Drier climes

A kamikazee run with our noses pointed westward landed us in arid lands where water is a rare and precious commodity, where skies are the crystal blue unseen where humidity dims its clarity, where daytime temperatures cede sovereignty to sweater weather after sundown.

We pass right on through Oklahoma to our destination state, New Mexico, our Arizona neighbor to the east.  Lands level in every direction begin to be backdropped by mountains made blue by distance.

We begin climbing in elevation and come upon a reservoir, Conchas Lake, created by a huge dam on the Canadian River.  Our route is right along the single lane pavement atop that massive structure to see what is to be seen.  Sadly, the once large lake is so greatly diminished that I guess it's down 40 or 50 feet from full pool; as we know, that is a familiar story.

 

Remembering our son New Mexico style . . .

As a relatively steep road wound upward in front of us, we pulled out onto a side road to discern what we were spying through the thorny brush.  As suspected, it was a shrine, or should I say several of them.  On a boulder above the site we saw painted in white: "Virgin Mary Shrine".

One main structure was large enough to walk inside; all of them were well constructed and protected by glass doors.

While not of the Roman Catholic persuasion, we were grateful for the opportunity to write a blessing and leave an offering for our boy.  I find comfort in remembering Darren and honoring his joy in life even though it brings much sadness, anger and tears at the same time.

Just as we did, he would also have appreciated the many blooms on the prickly pears and staghorns near the shrine.

Longmire country . . .

A television series we've enjoyed - Longmire - was filmed partially in nearby Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Set in Wyoming, the producers found this country to be satisfactorily reminiscent of that region to produce it here.  We saw why when we topped out onto the high plains surrounded by vast mountains ranges: the similarity is strong  . . . and there's the historic downtown where the fictitious Absaroca County Sheriff's office still names Sheriff Longmire although the series has ended (perhaps more about that later).