Rainy days and Mondays…

At the park in Alamogordo. Note the ancient cotton gin in the background.

… are great! Yesterday was both, and since every day of the week is pretty much the same for me at the moment as I am preparing for Hannah’s birth, Monday doesn’t mean “major meltdown” or “automatic stress” as it did a few months ago. In fact, yesterday was much like my old Sundays, without having to squeeze in a lot of errands and that end-of-the-weekend depression.
We left a rainy Cloudcroft around 11 a.m. yesterday, intending to have a picnic near the old railroad trestle, but the weather changed those plans. So, we did the next best thing… we picnic-ed at the park in Alamogordo, with its lovely views of the main drag, consignment stores, long-abandoned cotton gins and drag racers.

Mmmm. Christian's pork is good cold, the next day, too!

No, actually it is a lovely park in an unfortunate location, but we made the most of it, and it was a clear, cool day down in the “flatlands.” We had our leftover pork from the night before, Brötchen from Marina’s German Bakery in El Paso, salted cucumbers and tomatoes, Asadero cheese slices and a peanut butter cookie from Jamocha Bean in Cloudcroft. A great way to transition from the gorgeous mountains of Cloudcroft to the stark flatlands.
Since we had no real groceries at home in El Paso, and the last thing one wants to think about upon returning from a trip is to run straight to the grocery store, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner last night at Nothing But Noodles, very close to home yet we’d never given it a shot. It’s a chain restaurant but the interior is modern, clean and inviting, and its menu has really something for everyone. Be forewarned, however. I don’t know if it’s an El Paso thing, but why is it that Mexican salsa can say “mild” and melt your tastebuds off, but when other ethnic food (Asian, Italian) food is labeled “hot and spicy,” it tastes like ketchup? That’s how it was with the Italian pasta Margherita Christian ordered…he spent more time salting/red pepper-flaking/Sriracha sauce squeezing his dish than he did actually eating. It seems that only Mexican food is allowed to be “hot” in El Paso. While Christian toyed with his pasta to get a kick from it, I enjoyed my Udon noodles with broccoli, mushrooms and sprouts. A nice, reasonable serving with just one flaw…and a flaw that again is so prevalent in El Paso… wayyyyyy too much sauce, to the point that the bottom of the bowl was just a soupy mass of soy sauce, MSG and cornstarch. Sometimes less IS more, you restaurant managers out there in El Paso. But all in all we couldn’t complain, and were quite happy with the lettuce wraps we ordered as an appetizer. Fresh and simple, although the dipping sauce left a LOT to be desired (I don’t use it anyway, and just stick to a bit of Sriracha sauce if I need a kick). Christian said the sauce reminded him of deodorant, “If I had tasted deodorant,” he said. Lol. I couldn’t find the connection there, but it did have a strange taste.
•••
I was a lazy bum in Cloudcroft, foregoing my usual long hikes and preferring to sit and read on the porch. Not that I am going to be too hard on myself about that. But it’s back on the wagon this morning after Christian leaves for work. I refuse to step on the scale until my next prenatal exam Oct. 18. My clothes (even my maternity clothes!) are doing the talking, lol. While Christian continues to lose. He now even has to take his Tag Heuer in to remove some links! My rings don’t come off without some major Vaseline and elbow grease! So much for the sympathy pregnancy I have heard about so often!

Only in Cloudcroft…

There are some things I will only do in Cloudcroft. Things like get excited about an art fair that has the same old “art” every year just because it’s a fair and who doesn’t love fairs, right? Or reading from front to back the local “news” paper, which comes out monthly and focuses on what Velma and Mabel served for lunch at the 4-H meeting. Or wearing the same thing every day for four days straight — in public.

Spanish style Rice a Roni...Risotto for the Rambler RV crowd

Or… eating Moon Pies and Rice a Roni. I did all of the above on this most recent visit to Cloudcroft, and I did it with pride and a sense of nostalgia!
We’re heading on back to El Paso in a few hours, but here’s a sampling of our last whole day here, visiting the art fair (where I must say I DEFINITELY wanted the rocking chair being sold there. Perfect for nursing Hannah and just so modern and cool.

If you know who makes these, send them my way!

The winner (but out of our budget) at the fair, by a LONG shot. Grilling pork and zucchini on the porch at the cabin, and serving that with SO WHITE TRASH Rice a Roni and Moon Pies (I would NEVER be caught dead eating that stuff anywhere else).

Saturday's dinner: roasted pork, Kartoffelsalat, jambalaya pasta, ciabatta

Sunday's lunch

Walking around the Lodge at Cloudcroft and admiring its architecture, albeit getting in need of a fixer-upper.

The Lodge at Cloudcroft's tower, where Rebecca the Ghost still wails late at night.,,

Napping all afternoon. Eating. Napping. Reading. Eating. Napping. Reading. Eating…
Didn’t get the gorgeous rocking chair, but I DID get, from our neighbor who has a cabin next door, an old-fashioned, very retro high chair for Hannah, which I LOVE. May not be #1 on the safety list, nor is it “cushy” or “girly,” but I just adore how old fashioned it is, and how simple.
We won’t be coming up for a while, and the pangs of sadness have begun. But Christian and I had our babymoon and we’re on Cloud 9 in Cloudcroft.
See you back in the flatlands and in shorts and flipflops…

Cabin comforts

Christian’s first foray into outdoor pork grilling was so successful last night, we went down to Alamogordo (16 miles away from Cloudcroft and the closest full-scale grocery store) to pick up more pork and grilling supplies. That’ll be for tomorrow night, because tonight is again leftovers… leftover pork, that is. And I’m NOT complaining one bit!
We stopped for lunch at Pepper’s Restaurant in Alamogordo because frankly it’s the only restaurant (other than Chili’s or Applebee’s) that we really know of down there. Other than the fact that it seems to cater to a generation that is busy laying down prescription bottles on the table and talking LOUDLY on their cell phones about their bowel obstruction, the food is reliable, hearty, reasonable and pretty good. Christian had a bowl of red. Red chili, that is, served with cornbread. He devoured it. I had the “Jambalaya pasta,” which was chicken, shrimp, red and green peppers and mushrooms on a bed of fettuccini. Good, hot, lots of it, and it hit the spot for me. Plus we have LOTS of it left over to add to our leftovers din-din. I think the “jambalaya” moniker was pushing the boundaries, but it was a decent meal.
On the way back up the hill to Cloudcroft, I forced Christian to stop at a farm stand selling local pumpkins and apples. It is, of course, an autumn ritual to pick one’s own pumpkins and apples, but I knew I’d be pushing Christian’s boundaries had I asked him to pick apples with me. So, our compromise was buying some High Rolls apples and gourds. And we’ll both be happy. I’ll get my beloved fresh apples for a week or so, and Christian will be able to make his Apfel Streudel (he hates raw apples). Score!
It’s been the most relaxing two days so far and my whole body is just melting into the atmosphere. Well, a few kinks. Our next door neighbor, who NEVER comes up to Cloudcroft, has, well, come up. He likes to play his music. LOUD. And it’s Mexican music. We sorta go to Cloudcroft to get away from that music, which permeates El Paso like a scratchy wool blanket on a summer’s day. AND to add to the chorus, our neighbor directly across from us has decided today is “fix-it” day. With a power drill, a saw, and his vocal accompaniment. But what can you do, right? Some people come up to Cloudcroft to blare music or to drill a hole in their porch to relax. To each his own.
Those little irritations are little, and we can still hear the wind in the trees, the squirrels and chipmunks gathering pinecones and the distant thunder promising some rain tonight. And that is what it’s all about…

Finally fall

Here we are, cozy-ed up at our quaint coffee house up in Cloudcroft, and I’m wearing a blue and black fleece jacket, black leggings and worn-out running shoes. Christian is looking dapper in a beige and navy turtleneck sweater and cargo jeans, and we’re both sipping slowly at nice and hot Americanos.
The weather is in the low 50s, sunny yet nippy, and there’s a persistent gust of air streaming through the mountains, whistling through the tall pines. Fall has arrived.
The apple trees are weighed down with crisp, tart apples and, although the aspen trees haven’t begun to turn golden, fire red or pumpkin orange, they’re beginning their transformation. The kids are back in school, and Labor Day is over, so there are dramatically less tourists clogging up the small boardwalk in Cloudcroft.
This is our time.
I’ve always adored fall. It’s the one season that still permits outdoor hiking and sitting on the porch, without extreme heat or cold. It has certain scents such as pumpkin spice, back-to-school crayon and new-book smells, hearty casseroles, firewood, bread baking, coffee and fall leaves. What I love about Cloudcroft is the fact that ALL of these smells are available all at once in this small village! We’re staying through Sunday and would stay longer if I didn’t have a doctor’s appointment Monday, but at least we have almost three whole days to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and to reflect, share each other exclusively, and to celebrate our “babymoon” at our little, quaint circa-1930s cabin.
•••
This morning, I got up at 5 a.m. and took a 40 minute walk around the perimeter of the village of Cloudcroft, as Christian slept. Since the morning was brisk and chilly, I found I walked a bit faster than usual and actually felt like I got some type of workout by the time I was done. When I returned to the cabin (carefully avoiding not one, not two but THREE skunks), I made myself a breakfast with fall colors: Oat/almond cereal, peach yogurt, a diced apple and cinnamon.
Last night we got to Cloudcroft a bit later than usual, having gotten off to a late start. So, we got to the cabin after dark, around 8, so Christian got started on cooking dinner immediately. It was a chilly night, so it was just right for his Griess souppe, which he usually makes with sausage but instead added three eggs to it. So, in a sense it was like a German egg-drop soup (but way better). With that we had baguette and a green salad. And I had some of my banana-pear bread for dessert. This was the loaf that caused me so much grief the other night, when I stabbed myself silly with a knife trying to get the loaf out of the Pyrex dish. At least it turned out okay. It BETTA have!
And speaking of my wound… it seems to be healing quite nicely on the outside and I’m encouraged by that. However there MAY be a tiny bit of nerve inflammation. I can feel all my digits and I have full mobility, but there are pains where the wound ISN’T, so I wonder. But there is still a little swelling, so I’ll know in a day or two.
•••
Now we make our way over to Mountain Top Mercantile for some homemade potato bread, some overpriced kitchen supplies (we’re more than happy to pay $6 for their bread, however!), and the village newspaper, and we’ll get our little $20 Thermos grill started on the porch. This is coming from two people who have never started a charcoal grill in their lives. Wish us luck!

Enjoying the simple life

Fall is finally beginning to arrive in Cloudcroft. The mornings are nippy, the fall breezes bring a new smell, and the days are shorter (plus it’s apple and raspberry season up here!)
This is my favorite time of the year in Cloudcroft. You can still hike in shorts during the day, but you’ll need a sweater in the mornings and evenings (here I am on the Osha Trail at 8:30 a.m.); the kids are back in school; there are no lines at the Mountain Top Mercantile to purchase the homemade honey wheat or green chile-cheese bread; and people are beginning to build fires in their fireplaces, which makes for a delightful scent wafting though the village.
Saturday, Christian and I went down to the village, parked our car, and walked the Osha Trail before heading on over to the Jamocha Bean Coffee House for Americanos and some Web surfing. Then we did some window shopping at High Altitude and checked out a church rummage sale at the skating rink at Zenith Park. After that, we went home to have a lunch of Christian’s amazing semolina soup, artisan bread, baked beans and salad. Oh, and I topped that off with a slice of Bavarian cream strawberry cake
Then we took a luxurious two-hour nap (naps are ALWAYS restful – and long—in Cloudcroft).
Early in the afternoon, we decided to head on over to the Cloudcroft athletic field to watch half an hour of the Cloudcroft Bears play the Mescalero Chiefs in high school football. For those of you who don’t know, when the Bears play football, the rest of the town shuts down, lol. THAT’S the best time to hit the shops or have the village to yourself.
Then we went back for another coffee and to read, and headed on back to the cabin, where we read some more on the porch (Oh, another thing. Never have the time or inclination to read? Head to Cloudcroft. You’ll finish 2 books in one weekend there). Then we made steaks on the grill, grilled pineapple, grilled ja.apenos, grilled onions, toasted chile-cheese bread, salad and again for me, Bavarian Cream cake.
Now it’s Sunday morning, still dark, and I’ve already walked 30 minutes through the village. ALMOST got accosted by a skunk. Thank god he didn’t spray! I finished my breakfast of Milktoast, Alpen muesli, plums and yogurt , then waking Christian and sharing coffee and the newspaper with him. After that, we’ll hike on down to Lost Lodge Subdivision, and have lunch at the cabin before heading on back to El Paso.
I will come back to El Paso so much more serene and content than I was just on Friday. That’s what Cloudcroft does to folks. All your cares in the world are left behind, and you’re ready to take on reality…until your next trip up to the village 9,000 feet above stress level. ☺

Greetings from the hills….

We’re sitting here at our favorite little hot-spot in Cloudcroft, drinking our Americanos, people watching, recovering from our early morning hike around the village, and getting a little down at the prospect that we have to leave here this afternoon to get back to El Paso.
BUT, we’ve had a blast so far. A blast doing really a whole bunch of nothing but eat, read, hike, watch a little “Rocky Horror Picture Show” from a VHS at the cabin, and stroll the shops on the boardwalk.
On Friday night, we had our traditional rotisserie chicken dinner upon arrival at the cabin, supplemented with store-bought mustard potato salad (caca. Nothing beats Christian’s), sourdough bread, salad and peach pie. On Saturday night, Christian cooked a mean linguini with ricotta/artichoke/jalapeno/tomato-garlic sauce. TO DIE FOR. And for lunch both days? paninis with German rye bread purchased from Marina’s German Bakery, Monterrey jack cheese, jalapenos and mustard; salad; and peach pie. Lots and lots of peach pie!
I’m still in vacation mode and I will get myself together to write a proper blog, full of “stuff,” but for now, I hope you’ll allow a photo montage of our trip so far suffice. Now we’re off to have our photo taken at Mountain Foto, where we get to dress up as a saloon girl and gunslinger, or an Indian and a Southern Belle, or…. Christian’s family back in Germany will really get a kick out of the Old West memorabilia!

Back to the badlands

Well, it’s back to El Paso, the “Sun City,” which broke an almost three-decade record of hitting 110 degrees fahrenheit yesterday, luckily before we arrived back from Cloudcroft. We WERE able to enjoy an afternoon up on the mountains with a bit of rain, some great thunder and a lightning show to top all lightning shows.
I woke up at 6 yesterday morning and took a leisurely walk around Cloudcroft before heading to the local Allsup’s convenience store to pick up some bake-your-own biscuits, fruit and instant coffee (the biscuits and the instant coffee being the things I’ll ONLY consume in Cloudcroft, because they seem to ONLY taste good in Cloudcroft, lol. Oh, that and Pop-Tarts). Made scrambled eggs with diced jalapeno and tomato to serve along with the biscuits and Christian and I had breakfast in the cabin.
Afterward we went back to our little Jamocha Bean coffeehouse for REAL coffee before heading on out for a hike on the Osha Trail.
The afternoon was spent napping, bathing, and sitting on the porch, watching the clouds darken and hearing the thunder as we read and watched the sky.
Then reality. We had to leave, and neither of us could gather the courage to be the one to say so. Finally I faced the fact that Monday was a working day, we needed to get home before dark, and I needed some good rest. I drove, just because I didn’t want to fall asleep in the car and ruin my chances for a good sleep later in the evening. It was a gorgeous drive, full of a sky pierced by lightning, the sun setting and making the sky look like it had exploded, and casting an eerie bright light on the cacti of the desert.
When we arrived in El Paso (we would have known blindfolded, had we only stuck our hands out the windows, it was so hot), we remembered we had no groceries at home, so we stopped by Village Inn for dinner. My call. My bad. Really bad mistake.
Now, Village Inn is known for its great breakfasts, and that is true. It’s got some great, great breakfasts. But folks, it doesn’t do dinner well at all, and the staff seems to agree, judging by the service we got last night! I was trying sooooo hard to stay in my Cloudcroft Zen Moment, but when the monosyllabic waiter forgot about us, then didn’t serve my dinner salad that came with my meal, then served both of us literally still-frozen meals (and didn’t come back to check, forcing us to find another waiter to help), and then forgot my ketchup, and then brought me an empty ketchup bottle, and then brought us our check before asking if we wanted dessert, and then picking his nose…. you get the picture. It wasn’t a very zen moment. And if you’re fortunate to get a decent waiter, just don’t order the cod or the mashed potatoes. Trust me.
Welllllllll, other than that, we managed to get home to a relatively unscathed apartment, other than it being boiling inside, unpacked, did our nightly ritual of surfing, tooth brushing, reading and me crashing while Christian read some more…. and here we are, another day, and another day closer to getting back up to 9,000 feet above stress level!
It’s supposed to not dip below 103 degrees all week long, and I just returned from my 4 a.m. walk. Even that was too hot. And we have swamp cooling. Enough said! I think I’m skipping my morning coffee and just sitting on a tub of ice cubes this morning to get myself going! This is the only time I’ve actually considered those Polar Bear Clubs a GOOD IDEA! Frigid water able to stop one’s heart? Bring it on!