be shared which will allow each artist one piece for the juried show at Deming Art Center. The Deming Art Center is looking for artists for the July 2017 show. It is accepting paintings, sculptures, photography (any medium) related to flying (airplanes, balloons, etc). The show is in conjunction with the International Cessna Society Convention which will be held locally in July. A $25 entry fee will cover one to three pieces. The show will be judged and prizes awarded. For more information call 575-546-3663, visit our website at www.demingarts.org or see the center’s Facebook page.
Tularosa The MERC, a fine art and gift shop co-operative at 316 Granado Street in Tularosa, is seeking new artists. This unique gift, art and collectible venue specializes in fun, unusual, colorful, original, affordable gift art from local and regional New Mexican artists. There are two levels of participation with varying levels of commitment and obligation. Co-op members will be asked to work in the shop at least one day a week but receive a higher commission on their sales. Commission-only members can just register their work and receive 60 percent commission on pieces sold, no additional fees. Interested artists can email founder, Darryl Willison at greatrepnm@gmail.com.
Mesilla The Calavera Coalition is look-
ing for artists to submit original artwork for the 2017 Dia de los Muertos on the Mesilla Plaza official t-shirt and poster design. Artists of all ages and regions are eligible. All work submitted for consideration must reflect the spirit and celebration of El Dia del los Muertos. Artwork must be in a black and white format and in pen and ink line art with the understanding that their work must be easily converted for screen printing. The winner will receive one free booth space for Mesilla’s Dia de los Muertos on the Plaza 2017, valued at $175. Entries should be submitted on a CD or through e-mail as JPEG or PDF files. Files must be accompanied by a list detailing artwork title, size, a brief description and artist’s name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number. Deadline to receive submissions is Aug. 1. Digital files can be e-mailed to calaveracoalition@ gmail.com. CDs can be mailed to P.O. Box 1308, Mesilla, NM 88046. The Calavera Coalition is a not-for-profit organization and all proceeds from t-shirt and poster sales will be donated to charity.
Doña Ana County Artists in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County who are interested in opening their studios every second Saturday please contact Artist Kathleen Deasy at kdarts2u@gmail .com. Las Cruces Artist Kathleen Deasy will be hosting an open studio at her studio, 625 Van Patten Las Cruces, every second Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. starting June 10. Contact Deasy at kdarts2u@gmail.com.
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 15
MUSIC SCENE
Meditations
Las Cruces musician releases fourth Native American flute album
W
indPoem Creative and Cooperative Ink announce the digital and CD release of “Ancestors ~ WindPoem IV ~ Native American Flute Meditations” by Las Cruces-based Native American flute musician C.S. Fuqua. Ancestors is the fourth album in the WindPoem series of contemplative, relaxing instrumentals that feature Tegan Fuqua on percussion and C.S. Fuqua on wooden and bamboo standard and contrabass Native American flutes. In keeping with tradition, some tunes incorporate nature and other ambient sounds, drums, and a Hang. Ancestors and the entire WindPoem series are available from Amazon.com, iTunes, Bandcamp and many more retailers. The albums are streamable through Pandora, Spotify,
Deezer and other streaming services. Popular mythology portrays the Native American flute’s historical purpose as a courting instrument used by men, but the courting aspect was only one minor use of the flute, much like a guitar or any other instrument, and it certainly was not an instrument limited strictly to men. Men and women played the native flute for entertainment, in fertility rites, during celebrations
and mourning rituals, and simply as a distraction. WindPoem albums celebrate the flute’s rich and inclusive heritage. Over the last 30 years, Fuqua has researched and published extensively on the history, mythology, music and craft of the Native American flute, authoring two books on the flute: “The Native American Flute: Myth, History, Craft” and the illustrated manual “Native American Flute Craft.” With a background as newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and author, Fuqua has published widely in nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, with 14 books currently in print. The first WindPoem album was released in 2014. For more information visit csfuqua.com. Fuqua is available for Native American flute musical and historical presentations. Presentations are offered free to Las Cruces area public schools and youth organizations. For information, contact fuqua.cs@gmail.com.
MUSIC SCENE
The Joy of Singing
ON THE SHELF • ADAM PALOMINO
Questions, No Answers
Deming writer Prinnie McCourt puts out new poetry book
“Q
uestions, No Answers” is a fitting title for this beautiful collection of poetry from author Prinnie McCourt as throughout, she muses on a broad set of topics, including time, belief (faith), society, people and nature, along with a small piece dedicated to ranting. The subject matter perfectly encapsulates the human condition and also parallels it; the opening topic is time, while the concluding one is goodbye. McCourt’s prose is eloquent, commanding your attention as she provides insight into the inner-workings of this insanely beautiful thing we call life. Stanzas flow effortlessly, making for an extremely satisfying reading experience. Melancholic undertones, specifically in the goodbye segment, paint a beautifully downcast picture you cannot help but admire. Ultimately, “Questions, No Answers” is a book that anyone, regardless if they are a poetry fan or not, can enjoy. Be sure to pickup a copy for a delightful summer read.
Singing Out Las Cruces ‘Sings Broadway’ June 10
S
inging Out Las Cruces, “Sings Broadway,” for its spring concert 7 p.m., June 10, 3 p.m. June 11 at First Christian Church 1809 El Paseo Road. The group sings everything from a “My Fair Lady” medley and “Carousel” medley to new Broadway hits from “Hamilton” and “Pippin.” Coffee and treats are available at intermission a silent auction fundraiser featurs original arts and crafts, collectibles, household items and more. Proceeds will help defray expenses for the LGBTQ and Allies chorus to attend and sing at GALA International’s 2020 Festival in Minneapolis. Tickets are $10 (children 10 an under, free) and can be purchased from chorus members or at the
Eagle Mail Services A MAIL & PARCEL CENTER
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from 10 to 4 pm from Saturdays or by calling Studio 10 to 4open pm to the public from (575) 313-9631. 10Saturdays to 4 pm or by calling Studio Studio from 10open to 4 pmopen or(575) by calling 313-9631. to the public 313-9631 or by calling to(575) the public Studio open to the public
door. More information can be found at singingoutlascruces.org and Facebook: Singing Out Las Cruces.
The Singing Out group makes itself heard during its January Winter Concert. (Courtesy Photos)
(575) 313-9631.
211-C N Texas Saturdays St., Silver City Saturdays 211-CNN Texas Texas St., Silver City City www.loisduffy.com 211-C St., Silver from from www.loisduffy.com www.loisduffy.com 10 to 4 pm 10 to 4 pm or by calling or by calling (575) 313-9631. (575) 313-9631.
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Southwest galleria of unique treasures!
Say “Hi”to Ivan, the blue-gold macaw!
Fine Gold & Silver Jewelry * Pottery * Fossils * Sand Painting Kachinas * ‘Mexico To You’ Items * Fine Art * Native Crafts
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16 • MONTH 2017
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ARTS EXPOSURE
Arts Scene
Upcoming area art happenings Silver City The popular blue-glazed pottery at Moonstruck Gallery includes cups, rice bowls and orchid pots as well as tum- Clay pieces by blers, garlic Bill Blakemore graters and are on display traditional Jap- at Moonstruck anese tea cups Gallery. (Photo Created by Bill by Vivian Savitt) Blakemore. “All of Bill’s pottery is functional — meaning it is food, oven, dishwasher and microwave safe,” said fiber artist Pat Bouchard. During Clay Festival, the gallery will host “The Asian-Inspired Table,” featuring Blakemore’s newest work. Bouchard’s work includes knitted garments and needle felting. Jewelry at the gallery is made by Cher Bouchard. Moonstruck Gallery is in the Arts District at 110 W. Yankie Street.
JULY 22 - 30, 2017 www.clayfestival.com
Soul River Gallery, 400 N. Bullard St. in Silver City, has Myron Weckwerth’s gourds on display and visitors keep saying, “I didn’t realize this is a gourd, it looks Myron Weckjust like a pot.” werth’s gourd Which is exact- pots are on ly the artist’s display at Soul intent as well River Gallery as creating in Silver City. Mimbres/indig- (Courtesy Phoenous designs to) for contemporary settings. The gallery also carries a wide array of artful objects, from fine oil paintings and pottery to unique home decor, jewelry and colorful accessories. Soul River is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays. Info: 707-490-4367. “Like Nothing Else” is the summer art offering at Common Ground, 102 West Kelly, in Silver City. Behind the thick adobe walls of the Historic John Pickrell Risqué House, Paula Geisler has curated an exhibition that includes artwork by Eddie Sulca, the late John Davidson, Lois Duffy, the late Marie Ewing, Paul Wilson, Lorenzo Leger, Fenestra, Kourosh Amini and Dia Atman. Open hours at Common Ground are 3-6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and other times by arrangement. Info: 575-534-2087.
“Top Fuel” is a new collage artwork by jean-robert p. be’ffort and on display at his gallery. (Courtesy Photo) In June, new collage artwork by jean-robert p. be’ffort goes up on display at a)sp...”A”©e Studio•Art•Gallery, 110 West 7th Street, in Silver City. “Top Fuel” 1969/2017 is a recycled found painting from 1969 with collage overlay. Also, the Art-On-A-Stick installation is on display. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.
Debbie Guerra’s solo watercolors are on display at the Mimbres Region Arts Council (MRAC) Gallery located in the Silver City Wells Fargo Bank, 1201 N. Pope St. The show continues through June. The Copper Quail Gallery is under new management. Long time Copper Quail artist Mariah Walker has taken over the gallery. The Copper Quail can be found at 211-A N. Texas St. in Silver City. Gallery hours at the Copper Quail are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Deming June at the Deming Art Center brings Mata Ortiz potters from Chihuahua, Mexico, who are bringing their work which will be on display and Mata Ortiz for sale from pottery work June 2-30. is available for Mata Ortiz pot- purchase at tery is known the Deming Art and appreciat- Center. (Photo ed worldwide by Elva K. Österfor its unique reich) hand-painted designs. A reception will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 2 at the gallery, located at 100 S. Gold in Deming. This exhibit will lead into the Fine Arts show that is part of a collaboration with St. Ann’s Catholic Church, the first annual Hispano Arts Market & Fiesta. This will be a merging of vendors, music, food, dance and art. There will also be presentations and demonstrations from various artists that will be geared to promote traditional Hispanic Arts as well as the more contemporary styles. The fiesta and market will be held June 24-25, at St Ann’s Catholic Church, 400 S. Ruby in Deming. Regular Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Info: 575-546-3663 or www.demingarts.org. Rodeo The Chiricahua Gallery in Rodeo showcases the work of 45 local and regional artists and artisans featuring fine arts, ceramics, weavings, jewelry, fine wood working, metal sculpture, calligraphy, needle work, handmade soaps and lotions, and affordable prints and note cards. The gallery, located at 5 Pine St. and Highway 80, is open 6 days a week, closed on Wednesdays. Info: 575-557-2225. Alamogordo The Cloudcroft Art Society (CAS) is featured during the month of June at Creative Design Custom Framing and Art Gallery, 917 New York Avenue in Alamogordo. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Monday through Friday. An artist’s reception will be held 6-8 p.m. June 16. Info: 575434-4420. The CAS exhibit, titled “Art Impressions” features both two and three-dimensional original art works by CAS members to include paintings in several media, photography and photoartistic art, pottery, basketry, greeting cards and more. CAS serves Cloudcroft, the surrounding Sacramento Mountain communities and the Alamogordo-Tularosa area. CAS also has an exhibit/sale in the Alamogordo First National Bank lobby for June. Original paintings, framed prints of paintings and fine art photography created by members of CAS are on display in the lobby and can be arranged for purchase with Rainee Mackowich at the Bank, or through individual contact with artists, as business cards will be available.
DESERT EXPOSURE Cloudcroft Cloudcroft Art Society Gallery opens June 3, then every Saturday over the summer. Many beautiful artworks ranging from paintings in all media and fine art photography to framed and matted prints, cards, pottery, baskets, dolls, gourds, carved wood, intarsia and painted tiles will be on display and for sale, with extra days open over July 4th. The Gallery can be visited from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the days it is open (look for the signs out front). The CAS Gallery is located at the east end of Burro Street where it intersects with Swallow Place, in the Red Brick School House that also houses the Library – the gallery is on the immediate right as you step up to enter the front door to the building. Capitan New art is up in the Capitan Public Library through June. Marcia Chase is showcasing her “Deja Vu” artwork collection. Chase is new to Lincoln County. Chase has original paintings, watercolor paintings as giclée prints and greeting cards and photographs available. Moving to Capitan from Colorado a year ago. The library is located at 101 E. 2nd Street, Capitan. Library hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-2p.m., Tuesday and Thursday. Info: 575-354-3035. Las Cruces Roy van der Aa, a local artist and publisher of The Ink, a publication that showcases the arts in our community, will be the artist for June in the El Paso Electric Gallery. “I wish to show a body of work from late 2014 to early 2016,” he said. “These works contain flowing intertwined forms in a bright color palette. Sizes vary from small to the largest piece I have done to date, three feet by four feet.” Regular exhibit hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Info: 575-523-6403. The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Main Street, Las Cruces. The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery located at 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla, across from the Fountain Theatre, features two artists, Hetty Smith and Rayma Claessen this month. Rayma a local artist, who is noted for her beautiful landscapes, describes the thought process as well as the painting process in depicting her subject matter. She also exhibits miniature collections of the local organ mountains. Smith’s love for stained glass started a
MONTH 2017 • 17
Work by Hetty Smith and Rayma Claessen are up at the Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery for June. (Courtesy Photos) long time ago while growing up in Holland, beautiful homes, apartments and churches in Europe were decorated with unique stained glass in the windows, which inspired her creativity. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Sunday. Info: 575-522-2933 or www.mesillavalleyfinearts.com.
Work like “Light From Above,” by Ruth Drayer is featured by the Las Cruces Art Association for June. (Courtesy Photo) Ruth Drayer is the Las Cruces Art Association featured artist for June and July. Always an artist, Drayer has worked in many design fields, managed two art galleries, made pottery and sculpture, studied art theory and therapy but had no desire to paint until after her return from India. Drayer’s work can be seen during the First Friday Art Rambles 5-8 p.m. June 2 and July 7 at the Las Cruces Arts Association Arts on Easels exhibit at the Community Enterprises Center (across from the Plaza) in downtown Las Cruces. Info: 575-532-1046. The Mesquite Art Gallery welcomes the Las Cruces Art Association for a June show. This juried show consists of two- and three-dimensional art of all kinds. A reception is held from 4 to 6 p.m., Jun 10 at the gallery, 340 N. Mesquite St. in Las Cruces. The show continues the entire month of June. Info: 575-640-3502. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday and 2-5 p.m. Saturdays. The exhibit “Duologue: Conversations be-
tween Poetry and Pastels” continues at the Tombaugh Gallery through June 23. Poems by Chuck Barrett and pastel paintings by Melody Sears inspire and influence each other. The pair, who live in Hillsboro, have spent the “Working Hands” is past year immersed part of the exhibit in the back and forth at the Tombaugh flow of the creative Gallery through June process. Proceeds of 23. (Courtesy Photo) all art and commemorative art book sales will be donated to NM CAFe (Communidades en Accion y de Fe) This non-partisan, non-denominational nonprofit organization mobilizes community members to work for social justice and opportunities for low and moderate income families in Southern New Mexico. The Tombaugh Gallery is located at 2000 South Solano and regular hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday.
Las Colcheras Quilt Guild meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the American Legion Post 10 Hall at 1185 Madrid in Las Cruces. Guests are always welcome at Las Colcheras meetings, which consist of brief business announcements, a program of interest to quilters, Show and Tell and door prizes. The guild offers quilt lessons, community service opportunities, sew-ins, an active outreach program and a biennial quilt show. Info: www.LCQG.org or email LasColcherasQG@aol.com.
Rokoko Art Gallery presents an exhibit of spectacular day and night images by local photographer Wayne Suggs. “Southwest Land & Sky Scapes,” has an opening artist’s reception 4-7 p.m., Saturday, May 20. The exhibit runs through Saturday July 15. The gallery is open noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Info: 575-522-5553
The beauty of birds and landscapes make up “The Photo Art of Nature,” is on display in the Cottonwood Gallery, Southwest Environmental Center, 275 N. Main St., Las Cruces. Nirmala Khandan, an avian enthusiast with deep concerns about New Mexico’s disappearing bird species, and Victor Gibbs, an archeologist interested in cultural landscapes show a collection of nature photography. The exhibit continues through Friday, June 30. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Info: for Khandan, nkhandan@nmsu.edu and for Gibbs, food4thoth@yahoo.com.
During June Ramble Mas Art presents an exhibition by Alan and Anne Small. Their artwork is influenced by their surroundings and each has their own unique style. Anne The works of Alan is more of a tradi- and Anne Small is on tionalist, and enjoys display at Mas Art many mediums, but Frame & Art Supply. is currently focusing (Courtesy Photo) on her love of Pastel. Alan’s is strongly influenced by the Southwest as is reflected in his current works in acrylic and pen and ink. Mas Art Frame & Art Supplies is at 126 S. Main St. in Las Cruces. Store hours are 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Info: 575-526-9113 or visit www.masarllc.com.
Explore the South Pacific during the early 20th century through the exhibition of novelist Jack London’s photographs, curated by the Maritime Museum of San Diego. “Jack London, Photographer: Adventures in the Pacific” is now showing at the Branigan Cultural Center. The exhibit will run through June 17. Admission is free to the Branigan Cultural Center, located at 501 North Main Street. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday. Info: museums.las-cruces.org or call 575-541-2154.
Watercolor artists in southern New Mexico show their creations in a new exhibit at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. “A Movable Feast: Foods of New Mexico” is an art show presented by the New Mexico Watercolor Society, Southern Chapter. The show will be in the Museum’s Arts Corridor through Aug. 6. Free viewing is only during the opening reception. The Museum is located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday. Info: 575-522-4100 or www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
Experience Latin rhythms and flavors, master artisans from across Mexico and artisanal tequila on the beautiful Western New Mexico University campus set
Father’s Day Weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday
June 16, 17 & 18, 2017
in the mountains of the Weekend 2017
Handcraft Artisans from across Mexico, Music, Performances, Tequila Tasting, Food Court, Children’s Activities and more
Stay the weekend! For a schedule of events visit FiestaLatina.org
Check out the fun:
fiestalatina.org
Cultural Affairs 575-538-6469 Silver City, New Mexico
TOBIAS RENE
Southwest on Father’s Day
18 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
HOOT • RICHARD ANDERTON
Owls Take Over
Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park sees raptor dispute over boxes
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Park volunteer Joe Baldonado builds Kestrel/owl boxes, just like the one in which a Western Screech Owl has made home at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park. The park is selling the boxes for $45 at its visitor center, and all proceeds go to the park. (Courtesy photos)
Fountain Theatre
Featuring the best independent, foreign and documentary films in the southwest!
June 2017
June 2–8: The Zookeeper’s Wife June 9–15: Noman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic fall of a New York Fixer June 16–22: A Quiet Passion June 23–29: Kedi ** Note: Saturday June 24 No matinee. Thursday, June 29 1:30 matinee; no evening show
2469 Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla • www.mesillavalleyfilm.org • (575) 524-8287
• We can guide you in making informed decisions about your care to maintain your dignity, comfort and quality of life. • Our care can be provided in the place you call home. If you experience symptoms that cannot be managed at home we can provide 24 hour nursing care at our in-patient hospice care unit, La Posada.
• Hospice care in a covered benefit under Medicare, Medicaid, VA and most insurance. We will inform you if there are any out of pocket expenses.
Visit Old Mesilla, NM
• Your hospice care benefit includes the care provided by your specialized • Antiques • Banks & ATMs • Books • Candy, Coffeemedications, & Snacks and durable care team, medical equipment. • Clothing & Apparel • Galleries & Fine Art • Gifts, Curios 299 Crafts E. Montana • Las Cruces, NM 88005 at 575-523-4700 or • Furniture & Decor • Health &Contact PersonalusCare www.mvhospice.org visit our website mvhospice.org
ast December, a local pair of American Kestrels, a small breed of falcon, were observed repeatedly flying up to the apex of the utility building at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park (MVBSP). Believing and hoping that this could be a start of breeding behavior, me, the New Mexico State Park team and The Friends of MVBSP decided to make and put in place the appropriate nesting box. It was completed in January, and before long, we observed an unexpected development. The park’s resident Say’s Phoebe bird would come out of the nesting box on cold mornings, having obviously found a warm, insolated place to spend the night. But, wait. The plot thickens. Recently, it became apparent that the Phoebe was not content just to use the nesting box as a cozy hotel, but also had plans to move in and raise a family. We were checking the ground beneath the box for signs of occupancy, when we noticed the material intended for the Kestrel, some wood chippings and a few short lengths of bulrushes, was being ejected from the entrance hole. To our great amusement, we were showered in the pieces of reed, the material we had placed in the bottom of the box for the falcons. Several days later, around mid-day, a visibly agitated Phoebe was seen swooping up to the box with finer bedding suitable for a comfortable Say’s Phoebe residence. The bird’s erratic behavior was due to it not being able to enter its new home. On closer surveillance with my binoculars, it became apparent the entrance was blocked with something. I identified it as a Western Screech Owl, no less, making a takeover bid for the dwelling! The American Kestrel project is in its final stages. Here we see the first completed nesting box, destined to be placed on a barn near the visitors center. The team at the State Park have manufactured state of the art units. Below: Joe Baldonado is proudly displaying his handy work. Finally we now
Western Screech Owls inhabit a box at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park.
have a few nesting boxes for sale. These are made of massive cedar and can be purchased for $45.all proceeds go to the Park The first nesting box is in place. the Kestrels have been observed hunting opposite the building. Although at present a Say’s Phoebe is using it as a good place to spend the night. The Western Screech Owl occupant has been owner of the cabin for one week at the time of this writing. Visitors to MVBSP are delighted to see our celebrity owl. The 8 a.m. Saturday morning birding tour participants are thrilled to see this charismatic creature keeping an eye out for them. Having been given permission to conduct an after-dark surveillance visit, I can confirm that there is a pair of Western Screech Owls in the box, suggesting that they really are breeding as opposed to just using it as a daytime roost. We are delighted to host this protected (classified at-risk) species of bird. MVBSP is an ideal habitat, as cottonwoods and many other young trees which have been recently planted will provide a habitat for ultimately two to three pairs of Western Screech Owl. Everyone involved in the Kestrel Box Project is ecstatic about helping this bird. Kudos to Joe Baldonado, who volunteered his own free time to
manufacture the boxes. On a more serious note, population trends are difficult to monitor with this particularly nocturnal owl. The North American Breeding Bird Survey reports that its sample sizes are not large enough to adequately estimate or deliver trends, but populations appear to have significantly declined between 1966 and 2015. They rate a 12 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. The Western Screech Owl is also on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action. The riverside vegetation where Western Screech Owls thrive, tends to be prime real estate for humans as well. In developed areas, Western Screech Owls’ ability to tolerate human presence and adapt to nest boxes will help the owls thrive, and here (at MVBSP) we have a good example. The Friends of the MVBSP are selling Kestrel/owl boxes for $45, and all proceeds go to MVBSP. The nesting boxes are displayed and sold at the park’s visitor center. MVBSP opened in 2008. It is located at 5000 Calle del Norte in Mesilla. For more information, or to book a group tour, contact MVBSP Acting Superintendent Gary Gruer at 575-523-4398 or gary. gruer@state.nm.us. For information on joining Friends of the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, email friendsmvbsp@gmail.com. Richard Anderton is volunteer resident ornithologist at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park. Anderton was a bird-recorder at the Swiss Ornithological Institute and member of the State of Graubünden Ornithological working group. He’s been published in “The Birds of Graubünden” and the “Swiss Atlas of Breeding Birds,” and is an established blogger at www.wildwestbirds.org.
• Jewelry • Museums • Pottery • Real Estate • Wineries
Visit Old Mesilla, NM Mesilla Book Center • Books about the West, Mexico, horses, cowboys, Native Americans & More • Children’s books & Toys • Gifts & more
Olive Oils Vinegars Gourmet Foods
• Antiques • Banks & ATMs • Books • Candy, Coffee & Snacks ‘Some of the best books never make the bestseller lists’ • Clothing & Apparel • Galleries & Fine2411 Art • Gifts, Curios Calle de San Albino OnCrafts the Plaza • (575) 526-6220 • Furniture & Decor • Health & Personal Care (575) 525-3100 Tue-Sat• Museums 11 am-5:30 pm • Real Estate • Wineries • Jewelry • Pottery Sun 1 pm-5 pm, Closed Mon www.therusticolivedemesilla.com
Mesilla Book Center • Books about the West, Mexico, horses, cowboys, Native Americans & More • Children’s books & Toys • Gifts & more ‘Some of the best books never make the bestseller lists’
Olive Oils Vinegars Gourmet Foods
2470 Calle de San 2411Albino Calle de San Albino On the Plaza • (575) 526-6220 (575) 524-3524 (575) 525-3100 Tue-Sat 11 am-5:30 pm Mon-Thur & Sun www.therusticolivedemesilla.com Sun 1 pm-5 pm, Closed Mon 11 am -9 pm Fri & Sat 11 am -9:30 pm
Want your business to be seen here? Call Claire at 575.680.1844 • claire@lascrucesbulletin.com
A box built in hopes of being a breeding spot for a pair of American Kestrels unexpectedly became just that for a pair of Western Screech Owls, an at-risk species, at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park.
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 19
BORDERLINES • MARJORIE LILLY
Mining the Floridas? There are questions to answer before drilling in Luna County mountain range
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’ve lived at the north end of the Florida Mountains for more than 20 years. I’ve often seen the 5-mile mountain chain swaddled in clouds in the morning or facing the ruddy west in the evening. About two years ago some Florida Mountain aficionados got wind of the fact that someone wanted to start mining in the Floridas and began to protest. A lot of rumors came and went and a few petitions circulated. But it wasn’t until April 3 that the owner of the land, David Tognoni, spoke at a couple of dinners at the Mimbres Hospital and was covered by the Deming Headlight. A controversy is now heating up. A group called the Friends of the Floridas has formed to oppose the mining. The Luna County Ranchette Owners Association (LCROA), whose members all live in sight of the Florida Mountains, has taken a stand against the project. The company, American Magnesium LLC, is based in Elephant Butte. Its plan for the parcel of land, in the foothills near the middle of the Floridas, would be to process magnesium for metal products and Portland cement from dolomite mined there. Tognoni intends to excavate the dolomite from the 40-acre site and transport it in a kind of covered conveyor belt for processing at the Peru Mill Industrial Park 15 miles away, a little north of Deming. The great majority of the workers, he said, would work at the processing plant, not the mine. Tognoni talks a great deal about hiring 500 employees, and at times drops the astonishing figure of 5,000 workers to be hired eventually. He is addressing the very real issue of extreme unemployment in Luna County, the worst in the state — at 19.6 percent in February. It’s clear that Luna County need to take a good, tough look at what the effects of the mining would be on the area — on its people and the environment. If 5,000 workers were to be hired, then Tognoni is really planning to mine more than just the “foothills” of the Floridas. A lot of the rocky cliffs that have taken millions of years to form will be destroyed and could never be reclaimed. It would be impossible to glue them together again. The foothills that Tognoni talks about are close to the height of the mountains behind them and can be seen for miles by the thousands of people that live in the area. Also, if the county swells with that much new population, the town needs to be very sure that it’s not just a “boom or bust” operation, and that the town has natural resources, especially water, to sustain the onslaught. Is it conceivable that the level of production could be monitored so it doesn’t reach unmanageable
levels? It’s hard to say who could answer that.
Living near the mine site To the people who live right near the proposed site, there are no two ways about it. Several hand-made cardboard signs on fence posts in the area declare, “NO MINE HERE.” “It’s my chunk of paradise that I’ve been waiting all my life to get,” said Laurice Davis, who lives close to the contested site. She worked for 23 years for Samsonite Luggage in Denver, Colorado. She was lead operator, with 22 people under her. “At 75, I don’t appreciate being kicked out of my home,” she said. “I selected this place. Foremost I’m a horsewoman, and here I can go on my horse in any direction and ride for miles.” Jackie Nobles and her husband have a room with picture windows looking out on the gorgeous landscape. The land tilts up toward the mountain base and is very rugged, with multiple kinds of desert plants. She’s done research about the mining proposal and has many concerns. “The waters run into the Mimbres basin in here,” she said. “If you alter the watershed, what would that do? The blasting alone will destroy my well.” Nobles doesn’t believe the conveyor belt scheme will work, and says the roads will need to be completely rebuilt. She worries about the noise and dust and the blasting that residents will have to endure. “The roads are not going to hold up,” she said. “There is so, so much information that needs to be researched before they get one shovelful of dirt out of here.” Questions that need answers This is the stage of development when questions need to be asked. A few concerned people have written about some issues. Wesley Light, a lawyer who owns a house on Lucca Road in full view of the Floridas, wrote a letter to David Tognoni that’s been circulated. He wrote: “I do not believe it is feasible to build this project for the $94 million you identify in the offering Memorandum. The 15-mile conveyor system could cost $94 million itself.” — “Your personal history does not support your credibility … Your previous ventures and activities speak for themselves.” (Light is referring to incidents where Tognoni was found drilling without a license and another where he was falsely representing some gravel his company excavated as possessing special properties that it didn’t have.) “There are numerous well-educated and financially able residents who will fight you tooth and nail to protect the Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and the unique biology of the area.”
Horse trainer Laurice Davis lives near a potential mining site in the Florida Mountains of Luna County. (Photo by Marjorie Lilly)
John Geissman, professor emeritus of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico, had several technical questions he thought should be settled before a project like this would start (Albuquerque Journal, July 6, 2015). These are a few: How much water will be needed or magnesium extraction on an annual basis? How much energy will be involved in heating the acidic solution to a temperature that is efficient for magnesium extraction? What will be done with the used acidic solution? When carbonate minerals are dissolved in an acidic solution, carbon dioxide is released. Will the CO2 be sequestered, or simply released into the atmosphere? Local Deming activist Tamara Williams has some questions that she e-mailed to friends: — What kind of jobs will be offered and how much training will be needed? Will we have to bring in a lot of workers from outside the county? — With all the dust being raised by machinery, who is going to pay for any illnesses of people not employed by the mining company? Does the company need to use water from our aquifer to keep dust down? These questions can act as a springboard for intelligent decision-making that will consider the benefits or hazards to all Luna County residents from this proposal that could make such a dramatic difference to so many people. Borderlines columnist Marjorie Lilly lives in Deming.
Corner Florida & Columbus Hwy. PO Box 191, Deming NM 88031 (575) 546-3922
DEMING ART CENTER 100 South Gold, Deming, NM Mon thru Sat 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
June Exhibit Mata Ortiz Artists June 2, 2017 Through June 30, 2017 Artists Reception and First Friday June 2, 2017 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Annual Membership Meeting: June 7, 2017 at 5:00 pm Hispano Market and Fiesta June 24 and June 25 at St. Ann's Church Artists at the Market will exhibit two pieces created by each artist at the Deming Arts Center during the event. Deming Arts Center, 100 S Gold St, Deming NM 88030
575-546-3663 Check us out on Facebook
This project is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs
www.demingarts.org
20 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
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Save the Date 13th Annual Gila River Festival Gathering the Gila
Sept. 21 - 24 Silver City, Gila National Forest, Gila River
Photo by Jay Hemphill
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The 13th annual festival will explore the native foods, plants and medicines of the Gila River and its watershed, and how they have sustained numerous cultures. The festival features river outings, field trips, workshops, storytelling, meals and many other hands on activities designed to foster a deeper intimacy with the Gila River. For more information call 575-538-8078.
OF THE GILA ALEXANDRA TAGER
n May 2014, three stellar teenagers lost their lives while using their power for good. Ella Myers, 16, Ella Jaz Kirk, 14, and Michael Mahl, 16, had found their passion at a young age. As avid participants in the Youth Conservations Corps, they worked on numerous projects including monitoring the Gila River for water quality, testing soil and teaching elementary students about the ecology and wildlife biology of the river. The trio won first place in New Mexico’s statewide Envirothon in 2014 and were in charge of monitoring long-term forest plots for the Forest Service on Signal Peak for post-fire health. Ella Jaz spearheaded an effort to gather names for, and personally deliver, a petition with almost 7,000 signatures to New Mexico’s Governor Susana Martinez to keep the Gila free of any diversion. She also spoke before the New Mexico State Legislature. Ella Myers was already an accomplished photographer and filmmaker (Her work is on view at 516Arts in Albuquerque through July 22). Michael played five instruments, was on the honor roll and would have been class president. Their dedication, and their youth, fueled their hope that by amplifying the voice of our endangered environment they could affect healthy outcomes. During a flight over Signal Peak to assess that year’s fire damage, the plane crash-landed and killed all aboard, including the three young people. In the wake of disaster, the human mind looks for ways to set things right, it seeks a way to learn and avert more loss. For the three families involved, this film project was conceived as a way to turn their tragedy into a tribute. “Heart of the Gila” is a full-length documentary endeavoring to highlight the children of these families’ dedication to the environment and inspire others to continue the work they began. “These amazing children did so much in their short lives,” Michael’s mother, Jennifer Mahl, said. “I feel their character, vision, love and lives need to be shared with the world. I think people will be inspired to take action
when they see the beauty and hear the voices of Ella, Michael
and Ella,” Current production of the film is a collaborative effort between Patrice Mutchnick, mother of Ella Jaz, and director of the EJ Kirk Water Conservation Fund; Todd Schulke, co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity; and Albuquerque filmmaker David Garcia of halflife digital, who is writing, directing and producing the film. Additional supporters include the Gila Conservation Coalition, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Adobe Whitewater Club and more than 100 other individuals who have already donated to the production. The film not only is about the dedication Ella, Ella and Michael had for their beloved and imperiled river, it also stands for the life water that has sustained and propelled the many cultures of Southwestern New Mexico for millennia. It stands for using the power of love and determination to avert yet another irrevocable act, the damming of the last free-flowing river in the Southwest. “The three young people lived much of their lives on, and in service of, the Gila River and gave those lives in pursuit of understanding and protecting the environment,” Mutchnick said. “In many ways, they embody the living spirit of the Gila and their lives and untimely
All thin This full-length documentary is already in production and contributions to the project will finance the filmmakers journey down the river, capturing her canyons, rapids, wildlife and forests on film. A new phase of fundraising has been launched to support the continued production of this feature length documentary. Currently, specialized low flow capable rafts are being manufactured in New Mexico, which will be used during the filming of the 40-mile wilderness section of the Gila. Plans are also in the works to
Photo by David Garcia
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 21
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r e v i r p e e k o t t h g fi ’ ts s i l a t n me deaths can provide us with insight into its protection.” The Gila River, which at one point in history flowed through to the Colorado, is yet again under threat of development and diversion. Today, the water peters to a trickle in Arizona with the last drops being piped to Phoenix. Within New Mexico, it remains a vibrant, thriving riparian zone. The battle rages between those who want to keep it that way and those who see an imperative in securing all the water possible for our state before Arizona can have it. There is money in the balance, the Arizona Water Settlement Act allocates more than $100 million in federal money if the state comes up with a plan to divert the river by 2019. The New Mexico CAP entity, the regional authority that has been charged with developing and implementing a plan, is in the process of determining locations for a diversion, after having been denied access on their originally chosen locales. This is not the first fight to keep the dams and diversions from going up on the Gila. In the late 1970s, as part of the Central Arizona Project, the Hooker Dam was proposed, which would have been located in the Gila National Forest near the boundary of the Gila Wilderness. The proposed reservoir would have extended into the Gila Wilderness. The Wilderness Society and Sierra Club took the lead in opposing it, and in 1982 a study by the United States Bureau of Reclamation indicated that Hooker Dam would not have satisfied any existing
ngs ‘Heart of the Gila’ follow the mothers of Ella, Ella, and Michael on their journey down the river. Additional location filming is planned for this summer in the Cliff- Gila Valley, and the lower stretches of the Gila in Arizona, passing through many of the major diversions, all the way to the end of the river, where it meets the Colorado as a dry riverbed near the Mexican border. Filming is expected to be completed by late September 2017, with editing by David Garcia’s production company, Halflife Digital to begin immediately thereafter. Current plans are to have “Heart of the Gila” ready for premier by spring of 2018. Submission to film festivals and wider distribution of the film will follow. To learn more about the film, the Gila River or Ella, Ella and Michael, visit the website at heartoftheGila. org. To get in touch, email heartofthegila@gmail.com.
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need in New Mexico, and would have a significant environmental impact. It was
scrapped. According to Sandra Postel of National Geographic’s Freshwater Initiative, in an article from 2011, the amount of water that could potentially be removed from the river by the proposed diversion project, 14,000 acre feet per year, “would weaken the river’s critical connection to its floodplain and the galleries of cottonwoods and willows that provide the habitat so crucial to the area’s rich diversity of birds and wildlife.” The Gila riparian zone is home to over 280 species of birds, and, according to a Nature Conservancy report, supports one of the two most intact native fish communities in the Lower Colorado River Basin, including important populations of spikedace and loach minnow. “The real impact here is the opportunity to expand Ella, Michael and Ella’s legacy into one of international conservation,” Garcia, the film’s director, said. “I hope the film will be the tool activists working in New Mexico need to have the Gila River permanently protected by naming it as a Wild and Scenic River. The importance of this can’t really be overstated: The goal here is to save the Gila.” The original film, “A Heart, A Soul, A Voice, The Lives and Legacy of Michael Mahl, Ella Myers and Ella Kirk,” focused on the lives of the three young environmentalists. Garcia said the expanded premise for the second version goes deeper. “Can their memory help us to finally and permanently close the book on any attempts to harm or degrade the river and can they help us, even in their passing, to preserve this precious resource for future generations?” he said. “We will be using ‘Heart of the Gila’ during several phases of the campaign to protect the Gila River,” Schulke said. “During the upcoming environmental analysis phase for the proposed Gila River diversion, the film will make the rounds throughout New Mexico and nationally to educate the public about the critical importance of the Gila River and the need to protect the river from threats such as the large water withdrawals authorized by the Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA). “Our ultimate goal is long-term protection, using legislative approaches such as the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act or the Wilderness Act. ‘Heart of the Gila’ will help us build a groundswell of support to protect the Gila River forever.” By making “Heart of the Gila,” the filmmakers aim to bear witness to the Gila in its natural state and educate the world about its historical and current significance to the region. It requires an estimated film crew of 12-15, handling a combination of aerial drones, specially designed gimbal-equipped watercraft and water-protected film cameras. “I think the words, actions and deeds of Ella, Michael and Ella, brought to life in such a beautiful way through the vision of this film, can truly reach into places that would otherwise not be reached,” Michael’s mother Jennifer Mahl said. “They have a voice, and it is powerful.”
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“The Gila is a vital, stunning part of our little corner of the world. If we all could see the importance of this, feel as passionate about our wild places as Ella, Ella and Michael did, the diversion wouldn’t even be a possibility. I am so grateful for the insight they provided, the fierce love they had, and I think that it inspired a lot of other young people to get out there and be heard, speak out. They aren’t here to continue to defend the Gila, we must do it instead, keep honoring them and their legacy. They are forever in my heart, and the best way to remember them is to continue the work that they started.”
— Karuna Markham, a classmate of and longtime friend of Ella, Ella and Michael.
22 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK • RICHARD COLTHARP
Get on the Good Foot
Soul searching on the right soles for searching
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id you know the Godfather of Soul was bilingual? James Brown pens one of his hits yelling “Que pasa, people, Que pasa!” He pronounces it “Kay passa, people, Kay passa!” then proceeds to the rest of the song, “Get on the Good Foot.” Many of us in southern New Mexico struggle with our Spanglish, and many of us also struggle with getting on the good foot when it comes to the right shoes for summer sojourns. I’m not talking about the “Sex in the City” Carrie Bradshaw staring at a closet full of high heels kind of struggle. This is more of a weather-and-terrain struggle. If you’re seeking thoughts on fashion, I will be no help. My
fashion motto is, “If I’m never in style, I can’t go out of style.” One of the glories of southern New Mexico – the variety of climate and topography even within short distances – also presents footwear dilemmas. Wearing nice, warm, comfortable hiking shoes for a June jaunt through the Lincoln National Forest makes perfect sense. But by the time you get down to Alamogordo your feet will be sweaty and swollen. So do you pack multiple pairs of shoes for your day, or wear one pair of crossover shoes that “sort of” work for multi-use? To my mind, that fits my Uncle Don’s El Camino Theory. Don theorized in his Fort Worth twang the Chevrolet El Camino was “a sorry excuse
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for a pickup truck,” adding the two-seater wasn’t much good as a car, either. So unless your summer day consists of going to the market, going to the library and ending with a movie, you should plan to pack at least a couple pairs of shoes in your vehicle. Here’s a shoe-by-shoe guide and the pros and cons of each here in the Chihuahuan Desert. Sandals – It’s a natural inclination to wear sandals in the summer. I have a pair of Flying Possum leather sandals I had custom made in Arkansas the week before I moved to New Mexico in 1995. They are still hanging in, but I’ve discovered … PROS: Airy, light, mostly comfortable. CONS: those tiny grains of sand that lodge under a strap create painful macro-abrasion, vulnerable to fire ants, people stepping on your toes. Hiking boots – The varieties are infinite, but every New Mexican should find a good pair that fits well and makes you feel like Indiana Jones. PROS: impervious to the evil New Mexico goathead, provide good footing on rough terrain, warm and dry during
sudden rains and cool fronts, the right ones look really cool. CONS: often too hot, removing an invading pebble or twig can be a 15-minute process, the wrong ones look totally dorky. Cowboy boots – My first visit to Alamogordo, in 1993, yielded my first adult pair of cowboy boots. Black Justin ropers from the local Anthony’s. Remember those stores? The boots outlasted the store by more than a decade. PROS: no pesky lacing, good for boot-scootin’ boogies, perfect for riding horses. CONS: hot and sweaty, slick bottoms, unwearable without socks. Tennis shoes – For me, the go-to has always been the white high-top canvas Converse AllStar. Perfect for most any occasion of life. PROS: heavenly comfortable, classic fashion, light and breathable. CONS: soak water like a sponge, natural and man-made sharp objects can pierce the sole, laces attract goatheads and cockleburs. Bare feet – This is the only way to be at White Sands National Monument, Gough Park in Silver City, Courthouse Park in Deming, or dangling your
toes in the Rio Grande at Truth or Consequences. Unfortunately, almost anywhere else in our region can be unfriendly to the unshod. PROS: that amazing feeling of freedom, ultimate breathability, great way to cool down. CONS: untanned white feet (such as mine) may blind companions, sand and concrete can get really hot, many of us have really ugly feet. Bicycle shoes – This is an obvious but very limited niche. However, when a bunch of cyclists dismount after a ride and descend on a coffee shop or brew pub, that clickety clack of their shoes can be surprisingly pleasant, almost musical. Happy summer steppin’. Richard Coltharp is publisher of Desert Exposure and the Las Cruces Bulletin. He owns more shoes than he cares to admit, but swears each one has its purpose. He can be reached at richard@ lascrucesbulletin.com.
RAISING DAD • BY JIM AND HENRY DUCHENE
Out of the Kindness of My Heart
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y father likes honey in his tea. This morning, out of the kindness of my heart, I went to a farmer’s market and bought him some raw honey, straight from the beehive. I even bought him a flavor my wife assured me he liked, Orange Blossom. I didn’t know honey came in different flavors, but that’s neither here nor there. Well, that’s not quite true. The honey’s here and my money’s there. Later, as my wife was making his tea, she told him how I drove to the farmer’s market just so he could have a local honey to sweeten it. My father insists local honey is good for allergies. I don’t suffer from them, so I wouldn’t know about that, but if HE thinks it does... “You’ll like it, dad,” I told him. “The guy I bought it from harvests the honey himself. It’s a lot sweeter than what we get at the store.” The honey contains no extra ingredients, and it’s not cheap. I told him that, and more. Except for the “it’s not cheap” part. My father picked up the jar and looked at it with interest. I wondered what he was looking at. Was he appreciating its dark, rich color? This raw honey is not the clear, amber color you get in mass-marketed brands. Was he fascinated by the honeycomb the harvester leaves inside? It’s a pretty cool thing to look at. Kind of like the worm in a bottle of mescal. “So,” my father finally groused,
“you bought me a small bottle, huh?” On the surface, that might sound ungrateful, but it’s not. Not really. You see, it’s not that my father is ungrateful, it’s just that he expresses his gratitude with ingratitude. For some reason, it just doesn’t occur to my father to be grateful, and when he tries to say something nice about something you’ve just given him or done for him, it comes out, ahem, not so nice. Back when my beloved mother was still alive, my wife and I took my parents on a nice cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, because they had never been on a cruise before. Well, my father had, but it was to the Phillipines during World War Two, so that one doesn’t count. It cost us a pretty penny, true, but it was one way to pay them back for all those peanut butter sandwiches my friends and I ate when we were kids. As we were walking along the beach, my father looked out over the ocean, took a deep breath of that salty sea air, and said, “You know, I’ve been to beaches nicer than this one.” “Honey!” my mother exclaimed, in her I-can’t-believe-you-just-saidthat voice. Criticizing the beach we were on was my father’s way of telling me how nice he thought it was. Does that make sense? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. One thing I’ve learned about my elderly father since he’s started living with us, I’ve learned he likes
to have a salad along with his dinner. He especially likes carrots in his salad. Unfortunately, one day we were out of fresh carrots. All we had was a bag of those miniature ones. Personally, I like them. They make for a nice snack without any of the hard work. My dog likes them, too. He’s not particular. All miniature carrots are, are regular carrots that have a few bumps or bruises on them and can’t be sold, not even to Walmart, so the carrot company will shave them down to smaller sizes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them. They’re carrots, for gosh sakes. So my wife put a nice salad, topped with the miniature carrots, in front of my father. He looked at them as if he’s never seen a carrot before in his life. He picked one up. Examined it, leaning it this way, then that. Lifted it to his nose. Smelled it. Sniff, sniff. “Well,” he declared, “I don’t like these carrots. I don’t like them at all.” “Why not, dad?” I asked him. “They just don’t taste right.” I couldn’t help but notice he had made that declaration without tasting them first. “That’s the problem with growing them this small,” he continued, “they don’t taste as good as the larger ones.” My wife and I looked at each other over the salads we were eat-
KINDNESS continued on page 24
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 23
THE STARRY DOME • BERT STEVENS
A
constellation low on our southern horizon is a half-man, half-horse, a centaur dubbed Centaurus. Even though Centaurus is only the ninth-largest constellation in the sky, the plane of our galaxy, the Milky Way, passes through it. Looking along the plane of our galaxy puts an unusually high number of naked-eye stars in this constellation, the most of any constellation at 281 stars. In Greek mythology, Centaurus represents Pholos, an Arkadian Kentauros (Centaur) who lived in a cave on Mount Phole. Unlike the rest of his race, Pholos was very intelligent and knowledgeable. He was the first to group stars into constellations. His wisdom was so well known that the youthful hero Hercules was brought to him for tutoring before he began his adventures. One day, Hercules passed by his friend Pholos’s home in search of the Erymanthian boar and stopped for a visit. After dinner, a wineskin was opened to complete the evening. Unfortunately, the aroma of the wine drove the other centaurs mad and they attacked. Hercules killed most of them with his poisoned arrows that were dipped in the blood of the Medusa. The remaining centaurs fled south. Fascinated by these arrows, Pholos picked one up to examine it. He accidently dropped it and it pierced his foot, killing him. The Gods placed him in the sky adjacent to his wine-cup, the constellation Crater. Often a destination for fictional starships, Science Fiction aficionados know the brightest star in this constellation, Alpha Centauri, as the closest star-system to our own Solar System. Traditionally called Rigil Kentaurus (Arabic for the Foot of the Centaur), Alpha Centauri is actually a triple star system. The brightest star in the system is Alpha Centauri A, a G-class star very much like our Sun. While it has just 10 percent more mass than the Sun, it has 50 percent more luminosity. Alpha Centauri A has a companion, Alpha Centauri B, which is a 10 percent smaller than our Sun, but only half as luminous. The two orbit each other every 80 years at a distance that varies from as close at Saturn is to our Sun to almost the distance of Pluto. Components A and B together appear as a single star to the naked eye at magnitude -0.3, the third brightest star in
Centaurus, the Centaur the whole sky. The Alpha Centauri system has a third component, C. It is a red dwarf star, only about an eighth of the mass of the Sun. It is not visible to the naked eye, barely glowing at magnitude +11.1. It is also the closest star to the Earth. Dubbed Proxima Centauri (from Latin, meaning nearest [star] of Centaurus), it was discovered in 1915 by the Scottish astronomer Robert Innes, the director of the Union Observatory in South Africa. Proxima Centauri is only 4.25 light-years away from us. Another object that looks like a star in Centaurus is called Omega Centauri. When a telescope was first pointed at this object by Edmond Halley in 1677, he discovered it is a fuzzy object that turned out to be a globular star cluster. It is the only globular cluster to be designated with a Bayer (Greek) letter, omega. It is the largest and brightest globular cluster in the Milky Way galaxy, 10 times the size of the next largest globular cluster. Omega Centauri is 15,800 light-years away from us with a diameter of 172 lightyears, making it just a little larger than the Moon in our sky at 36.3 minutes-of-arc across. While most globular clusters formed from dense pockets of the primordial gas that later formed the Milky Way galaxy, Omega Centauri is the core of a dwarf galaxy that the Milky Way absorbed at some time in the past. Since most of the stars in a globular cluster formed at the same time, Omega Centauri’s stars are of various ages, more like a galaxy would have. The stars are so closely packed near the core of Omega Centauri that we cannot tell if there are a large number of stars at its core or if there is actually an intermediate mass black hole holding the cluster together. The Planets for June 2017 Mars moves from Taurus into Gemini this month, but it has gotten too close to the Sun to be seen. The gathering darkness of June evenings reveals Jupiter, shining brightly at magnitude -2.1, 52 degrees above the southern horizon. The King of the Gods starts the month moving westward in central Virgo, coming to a halt on June 9 and turning back toward the east. Jupiter sets around 2:15 a.m. Its disc is 39.0 seconds-of-arc across at midmonth. Also visible in the east-south-
Calendar of Events – JUNE 2017 (MST) 01 6:42 a.m. First Quarter Moon 03 7 a.m. Venus greatest distance west of the Sun (46 degrees) 09 7:10 a.m. Full Moon 09 11 p.m. Jupiter stationary 15 4 a.m. Saturn opposite side of Earth from the Sun 17 5:33 a.m. Last Quarter Moon 20 Evening Venus near the Moon 20 10:24 p.m. June solstice 23 8:31 p.m. New Moon
Centaurus is a large constellation that sits on our southern horizon on June evenings. Parts of it are so far south that they never rise above our horizon. The closest stars to our Solar System are in this for southern section of Centaurus. The Alpha Centauri star system includes the closest star to us, Proxima Centauri, which is only 4.25 light-years away from us.
east as it gets dark is the second largest planet in the Solar System, Saturn. It is just nine degrees above the horizon at that time. The Ringed Planet is moving slowly westward in far southeastern Ophiuchus. It is visible all night, reaching the point opposite that of the Sun in our sky on June 15. Then, Saturn’s Rings will be tilted down 26.6 degrees with the northern face showing and 41.5 seconds-of-arc across. Saturn’s disc will be 18.3 seconds-of-arc across as the planet shines at magnitude +0.0. Venus explodes into the morning sky when it rises at 3:30 a.m., shining at magnitude -4.2. It will remain visible until the sky gets too bright for it to be seen, when it will be 24 degrees above the eastern horizon. The Goddess of Love’s disc will be 20.7 seconds-of-arc across at midmonth and 56 percent illuminated as it swings around the Sun coming toward us. Venus moves from eastern Pisces, through Aries and into western Taurus. Venus reaches its furthest distance from the Sun on June 3. Mercury is visible in the east just before twilight breaks for the first two weeks of the month. On June 1, the Messenger of the Gods is just five degrees above the east-northeastern horizon as it gets light. It has a 6.2 second-of-arc across disc that is sixty-six percent illuminated. Mercury shines at magnitude -0.3. It moves from eastern Aries, all the way through Taurus and into central Gemini as the month ends. Astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere begins on June 20 at 10:24 p.m. At that time, the north pole of the Earth will be pointed as close to the Sun as it will be all year, placing the Sun at its northernmost location in our sky. Days will reach their maximum length while the nights are the short-
est for the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is exactly reversed as winter begins. So make the most of these short nights and “keep watching the sky”! An amateur astronomer for
more than 45 years, Bert Stevens is co-director of Desert Moon Observatory in Las Cruces.
non-denominational
Valley Community Church
19-A Racetrack Road, Arenas Valley, NM Sunday Worship at 10 A.M. Vacation Bible School July 10 thru 14 9:30 A.M. To Noon Phone: 575-538-9311 for more info
Where Everyone is Welcome!
505-469-7505 sivaraven@gmail.com
Open Your Mind Join with us for our Sunday morning service 10:00 AM Enjoy Fellowship & Stimulating Topics
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City 3845 North Swan
Questions: (575) 538-0101
24 • MONTH 2017
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Mary Hokom–Counseling
ARTS SCENE
Specializing in Family, Children, and Individual therapies with traditional and playful approaches to healing...
Career Art Path
575-574-2163
hokomm@gmail.com Located at 301 W. College Ave. Suite #1 Silver City, NM Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor • Registered Play Therapist • Infant Mental Health – Endorsed
Western Stationers
Buy from Local Growers, contact us at 575-538-4345 or At the Silver City Farmer’s Market Saturday WE ARE HERE FOR YOUevery WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR OFFICE AND HOME OFFICE SUPPLY
Office Supplies Summer is here!
NEEDS. COMPETITIVE PRICES AND A GREAT SELECTION. AS ALWAYS, WE WELCOME SPECIAL ORDERS FOR THOSE HARD TO FIND ITEMS. STOP IN AND SEE ALL WE HAVE. WESTERN STATIONERS ENCOURAGES ALL OF US TO SHOP LOCALLY AND SUPPORT OUR HOME TOWN, DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES!!!
113 W. Broadway In Downtown Silver City Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM • 575-538- 5324
Lone Mountain Natives Nursery
Lone Mountain Natives Nursery yLone Mountain Natives Nursery y Over 25 flowering perennials, many medicinal 25+ blooming shrubs, many with edible berries Hardy native trees, seeds, cacti and succulents Organic fertilizer & other soil amendments Heirloom apple trees, peaches and apricots
Over 25 flowering perennials, many medicinal 25+ blooming shrubs, many with edible berries Hardy native trees, seeds, cacti and succulents Organic fertilizer & other soil amendments Heirloom apple trees, peaches and apricots
Join the effort to create Pollinator Friendly Gardens Buy pesticide & herbicide free plants and organic soil & fertilizer Contactnative us in April for widest availability: Plant forournative pollinators Contact us in April for our widest availability: Earth Day @ Gough Park, Earth Day @ Gough Park, Sat., 4/19/14 from 9 a.m.-2p.m. Sat., 4/19/14 from 9 a.m.-2p.m. Consult with us and view our native gardens Contact Mark or Tricia at lonemtn@q.com or 575-538-4345 Contact Mark or Tricia at lonemtn@q.com or 575-538-4345 View our website: www.lonemountainnatives.com View our website:cacti www.lonemountainnatives.com Choose hardy native trees, shrubs, perennials, & succulents
Knowledgeable consultation for a thriving garden with native plants Knowledgeable consultation for a thriving garden with native plants
Visit our home nursery for plant purchase and views of our demonstration gardens.Visit our home nursery for plant purchase and views of our demonstration gardens. Or Visit us Downtown at the Farmerʻs Market on Saturday Or Visit us Downtown at the Farmerʻs Market on Saturday
Buy from Local Growers, contact us at 575-538-4345 or At the Silver City Farmer’s Market every Saturday www.lonemountainnatives.com
Las Cruces schools offers two-weeks of art immersion
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areer Art Path is a two-week immersion program in the visual arts for middle school stu-
dents. The program is designed for students entering fifth through eighth grades and will be held from 8:30 a.m.2 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 12-23, at Alma d’Arte Charter High School, 402 W. Court Ave., Las Cruces. The program includes hands-on experience in many fields which may include ceramics, painting, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, and print making. The students take field trips to local galleries, museums and businesses for exploration of the many career avenues available in the arts. The program culminates with an art show featuring the students’ art work. Space is limited to 40 students and parents should be aware a teacher recommendation is a required part of the application. Tuition is $100 per student with payment is due with the completed application. Partial scholarships are available on a needs basis. For more information, contact development@daarts.org.
Students attending Career Art Path camp at Alma d’Arte learn from experts in the arts fields during a two-week art immersion experience. (Courtesy Photo)
KINDNESS continued from page 22
1950 Hwy 180 East Silver City, NM
575-313-1507
NOW OPEN MONDAYS!
Open Mon.–Fri. 9am–5pm
Happy Father’s Day – Don’t Forget Dad! Sunday, June 18th
Lots of trees – fruit & shade, garden & yard tools, firepits, yard thermometers, rain gauges, fountains & a selection of hoses. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
ing. I tried a carrot. Yep, it tasted just like it was supposed to. Pretty good, in fact. “Good salad, sweetie,” I told her. “Thanks.” It was my way of apologizing for not being an orphan. “You’re welcome,” she answered. It was her way of saying she doesn’t hold it against me. Meanwhile, my father didn’t hear a word we said. He was still looking at the carrots as if they were what our dog leaves for us in the backyard to pick up in the morning. That’s our dog’s way of telling us he has nothing to apologize about. “Well, I’m not going to eat them,” my father announced like
a cranky 2-year-old. He looked to my wife. “You should buy the regular carrots,” he told her. “Yes, dad,” my saintly wife told him. “The next time I go to Costco, I’ll get some.” I thought about explaining to my elderly father how the carrots are made. And then I thought about telling him he should be more appreciative of my wife’s efforts. And then I finished my salad. Both the Duchene Brothers enjoy miniature carrots and keep a well-stocked supply of them at RaisingMyFather. BlogSpot.com, or JimDuchene. BlogSpot.com, and @ JimDuchene. Broccoli, on the other hand...
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 25
Grant County Weekly Events SUNDAYS
Archaeology Society — First Sunday of every month, field trip. 536-3092, whudson43@yahoo.com.
MONDAYS
AARP Widowed and Single Persons of Grant County — Second Monday, 10:30 a.m. Cross Point Assembly of God Church. All singles welcome. Contact Sally, 537-3643. Al-Anon family group, New Hope —12:05 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 1915 Swan, Silver City. Contact: 534-4866 or 574-2311. Open meeting. Art Class — 9-10:45 a.m. Silver City Senior Citizen Center. Beginners to advanced. Contact Jean 519-2977. Gentle Yoga — 5:30-6:56 p.m. Lotus Center at 211 W. Broadway, Becky Glenn, 404-234-5331. Mom & Baby Yoga — 5:30-6:30 p.m. La Clinica Health & Birth Center, 3201 Ridge Loop. 388-4251. Free to patients, $5 for non-patients. Republican Party of Grant County — Second Monday, 6 p.m. at 3 Rio de Arenas Road (the old Wrangler restaurant). Silver City Squares — Dancing 7-9 p.m. Presbyterian Church, 1915 N. Swan St. Kay, 388-4227, or Linda, 534-4523.
TUESDAYS
Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support — First Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. Senior Center. Margaret, 388-4539. Bayard Historic Mine Tour — Second Tuesday, meet at Bayard City Hall, 800 Central Ave., by 9:30 a.m. $5 fee covers two-hour bus tour of historic mines plus literature and map; call 537-3327 for reservation. Compassionate Friends — Fourth Tuesday, 7 p.m. Support for those who’ve lost a child. Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, Seventh and Texas St. Mitch Barsh, 534-1134. Figure/Model Drawing — 4-6 p.m. Contact Sam, 388-5583. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group — First Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. at local restaurant; email for this month’s location: huseworld@yahoo.com. PFLAG Silver City — Tranquil Buzz Coffee House. Formerly Yankie Creek Coffee, it is under new ownership, and the name has changed. We will continue to meet there at the same time and day. Thanks! Slow Flow Yoga — 11:30 a.m.12:45 p.m. Lotus Center at 211 W. Broadway, Becky Glenn, 404-2345331. Southwest New Mexico Quilters Guild – First Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. at the Grant County Extension Office, 2610 N. Silver Street, North Entrance. Newcomers and visitors are welcome. 575-388-8161. Tai Chi for Better Balance — 10:45
a.m., Senior Center. Call Lydia Moncada to register, 575-534-0059.
WEDNESDAYS
Al-Anon family group — 6 p.m. at Arenas Valley Church of Christ, 5 Race Track Road, Arenas Valley (the old radio station). Contact: Tom, 575956-8731; Karen 575-313-7094; Dot, 575-654-1643. Open meeting. Archaeology Society — Third Wednesday of every month, OctoberNovember, January-April 7 p.m. Silver City Women’s Club. Summers 6 p.m. location TBA. 536-3092, whudson43@yahoo.com. Babytime Sing & Play — 10:30 a.m. for infants 0-12 months and their caregivers to enj stories, songs and rhymes, and movement. Free, no registration necessary. Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue, 575-538-3672 or ref@ silvercitymail.com. Back Country Horsemen — Second Wednesday, 6 p.m. Gila Regional Medical Center Conference Room. Subject to change. 574-2888. A Course in Miracles — 7:15 p.m., 600 N. Hudson. Information, 534-9172 or 534-1869. Curbside Consulting — Free for nonprofits. 9 a.m.-noon. Wellness Coalition, 409 N. Bullard, Lisa Jimenez, 534-0665, ext. 232, lisa@ wellnesscoalition.org. Future Engineers — 4-5 p.m. For children ages 6-12. Creative construction fun with Lego, K’NEX, and Strawbees! Free, no registration necessary. Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue, 575-5383672 or ref@silvercitymail.com. Gilawriters — 1:30-3 p.m., contact Trish Heck at trish.heck@gmail. com or call 575-534-0207. Silver City Food Co-op’s Market Café Community Room, 615 N. Bullard St. Gin Rummy — 1 p.m. Tranquil Buzz. It’s on the corners of Yankee and Texas streets here in Silver City. 575- 534-9355 for anyone that needs information. Grant County Democratic Party — Second Wednesday, potluck at 5:30 p.m., meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sen. Howie Morales’ building, 3060 E. Hwy. 180. Ladies Golf Association — 8 a.m. tee time. Silver City Golf Course. Prenatal Yoga — 5:30-6:30 p.m. at La Clinica Health & Birth Center, 3201 Ridge Loop. 388-4251. Free to patients, $5 for non-patients. Prostate Cancer Support Group — Third Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Gila Regional Medical Center Conference Room. 388-1198 ext. 10.
THURSDAYS
ARTS Anonymous — 5:30 p.m. Artists Recovering through the 12 Steps. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 3845 N. Swan St. 534-1329.
Blooming Lotus Meditation — 5:30 p.m. Lotus Center at 211 W. Broadway, 313-7417, geofarm@ pobox.com. De-stressing Meditations — 12-12:45 p.m. New Church of the SW Desert, 1302 Bennett St. 313-4087. Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society — Second Thursday, 6 p.m. Senior Center, 204 W. Victoria St. Kyle, 538-5706. Historic Mining District & Tourism Meeting — Second Thursday, 10 a.m. Bayard Community Center, 290 Hurley Ave., Bayard. 537-3327. Little Artist Club — 10:30-11:30 a.m. For children ages 0-5. Creative fun for children. Free, no registration necessary. Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue, 575-5383672 or ref@silvercitymail.com. Tai Chi for Better Balance — 10:45 a.m., Senior Center. Call Lydia Moncada to register, 575-534-0059. TOPS — 5 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 1915 Swan, 538-9447. Vinyasa Flow Yoga — 11:30 a.m. Lotus Center at 211 W. Broadway, Becky Glenn, 404-234-5331. WildWorks Youth Space — 4 p.m. For children ages 10+ Space for youth to hang out, experiment, create and more. Free, no registration necessary. Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue, 575-538-3672 or ref@silvercitymail.com. Yoga class — Free class taught by Colleen Stinar. 1-2 p.m. Episcopal Church fellowship hall, Seventh and Texas.
HMS to Manage Grant County Senior Centers Medical services group works to adjust to statewide budget cuts
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July 1. “HMS is pleased to partner with the county of Grant, the town of Silver City and the village of Santa Clara in order to take another major step in fulfilling our Mission of providing comprehensive and integrated health care services to improve the quality of life for those we serve; in this case, our community seniors,” Dan Otero, HMS chief executive officer, said. State and Federal budget cuts continue to impact several programs in New Mexico, and programs funded by the Aging and Long Term Services Department are no exception. Such programs include the Grant County senior centers. This past year, state funding decreased by 5.5 percent. Additionally, federal funding disbursements through
Alcoholics Anonymous Beginners — 6 p.m. Lions Club, Eighth & Bullard (entrance at Big Ditch behind Domino’s). Newcomers and seasoned members welcome. Alcoholics Anonymous “Black Chip” —11 a.m. to noon, at First United Methodist Church. Double Feature Blockbuster Mega Hit Movie Night — 5:30-11 pm. Satellite/Wellness Coalition. Evening Prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition — 5 p.m. Theotokos Retreat Center, 5202 Hwy. 152, Santa Clara. 537-4839,
theotokos@zianet.com. Kids Bike Ride — 10 a.m., Bikeworks, 815 E. 10th St. Dave Baker, 3881444. Narcotics Anonymous — 6 p.m. New 180 Club, 1661 Hwy. 180 E. Spinning Group — First Saturday, 1-3 p.m. Yada Yada Yarn, 614 N. Bullard, 388-3350. Vinyasa Flow Yoga — 10 a.m. All levels. Lotus Center at 211 W. Broadway, Becky Glenn, 404-2345331. All phone numbers are area code 575 except as noted. Send updates to events@desertexposure.com.
MAGGIE KNOX Licensed Massage Therapist
Time-Out Massage 526 Hwy 180 West • Silver City, NM
575-534-9702 Deep Therapeutic Massage Swedish and Neuromuscular Therapy Gift Certificates Available
NM Lic# 4096
FRIDAYS
Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group — First Friday, 10:20 a.m.12:30 p.m. at Hidalgo Medical Center. Ask at the front desk for the room number. 575-388-4539. Free senior care service available from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Silver City Senior Center. Call Gigi at 575-388-1319 for more information. Overeaters Anonymous — 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. 575654-2067. Silver City Woman’s Club — Second Friday, 10:30 a.m., lunch is at noon, 411 Silver Heights Blvd. Kathleen at 538-3452. Taizé — Second Friday. Service of prayer, songs, scripture readings and quiet contemplation. 6:30 p.m. Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 538-2015. Women’s Al-Anon Meeting: Women Embracing Recovery — 5:30 p.m. La Clinica Health and Birth Center, 3201 Ridge Loop, Silver City. Contact: 313-7094 or 313-1032 Woodcarving Club — First and third Fridays except holidays. 1 p.m. Senior Center. 313-1518. Youth Space — 5:30-10 p.m. Loud music, video games, chill out. Satellite/Wellness Coalition.
BODY, MIND, SPIRIT
idalgo Medical Services (HMS) is gearing up to take over operations of the four Grant County senior center sites, effective
SATURDAYS
the Older American’s Act have been delayed due to budgetary challenges in Washington, D.C. The Grant County senior centers work to provide essential services such as nutritional assistance to area seniors, with a special focus on those individuals with the greatest economic and social needs. This task can prove to be particularly challenging in a rural setting, as those with the greatest need may live 20-30 miles away from a senior center. Reduced funding could result in discontinuation of some current services for seniors and the creation of waiting lists across the state. If funds are reduced, most rural communities will not be able to provide services to meet the need of this growing population.
HMS continued on page 26
Silver City Zen Center (Ginzan-ji Zen Buddhist Temple) Meditation Practice (Zazen) Zazen, Kinhin & Dharma Talk
Monday-Friday 8:00 am Saturday 9:00 am
Dokusan (interview with teacher) by appointment Resident Priest
Rev. Dr. Oryu Paul Stuetzer
PILATES DANCING STONES STUDIO 109 N. BULLARD • SILVER CITY
506 W. 13th St. (corner of 13th and Virginia)
575-388-8874
• Banish Back Pain • Increase Bone Density • Sculpt Abdominal Muscles • Posture and Stride Retraining Duet Packages and One-on-One Instruction
575-538-1256 carolwatsonbrand@gmail.com
Carol L. Watson-Brand Fully Certified Pilates Instructor
Two bedroom house rental
in Gila Hot Springs, New Mexico. Horse facilities + use of full house. In the Heart of the Gila Wilderness. Close to trails and the Gila River. "Comfortable Gila Hot Springs Cabin" on Airbnb.com or call 916-203-8457.
26 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
BODY, MIND, SPIRIT
Family Fun Day
Annual HMS ‘JUMP into Summer’ is June 10
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Jumping into summer, families participate in the 2017 annual event sponsored by Hidalgo Medical Services. (Courtesy Photo)
oin Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS), community sponsors, and the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, for the 9th Annual HMS “JUMP Into Summer” Family Fun Day at Gough Park in Silver City. This annual, community event highlights the importance of family fitness and nutrition through fun. Participants who complete various activities throughout the park will have the chance to enter their name for a prize drawing. Prizes available to event participants include items donated by local merchants, such as gift certificates, merchandise for children and adults and bicycles.
Featured event activities this year include an obstacle course, a water slide and a climbing wall – to name a few. Event participants will have a chance to visit informational tables to learn more about community resources available in Grant and Hidalgo counties. According to Kathleen Tunney, HMS Family Support Program Manager, JUMP into Summer centers around the “5-2-1-0 Health Initiative.” This nationally-recognized program promotes five or more fruits and vegetables, two hours or less recreational screen time, one hour or more of physical activity and zero sugary drinks and more water every day.
JUMP into Summer activities and donations are made possible every year with the support of generous sponsors, local businesses, and collaborative community organizations. Opportunities still exist for those organizations that would like to commit to a sponsorship, share a monetary or prize donation, coordinate a fun event activity, exhibit an informational table, or participate as a healthy food vendor. For more information, contact Kathleen Tunney or Belinda Scott in HMS Family Support Services at 575-534-0248. Visit www. hmsnm.org to learn more about HMS services, providers and locations.
CYCLES OF LIFE • FR. GABRIEL ROCHELLE
Into the Wind
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Silver Alternative Medicine PA Dr. Paul Stuetzer, PH.D., DOM Physician Karen Prevost M.A., Medical Assistant Acupuncture, Chinese Medicinals & Herbs, Homeopathic & Naturopathic Medicine. Family Practice specializing in Pain Relief, Headaches, Allergies, Nutritional Deficiencies, Immune Disorders, Nervous System Disorders & Lifestyle Counseling.
NCCAOM National Certification, State licensed in New Mexico and California. 30 Years Experience. Provider for United Health Care, and Blue Cross, Blue Shield. Reasonable rates, discounts for Seniors, Healthcare providers and Clergy.
506 W13th street, one block from WNMU, corner of Virginia, Silver City, NM 88061
Office:
575-388-8858
New Mexico resistance training
e don’t get snow and ice down south here. We don’t even get much rain over the course of the year, certainly not usually enough to stop people from cycling. What we get in abundance is wind, and with that wind often comes a dust haze that can block our view of the mountains which are so near to our sight. Many of us who cycle in southern New Mexico jokingly refer to the days of wind in the spring and early summer as days of resistance training. No matter which way you go, eventually you must fight that wind in lower gears than you normally ride. The grit driven by the wind can seep into your shoes and socks and, of course, cover your face and eyes. It’s not very helpful for your drive train either. After riding in high wind for days, it pays to clean off your drive train. Over the 10 years I’ve been riding in the southwestern spring winds (and in other seasons), I have learned a few things to share. I invite readers to write in to Desert Exposure and share any further tips you might have to offer. Ride slower. This sounds logical but our temptation is always to keep the pace we prefer, but in wind it’s simply not possible. The estimate is that for every 10 miles of wind in your face, you are go-
ing to lose three miles an hour in your pace. So those 30 mile winds are going to take their toll on you. Relax and use what advantage you have in saving energy at a lower speed and gear down to get through the windiest parts of your ride. Ride with the right clothing. Don’t put on that floppy windbreaker; it will drag you down like a parachute. Wear the snuggest fitting clothing you have and keep all your zippers zipped, your helmet tight to the head. Take care of your eyes. Tuck up your body. If you are riding with a bike that has drop handlebars, use them. Keep your arms and legs in close to the frame to cut resistance as much as you can. Plan your ride carefully. Even if you are riding in windy conditions as a commuter, you can usually plan a route on side streets that offer cover when you need it, or at least cut the wind down. I have planned several alternate routes that allow me to tack like a sailboat, because those alternative routes allow me to use the wind rather than fight it directly. Watch out for crosswinds. On high wind days, strong crosswinds may have the ability to knock you over. This leads to my next comment:
Check where the wind is coming from as often as you can. Look for flags. Look to the leaves in trees, or when the wind is stiff you can check with the shrubbery and grasses. Often then you can plan alternatives to combat the force. When you start, ride into the headwind because when you turn around you take advantage of the push from a tailwind. Despite good planning, you may get caught sometime; I’ve had one day in the last 10 years when the wind brought me to an absolute standstill. I had to turn around and figure out another route to get home. Ride with a partner, if you can. Drafting can save you as much as 30 per cent of your energy, so ride with someone and exchange leading and drafting every two miles or so. It’s extra work but it is also exhilarating to ride on those windy days. Enjoy your ride!
have on the elder population. We cannot emphasize enough the importance in doing so,” Edith Lee, HMS chief support officer said. To adjust to budget cuts, HMS will make modifications to the current program model. Modifications include closing the Hurley cater site, while turning the Mimbres and Gila sites into cater sites. Every effort will be made
to minimize the impact of services delivered (i.e. congregate meals, home delivered meals, and transportation assistance). Making these modifications could mean the difference between remaining open or eliminating services in rural Grant County. Email info@hmsnm.org or call Lee at 575-597-2738 with comments and questions.
Fr. Gabriel Rochelle is pastor of St Anthony of the Desert Orthodox Mission, Las Cruces, an avid cyclist and secretary for Velo Cruces, our local advocacy committee. The church web site is http://stanthonylc.org.
HMS continued from page 25 “The timing of the transition has coincided with state and federal budget cuts. Though this has created unexpected challenges for us, HMS remains committed to completing the transition and doing our best to serve the seniors in Grant County. Community members are encouraged to contact their local legislators to express concerns about these budget cuts and the impact they
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 27
TALKING HORSES • SCOTT THOMSON
Think Like a Steward Respect responsibility to animals
M
y April column, “Thinking Goes a Long Way with Horses,” generated some interesting comments from readers, especially around the idea there are few actual “accidents” with horses. I was trained to always think about this issue. We have a responsibility to the animals on the planet. Directly and indirectly, we make all their decisions for them. This implies a different level of responsibility, different than being their masters or owners. It really means we have to be their stewards. If we don’t see it this way, it leaves the door open for some questionable treatment of animals and, in our minds, relieves us of responsibility for much of what happens to them. Stewardship means managing affairs for someone else, per their explicit instructions or in their best interests alone. There’s nothing about your interests in that definition. If we’re truly stewards for our horses, then we should manage them to the best of our abilities based on their needs and nature, not ours. If we’re making all their decisions for them, that means we have a hand in virtually everything that happens to them, and often to us. We have a unique relationship with horses compared to other animals. We literally put our lives in their hooves and ask them to live and act in ways that conflict with their basic nature so we can pursue our riding goals, have fun and be entertained. Yet horses and people still get hurt, sometimes killed, every day. Maybe we need to re-examine our master/owner/ boss approach in favor of becoming stewards. Maybe this would help us look at these so-called accidents in a different way, and maybe there would be fewer of them. Ask yourself, would you call any of these events accidents? A rider on a group trail ride yields to peer pressure to ride faster than his/her skill level and gets bucked off. A rider falls off when mounting when their horse moves or walks away. Two horses living in a small paddock start romping and one crashes into a fence or kicks the other one. You start up a power tool, fire off a gun, set off fireworks near a group of horses which spooks the horses and leads to a wreck. You buy a new “trained” horse, saddle him and go for a ride; he spooks on the trail and you come off. You buy a new trailer, load up your horse then find he won’t come out; he hurts himself in the trailer. You take your horse for a walk where he’s never been before, past some other animals or horses, and everyone gets excited — maybe your horse crashes into you or a horse in the field crashes into a fence.
You’re grooming your horse with the lead just draped over his back; he spooks and runs off, steps on the lead rope and breaks a leg. Your older horse is showing signs of aging with arthritis and stiffness but you still want to ride. He stumbles on the trail and you come off. None of these are made-up situations, and in every case the result was labeled an unfortunate accident. Some of these cases led to the death or permanent injury of a horse or person. I could fill pages with similar “accidents” from my years as a trainer. But, I don’t see any of these as accidents. In every case, a human played a role in setting up a situation through negligence, poor habits, lack of knowledge or skill, lack of understanding of the nature of horses, lack of preparation, or just not being in the moment when with a horse. Things weren’t done on purpose, but lack of intent doesn’t relieve you of the responsibility to know the nature of the horse and manage him accordingly. This is where I come back to stewardship. We seem to forget that horses are still horses, flight/ prey animals with instincts and behaviors that haven’t changed no matter how much we love them or how many treats we stuff in them. No amount of training or breeding has changed any of this. When we forget this, when we forget our role as decision makers for the horse, bad things happen, not accidents. Here’s an example of how I see this broader responsibility of stewardship – sadly for the horse involved, a true story. I got a call one evening from a woman I’d never met when we lived up in Washington state. She was frantic, sitting at a nearby boarding facility with her prized show horse stuck in a trailer. I hurried over to see if I could help. It was such a mess I told her to call her husband to come get her and take her home. I promised to stay as long as needed to get the horse out, check for injuries and either doctor the horse myself or call the vet. It was a Sunday evening and the barn was empty. It took over four hours for me to calm the horse and coax her out. She had some pretty significant injuries, threatening her show career. The talk around the barn was about this horrible accident to a show horse that was always easy to trailer. The owner was a skilled and caring equestrian. She had just taken delivery of this beautiful new trailer. The horse loaded easily as usual; then it was off to the show. At the show, the horse simply would not come out, even though every “trainer” and rider there tried something — treats, whips, plastic bags, long ropes, some mystical vibes, etc. The horse got more and more frantic. The owner had no choice but to turn around and come home. This wasn’t a trailer “accident.”
This horse had always traveled in a trailer that allowed her to be led in and led out so she could always move forward. The new trailer had a layout that required a horse to back out and step down. Nobody thought about whether the horse had ever done this before, just assuming, as humans do, that trailering is trailering for an experienced horse. This was not a bad owner in any way. She thought like a human — “this new trailer is so much bigger, brighter and nicer my horse will just love it, and I can’t wait to go to a show to have all my friends see it.” She simply saw everything from her perspective. When things went out of control, the line of thinking was there must be something wrong with the horse (sick or lame) or the horse was simply stuck. Understanding the nature of the horse, a person with a stewardship mind set would see the layout of the new trailer as a completely new situation for the horse. Before using the trailer, he/she would first evaluate how the horse backs into their blind spot and over an obstacle — outside the trailer first, then in tighter situations that simulate the trailer, then in the old familiar trailer, then in the new trailer. From there, some short rides to build confidence before adding the pressure of going to a show. If that process takes weeks and you miss a few shows, so be it. The welfare of the horse requires me to see things his way. That’s my responsibility — thinking on behalf of the horse, looking through his eyes, and seeing the potential problem before it happens. It’s impossible to give a horse the perfect life for his nature — that would take us out of the equation and we would never ride. But we can do better. In every example above I could point to a few little things that would have prevented the painful results — a bit more practice, looking around before doing something, paying attention to the weather or herd behavior, better habits, anticipating what could happen, reading body language, being in the moment — simple things we should always be thinking about on behalf of our horses. Don’t take the easy out or comfort yourself by saying something was “just an accident.” The responsibilities of stewardship go much deeper. Ask why something happened and what could have been done differently, in the moment or well before. How does the horse see it, what could happen, are your prepared? It’s all in our hands, not our horse’s. Scott Thomson lives in Silver City and teaches natural horsemanship and foundation training. You can contact him at hsthomson@ msn.com of 575-388-1830.
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Using Physics to Heal the Mind Part 4: Taking it Home and Making it Real - Psychotherapy
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Editor’s note: Editor’s note: The author of this piece, and subsequent parts, looks to provide a link between the scientific treatises written by quantum physicists and regular people who are trying to understand what it means in their lives. She is a working psychotherapist who uses connections found in quantum mechanics to address psychological issues.
O
ur society and psychotherapy along with it are founded on the principles of traditional physics, that the world is a material place and people need to come to terms with life within the considerable limits of the material reality all around them and the even more limiting rules of a society designed to control feelings and spontaneity in order to protect from and cope with the limits of a material world. Quantum physics has now revealed that this is not the case and that everything we see and experience is most likely an energetic projection coming from our own consciousness. We are not disconnected entities surrounded by givens we must adjust to and limitations imposed from outside us, but rather we are infinite awareness with infinite creative potential existing in a field of infinite possibility that is both sensitive and responsive to our personal intent, inspiration, imagination, intuition, feelings and heartfelt desire. We are intimately interconnected with everyone else and everything else through the oneness of all consciousness in a conscious world. “We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve to get ourselves back to the garden.” — Joan Baez, “Woodstock” Psychologically speaking, to say the least, this is quite a game changer. Psychotherapists traditionally accept their purpose is to help people become well-adjusted members of established society. Quantum physics aside, the folly of this perspective is made clear in the following quote from Jiddu Krishnamurti, “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” In quantum therapy, the purpose of therapy can have nothing to do with society as we know it now. It takes place in a larger context. It is about the person, the inner fulfillment of the individual person within the context of life as she/he uniquely perceives it, entirely unrelated to societally accepted perspectives or any other perspectives not coming directly from that person’s inner self. Thinking outside the box becomes imperative. Boundaries also become imperative. When feelings and intuitions are given credibility, boundaries and thinking outside the box become second nature. Therapy is traditionally aimed at a compromise between an in-
dividual’s instinctive or intuitive feelings and tendencies (Freud’s id) and society’s demand that we control these feelings and tendencies (Freud’s superego). Quantum therapy, freed from the limitations of obsolete societal assumptions, presents a new approach to the goals of psychotherapy, starting with a focus on the inner self without compromising with society. Now it finally becomes possible to openly acknowledge the obvious and crucial relationship between inner wholeness and inner fulfillment. Fulfillment is dependent on being whole, having unlimited access to one’s whole being without compromise of any kind, and being overwhelmingly self-referring as opposed to other-referring. This is not selfishness, but rather centeredness, and is necessary for authentic selflessness and compassion to thrive. Rethink the word “alone.” It does not mean lonely, but rather all-one, signifying not that something is missing, but rather that each one of us is complete in and of themselves. Being whole means healing the gap that society has created in us by requiring that much of our natural response to life be repressed into what is commonly referred to as the “unconscious.” This is a sort of pit inside of ourselves where we keep all our feelings we have been taught and coerced into repressing in order to become “civilized.” This has weakened us considerably and left us without the guiding resources of the full range of our feelings and understanding. Attaining wholeness of consciousness is paramount to becoming quantum conscious, and is not as difficult as it may seem from our societally conditioned perspective. It is a matter of systematically, and at one’s own pace, allowing denied feelings to come back into consciousness and reintegrate with the conscious self. This is known as catharsis and is mostly a pleasant experience leading to a lasting feeling of lightness of being, similar to being in love or being high, but coming purely from within. Feelings do not exist independently of us. Feelings are our own personal responses to our experiences, an integral and even central part of our most true selves. It is a great crime that we have been coerced and manipulated into denying any of our feelings which are our birthright and are necessary to our well-being. Moreover, when feelings exist outside of our awareness, they are being held by parts of our own essence which are no longer allowed to function as part of our conscious selves. This leaves us diminished and weaker than we would otherwise be. The therapy approach I have found to be most useful to bring about wholeness is a technique called deep feeling awareness, based on a technique I learned
from a spiritual/ psychological study known as Right Use of Will (by Ceanne DeRohann). This is a simple and amazingly effective method for bringing unconscious feelings back into awareness and moving towards a whole state of being. A person experiencing quantum therapy first learns to separate feelings from thoughts and to leave all thinking and words behind (most important part) as they focus their whole attention on the raw energy of the feeling until it becomes a sensation of energy without cognitive meaning. One client described this process as taking a bath in the feeling, the way you would feel stepping into a bathtub and allowing the “aah” feeling of the warm water to embrace you while all thoughts are dissipated, including the story behind the feeling. This results in a profound catharsis which is experienced as a sudden lightness of being and a sensation of increased wholeness and personal power. Usually an insight follows showing new understanding of the related issues. For example, one person came to therapy with feelings of worthlessness based on an ongoing childhood experience of being criticized and demeaned by a parent. All of his relationships, from coworkers to friends to family, were at least partly a matter of catering to people so that they would approve. This person seemed to me like he had a tiger by the tail — all his energy was tied up in this effort and he could not ever relax and be himself for fear the whole charade would crash down around him. The underlying feeling involved was shame. After the deep feeling awareness work, this person reached catharsis (this happens without fail every time). Completely stunned and with great relief, this person exclaimed, “I get it, the problem was always my dad’s, never mine. I was fine, both then and now!” This was the beginning of an overhaul of his life and relationships that led to a much greater sense of contentment and wholeness in his life. Because the answers were discovered within his own being, the healing is permanent. Once you are truly aware of something on a feeling level, it is difficult to lose that awareness. Ronnie Diener is a psychotherapist who has developed her own deepfeeling therapy approach which works toward releasing people from habits and conditioning, allowing them to resolve issues easily and move into quantum reality. She sees clients all over the state via teleconferencing. Visit her website at www. quantumviewtherapy.net for more about her therapy approach.
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 29
TABLE TALK • SHEILA SOWDER
The Coffee’s Brewing at The Tranquil Buzz
I
t’s Sunday afternoon in the Tranquil Buzz, the latest reincarnation of the longstanding coffee house at the corner of Texas and Yankee streets in downtown Silver City. Local musician Lonesome Richard is entertaining a roomful of coffee- loving locals, along with one small child, a few well-behaved pooches, and a couple of hikers on break from the nearby Continental Divide Trail. Folks are actually listening to the music, which is one reason local musicians love this venue. Outside in front, half a dozen smokers and chatterers sit in the sun, drinking coffee, and, well, smoking and chatting. There has been a coffee house on this corner since Air Coffee opened in 1985, and a few of the regular customers have made it their second home for 32 years. Eventually it morphed into Yankee Creek Coffee House, and several years ago, live weekend music was added. Life was good. Then this winter, the partners who owned it for the past few years announced they were closing it in February, and a shock wave that had nothing to do with too much caffeine spread through downtown. Dale Rucklos, one of the partners, had planned to move back to Ohio, but the outcry from the community took him by surprise and touched his heart. It also awakened an old dream. “For the last 25 years I’ve dreamt of having my own coffee house and not having to share the decision making with anyone. I’ve been jotting down ideas all along the way,” he told me. Working 16 hours a day, Rucklos began turning that dream into reality, directing a crew of locals as they reconstructed, repainted, and redecorated. Paul and Sean DeMarco did the heavy labor, Greg Renfro handled the interior painting, and a multitude of volunteers scraped and painted the exterior. Silver City artist Kourosh Amini created a large chalk mural on one wall, and new appliances and furniture were installed. On April 15, the Tranquil Buzz opened, and the regulars breathed a sigh of relief as they were greeted by Rucklos and Coco, his canine concierge. “If it wasn’t for the community,
this never would have happened,” Rucklos said. He pointed to a sign on the wall that says “Mi Casa, Su Casa.” “I wanted to create a place where I would want to go myself, one that feels like a living room, where you can settle in and stay as long as you want,” he said. “Not just for locals but for the travelers who stop in from all over the world.” That goal successfully accomplished, he and Eric Todd Lynch, his Monday barista, preside over a sanctuary of peace, friendship and familiarity scented with the fragrance of excellent coffee. The Tranquil Buzz offers several varieties of coffee each day, the most popular being “The Buzz Blend.” Teas and cold drinks are also available, as is a selection of delicious pastries by local baker Barb Fila. Rucklos is planning on adding a light breakfast and lunch menu soon, and hopes to eventually get a wine license and remain open during evening hours. He also is welcoming local groups to hold their meetings at the coffee house, either during the day or after closing, and promises that “the coffee will still be hot.” Sticking with the local theme, even the gift items on sale have been designed and produced in Silver City. “The Buzz” coffee mugs are by William Blakemore who has the studio next door. T-shirts and bags were designed by local artist Paul Hotvedt, who also designed all the logos and created the hanging sign outside the door. Greeting cards by Mariah Walker and Deb Hutchings are offered for sale. A souvenir flour-bag dish towel comes from a design sent to Rucklos by an old college girlfriend who read about the opening on Facebook. A remodeling of the patio is planned for the near future, with tables and chairs, hammocks, a koi pond, and a stage for musical acts, thus increasing the overall seating capacity from 49 to 80. Local musicians perform every Sunday from noon to 2 p.m., and Rucklos plans to offer the coffee house as an additional midweek evening venue for touring musicians passing through town. On the first Saturday of every month
Owner Dale Rucklos welcomes regulars and visitors to “The Buzz.” (Photos by Sheila Sowder)
he’ll host a Songwriters Circle, which he hopes will unite and encourage collaboration among local songwriters, and bring some “closet” songwriters into the public’s eye. Also in the plans, a Silver City Coffee Crawl. “We have nine coffee houses in town,” Rucklos said, “all with different personalities and unique clientele. All the owners are friends, and we can organize to advertise Silver City as a coffee destination.” Since nine cups of coffee in one day is too much for all but the most diehard coffee aficionado, the Coffee Crawl
would be spread over a three-day weekend, and feature specials and events at each location. Meanwhile, the Tranquil Buzz is open daily, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon-
day-Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. So, step in, the door is open, the coffee is brewing and all is right in this little corner of the world.
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30 • MONTH 2017
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Red or Green? is Desert Exposure’s guide to dining in southwest New Mexico. We are in the process of updating and modifying these listings. We are asking restaurants to pay a small fee for listing their information. Restaurant advertisers already on contract with Desert Exposure receive a free listing. For other establishments, listings with essential information will be $36 a year and expanded listings, up to 10 lines, will be $48 a year. To get an updated listing in Red or Green?, contact Anita Goins at anita@ lascrucesbulletin.com or at 575-6801980. The listings here are a sampling of our complete and recently completely updated guide online at www. desertexposure.com. We emphasize non-national-chain restaurants with
GRANT COUNTY Silver City
1ZERO6, 106 N. Texas St., 575-3134418. Pacific Rim, South East Asian, Oaxacan and Italian: Friday to Sunday D, by reservation only. ADOBE SPRINGS CAFÉ, 1617 Silver Heights Blvd., 538-3665. Breakfast items, burgers, sandwiches: Sunday B L, all week B L D. BURGERS & BROWNIES & BEER, OH MY! 619 N. Bullard St., 575-5976469.
CAFÉ OSO AZUL AT BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE, 60 Bear Mountain Ranch Road, 538-2538. B L, special D by reservation only. CHINESE PALACE, 1010 Highway 180E, 538-9300. Chinese: Monday to Friday L D. COURTYARD CAFÉ, Gila Regional Medical Center, 538-4094. American: B L, with special brunch Sundays.
DIANE’S RESTAURANT, 510 N. Bullard St., 538-8722. Fine dining (D), steaks, seafood, pasta, sandwiches (L), salads: Tuesday to Saturday L D, Sunday D only (family-style), weekend brunch.
Craft Beer Craft Spirits Fine Pub Food 200 N. Bullard, Downtown Silver City 575-956-6144 littletoadcreek.com
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DIANE’S BAKERY & DELI, The Hub, Suite A, Bullard St., 534-9229. Artisan breads, pastries, sandwiches, deli: Monday to Saturday B L early D, Sunday L. DON JUAN’S BURRITOS, 418 Silver Heights Blvd., 538-5440. Mexican: B L. DRIFTER PANCAKE HOUSE, 711 Silver Heights Blvd., 538-2916. Breakfast, American: B L, breakfast served throughout. EL GALLO PINTO, 901 N. Hudson St., 597-4559. Mexican: Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday B L Thursday to Saturday B L D. FORREST’S PIZZA, 601 N. Bullard St. Unit J. 388-1225. Tuesday to Friday L D, Slices only at lunch time. FRY HOUSE, 601 N. Bullard St. Suite C. 388-1964. GIL-A BEANS, 1304 N. Bennett St. Coffeeshop. GOLDEN STAR, 1602 Silver Heights Blvd., 388-2323. Chinese: L D. GRANDMA’S CAFÉ, 900 Silver Heights Blvd., 388-2627. American, Mexican: B L. GRINDER MILL, 403 W. College Ave., 538-3366. Mexican: B L D. HEALTHY EATS, 303 E. 13th St., 5349404. Sandwiches, burritos, salads, smoothies: L. JALISCO CAFÉ, 100 S. Bullard St., 388-2060. Mexican. Monday to Saturday L D Sunday B. JAVALINA COFFEE HOUSE, 117 Market St., 388-1350. Coffeehouse. JUMPING CACTUS, 503 N. Bullard St. Coffeeshop, baked goods, sandwiches, wraps: B L. KOUNTRY KITCHEN, 1700 Mountain View Road, 388-4512. Mexican: Mon-
or Southwest New Mexico’s
Best Restaurant Guide
?
sit-down, table service. With each listing, we include a brief categorization of the type of cuisine plus what meals are served: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner. Unless otherwise noted, restaurants are open seven days a week. Call for exact hours, which change frequently. All phone numbers are area code 575 except as specified. Though every effort has been made to make these listings complete and up-to-date, errors and omissions are
inevitable and restaurants may make changes after this issue goes to press. That’s why we urge you to help us make Red or Green? even better. Drop a note to Red or Green? c/o Desert Exposure, 1740-A Calle de Mercado, Las Cruces, NM 88005, or email editor@ desertexposure.com. Remember, these print listings represent only highlights. You can always find the complete, updated Red or Green? guide online at www. desertexposure.com. Bon appétit!
day to Sunday B L D. LA COCINA RESTAURANT, 201 W. College Ave., 388-8687. Mexican: L D. LA FAMILIA, 503 N. Hudson St., 3884600. Mexican: Tuesday to Sunday B L D. LA MEXICANA, Hwy. 180E and Memory Lane, 534-0142. Mexican and American: B L.
DOÑA ANA COUNTY
LITTLE TOAD CREEK BREWERY & DISTILLERY, 200 N. Bullard St., 956-6144. Burgers, wings, salads, fish, pasta, craft beers and cocktails: Monday to Sunday L D. MARKET CAFÉ, 614 Bullard St., 956-6487. Organic and vegetarian deli food. Wednesday to Monday (closed Tuesday) B L. MEXICO VIEJO, Hwy. 90 and Broadway Mexican food stand: Monday to Saturday B L early D. MI CASITA, 2340 Bosworth Dr., 5385533. New Mexican cuisine: Monday to Thursday L, Friday L D. MILLIE’S BAKE HOUSE, 602 N. Bullard St., 597-2253. Soup, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and now serving barbecue on Saturdays: Tuesday to Saturday. NANCY’S SILVER CAFÉ, 514 N. Bullard St., 388-3480. Mexican: Monday to Saturday B L D. THE PARLOR AT DIANE’S, 510 N. Bullard St., 538-8722. Burgers, sandwiches, homemade pizzas, paninis: Tuesday to Sunday L D. PRETTY SWEET EMPORIUM, 312 N. Bullard St., 388-8600. Dessert, ice cream: Monday to Saturday. Q’S SOUTHERN BISTRO AND BREWERY, 101 E. College Ave., 5344401. American, steaks, barbecue, brewpub: Monday to Saturday L D. REVEL, 304 N. Bullard, 388-4920. Elevated comfort food. Weekdays LD, weekends BD, closed Wednesdays. SILVER BOWLING CENTER CAFÉ, 2020 Memory Lane, 538-3612. American, Mexican, hamburgers: L D.
SUNRISE ESPRESSO, 1530 N. Hudson, 388-2027. Coffee shop: Monday to Saturday B L, early D. SUNRISE ESPRESSO, 1212 E. 32nd St., 534-9565. Coffee shop, bakery: Monday to Friday B L, early D, Saturday B L only. TAPAS TREE, 601 N. Bullard St. in The Hub, Wednesday to Sunday L, Fridays L D. TERRY’S ORIGINAL BARBEQUE, Hwy. 180 and Ranch Club Road. Barbeque to go: L D. VICKI’S EATERY, 315 N. Texas, 3885430. American: Monday to Friday L, Saturday B L, Sunday B L (to 2 p.m.). WRANGLER’S BAR & GRILL, 2005 Hwy. 180E, 538-4387. Steak, burgers, appetizers, salads: L D. Tranquil Buzz Café, 112 W. Yankie St. Coffee shop, coffee, home-made pastries and ice cream, fresh fruit smoothies.
Las Cruces & Mesilla
ABRAHAM’S BANK TOWER RESTAURANT, 500 S. Main St. 434, 523-5911. American: Monday to Friday B L. ANDELE’S DOG HOUSE, 1983 Calle del Norte, 526-1271. Mexican plus hot dogs, burgers, quesadillas: B L D. ANDELE RESTAURANTE, 1950 Calle del Norte, 526-9631. Mexican: Monday B L, Tuesday to Sunday B L D. AQUA REEF, 900-B S. Telshor, 5227333. Asian, sushi: D. THE BEAN, 2011 Avenida de Mesilla, 527-5155. Coffeehouse.
A BITE OF BELGIUM, 741 N. Alameda St. No. 16, 5272483, www.abiteofbelgium. com. Belgium and American food: Daily B L. BOBA CAFÉ, 1900 S. Espina, Ste. 8, 647-5900. Sandwiches, salads, casual fare, espresso: Monday to Saturday L D. BRAVO’S CAFÉ, 3205 S. Main St., 526-8604. Mexican: Tuesday to Sunday B L. BURGER NOOK, 1204 E. Madrid Ave., 523-9806. Outstanding greenchile cheeseburgers. Tuesday to Saturday L D. BURRITOS VICTORIA, 1295 El Paseo Road, 541-5534. Burritos: B L D. Now serving beer.
CAFÉ A GO GO, 1120 Commerce Drive, Suite A, 5220383, www.cafeagogonm. com. Bistro with an eclectic menu. “We have a passion for delicious food and it reflects in our dishes:” Monday to Saturday L D. CARILLO’S CAFÉ, 330 S. Church, 523-9913. Mexican, American: Monday to Saturday L D. CATTLEMAN’S STEAKHOUSE, 3375 Bataan Memorial Hwy., 382-9051. Steakhouse: D. CHA CHI’S RESTAURANT, 2460 S. Locust St.-A, 522-7322. Mexican: B L D. CHILITOS, 2405 S. Valley Dr., 5264184. Mexican: Monday to Saturday B L D. CHILITOS, 3850 Foothills Rd. Ste. 10, 532-0141. Mexican: B L D. CRAVINGS CAFÉ, 3115 N. Main St., 323-3353. Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, egg dishes, salads: B L. DAY’S HAMBURGERS, Water and Las Cruces streets, 523-8665. Burgers: Monday to Saturday L D. PECAN GRILL & BREWERY, 500 S. Telshor Blvd., 521-1099. Pecan-smoked meats, sandwiches, steaks, seafood, craft beers: L D. DELICIAS DEL MAR, 1401 El Paseo, 524-2396. Mexican, seafood: B L D. DICK’S CAFÉ, 2305 S. Valley Dr., 5241360. Mexican, burgers: Sunday B L, Monday to Saturday B L D. DION’S PIZZA, 3950 E. Lohman, 5213434. Pizza: L D. DOUBLE EAGLE, 2355 Calle De Guadalupe, 523-6700. Southwestern,
DESERT EXPOSURE steaks, seafood: L D, Sun. champagne brunch buffet. DUBLIN STREET PUB, 1745 E. University Ave., 522-0932. Irish, American: L D. EL SOMBRERO PATIO CAFÉ, 363 S. Espina St., 524-9911. Mexican: L D. EMILIA’S, 2290 Calle de Parian, 652-3007. Burgers, Mexican, soup, sandwiches, pastry, juices, smoothies: Tuesday to Sunday L D. ENRIQUE’S MEXICAN FOOD, 830 W. Picacho, 647-0240. Mexican: B L D. FARLEY’S, 3499 Foothills Rd., 522-0466. Pizza, burgers, American, Mexican: L D. FIDENCIO’S, 800 S. Telshor, 532-5624. Mexican: B L D. THE GAME BAR & GRILL, 2605 S. Espina, 524-GAME. Sports bar and grill: L D. GARDUÑO’S, 705 S. Telshor (Hotel Encanto), 532-4277. Mexican: B L D. GIROS MEXICAN RESTAURANT, 160 W. Picacho Ave., 541-0341. Mexican: B L D.
GO BURGER DRIVE-IN, Home of the Texas Size Burrito, 1008 E. Lohman Ave. , Las Cruces, NM 88005, 575524-9251. Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Specializing in Relleno Burritos and Other Mexican Food GOLDEN STAR CHINESE FAST FOOD, 1420 El Paseo, 523-2828. Chinese: L D. GRANDY’S COUNTRY COOKING, 1345 El Paseo Rd., 526-4803. American: B L D. HABANERO’S 600 E. Amador Ave., 524-1829. Fresh Mexican: B L D.
HIGH DESERT BREWING COMPANY, 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752. Brew pub: L D. INTERNATIONAL DELIGHTS, 1245 El Paseo Rd., 647-5956. Greek and International: B L D. J.C. TORTAS, 1196 W. Picacho Ave., 647-1408. Mexican: L D. JOSE MURPHY’S, 1201 E. Amador (inside Ten Pin Alley), 526-8855. Mexican, American: L D. JOSEFINA’S OLD GATE CAFÉ, 2261 Calle de Guadalupe, 525-2620. Pastries, soups, salads, sandwiches: Monday to Thursday L, Friday to Sunday B L. KATANA TEPPANYAKI GRILL, 1001 E. University Ave., 522-0526. Meals created before your very eyes. Japanese: Monday to Friday L D, Saturday D. KEVA JUICE, 1001 E. University, 5224133. Smoothies, frozen yogurt: B L D. LA GUADALUPANA, 930 El Paseo Road. 523-5954. Mexican: Tuesday to Saturday B L D. Sunday B L. LA MEXICANA TORTILLERIA, 1300 N. Solano Dr, 541-9617. Mexican: L D. LA NUEVA CASITA CAFÉ, 195 N. Mesquite, 523-5434. Mexican and American: B L. LA POSTA RESTAURANT DE MESILLA, 2410 Calle De San Albino, 524-3524Mexican, steakhouse: L D, Saturday, Sunday and holidays also B. LAS TRANCAS, 1008 S. Solano Dr., 524-1430. Mexican, steaks, burgers, fried chicken: L D, Saturday and Sunday also B. LE RENDEZ-VOUS CAFÉ, 2701 W. Picacho Ave. #1, 527-0098. French pastry, deli, sandwiches: Tuesday to Sunday B L. LET THEM EAT CAKE, 1001 E. University Ave. Suite D4, 680-5998. Cupcakes: Tuesday to Saturday. LORENZO’S PAN AM, 1753 E. University Ave., 521-3505. Italian, pizza: L D. LOS COMPAS CAFÉ, 6335 Bataan Memorial W., 382-2025. Mexican: B L D. LOS COMPAS CAFÉ, 603 S. Nevarez St., 523-1778. Mexican: B L D. LOS COMPAS, 1120 Commerce Dr., 521-6228. Mexican: B L D. LOS MARIACHIS, 754 N. Motel Blvd.,
MONTH 2017 • 31 523-7058. Mexican: B L D. MESILLA VALLEY KITCHEN, 2001 E. Lohman Ave. #103, 523-9311. American, Mexican: B L. N.M. GRILLE & BAR, 1803 Avenida de Mesilla, 652-4953. Steaks, barbecue, seafood, sandwiches, salads, pasta: L D.
METROPOLITAN DELI, 1001 University Ave., 5223354, www.metropolitandeli. com. Sandwiches and catering: L D. MIGUEL’S, 1140 E. Amador Ave., 6474262. Mexican: B L D. MI PUEBLITO, 1355 E. Idaho Ave., 524-3009. Mexican: Monday to Friday B L D, Saturday and Sunday B L. MILAGRO COFFEE Y ESPRESSO, 1733 E. University Ave., 532-1042. Coffeehouse: B L D. MIX PACIFIC RIM CUISINE AND MIX EXPRESS, 1001 E. University Ave. D3, 532-2042. Asian, Pacific: Monday to Saturday L D. MOONGATE CAFÉ, 9345 Bataan Memorial, 382-5744. Coffee shop, Mexican, American: B L. MOUNTAIN VIEW MARKET KITCHEN, 1300 El Paseo Road, 523-0436. Sandwiches, bagels, wraps, salads and other healthy fare: Monday to Saturday: B L early D. NELLIE’S CAFÉ, 1226 W. Hadley Ave., 524-9982. Mexican: Tuesday to Saturday B L. NOPALITO RESTAURANT, 2605 Missouri Ave., 522-0440. Mexican: L D. NOPALITO RESTAURANT, 310 S. Mesquite St., 524-0003. Mexican: Sunday to Tuesday, Thursday to Saturday. L D. OLD TOWN RESTAURANT, 1155 S. Valley Dr., 523-4586. Mexican, American: B L. ORIENTAL PALACE, 225 E. Idaho, 526-4864. Chinese: L D. PAISANO CAFÉ, 1740 Calle de Mercado, 524-0211. Mexican: B L D. PEPE’S, 1405 W. Picacho, 541-0277. Mexican: B L D. PHO A DONG, 504 E. Amador Ave., 527-9248. Vietnamese: L D. PHO SAIGON, 1160 El Paseo Road, 652-4326. Vietnamese: L D.
PICACHO PEAK BREWING CO., 3900 W. Picacho, 575680-6394. PLAYER’S GRILL, 3000 Herb Wimberly Drive. (NMSU golf course clubhouse), 646-2457. American: B L D. RANCHWAY BARBECUE, 604 N. Valley Dr., 523-7361. Barbecue, Mexican: Monday to Friday B L D, Saturday D. RASCO’S BBQ, 125 S. Campo St., 526-7926. Barbecued brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, ribs. RED BRICK PIZZA, 2808 N. Telshor Blvd., 521-7300. Pizzas, sandwiches, salads: L D. RENOO’S THAI RESTAURANT, 1445 W. Picacho Ave., 373-3000. Thai: Monday to Friday L D, Saturday D. ROBERTO’S MEXICAN FOOD, 908 E. Amador Ave., 523-1851. Mexican: B L D. ROSIE’S CAFÉ DE MESILLA, 300 N. Main St., 526-1256. Breakfast, Mexican, burgers: Saturday to Thursday B L, Friday B L D. SAENZ GORDITAS, 1700 N. Solano Dr., 527-4212. Excellent, gorditas, of course, but also amazing chicken tacos. Mexican: Monday to Saturday L D. SANTORINI’S, 1001 E. University Ave., 521-9270. Greek, Mediterranean: Monday to Saturday L D. SALUD DE MESILLA, 1800 Avenida de Mesilla B, 323-3548. American, Continental: B L D. THE SHED, 810 S. Valley Dr., 5252636. American, pizza, Mexican, desserts: Wednesday to Sunday B L. SI SEÑOR, 1551 E. Amador Ave., 5270817. Mexican: L D. SPANISH KITCHEN, 2960 N. Main St., 526-4275. Mexican: Monday to Saturday B L D. SPIRIT WINDS COFFEE BAR, 2260
S. Locust St., 521-1222. Sandwiches, coffee, bakery: B L D. ST. CLAIR WINERY & BISTRO, 1720 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-2408. Wine tasting, bistro: L D. SUNSET GRILL, 1274 Golf Club Road (Sonoma Ranch Golf Course clubhouse), 521-1826. American, Southwest, steak, burgers, seafood, pasta: B L D.
Anthony ERNESTO’S MEXICAN FOOD, 200 Anthony Dr., 882-3641. Mexican: B L. LA COCINITA, 908 W. Main Dr., 5891468. Mexican: L.
Bayard FIDENCIO’S TACO SHOP, 1108 Tom Foy Blvd. Mexican: B L D. LITTLE NISHA’S, 1101 Tom Foy Blvd., 537-3526. Mexican: Wednesday to Sunday B L D. LOS COMPAS, 1203 Tom Foy Blvd, 654-4109. Sonoran-style Mexican, hot dogs, portas, menudo: L D. M & A BAYARD CAFÉ, 1101 N. Central Ave., 537-2251. Mexican and American: Monday to Friday B L D. SPANISH CAFÉ, 106 Central Ave., 537-2640. Mexican, tamales and menudo (takeout only): B. SUGAR SHACK, 1102 Tom Foy Blvd., 537-0500. Mexican: Sunday to Friday B L.
Chapparal EL BAYO STEAK HOUSE, 300 Paloma Blanca Drive, 824-4749. Steakhouse: Tuesday to Sunday B L D. TORTILLERIA SUSY, 661 Paloma Blanca Dr., 824-9377. Mexican: Monday to Saturday B L D, Sunday B L.
Cliff D’S CAFÉ, 8409 Hwy 180. Breakfast dishes, burritos, burgers, weekend smoked meats and ribs: Thursday to Sunday B L. PARKEY’S, 8414 Hwy. 180W, 535-4000. Coffee shop: Monday to Saturday.
Doña Ana BIG MIKE’S CAFÉ, Thorpe Road. Mexican, breakfasts, burgers: B L D.
Mimbres ELK X-ING CAFÉ, (352) 212-0448. Home-style meals, sandwiches and desserts: B L. RESTAURANT DEL SOL, 2676 Hwy. 35, San Lorenzo. Breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, Mexican: Daily
B L early D. Pinos Altos BUCKHORN SALOON AND OPERA HOUSE, Main Street, 538-9911. Steakhouse, pasta, burgers: Monday to Saturday D.
Santa Teresa BILLY CREWS, 1200 Country Club Road, 589-2071. Steak, seafood: L D.
LIVE MUSIC JUNE 2017 • NEVER A COVER! Every Thursday & Saturday Night • 8-11pm JUNE 1 JAMIE O’HARA - BLUES FUSION JUNE 3 C.W. AYON - BLUES GUITARIST JUNE 8 SOULSHINE - ROCK/POP/ALTERNATIVE JUNE 10 DERRICK HARRIS BAND - BLUES/ROCK JUNE 15 SAGE GENTLE-WING - GUITAR SINGER-SONGWRITER JUNE 17 DAN LAMBERT AND THE CREATURES OF HABIT GUITAR COMBO W/ VOCALS JUNE 22 SEAN ASHBY - SINGER/SONGWRITER (CANADA) JUNE 24 DERRICK LEE - JAZZ COMBO JUNE 29 POP JAZZ - JAZZ COMBO W/ FEMALE VOCALIST
Get your red &green on! Restaurateurs:
Lock in your local listing
Basic listings with essential information will be $36 per year. Expanded listings up to 10 lines will be $48 per year. Restaurant advertisers already on a retail contract with Desert Exposure get a free listing.
To get your updated listing in the guide, call Jamie at 575-524-8061.
32 • MONTH 2017
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WATERSHEDS
Two Goats Chew up Fuel Load
Watershed Improvement Project will improve water supply to Alamogordo
T
wo years after the project began, vegetation treatment on the Two Goats Watershed Improvement Project on the Sacramento Ranger District is complete. The treatment was accomplished by grinding and chipping the existing vegetation with a masticator to reduce the fuel load and to improve water infiltration on more than 1300 acres on the Lincoln National Forest. “The Two Goats project was one of Gov. Susanna Martinez’s high-priority watersheds, identified in 2014 and funded by severance tax dollars which were set aside for the purpose of treating priority watershed areas on public lands,” said Beth Humphrey, Sacramento District Ranger.
Treated area near Alamo Peak Road is part of the Two Goats Watershed Improvement Project. (Courtesy U.S. Forest Service)
The actual work began in March 2015 and was the result of a partnership with New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and the Lincoln National Forest, with the objective of improving
water supply for Alamogordo, which has multiple collection points for its municipal water supply within the project area. An added benefit is that the fuel modification also reduces the risk of wildfire to communities
along the west side of the Sacramento Mountains. This project employed local contractors and provided wood products to local markets. Although the mastication work to treat the vegetation
has been completed, additional work to remove woody debris continues. Log trucks have removed more than 100 loads of commercial logs, yet, more than 150 loads still need to be removed. Fuel wood sales of small diameter wood will be made available in the near future. Finally, prescribed fire will be used to burn large piles of slash, once the other activities are complete. In the interest of public safety, some closures will remain in effect while the removal of woody material and debris continues in the project area. Area closures will be modified, as needed, or lifted as soon as it is safe to do so. To learn more about the Lincoln National Forest, visit www. fs.usda.gov/lincoln.
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DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 33
40 DAYS & 40 NIGHTS
What’s Going On in June THURSDAY, JUNE 1
Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Sierra Twirlers Square Dance Club dance — 6-8 p.m. at New Mexico Old Time Fiddler’s Playhouse, 710 Elm St. Mainstream dancing every Thursday evening. Cost is $3 per person; no charge to come and watch. Visitors always welcome. Info: 505-804-3842 or 575-313-9971.
of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the 1939 German invasion. Info: 575-524-8287.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Grindstone Youth Fishing Tournament — Join the Albuquerque Zoo representatives for the fishing tournament at Grindstone Lake. Info: 575-257-5030. “Billie Holiday: Singin’ the Blues” — 7 p.m. at the Capitan Public Library, 101 E. 2nd St., Capitan. A Chautauqua presentation performed by Brenda Hollingsworth-Marley. Info: 575354-3035.
Silver City/Grant County Aldo Leopold Kids’ Fishing Derby — 7 a.m.-noon, at Lake Roberts, north of Silver City. Info: 575-3883211. Farmers’ Market — 8:30 a.m.– noon, Main Street Plaza, 7th and Bullard. Co-op Explorers DIY Class — 1-2 p.m. at 614 Bullard St. Learn about seasonal produce and make stuffed strawberries. Info: 575-388-2343. “Hypnotizing Chickens” book signing — 2 p.m. at the Glenwood Library in Glenwood. Jan Sherman talks and signs her book of memoirs, “Hypnotizing Chickens and Other Stories: My Memories of Mogollon.” Info: 575-538-5555. Toadfest — 4:30 p.m.-midnight at Little Toad Creek, 200 N. Bullard St. in Silver City. Brewers Guild Tap Takeover, beer fest and street fair with music by Tiffany Christopher, Tularosa Basin Musicians Union and Shotgun Calliope. Info: 575-956-6144.
Alamogordo/Otero County Studying the Goddess: Venusian Probes and Landers — 9 a.m. at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. The June Launch Pad Lecture presented with museum director Chris Orwoll. Info: 575-437-2840.
Ruidoso/Lincoln County The Great High Mountain Bed Races — Parade 9 a.m., Bed Races 10 a.m. Festivities at Wingfield Park begin at 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Parade begins at the corner of Sudderth Drive and Country Club. Info: 917-446-1140.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2
Silver City/Grant County Popcorn Fridays — all day at 614 N. Bullard St. Free popcorn and food samples. Info: 575-388-2343.
The Winston Community Center Fiesta is June 3, a celebration of communities including Winston, Chloride, Chiz and Dusty. (Courtesy Photo)
Cloudcroft Light Opera Company, “Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch” — 7:30 pm., Cloudcroft Pavilion. Free admission. Info: www. cloudcroftlightopera.com. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market —11 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Old Mesilla Plaza. Zoot Suit Pachanga 2017 — 3–10 p.m. at Klein Park, 155 N. Mesquite Street. A two-day entertainment extravaganza featuring a boxing tournament, community cultural history, classic car show, demonstrations, arts and crafts and foods. Info: 575496-7886 or 575-520-6600. Art Ramble — 5-7 p.m., Every first Friday of the month enjoy the museums, gallery shows and refreshments on and around Main Street. Info: 575-525-1955. “The Zookeeper’s Wife” film — 7 p.m. at the Fountain Theater in Mesilla, kicks off showings that continue for the following week. An account
Deming/Luna County Stars-n-parks program — 8:55 p.m. at Caballo Lake State Park. Info: 575-496-1735. Alamogordo/Otero County Motorcycle Run to Beat Cancer — 9 a.m.-3 p.m. begins at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 471 24th St. Fund raiser for CAPPED, a grass roots cancer information and help center. Info: 575-921-1379. Cloudcroft Light Opera Company, “Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch” — 7:30 p.m., Cloudcroft Pavilion. Free admission. Info: www.cloudcroftlightopera.com. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County WCCD Annual Fiesta — 9 a.m.11:30 p.m. at the Winston Community Center on Broadway between Axtel and McConky in Winston. An annual celebration put on by neighboring communities of Winston, Chloride, Chiz and Dusty. Events
include a parade, BBQ dinner, craft fair/flea market, cow chip poker, games for children, entertainment and a Western Dance. Info: 575743-2091. Old Time Fiddlers Saturday Night Dance — 7-9 p.m. at 710 Elm Street in Truth or Consequences. Info 575-744-9137. Las Cruces/Mesilla Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Downtown Main Street in Las Cruces. Info: www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org. La Frontera Fair Trade Store — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Nopalito’s Galeria, 326 S. Mesquite St in Las Cruces. Proceeds go to the women of Mexico and the border area who produce the products. Info: lafronterafairtrade@gmail.com. St. Genevieve’s Annual Summer Antique Show and Sale — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at St. Genevieve’s Parish Hall, 1025 E. Las Cruces. Antiques, collectibles and jewelry. Free appraisals. Food available on premises. Admission $2. Info: 575524-9649. Crafts for Kids: Summertime Fun — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-522-4100. Storytellers — 10:30 a.m. at both Coas Books locations: Douglas Jackson Downtown and Nancy Banks on Solano. Info. Children attending receive $2 book coupons. Zoot Suit Pachanga 2017 — 3-9 p.m. at Klein Park, 155 N. Mesquite Street. A two-day entertainment extravaganza featuring a boxing tournament, community cultural history, classic car show, demonstrations, arts and crafts and foods. Info: 575-496-7886 or 575-5206600. Little Joe y La Familia — 4-10 p.m. at the Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds, 12125 Robert Larson Blvd. Performances by Mariachi Fuego del Sol, Geli & the Heartbreakers and Warrior Transitioning Battalion Band. Admission $25 per person. Info: 575-496-9146. New Mexico Rock ‘n Roll History with American Bandstand & Sugar Shack — 7-9 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main Street. The history of “Bandstand” as told by local comedian and Rock ‘n Roll expert, Stan Blitz. Tickets $17. Info: 575-523-6403.
SUNDAY, JUNE 4
Silver City/Grant County Widowed and Single Persons of Grant County — 10:30 a.m. Cross Point Assembly of God Church, 11600 Hwy 180 E. Cost for lunch is $12. Info: 575-537-3643. NAN Ranch Home Tour — 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Nan Ranch, 1362 NM Highway 61 in Hanover. Info: 575-538-5555. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Old Mesilla Plaza. St. Genevieve’s Annual Summer Antique Show and Sale — 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Genevieve’s Parish Hall, 1025 E. Las Cruces. Antiques, collectibles and jewelry. Free appraisals. Food available on premises. Admission $2. Info: 575-
Jan Sherman will be talking about her recently published memoirs at the Glenwood Library on June 3. (Courtesy Photo)
524-9649. Bumps, Babies and Beyond — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Las Cruces Con-
vention Center, 680 E. University Ave. Starting a family and new families can find all the contacts they
2017 Summer Reading Program June 7 - July 21: Register any�me! Free, thanks to the Friends of the Library! Story�me (ages 0-5) Tuesdays, 10:30am Children’s movies (all ages) Tuesdays, 2:00pm Baby�me Sing&Play (ages 0-24 months) Wednesdays, 1:00pm Future Engineers (ages 6-12) Wednesdays, 4:00pm Salvage Art Club (ages 6-12) Thursdays, 10:30am (limit 35) Teen movies (ages 10+) Thursdays, June 8, 22, and 29, 2:00pm WildWorks MakerCamp (ages 10+) Thursdays, 4:00pm Teen hangout (ages 10+) Fridays, 10am-5pm Date June 6, 11am-2pm: June 7, 10:30am: June 7, 2:00pm:
Event Wonders on Wheels: Dinosaurs The Magic Guy Magic workshop (limit 25 par�cipants)
June 14, 10:30am: Breakout Game June 14, 2:00pm: Santa Fe Opera: the hero’s journey (limit 20 par�cipants)
June 15, 2:00pm:
Ages all all 6-12
6-12 6-12
Santa Fe Opera: theatric improvisa�on 12+
(limit 15 par�cipants)
June 21, 10:30am: Luke Renner: Yo-yo Master June 28, 10:30am: Curious Chris: The Singing Scien�st
all all
For events with a limited number of par�cipants, free �ckets will be given out star�ng 30 minutes before the event.
515 W. College Avenue, Silver City, NM 88061 575-538-3672 | ref@silvercitymail.com silvercitypubliclibrary.org
34 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS
Historical Museum & Pioneer Village
Visit our 14 historical buildings full of exhibits on 2 ½ acres of beautiful wooded grounds.
OPEN Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Weather Permitting Admission: $5 Adults $3 Children - Call (575) 682-2932 for more info!
Visit online at cloudcroftmuseum.com
Bear Creek Motel & Cabins
The Elephant Butte Chili Cook-off brings cooks together from across the country on June 10. (Courtesy Photo)
need in one place. Activities for kids, and special events throughout the day. Info: 575-522-1232. 2017 Music in the Park – Kiss Army — 7-9 p.m. at Young Park. A tribute to Kiss/Rock ‘n Roll and an eclectic mix of music by local, regional and nationally recognized artists. Free admission. Info: 575541-2550.
TUESDAY, JUNE 6
Fabulous getaway nestled in the tall pines of Pinos Altos •Fireplaces • Secluded Balconies • Porches • Telephone & WiFi • Satellite TV • Barbeque Grill • Hot Tub in Cabana • Meeting Room • Cabins with Kitchens are available • Gift Shop • Pet Friendly • Venue for Events
Silver City/Grant County Trivia Night — 6:30 p.m. at Burgers & Brownies & Beer Oh My! At 619 N. Bullard St. Gift certificate prizes for top three teams. Info: 575-597-6469. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Tuesday Night Bouldering — 6-9 p.m. at the Bonita Park Events Center, located at the southwest corner at the intersection of Highways 37 and 48. Info: 575-3364404. Las Cruces/Mesilla Diabetes Classes begin — 1-4 p.m. daily through Thursday at the Families and Youth, Inc. Building, 1320 S. Solano in Las Cruces. Info/ registration: 575-522-0289.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7
Summer Art & Wine Extravaganza Saturday, June 10th, from 11:00am to 5:00pm Talented Artist from Mimbres, Gila, Silver City, Deming, El Paso & Tucson. Featuring lead foil, glass painting, fusing traditional designs; hand crafted jewelry; gourd art inspired by the Mimbres Valley; jewelry made from nature; hand crafted botanical art; crochet & knitting; embroidered towels & wine bottle lights; one of a La Esperanza Vineyard and Winery is located off Royal John Mine Road off Hwy 61. kind jewelry; Mancala game boards A 30 minute scenic drive from Silver City. & kitchen items from hardwood; Our Regular Wine Tastings photography & digital art; jewelry David & Esperanza Gurule owners/vinters Fridays - Saturdays 11am-6pm made from crystal & stone; 505 259-9523 • 505 238-6252Viking Noon to 6pm knit &offchain maille; jewelry; weaving, LaSundays Esperanza Vineyard and Winery Winery La Esperanza Vineyard and is located www.laesperanzavineyardandwinery.com is located off Royal John Mine photography & paintings; unique Royal John Mine Road off Hwy 61. Road off Hwy 61. A 30 minute handcrafted quilting gifts; glass art; A 30 minute scenic drive from Silver City. scenic drive from Silver City. moment captured photography.
Silver City/Grant County Trivia Night at the Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery — 7 p.m. at 200 N. Bullard St. Info: 575956-6144.
THURSDAY, JUNE 8
Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Sierra Twirlers Square Dance Club dance — 6-8 p.m. at New Mexico Old Time Fiddler’s Playhouse, 710 Elm St. Cost is $3 per person; no charge to come and watch. Visitors always welcome. Info: 505-804-3842 or 575-3139971.
Las Cruces/Mesilla Culture Series: Made in New Mexico Films — 7 p.m. at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Film historian Jeff Berg presents a new version of his Our Regular Wine Tastings “Made in New Mexico” film clip Music by Jessica JuarezDavid 12:30 &toEsperanza 3:30pm Gurule owners/vinters Fridays - Saturdays 11am-6pm anthology. Info: 575-522-4100. 505for259-9523 Italian Cuisine & Desserts available purchase• 505 238-6252 Sundays Noon to 6pm One Day Special 20% www.laesperanzavineyardandwinery.com DISCOUNT for Alamogordo/Otero County Case of Wine Mix or Match Starting your business workshop — 1-4 p.m. at the Small Business Our Regular Wine Tastings David & Esperanza Gurule owners/vinters Development Center, New Mexico Fridays - Saturdays - Sundays 505 259-9523 • 505 238-6252 State University-Alamogordo, TechNoon to 6pm www.laesperanzavineyardandwinery.com nical Education Building, Room 103
in Alamogordo. Info: 575-439-3660.
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
Silver City/Grant County Music in Viola Stone Park — 7 p.m. at Viola Stone Park in Santa Clara. Info: 575-921-3263. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m.–4 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic fall of a New York Fixer” film — 7 p.m. at the Fountain Theater in Mesilla, kicks off showings that continue for the following week. Compassionate drama of a little man whose downfall is rooted in a need to matter. Info: 575-5248287. Alamogordo/Otero County Iron Outlaws play for Full Moon Night — 8:30 p.m. at White Sands National Monument. The 1st Armored Division’s country band plays classic favorites and current hits. Info: 575-479-6124.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
Silver City/Grant County Farmers’ Market — 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Main Street Plaza, 7th and Bullard. Artisan Market — 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Market Café, 614 N. Bullard St. in Silver City. Info: 575-388-2343. Jump into Summer — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gough Park. A fun, healthy day focuses on family fitness and nutrition and includes booths of all kinds including making recycled bottle cap magnets and playing the bean bag toss. Info: 575-597-2727. Ask the Dietitian: Gluten Free Coop Tour — 1-2 p.m. at 614 Bullard St. Info: 575-388-2343. Las Cruces/Mesilla Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Downtown Main Street in Las Cruces. Info: www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org. La Frontera Fair Trade Store — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Nopalito’s Galeria, 326 S. Mesquite St in Las Cruces. Proceeds go to the women of Mexico and the border area who produce the products. Info: lafronterafairtrade@gmail.com. One-Mile Summer Challenge Series — 9 a.m. at La Llorona Park, 3447-3459 W. Picacho Avenue. Las Cruces Running Club hosts first of five one-mile races for Summer 2017. Info: 575-642-5855.
Crafts for Kids: Catching Dreams — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-522-4100. Storytellers — 10:30 a.m. at both Coas Books locations: Terry Alvarez Downtown and Judith Ames on Solano. Info. Children attending receive $2 book coupons. Singing Out Las Cruces Sings Broadway — 7 p.m. at First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-556-9893. Movies in the Park — 7:30-9 p.m. at Young Park. “The Secret Life of Pets”. Free admission. Info: 575541-2550 Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Elephant Butte Chili Cook-off — 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, U.S. Highway 195. Info: 505-604-5046. Second Saturday Art Hop — 6-9 p.m. in downtown Truth or Consequences. Info: promotions@ torcmainstreet.org. Old Time Fiddlers Saturday Night Dance — 7-9 p.m. at 710 Elm Street in Truth or Consequences. Info: 575-744-9137.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, noon–4 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. Singing Out Las Cruces Sings Broadway — 3 p.m. at First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-556-9893. Music in the Park – Desert Wind and Kyle Martin — 7-9 p.m. at Young Park. Free admission. Info: 575-541-2550.
MONDAY, JUNE 12
Silver City/Grant County Widowed and Single Persons of Grant County — 10:30 a.m. at Cross Point Assembly of God Church, 11600, U.S. Highway 180 E. Judy O’Loughlin talks about “Easy Eating.” Info: 575-537-3643.
TUESDAY, JUNE 13
Silver City/Grant County Trivia Night — 6:30 p.m. at Burgers & Brownies & Beer Oh My! At 619 N. Bullard St. Gift certificate prizes for top three teams. Info: 575-597-6469. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Tuesday Night Bouldering — 6-9 p.m. at the Bonita Park Events Center, located at the southwest corner
DESERT EXPOSURE at the intersection of Highways 37 and 48. Info: 575-336-4404.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
Silver City/Grant County Savvy Shopper Tour of the Co-op — 10 a.m.-noon at 614 Bullard St. Info: 575-388-2343. Trivia Night at the Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery — 7 p.m. at 200 N. Bullard St. Info: 575956-6144. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at Inn of the Mountain Gods — 7–9 p.m. Professional comedians will perform live every Wednesday night. Must be 21 or older to attend. Info: 575-464-7053. Las Cruces/Mesilla Las Cruces Evening Farmers Market — 5–9 p.m. on the Downtown Plaza. Info: 575-301-3853. Danny Ruley, Every Second Wednsday — 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre. Country, rock and jazz songs. Free Admission. Info: 575-523-6403.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Sierra Twirlers Square Dance Club dance — 6-8 p.m. at New Mexico Old Time Fiddler’s Playhouse, 710 Elm St. Mainstream dancing every Thursday evening. Visitors always welcome. Info: 505804-3842 or 575-313-9971. Las Cruces/Mesilla Calling Ukulele Players and Dreamers — 5:15-6:16 p.m. Strum for fun group, 6:30-8 p.m. Performance group practice at Good Samaritan-Las Cruces Village in the Social Center arts and crafts room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle in Las Cruces. Info: 575-405-7133.
FRIDAY, JUNE 16
Silver City/Grant County Fiesta Latina — 5-9 p.m. at Western New Mexico University. Art, music, dance and food. Info: fiestalatina.org. Music in Viola Stone Park — 7 p.m. at Viola Stone Park in Santa Clara. Info: 575-921-3263. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m.–4 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat — 10-11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre. A Children’s Theatre presents “Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat” Tickets $7. Info: 575-644-9561. “A Quiet Passion” film — 7 p.m. at the Fountain Theater in Mesilla, kicks off showings that continue for the following week. The story of Emily Dickinson from her early days to later years. Info: 575-524-8287. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Pickleball Championship — 9 a.m. at White Mountain Sports Complex. Fee $25 one event; $15 per additional. Event. Info: 575937-6239 or 575-937-9337. Alamogordo/Otero County Downtown Nights — 6-9 p.m. at Alamogordo Historic Downtown, N. New York Ave. Info: historicalamo@ gmail.com. Bad Ass Mountain Music Festival — Gates open at 2 p.m., music starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Cloudcroft Ski Area. Info: www.bammfestival.com.
MONTH 2017 • 35 SATURDAY, JUNE 17
Silver City/Grant County Farmers’ Market — 8:30 a.m.– noon, Main Street Plaza, 7th and Bullard. Sample Saturday — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Market Co-op, 520 N. Bullard St. in Silver City. Drop by for dinner samples and recipes. Info: 575-388-2343. Fiesta Latina — noon-9 p.m. at Western New Mexico University. Art, music, dance and food. Info: fiestalatina.org. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Pickleball Championship — 9 a.m. at White Mountain Sports Complex. Fee $25 one event; $15 per additional. Event. Info: 575937-6239 or 575-937-9337. Taste of the Spencer — 6-10 p.m. at Spender Theater for the Performing Arts, 108 Spencer Road, Alto. Elegant annual fundraiser for the theater. Info: 575-336-4800. Alamogordo/Otero County Juneteenth celebration — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Alamogordo Public Library, 920 Oregon Ave. Info 575-439-4140. Bad Ass Mountain Music Festival — Gates open at 8 a.m., music starts at 10 a.m. at the Cloudcroft Ski Area. Info: www.bammfestival. com. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Annual Junior Open Fishing Tournament — 6 a.m.-1 p.m. at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, U.S. Highway 195, Elephant Butte. Info: 575-740-0119. Old Time Fiddlers Saturday Night Dance — 7-9 p.m. at 710 Elm Street in Truth or Consequences. Info 575-744-9137. Las Cruces/Mesilla Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Downtown Main Street in Las Cruces. Info: www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org. La Frontera Fair Trade Store — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Nopalito’s Galeria, 326 S. Mesquite St in Las Cruces. Proceeds go to the women of Mexico and the border area who produce the products. Info: lafronterafairtrade@gmail.com. Crafts for Kids: Father’s Day Crafts — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-522-4100. Storytellers — 10:30 a.m. at both Coas Books locations: Judith Ames Downtown and Loni Todoroki on Solano. Info. Children attending receive $2 book coupons. Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat — 1-2 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre. A Children’s Theatre presents “Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat” Tickets $7. Info: 575-644-9561. Battle of the Badges — 7-10 p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center. Cost $20. Info: 575-636-2100.
SUNDAY, JUNE 18
Silver City/Grant County Signal Peak with the Gila Native Plant Society — 8 a.m., meet in the south parking lot of Western New Mexico University Fine Arts Center Theatre for carpooling. Signal Peak is open after two years of closure due to fire. Info: 575535-4064. Fiesta Latina — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Western New Mexico University. Art, music, dance and food. Info: fiestalatina.org.
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Music Improv at Art Ruidoso Gallery — 2-5 p.m., every first and third Sunday, 127 Rio St. (corner of Rio and Eagle). Info: 469-363-7066. Pickleball Championship — 9 a.m. at White Mountain Sports Complex. Fee $25 one event; $15 per additional. Event. Info: 575937-6239 or 575-937-9337. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Annual Junior Open Fishing Tournament — 6 a.m.-1 p.m. at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, U.S. Highway 195, Elephant Butte. Info: 575-740-0119. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m.– 4 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. Music in the Park — 7-9 p.m. at Young Park. Featuring Oldies But Goodies Band and Mariachi Flores
Western New Mexico University brings the taste and noise of Fiesta Latina to Silver City June 16-18. (Courtesy Photo)
We Provide First Class Service to the Families We Serve 555 W. Amador Ave Introducing
575.526.6891
Our New 2017 Fleet
24-HOUR SERVICE
www.lapaz-grahams.com
Complete Funeral Package with Casket: $3,995* (At-Need Price) • Direct Cremation: $995 • Best Service • Cremation with Viewing: $2,495 • Best Staff • Funeral Preplanning • Best Facility • Transfers to Anywhere in Mexico • Ship-Outs Worldwide *Pricing Does Not Include Taxes
Yankie-Texas ART DISTRICT
at the crossroads of Yankie & Texas Streets in Historic Downtown Silver City
LOIS DUFFY STUDIO
Mariah’s Copper Quail Gallery 211A N. Texas 388-2646
Blue Dome Gallery * 575-538-2538
Open Tues. – Sun., 11 to 4
211-C N. Texas St., Silver City www.loisduffy.com
Downtown: Thurs – Sat & Mon, 11-5 at 307 N. Texas St. The Lodge: Daily 9-5 at 60 Bear Mt. Ranch Rd.
575-313-9631 OPEN SATURDAYS OR BY APPOINTMENT
The Makery
108 W. Yankie 590-1263 www.makerysvc.com
To advertise here, please contact: Ilene Wignall 575-313-0002 jiwignall@comcast.net
Bikes - Repairs - Outdoor Gear Summer Tune-up time! Bring in your bike, No appointment needed! Want to upgrade? We accept trade-ins.
GILA HIKE & BIKE CORNER OF COLLEGE & BULLARD WWW.GILAHIKEANDBIKE.COM
575-388-3222
36 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com a.m.-2p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center, Student teams will have their rockets with them and experiments will be on display. Info: spaceportamericacup.com.
Mexicanas. Free admission. Info: 575-541-2550.
TUESDAY, JUNE 20 Silver City/Grant County Trivia Night — 6:30 p.m. at Burgers & Brownies & Beer Oh My! At 619 N. Bullard St. Gift certificate prizes for top three teams. Info: 575-597-6469. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Tuesday Night Bouldering —6-9 p.m. at the Bonita Park Events Center, located at the southwest corner at the intersection of Highways 37 and 48. Info: 575-336-4404.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at Inn of the Mountain Gods — 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Professional comedians will perform live every Wednesday night. Must be 21 or older to attend. Info: 575-464-7053.
THURSDAY, JUNE 22
Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Spaceport America Cup launches — 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Spaceport
Las Cruces/Mesilla Spaceport America Cup — 7
Adobe Walls Pads Roads Hauling
Dominic Dahl-Bredine 575-654-6745
EarthWiseLLC@gmail.com EarthWiseEarthWorks.com
Earth Matters A show about earthly matters that impact us all!
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Brought to you by Gila/Mimbres Community Radio Gila Resources Information Project New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Upper Gila Watershed Alliance
EVERY Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 10am, Thursday evenings at 8pm Gila/Mimbres Podcasts available: http://gmcr.org/category/earth-matters
Community Radio
find us on
FaceBook!
WILDWOOD RETREAT AND HOT SPRINGS A D U LT H AV E N
America. Visitor passes are available. Info: spaceportamericacup. com. Sierra Twirlers Square Dance Club dance — 6-8 p.m. at New Mexico Old Time Fiddler’s Playhouse, 710 Elm St. Mainstream dancing every Thursday evening. Visitors always welcome. Info: 505804-3842 or 575-313-9971. Las Cruces/Mesilla “Baggage” — 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-5231223.
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
Silver City/Grant County Popcorn Fridays — all day at 614 N. Bullard St. Free popcorn and food samples. Info: 575-388-2343. Music in Viola Stone Park — 7 p.m. at Viola Stone Park in Santa Clara. Info: 575-921-3263. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Spaceport America Cup launches — 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Spaceport America. Visitor passes are available. Info: spaceportamericacup. com. Las Cruces/Mesilla Annual San Juan Turtle Fiesta — 8 a.m. at Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3600 Paroquia Street, Tortugas. Three day fiesta begins with a golf tournament today. Info: 575-526-8171. Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat — 10-11a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre. A Children’s Theatre presents “Colors of the Wind & Casey at the Bat” Tickets $7. Info: 575-644-9561. “Kedi” film — 7 p.m. at the Fountain Theater in Mesilla, kicks off showings that continue for the following week. A profile of an ancient city and its unique people as seen through the eyes of cats. Info: 575-524-8287. “Baggage” — 8 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-5231223.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Silver City/Grant County Farmers’ Market — 8:30 a.m.– noon, Main Street Plaza, 7th and Bullard. Las Cruces/Mesilla Annual San Juan Turtle Fiesta — 8 a.m. at Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3600 Paroquia Street, Tortugas. Dance event today. Cost $5. Info: 575-526-8171. Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts
The Annual Junior Open Fishing Tournament begins at 6 a.m. June 17 at Elephant Butte State Park.
Market — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Downtown Main Street in Las Cruces. Info: www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org. La Frontera Fair Trade Store — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Nopalito’s Galeria, 326 S. Mesquite St in Las Cruces. Proceeds go to the women of Mexico and the border area who produce the products. Info: lafronterafairtrade@gmail.com. One-Mile Summer Challenge Series — 9 a.m. Dam Run Location behind Albertson’s on E. Lohman Avenue. Las Cruces Running Club hosts second of five one-mile races for Summer 2017. Info: 575-6425855. Crafts for Kids: Scream for Ice Cream — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces. Info: 575-522-4100. Storytellers — 10:30 a.m. at both Coas Books locations: Louise O’Donnell Downtown and Sarah Addision and Sharlene Wittern on Solano. Info. Children attending receive $2 book coupons. Opera: Storytellers Camp Performance — 11 a.m.-noon at the Rio Grande Theatre. Info: 575-5236403. Movies in the Park — 7:30-9 p.m. at Young Park. “Pete’s Dragon”. Free admission. Info: 575-5412550. “Baggage” — 8 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-5231223. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Spaceport America Cup launches — 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Spaceport America. Visitor passes are available. Info: spaceportamericacup. com. Old Time Fiddlers Saturday Night Dance — 7-9 p.m. at 710 Elm Street in Truth or Consequences.
GILA HOT SPRINGS, NM (4 Miles South of the Gila Cliff Dwellings)
* Enjoy & Relax while camping in the Heart of the Gila Wilderness. * Take a soak or spend the night. and overnight camping. Or stay in one of our * Open to day soaks cozy cabins. Call for availability!
Call for Availability & Info
575-536-3600
info@wildwoodhotspringsretreat.com
www.wildwoodhotspringsretreat.com
TUESDAY, JUNE 27
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Tuesday Night Bouldering — 6-9 p.m. at the Bonita Park Events Center, located at the southwest corner at the intersection of Highways 37 and 48. Info: 575-3364404. Las Cruces/Mesilla Movies in the Park — 7:30-9 p.m. at Young Park. “Jungle Book”. Free admission. Info: 575-541-2550.
THURSDAY, JUNE 29
Retreat Cabin • Daily & Nightly Soaks • Overnight Camping
OPEN DAILY
Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, noon–4 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. Baggage — 2:30 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-5231223. Annual San Juan Turtle Fiesta — 2 p.m. at Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3600 Paroquia Street, Tortugas. Fiesta concludes with turtle racing today. Free. Info: 575-526-8171. Pippin — 2-4 p.m. at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main Street. Cost $11-$14. Info: 575-523-1200. Music in the Park — 7-9 p.m. at Young Park. Featuring Steppin’ Up and Anthony & the Niteliters. Free admission. Info: 575-541-2550.
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at Inn of the Mountain Gods — 7–9 p.m. Professional comedians will perform live every Wednesday night. Info: 575-464-7053.
options available: Rent all or part of the facility * We havewithseveral reasonable daily, multi-day or weekly rates.
HOURS: 10AM–6PM
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Aim High Sporting Clay Competition — 7 a.m.-5 p.m. at 2887 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero. $150/person. Info: 575-257-2120. Ruidoso Marathon — 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at 685 Hull Road, Ruidoso. Marathon and half marathon runs. Info: 575-257-5030.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28
for workshops, weddings, retreats * We offer the ideal group facilities or reunions.
Wi-Fi Available
Info: 575-744-9137. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Aim High Sporting Clay Competition — 7 a.m.-5 p.m. at 2887 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero. $150/person. Info: 575-257-2120.
An opera performance is the culmination of Storytellers Camp at the Rio Grande Theatre in Las Cruces June 24.
Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Sierra Twirlers Square Dance Club dance — 6-8 p.m. at New Mexico Old Time Fiddler’s Playhouse, 710 Elm St. Mainstream dancing every Thursday evening. Cost is $3 per person; no charge to come and watch. Visitors always welcome. Info: 505-804-3842 or 575-313-9971.
DESERT EXPOSURE
FRIDAY, JUNE 30
Silver City/Grant County Popcorn Fridays — all day at 614 N. Bullard St. Free popcorn and food samples. Info: 575-388-2343. Music in Viola Stone Park — 7 p.m. at Viola Stone Park in Santa Clara. Info: 575-921-3263. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Grindstone Youth Fishing Tournament — Join the Albuquerque Zoo representatives for the fishing tournament at Grindstone Lake. Info: 575-257-5030. Alamogordo/Otero County Cloudcroft Light Opera Company, “Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch” — 7:30 pm., Cloudcroft Pavilion. Free admission. Info: www. cloudcroftlightopera.com. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, noon-4 p.m., Old Mesilla Plaza. “Baggage” — 8 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-5231223. Red, White and Brew – Wine and Beer Festival — 5-10 p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center. Cost $15-$20. Info: 575-522-1232. Missoula Children’s Theatre Performance of “Aladdin” — 7 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre. Info: 575-523-6403. “Pippin” — 8 p.m. at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main Street. Cost $11-$14. Info: 575-523-1200.
SATURDAY, JULY 1
Silver City/Grant County Farmers’ Market — 8:30 a.m.noon, Main Street Plaza, 7th and Bullard. Ruidoso/Lincoln County Mescalero Ceremonial Dances and Rodeo — 10 a.m. at the Mescalero Apache reservation, 108 Old Mescalero Blvd. Ceremonial dances, rodeo, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Info: 575-464-4494. Smokey Bear Stampede — Noon at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Capitan. Eight rodeos, a dance and a Dutch oven cook-off. Info: 575808-2814. Las Cruces/Mesilla Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Downtown Main Street in Las Cruces. Info: www.lascrucesfarmersmarket.org. La Frontera Fair Trade Store — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Nopalito’s Galeria,
MONTH 2017 • 37 326 S. Mesquite St in Las Cruces. Proceeds go to the women of Mexico and the border area who produce the products. Info: lafronterafairtrade@gmail.com. Red, White and Brew – Wine and Beer Festival — 5-10 p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center. Cost $15-$20. Info: 575-522-1232. “Baggage” — 8 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575-523-1223. “Pippin” — 8 p.m. at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main Street. Cost $11-$14. Info: 575-523-1200. Truth or Consequences/ Sierra County Old Time Fiddlers Saturday Night Dance — 7-9 p.m. at 710 Elm Street in Truth or Consequences. Info 575-744-9137. Elephant Butte Independence Day Fireworks Extravaganza — 9-10 p.m. at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, U.S. Highway 195, Elephant Butte. Info: 575-744-5923.
SUNDAY, JULY 2
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Mescalero Ceremonial Dances and Rodeo — 10 a.m. at the Mescalero Apache reservation, 108 Old Mescalero Blvd. Ceremonial dances, rodeo, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Info: 575-464-4494. Smokey Bear Stampede — Noon at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Capitan. Eight rodeos, a dance and a Dutch oven cook-off. Info: 575808-2814. Las Cruces/Mesilla Mesilla Farmers and Craft Market — Fridays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sundays, noon-4 p.m., Old Mesilla Plaza. Red, White and Brew – Wine and Beer Festival — 5-10 p.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center. Cost $15-$20. Info: 575-522-1232. “Baggage” — 2:30 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575523-1223. “Pippin” — 2-4 p.m. at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main Street. Cost $11-$14. Info: 575-523-1200.
MONDAY, JULY 3
Ruidoso/Lincoln County Mescalero Ceremonial Dances and Rodeo — 10 a.m. at the Mescalero Apache reservation, 108 Old Mescalero Blvd. Ceremonial dances, rodeo, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Info: 575-464-4494. Smokey Bear Stampede — at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Capitan. Eight rodeos, a dance and a Dutch oven cook-off. Info: 575-
808-2814. Las Cruces/Mesilla One-Mile Summer Challenge Series — 9 a.m. Las Cruces Running Club hosts third of five one-mile races for Summer 2017. Info: 575642-5855. Annual 4th of July Electric Parade — 9-10 p.m. at Field of Dream Sports Complex, 2501 Tashiro Drive. Live entertainment throughout the day plus a spectacular fireworks display at night. All events are free. Info: 575-528-3170 or 575-541-2200.
TUESDAY, JULY 4 Ruidoso/Lincoln County Mescalero Ceremonial Dances and Rodeo — 10 a.m.-noon at the Mescalero Apache reservation, 108 Old Mescalero Blvd. Ceremonial dances, rodeo, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Info: 575-464-4494. Smokey Bear Stampede —at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Capitan. Eight rodeos, a dance and a Dutch oven cook-off. Info: 575808-2814. Star Spangled Celebration — 3-10 p.m. at The Inn of the Mountain Gods, 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero. Info: 800-5459011 or 575-464-7777. Tuesday Night Bouldering — 6-9 p.m. at the Bonita Park Events Center, located at the southwest corner at the intersection of Highways 37 and 48. Info: 575-3364404. Las Cruces/Mesilla Annual 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks — 4-10 p.m. at Field of Dream Sports Complex, 2501 Tashiro Drive. Live entertainment throughout the day plus a spectacular fireworks display at night. All events are free. Info: 575528-3170 or 575-541-2200. Alamogordo/Otero County Fireworks Extravaganza — 9 p.m. at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Info: 575-437-2840.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5 Ruidoso/Lincoln County Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at Inn of the Mountain Gods — 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Professional comedians will perform live every Wednesday night. Info: 575-464-7053. Las Cruces/Mesilla “Baggage” — 7-9 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main Street. Tickets $8-$12. Info: 575523-1223.
Expressive Arts Summer Camp Children’s Workshop ages 6-10 June 19-23, 2017 WNMU Chino Arts Building, Silver City
Room 113
$95 fee includes all materials and tools! Registration and information
email: carmenruiz@gilanet.com
EARTHWORKS & CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAYS - GRADING UTILITY TRENCHES - DEMOLITION RETAINING WALLS - STUMP REMOVAL EROSION CONTROL - TREE CLEARING TOP SOIL - FERTILIZER
The Spaceport America Cup brings college level rocket creation and competition from around the world to southern New Mexico. Events in Las Cruces and at Spaceport America continue from June 20-24.
EarthWiseLLC@gmail.com
38 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com
The best view of the building of the Boulder Dam bridge. Even Highway 10 looks interesting in a rear view mirror.
Grain elevators appear more artistic when seen through an RV windshield.
LIVING ON WHEELS • SHEILA SOWDER
T
Reserve your pet’s stay with Mis Amigos for
summer fun & vacation time!!
CALL TODAY
Schedule a grooming appointment to help your dog look cool and feel cool this summer!!
11745 HWY 180 E
3 MILES EAST OF SILVER CITY
575-388-4101 or 1-888-388-4101 Visit our Facebook page— Mis Amigos Pet Care and see our customers having fun! or by dropping by Mis Amigos www.misamigospetcare.com
Reflections
here’s something about traveling down the highway with our living room a couple of feet behind us that turns me philosophical. Maybe because each time we move our home, I have an urge to mentally sum up any lessons I’ve learned during our last stay. Maybe I need something to distract me from the monotony of Highway 10. Maybe I just need something interesting to think about to block out Jimmy’s country music until it’s my turn to choose the radio station. Here are a few of those thoughts. Until we began full-time RVing and seasonal workamping, I had never worked in the service sector. Talk about enlightenment! Especially regarding rude customers. Sure, I’ve always been against rudeness — who isn’t in theory? But being on the receiving end of customer rudeness gave me a new perspective when I realized that the person who is injured the most is often the rude person himself. It’s not in your self-interest to be rude to someone who has even the tiniest control over your future comfort or convenience. For example, reservation clerks can do all kinds of favors for you if you’re pleasant. Larger room? More windows? Special deals? Not everyone can have the best, so why reward the rude guy? Same applies to those people that clean your room, the ones that serve your meals, the person behind the counter. If the thought of just being kind to another human being isn’t enough incentive for you, think of it as being kind to yourself.
Columbus Animal Rescue
Rescued, Abandoned and Abused Animals need loving homes. All are spayed or neutered and have current vaccinations.
Sprout and Elf need loving indoor homes. Both are boys, love each other, and are well behaved. Sprout is four months old, still a little afraid of people but does better every day. Elf is four years old, affectionate and has a great personality.
Call Pat at 575-649-7644
Are you one of those people who feels it’s necessary to make all sorts of demands when making a reservation, as a guest, or even when ordering a meal? Do you like to be lied to? Because that’s what often happens. I know it took very little time for me, as a reservation clerk, to realize that the best way to get rid of an unreasonably demanding caller was to promise her anything she asked for, knowing full well I had no control over fulfilling that promise, because reasoning with her rarely worked. The quietest room? A view of the mountains? No problem, ma’am. Have you ever wondered why some people try full-time RVing only to change their minds after a year or two and go back to their previous location-bound lifestyle? After years of observation, I’ve decided that many people have no idea whether rootlessness will suit them until they try it. It sounds romantic, taking to the open road, seeing new places, meeting new people, but most people have a primeval urge to be part of a tribe, with people who know and understand you. It can get tiresome constantly introducing yourself to strangers and always leaving before a bond can be forged. Some full-timers can assuage that need by going back to the same RV parks every year, connecting with many of the same people as the year before. But for many, that’s not enough, and eventually they succumb to the need for permanency, often somewhat to their surprise. Of course, some people leave because they can’t take the degree of spousal togetherness a full-timing lifestyle demands. Or because they miss their families. But usually it’s because a nomadic lifestyle just doesn’t suit everyone. I’ve noticed a tendency recently of many RVers to spontaneously express their political views to total strangers, e.g., RV office staff, other RVers. What’s up with that? Hey! It’s rude! And in our current political climate, might even be dangerous. So regardless of which way you lean, don’t do it! RVers used to be overwhelmingly white, middle-class, politically conservative, evangelically religious, and retired. But the demographics are changing. On the road, we see younger RVers working from home by computer or on temporary work assignments. Parents with home-schooled kids. It’s more diverse politically, religious-
ly, ethnically and culturally. Makes it more interesting. People who make no effort toward having an interesting life, and then complain because they don’t drive me nuts! And yes, RVers can be guilty of this, especially those who spend extended lengths of time in one location. Many RV parks provide social activities, but you must participate. There’s no group of people more willing to extend friendship and accept strangers than RVers, but you have to get out there and hold up your end of the conversation. Maybe even start the conversation. And most communities where RVers spend time feature events and points of interest, but you must find out about them, either through the town’s online sites or posters and fliers. Make the effort, because the fun isn’t going to come looking for you. Finally, full time RVing takes us far outside our circle of familiarity, and can reveal needs and desires within ourselves that we didn’t know we had. It can encourage us to discover talents and skills we never suspected, but it can also expose prejudices and dislikes that laid dormant during our former, more insular lifestyle. For example, I now know that I hate living an hour and a half from a grocery store, and driving a mileslong gravel lane whenever I want to go anywhere. Some people discover they prefer living away from society and are willing to accept the inconveniences that entails; others like the proximity to civilization. Some discover a heretofore unknown aptitude for making new friends while others find the process exhausting. As one disgruntled RVer told me, “I get so tired of repeating my life story over and over.” Some of these revelations come as a delight, others not so much. But as our physical world expands, so does our inner world. And it’s all just part of the big adventure. Sheila and husband, Jimmy Sowder, have lived at Rose Valley RV Ranch in Silver City for five years following four years of wandering the US from Maine to California. She can be contacted at sksowder@aol. com.
DESERT EXPOSURE
MONTH 2017 • 39
ADOPT-A-PET
Monthly Vaccination Clinic Second Saturday 9-Noon
The High Desert Humane Society
3050 Cougar Way, Silver City, NM • 575-538-9261 Lobby open Tuesday–Friday 8:30am–5:30, Saturdays 8:30am–5:00pm Animal viewing is from 11:00am to close of business. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Rose
Angie
Spayed Female Lab X —
DMHF 10 Months —
Board of Directors High Desert Humane Society
Desert Exposure
De Marco
Mikhial
SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
Lori
1 of 3 Lab/X Males & Females Puppies —
Gila Animal Clinic
Molly
Cora
Diane’s Restaurant and The Parlor
DSHM Patch Tabby Adult —
DMHF Dilute Calico Adult —
High Desert Humane Society
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Patricia Lewis 575-956-1523
Silver Smiles Family Dental
Tweed
Spooky
SPONSORED BY
NMLSR ID 477993
SPONSORED BY
DSHF Ticked Tabby 8 Weeks —
DMHF Spayed 10 Months —
Bert Steinzig
Bedroom & Guitar Shoppe
SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
DSHM 8 Months — SPONSORED BY
1 of 3 Rot/X Males & Females Puppies —
5 Month Old Female Rot/Lab Mix — SPONSORED BY
Arenas Valley Animal Clinic
SPONSORED BY
OUR PAWS CAUSE THRIFT SHOP
108 N Bullard, SC NM, Open Wed-Sat 10am to 2pm Call for more information Mary 538-9261 Donations needed! We want to expand and build a new Adoption Center. Please help.
501(C3) NON-PROFIT ORG
40 • MONTH 2017
www.desertexposure.com