Minnie joined us for this year’s October pilgrimage to the mountaintop, her first “autumn in the mountains” trip with her new family. Look at that smile! She was one happy husky.
This location is called “Fourth of July Campground,” and the origin of the name is a bit obscure. I once read that in the pioneer days of New Mexico the foot of this mountain was a favorite picnic spot, presumably holding some charm on that famous summer holiday. But to me and my granddaughter Ada, the gorgeous fall foliage has something to do with brilliantly exploding fireworks.
It was a darned long hike to the mountaintop, and towards the end my son kept encouraging me by saying “the top is just around the corner.” His trick would have worked if there had only been one or maybe two “corners”. But by the 8th switchback, I’d caught on. and I was pretty sure I’d never get to the top. (Although, of course, the grand kids had been up there waiting for us for almost an hour)
We were approaching 9,000 feet above sea level and since I figured I was this close now, I kept trudging. And the views were getting more and more spectacular. I looked down at the patches of orange oaks and red maples we’d passed, giving me some satisfaction on how far I’d come.
I Made It!
Yes, that’s my barefoot grandson Cassidy taking a photo of his dad on the mountain top. And yes, he made the entire hike barefoot, all 1 3/4 uphill miles of it.
My granddaughter Ada and her visiting childhood friend Serena are relaxing on a rock, overlooking that spectacular view.
We spent 15 or so minutes taking it all in, then headed back down, a trickier trip than the ascent. Maybe it was just 73-year-old me, but those little rocks and pine-needle covered trails were a slippery challenge. But worth it? Absolutely!
The Great Tomato Rescue
It’s been an interesting week. Last Monday we got the news that a freeze was in store that night. Our family still had over a hundred tomatoes in various stages of green and “almost ripe” on our 10 plants, so I did some internet investigation on how to save them.
Turns out that pulling them up by their roots and hanging them upside down in a warm room is supposed to allow them to ripen over several weeks. So Diana and I set to work, feeling very much like pioneer women. Our mudroom, laundry room and my “parlor” (above) are festooned with upside down, hopeful tomato plants, covered in mostly green fruit. So, we shall see, and fingers crossed. We had to make an attempted rescue.
Then the Eclipse!
My granddaughter, the amateur astronomer, took this photo of the full annular eclipse through her eclipse glasses. I found that event really beautiful, especially compared to the eclipses I remember as a child, “viewing” them through a pinpoint of light on a white sheet of paper.
Here are a series of “mini eclipses.” I took this photo on our property, each leafy shadow a tiny image of our eclipsed sun through pinon foliage.
Do you have special traditions you enjoy in the autumn? I’d love to hear about them!
And be sure and stop by The Magic Zoo to see my new banner! Diana’s beautiful friend Rachel and her family came to visit us this week, so I took advantage of her and her lovely daughter for some Magic Zoo modeling this week.
Your Animal Loving Artist,
Merry
