January in NM - it's 60 today

I've thought every day for six weeks I should update the blog .  And at the end of the day, no, I didn't get it done.  We have been having a great time and getting lots done on the rig  before heading out west and then north in March.

I believe we have had two or three cloudy days.  Gets cold at night but days are glorious.  LOTS of sunshine, occasionally very windy, but hey, Kansas is windy...and cloudy...and icy...and snowy.

There are several expert rock hounds who live in the park.  Since this part of NM was at one time geologically active, there are lots of interesting things to find in the area.

Petrified pork chop?

Muppet and Lola get their exercise with our daily walks in the desert.  There's a ridge just south of the park which has trails.  By the time we get home, they are ready for a nap.

Up the hill

Mike got a new smoker for Christmas since we cannot live indefinitely without barbecue.  Did a couple of small briskets and remembered this time to allow for the altitude (4700 feet).  Beef here is not the same quality/tenderness as beef at Price Chopper so he needs to make some adjustments to his marinades and rubs to compensate.  

I am still struggling with the new computer.  Seem to have mastered the blog part but not much else.  Mike put in a WiFi signal repeater antenna which has greatly improved the internet access, both on the phones and the computer.  Next comes a wireless phone signal repeater.  We have almost no signal at all here in the park but the office does have a landline in case of emergency.

Continue to love the quiet and the solitude here.  

Exceptionally heavy traffic on the ranch road