The End Of A Vacation Nears

Why must vacations always come to an end? This vacation has been so nice and very relaxing and this house...fantastic! It is nice not to have to take a vacation from your vacation, you know? I feel rested and ready, but reluctant, to return to the real world. My parents are always so sweet to take Jeff and I with them when they really do not have to. So, a very special thanks to my parents!

We had fun this morning watching the deer. We mainly had bucks that would come to the house but there was the sweetest doe that would come up to the house after all the bucks left. She liked to sit right at the bottom of the deck and would even hang out under the house with another doe.

Jeff fed her deer feed and bananas, even apples, and my dad tossed them all a head of lettuce! It was hilarious to watch them eat the lettuce!

When I was sitting on the deck this morning, the cutest little bird sat on the ledge and ate some of the birdseed I put out. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of him. I love his little legs!

The yarn I spun yesterday turned out great! I had such a great time spinning here because I was able to focus only on that. When I am home there are so many things that need to be done so it is hard for me to sit and spin for hours. But, on this vacation, I was able to spin for hours, and hours, and hours! It was great!

Later today Jeff and I went shopping, again! Well, actually, I wanted to go shopping and Jeff indulged me but I know he had fun too.

I found the greatest Big Buddha bag on Monday at Michelle's and did not get it. I went back again today and it was still there and still half price so it was meant to be! I have had my eye on this bag for a while. I got a Big Buddha bag not that long ago and saw this one on the website. So, finding it in Ruidoso, it was definitely meant to be.

Jeff says I have too many purses and shoes. But, what the heck does he know anyway?

Then, we stopped in to the cutest little dog store called No Bones About It. We have to board our dogs when we go on vacation so it is a must to get them a little treat to bring back to them!

The Cosmo and Pizza bones are my favorite!

Then we went back to the Relleno Bros and picked up some cheese and more pistachios. The Green Chile and Garlic pistachios are out of this world.

Their cheese is fantastic too. Call them up and place and order, I love this place! Jeff and I recommend the Green Chile Garlic and Chimayo Red Jack cheese. Hm, great for another fondue night!

After shopping we needed a drink! We went to Lucy's Mexicali Restaurant and Cantina for drinks and chips and salsa.

This place was very festive so stop in when you are visiting Ruidoso!

Ruidoso is a great mountain town, laid back, and peaceful. It is a shame that we must leave! I have really enjoyed myself. Hopefully Jeff and I can come back in the winter and ski!

Cheers!

Tuesday In Tularosa

This morning, I got up, made myself a little “great start” breakfast, and sat out on the deck. I think sitting on the deck has been my favorite part so far on this vacation. The weather is beautiful and you can’t beat this view!!

Jeff and I found a gas station and “cocktail lounge” called Club Gas, never heard of such a thing. But, you can also get vodka shots at the gas station and this is still all too new to me. In Texas, can’t buy liquor on Sunday or after 9pm on every other day.

They also have really neat flowers here called Red Hot Pokers. I want to go to the local nursery to pick up some to plant at home.

Later this afternoon we drove to Tularosa and went to the Tularosa Vineyards for a little wine tasting. Jeff and I picked up a bottle of Sangiovese.

They have a winery mascot. He was the biggest yet sweetest dog I have ever met. Apparently he is 6 years old and has grown up on the winery.

On Monday we also went to the Relleno Bros Winery for a tasting and Jeff and I picked up Dolcetto del Cielo. So, I guess you could say we are having really good luck with finding wineries. The unfortunate truth is that there are absolutely no knitting or fiber stores in this area of New Mexico! I am very disappointed. So, I took my disappointment and spun with it…..with a little roving I brought up here. Good darn thing I did!

Okay, back to the Tularosa trip…I am getting a little out of order here. After the wine tasting we went to the Three Rivers Petroglyph site. My dad kept calling them, Pyroglyphs, ha!

It was about a one mile hike up a rocky cliff and the view was amazing on the way up.

We saw some really interesting petroglyphs.

After our afternoon hike, we stopped in at the Three Rivers Trading Post. Jeff and I talked with a nice Native American who told us about his Grandpa Four Bears and the traditions of his tribe, which goes back to the leather birds.


After our little mini day trip, we all headed back to the house and I cooked red trout, asparagus, and roasted sweet potatoes. We also had a little of that wine we got from the winery!

Cheers!

Road To Ruidoso

Ruidoso is a bit shorter of a drive than our usual New Mexico destination, Santa Fe. But, I had to have all the same exact traveling stuff I normally would for a road trip…my Ipod and some good knitting! I worked on a pair of socks I have been knitting on and off for the past year. Time to finish this project up! Like I have always said, I have crafting ADD.

We stopped for lunch in Roswell at Tinnie’s. This place is great, reminded me of my old Coffee Haus days. I had the Santa Fe veggie sandwich with pasta salad. We are going to go back to Roswell for a mini day trip, I have got to see all the alien museums!

We finally pulled into Ruidoso around 3pm. This really is a cool little mountain town. There is a very long street called Sudderth on which you could shop for days! I can’t wait for that! I hope I can find a nice little fiber shop. The weather is really nice here. It is mildly warm with a nice breeze and it gets chilly at night. When we arrived there were deer waiting to greet us! Apparently they like to hang around because people feed them. I can’t believe how close they get and are very amazing to watch. When you throw the feed out they come over and eat it.

We chilled out for a bit at this fantastic house we are staying in. My mom’s friend owns it and she was gracious enough to let us stay here for the week. Her house has fantastic views of the Sierra Blanca mountain. The wind blowing through the trees is so peaceful and calming. So much of what I need after a stressful few weeks. I am going to get some great spinning time in here!

Later we went to Farley’s for dinner. This is a pretty popular hangout and the food is good. I had a Chile stew. Then after dinner we came back to the house and chilled out some more.

Cheers!