What Does Ruby Want?

Ruby is always staring at us. We spend a lot of time trying to figure out what she wants. She controls us with her eyes, her bark, and her her high pitched annoying whine. She can be very demanding.  Ruby gets under our feet in the kitchen, begging us to drop something she can eat. Bonnie’s kitchen is often a hub of activity.

   We eat very well here.

The other night I pulled a coveted piece of Alaskan halibut from the camper freezer. My brother Mike caught it in Alaska last August when we traveled there to see his daughter, Sundance, and he shared a piece with me! (My niece is the bravest and most adventurous women I know, by the way, and is not afraid to travel alone in foreign countries. I hope she writes about her travels someday! )

We broiled the halibut, which became the centerpiece of our feast. Bonnie steamed fresh green beans from her garden. She had wheat berries in the fridge that she’d grown and prepared for eating. I added them to a salad along with a chopped apple, dried figs from the tree out front, a handful of assorted greens from the garden, Bonnies fresh cherry tomatoes, pecans, and a simple dressing made of olive oil, vinegar, lemon, honey, salt and pepper. Bonnie dipped slices of her green garden tomatoes in a perfectly seasoned, light corn meal batter, and fried them up as promised. Everything was so yummy and satisfying. 

Of course, we’ve had Mexican food several times, and according to all knowing Google, New Mexico cuisine is a blend of Native American, Spanish, and Anglo tastes. New Mexico is called the chile capital of the world and the chile is the official state vegetable (even though it’s really a fruit). Needless to say, chile is a staple in Bonnie’s kitchen. The little plastic containers in the to right corner of the photo are honey.  We were given a complementary order of sopaipillas, which reminded me of Indian fry bread. It’s was just what we needed after baskets of chips and salsa, but I enjoyed every last sticky bite.  

Ruby looks so innocent sleeping in this photo. When she isn’t scratching on a door to get in or out, barking at her water bowl for more water, whining at the couch because her treat or toy rolled under it, she is pretty darn cute. One night back home, I awoke to the bedroom door slamming against the wall, and as I glanced at the doorway there was Ruby staring at me with the hallway nightlight eerily illuminating her. She just stood there and stared. Little freak.

Ruby Refuses To Go For A Walk

Ruby refuses to walk around the block with me, but I’ll get to that story…

 

 

Ruby sticks close to Cray. Here they are taking an afternoon siesta. Bonnie loves all shades of purple and the colors flow throughout the house. She also loves books, plants, art, fish, and gardening. Her tiled floors and colorful palate, make her southwestern-style home comfortable and inviting. 

I love the double doors to Bonnie’s backyard where the last of her vegetables wait to be harvested. There are large green tomatoes that haven’t turned red and she promised to fry some up for us. Bonnie has a clothesline - and she uses it! We did laundry yesterday and I got to hang up cloths, which were miraculously dry in no time. You do did not need a dryer in New Mexico! She has a hose from her washing machine that runs the washer-water across her floor, out a dog door, and into her garden for watering. Of course she uses a nontoxic detergent, as well as composting and recycling everything. 

I love all the arched doorways. There are several skylights, and I keep thinking I forgot to turn off a light.

One of Crays first projects was to put this trundle bed together. Bonnie gave her a “honey-do” list and she is making her way through it. I love that Cray knows her way around carpentry, mechanics, and cooking. I’m a lucky woman!

The second night here we visited White Sands National Park to see the moon rise over the sand. The park stayed open late for the full moon and this was obviously a popular local event - like taking your family to the beach. It looked like snow and actually felt cold under your feet.

Cray in the moonlight. I love that face. 

 It was dark outside, so Cray took photos using a long exposure. I slid down the sand dune behind me on a plastic disk sled. I’m excited to go back when it’s light out and really get a running start on a bigger sand dune. The kids next to us were flying down the dune, of course they probably only weighed 40 lbs, lol. 

  

We tagged along with Bonnie to an annual birthday BBQ party. There was a live band that played the oldies (like before 1964), a fire pit, and gorgeous skies. I met an interesting German man and his wife. He had just hiked 3 hours on the mountain that borders Las Cruces called “Organ Mountain,” because of its unusual shape - I’ll post a photo at some point so you can see it. I asked about snakes and he said yes. 😳

One of Bonnie’s friends sent her this photo from the other evening. The skies are amazing here. 

Cray took this photo at the BBQ.

Sunday rolled around and we went to Bonnie’s church called the Center for Spiritual Living. We’ve been watching her preach virtually and it was fun to hear her in person. Their website says they are “creating a world that works for everyone.” Check out csl-lascruces.org

Me peeking behind Cray. 

Finally, I’ll talk about how Ruby won’t go for a walk with me. The corner of this couch has become her landing spot. Bonnie has a plethora of squeaky dog toys and Ruby is in doggy heaven, except she refuses to walk past the front of the house. She won’t go right or left. She just puts her brakes on. 

I think she is afraid of these Coyote vests. Apparently, small animals can get attacked by coyotes, hawks, and owls, so Bonnie has these protective vests hanging by the front door. Ruby is like, “No thank you, I’ll just stay in the yard.” 

Meet Reverend Bonnie & Ruby Meets Rosie

Be forewarned. I may know how to tell a good story, but I don't always know when to use a semicolon versus a comma. I sometimes write run-on sentences. I misspell and misuse words, even with spell check. If you are a grammar purist, my writing may annoy you, but I've determined that I have to write --- regardless of my skill level. I have so many stories to share!

                                                              Rev. Bonnie

Cray started dating Bonnie the year I graduated from high school in 1980. Bonnie was a student at Grinnell College. Grinnell is Crays hometown. Their relationship ended, but they stayed friends all these years. That's what lesbians do, in case you didn't know. Bonnie is professionally known as, Reverend Bonnie, and she is delightful. We've been trying to visit since she lost her son, but Covid kept us away. The photos above are of her house. Her front door is hidden from the street by a gated courtyard. This is where Rosie, the desert tortoise, lives freely amongst the trees, flowers, cacti, birdhouses, patio furniture and festive twinkling outdoor hanging lights. 

Ruby looked terrified the first time she met Rosie.

Rosie moves pretty fast for a turtle AND Rosie is actually a boy. Bonnie didn’t know that until he grew up and his head turned green and his eyes turned red. He already knew his name, so he stayed Rosie. He likes to meet new people and animals. He will sniff your toes, which kind of freaks me out. I grew up with snapping turtles after all!

Ruby Rides From Des Moines to Las Cruces!

The trip from Des Moines to Las Cruces involved multiple stops to buy gas...but I'll get to that. We pulled Bigfoot out of Des Moines on October 18 at 11:30 am, much later than we had anticipated, but we managed to leave the condo spotless without a single dirty dish, wet towel, or dust bunny to be found. Cray hurt her left knee loading the camper the day before and winced with every step. She was quiet. Ruby was under our feet as we gathered up our final belongings, probably fearing she would get left behind. Once we got on the road Ruby immediately relaxed in the back seat, her harness attached to a short leash, and buckled in for safety. As I looking around the condo for one final inspection, the clock flashed 11:11. I instantly felt reassured. The Universe was saying, "We got you."  

The camper gently swayed behind us. Pulling Bigfoot required us to equip our new Ford Ranger with a towing package, sway bars, and a back-up camera. Cray is the designated driver, but we both know I need to get behind the wheel at some point. Surely, if my 84 year old mother can drive a truck and trailer, I can do it, right? The gas light came on near Walnut, Iowa. We silently panicked - gas already? The gas light flashed 35 miles to empty. This would quickly become the central theme of our road trip. Cray being Cray had filled up a two gallon gas can and strapped it in the truck bed. This gas would save our butts in New Mexico where gas stations are far and in between. We rolled into Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the last town and gas station before Las Cruces, running on Cray's two gallons of gas with little to spare!

We crossed the Iowa/Nebraska border at 1:30 pm. Sunny, skies, but oh so windy! I had joked with friends about sleeping in a WalMart parking lot, and that's exactly what we ended up doing in Lexington, Nebraska. Our camp spot was free, flat, and located between between a cornfield and the interstate, with security cameras pointed at us for extra peace of mind. Sleeping was fitful. Between the persistent interstate traffic noise and the hum of the semi's parked nearby, sleep eluded us. As I was attempting to shut off my head, Cray asked if I thought our new mattress was too firm. Well, I hadn't thought about it at all until she asked me and then I couldn't STOP thinking about it! Suddenly, all I could feel was the pressure of the mattress on my right hip. Cray told me to move around a little and it would feel softer to which I replied, "I can't move around! The bed is too small and I am crammed up against the front of the camper with Ruby weighing down the blankets at my feet - I'm in a coffin!" This made us laugh and laugh, once again reminding me that Cray and I are really good together.

The worst part of sleeping in the camper is having to pee at night. I try and ignore the urge, because in order to get to the bathroom, I have to crawl over Cray and Ruby. If I scoot my bottom on the bed, I pull all the covers off Cray and my pants pull down. This is when my yoga training comes in handy. In order to get out of bed I have to twist my body into a high plank, lift over Cray, and carefully flow to the floor from the bed, which is elevated on a high platform with cupboards for a ceiling (thus the coffin reference), or I have to ask Cray to get up and let me out. Either way it's a pain.

The "sunrise over the corn" photo above was from our first morning traveling through Nebraska. We continued pulling Bigfoot on interstate 80 until we hit a highway that lead us south to Kansas. This highway was a two lane road through the bottom of the middle-of-nowhere-land Nebraska to the Kansas border. We passed miles of newly harvested fields of corn that glistened in the sun like illuminated blankets of gold. The weary gray road immediately turned black with freshly painted lines when we crossed into Kansas. We set our GPS for Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our plan was to drive across the Colorado mountain foothills to New Mexico. About this time, I realized that everything on my lap ends up under my butt. My ink pen. My cell phone. My toothpick. My kleenex. My pack of gum. It's a good thing I wasn't holding Ruby.

We turned in Colby, Kansas onto Interstate 70 heading west towards Colorado. When my cell phone switched to mountain time I said, "We aren't in Kansas anymore!" Of course we needed gas, so we drove into Burlington, Colorado and were greeted by a dismal 1960's trailer park and boarded-up businesses. Burlington was the kind of town you wanted to keep on driving through. The speed limit was 75 on the interstate. We flew into Stratton, Colorado for a rest and to eat lunch next to a small RV Park surrounded by a gas station, motel, laundry mat, and a diner across the street called "Handi's." I walked Ruby around the RV Park and a little hairy weiner dog ran over to greet us. His owner was close behind and apologized for his dog being loose. The dog's name was Moose. Moose on the Loose sounded like the title of a children's novel I should write. The man said he was camping there because it was cheap and all the big RV Parks were full. He had a Wounded Warrior hat on and I thanked him for his service. He told me the man camping next to him was a retired US Marshall. I was grateful I wasn't running from the law.

When we talked about traveling south, we made an agreement not to drive when we were too hungry, tired, or in the dark. I was in charge of finding us a campground for the night. Not a parking lot this time. We needed a place to dump the black and gray water tanks and fill up with fresh water.  The first place I called was full, but the nice man recommended a newer RV Park that usually had openings. This RV Park was farther than we really wanted to travel that day, but we pushed on. I forgot to mention a monumental event that occurred shortly after we arrived in Colorado. Our first tumbleweed rolled across the road in front of us. We shouted in unison, "It's a tumbleweed!" We're such dorks.

Colorado is the land of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and big trucks. It made me think of my dad. We passed by Colorado Springs and headed south on Interstate 25 past Pueblo. Gears RV Park was located on an exit just before Trinidad. We turned off on exit 30 (between Walsenburg and Trinidad). I mean right off the exit. The RV Park(ing lot) towered next to the interstate at the foot of the Spanish Mountains. The RV sites were separated by rows of large hazardous rocks. Cray managed not to scrape the truck or trailer on them. Ruby and I walked to the office/cafe to pay the owner the $27.50 plus tax for the night. Some locals arrived when we did and ask if they were serving onion rings tonight and the woman behind the counter answered you bet we are! The man seemed extremely happy about onion rings. They sounded good, but we ate dinner in the camper. The best part of the evening was watching the sun go down across the interstate, which was land as far as you could see with nothing but bushes and rocks. The horizon was endless, with glowing lines of orange, yellow, and red. It would not be the last time I'd marvel at the sunsets and sunrises on this trip.  The RV Park was much quieter and we both slept well. In the morning it was 36 degrees and we were thankful the camper had a heater! Even Ruby was curled up at my feet in a tight little ball. 

By 7:45 am we were crossing the border into New Mexico. Here is where I have to be honest. I am a plains girl. Roads up and down mountains freak me out, especially curvy ones with signs that say watch out for fallen rocks. Mountain passes may freak me out, but not Cray. She is flying (that's how it felt anyway) around corners and passing trucks. I just closed my eyes or I looked out the window and tried to focus on how colorful the turning trees were. The mountain pass spilled us into that place where the yellow plains meet the mountains and it was breathtaking. Cray said, "Little dog if I threw you out there we couldn't see you because you match the surroundings." I saw an exit for Eagles Nest, Red River, and Angel Fire. New Mexico already had me intrigued. 

The lonely road stretched out before us. We saw small herds of antelope. A lone fox traveling in the median. Sheep. Cattle. Dozens of abandoned houses and ranches with collapsed roofs, graffiti covered walls, and broken down wooden rail fences. I tried to imagine being in a wagon train on this path known as the Santa Fe trail. No rivers or bodies of water in sight. Just miles and miles of land stretching out as far as the eye could see. We gassed up in Las Vegas and arrived in Santa Fe before 11:00 am where we met up with a friend for lunch.  Chas and her wife, Missy, just purchased a very private Santa Fe acreage. Missy had recently returned to Iowa to settle their Iowa estate and Chas stayed in Santa Fe to unpack boxes and care for their fur family; four corgis and one pug. I think Chas was as happy to see as as we were to see her! Lunch was delicious and Chas gave us a tour of their new place, which I have affectionately just named, "Casa de Muchos Perritos." Their new casa was beyond amazing and we are very happy for them. We plan to see them both before returning to Iowa next year.

We had been warned about the traffic around Albuquerque and planned to arrive there before three. We breezed right through town and continued south to Las Cruces. The GPS said we would arrive by 5 pm.  I already told you about almost running out of gas before Truth and Consequences. That was cutting it way too close for my comfort. A white truck passed us with the words Vermeersouthwest.com written on the side and I thought to myself that the Universe is letting me know that no matter where I roam...I'm never far from home. Bonnie was waiting in the street and waving at us when we turned down her street. Cray backed Bigfoot into half of Bonnie's driveway, we unhitched the truck, unloaded our things, and started the next leg of our Big Adventure. Ruby was glad to get out of the truck. 

Stay tuned for more posts!