Sidetracked Charley

So many improvements and memories. So many losses. This the deck I built and standing on it is Magique who I lost. The lost pets are many. Google and Facebook remind me constantly. Some memories are good. Some so sad. I was just beginning this gardening year when the fire began on Kermit Peak. It was to be my second vrbo year and but beginning slowly. I was happy to have ample time to work on the gardens when Mora was evacuated. I invited homeless friends to stay in the empty rental. A frolic. Soon they would be able to go back home. Two weeks later I was ordered to evacuate. Kate had asked how long before she could go home and I didn't know. I did not know how long before I got to go home. I had a place to go. To stay with a friend in a near by town. It would be a lark. Soon I would be back here in my home of 30 years of memories. Today it hit me it would be more than a weekend when I had to fill out a temporary change of address. Suddenly I was discussing all the truly difficult ...

I live in an unincorporated area of Colfax County. Black Lake is a recognized area of that county and the farthest from the county seat of Raton. In fact I am closer to Taos and Mora. I routinely get summoned for jury duty in Mora and have to deline. I do my grocery shopping in Taos. I have been assigned the Angel Fire Zip Code. And get my mail on my rural route through Ocate which is in Mora. My legal address is Black Lake, NM 87710 and because of that Angel Fire Zip code designation everyone from my short term rental agency to UPS and Google tags me with Angel Fire. That actually works in my favor when it comes to short term rental occupancy because nobody books vacations in Raton. Since the coal mines closed they have been slowly dying. The current population of Raton is now 5734, down from 9000 and still declining. Its current source of income is county offices. We drive two hours to respond to jury duty of apply for licenses. Which is what they want me to do. The whole county ...

It has been an interesting week. My friend, Terry, has been visiting from Washington, DC. We have managed to carve out a couple days of photography while she has been here. The first day was to Cimarron, visiting mutual friends, Sherry and Steve, and then on to the Dawson Cemetery where I had never been. Dawson Dead by J. Binford-Bell There is no greater gift to a photographer (other than an unlimited gift certificate at B&H Photo) than another photographer to explore with. The average tourist or traveler or even those with smart phones does not understand those of us with DSLR's and a spiritual imperative to record what we see. And it is really great if we can carry on conversations and tell inside jokes. My sister and I share that. And so do Terry and I. But only one or two other friends. So while not taking pictures we talked - windshield time as Jessica and I call it. Patchwork in Ocate Tony's of Ocate by J. Binford-Bell One good exhibition seem...