Luna Mimbres Museum, Deming, NM

While the dogs were at the groomer (a two-hour stay), I decided to take in the local museum.  In some ways it reminded me of the Dalton Defenders Museum, a hodge-podge of unrelated items interspersed with some fascinating displays.  The volunteers who staff the museum are very friendly and helpful.  And I couldn't leave without buying myself a BRIGHT RED sweatshirt with the embroidered inscription:  "Red or Green?" and embroidered red and green chiles.  (For those of you unfamiliar with the significance of the question, it means would you like red or green salsa with your Mexican food).

The Mimbres tribe mastered pottery and ceramic design.  The museum has stunning pieces, many of which have holes in the bottom.  These pieces were apparently grave goods, buried with the deceased, purpose of the hole unknown.  The Mimbres tribe slowly disappeared or was assimilated into another tribe.

Man encounters giant squirrel?

At the main Deming Interstate cloverleaf, the concrete sections are painted with some of the designs from the pottery.

In another section of the museum, I met some old friends....yes, boys and girls, I did once upon a time know how to run a telephone plug board.

And there was another old friend across the "office"...an NCR cash register.

The weather has been quite cold in the past couple of weeks, like the rest of the US.  It's warming up and today was 60 degrees and bright sun.

In light of the improved weather, I joined a group for a day in Palomas MX, about 40 miles south of Deming.  This was today's destination:  a store with something for almost everyone except curmudgeons like me.  There is a small restaurant inside the store so I did buy margaritas and lunch.  The trip wasn't entirely a failure.  Any day with Mexican food and margaritas can be considered at least a partial success.