A Few More Pictures and Notes

I mentioned fillaree and the budding process of mesquite a few days ago. I finally got some pictures. Here is a look at a fillaree plant. The flowers are about 1/3" across. The little spines are the seed pods and they are softer than they appear, not thorn-like at all.

The next two shots show the mesquite before it begins to leaf out and the second when the process has barely begun. You can see the bumpy brown 'buds' that do not look a bit like they are hiding new leaves! Then they start to pop out. I'll get a picture of a full new leafing in a few more days since they are beginning to unfurl now. Like I said,  the green is sooooo pretty! I hope the color will come through fairly well.

And below I got some pictures looking up the hill toward the "A" and the slopes on both sides of that particular point. You can see just how rigged this country is! The cliffs are mostly limestone--the white and light color rock--and there are some layers and outcrops of a darker stone which I have not yet identified, perhaps schist or some other common stone. I would suspect they are both the sedimentary type, anyway, as there is little sign of volcanic activity around here to create the igneous types of stone.Boy, those geological terms have hidden away in a dark corner of my brain, almost lost!! I had to dig a bit for them.

 You can see the "A" right in the center of this one. I stopped at the edge of the area where I parked on Sunday so that is how far Ginger and I walked and climed! The white scar to the right is where part of the trail goes up--it is just bare rock, some in 'stair steps' and other parts tilted faces that are fortunately not too slick to walk on. The clouds are starting to look more like the summer ones now, not all the way there but no longer the darker more somber looking winter clouds--puffy white little sheep and marshmallows up there if you will allow my whimsey!


This second shot shows more of the darker cliffs. I need to get a closer look and determine what kind of rock they are. There were some similar around Bisbee, AZ and also the Verde Valley and some of those are rich in minerals. Since there is little sign of mining here I guess these are not but I do not know for sure. There are some homes built way up on the hills--we do  not have a lot of bad weather but I would hate to drive to and from some of them if it was the least bit icy or snowy! Yikes. Dry roads would be a challenge although I know the views would be fabulous. But I wonder how they get water. I suspect there may be some springs up in the canyons they can draw on since those canyons drain mountains 8,000-9,000 feet in elevation.

An Easter Pilgrimage

Here in New Mexico they have been talking a lot about the pilgrimages many folks make around Easter to the old shrine at Chimayo (say Chee-my-oh) which is somewhat like the southwest's version of Lourdes as a bit of dust from the chapel floor is said to perform miraculous healing. Others climb a hill called Tome (say Toe-may) --both sites in the northern part of the state.

I had resolved a few days ago that I would make my own 'pilgrimage' by taking a climb I have been thinking about for close to a year now. Like many towns, Alamogordo had a whitewashed letter on a hill overlooking the city. A trail that winds up the mountain to disappear over the crest, several thousand feet above the level of the valley and the town on the lowest foothills goes past it. I found the trail one afternoon when I was just scanning the incredibly rugged and steep mountains to the east with binoculars and conceived the mad dream  of hiking up there. I knew I might not make it all the way to the crest any time soon, if ever, but the top of the "A" was a goal I was pretty sure I could achieve. Since I got Ginger I have been walking a lot and could feel the improvement in energy, wind and stamina. I was ready!

I did not get up quite as early as I had intended but around eight I parked the little white Ford "Pattie-wagon" (I'll share the story of that name later!) in the vacant lots that allow a parking space for hikers. Ginger and I got out and with a day pack to carry water  for us both, my camera and my handgun--it is getting to be snake season and one never knows who might be hiking out in the hills), my trusty saguaro stave hiking stick in hand and Gin's leash, we set out. To the right is Ginger on the trail at the top of the A! She was doing a perfect sit-stay while I took the shot!

I missed the trail--the lower area is very cut up with dirt bike and ATV driving so we ended up climbing up a rugged little canyon with cactus and treacherous footing for some distance but finally gained the trail. From there it was clear, steep and rough but I just trudged on. Ginger never did seem to get tired. By nine we had reached the top of the A! The trail goes right across the topmost part. I sat down on the whitewashed stones and took in the amazing views. It was a lovely bright day, a slight S-SE breeze just enough for a little cooling as it dried my sweat-damped shirt. I got water out for us both and rested. It felt like such a blessing to be there--alone except for my furred friend who shared the trek with me, at peace with all and a part of the wonder of nature that surrounded me.

There is something about the desert! Well, I am not sure what the Middle East was like two millenia ago but I suspect even then it was mostly desert too--stretches of dry sand, steep, rugged and rocky mountains, little water and not a lot of plant life yet in a quiet way teeming with life just as the American southwest is. So even in that I was part of a long and holy connection from the day they had found Jesus had risen until this day. I did not need to go to church or dress in fancy new clothes to show off or to celebrate. For me this was infinitely better!

My shadow stretches off down the hill. Below you can see a bit of the trail and in the widest part of the road cutting off the top fifth or so of the shot, my little car is a teensy dot of white. The white rocks show on both sides of my shadow.  Here are two more pictures of the view from up here. I will go back; not sure when as it is soon going to be hot and more likely for snakes to be out etc. but the hill is mine now and I know I can get there, maybe even go a little bit farther! Howl-ay-lool-ya!! And no irreverence intended; I am just giving our little triumphant cry in kind-of dog talk here! May the risen sun--or Risen Son, according to your faith--shine warm on you this day and into the future and blessings shower upon you and yours! I feel very blessed by my adventure and a gentle sense of triumph that I did it.

 The left shot is looking to the north and the other, straight west; my  house is off to the far right lost in the rest of the town but only about a mile and a half from where we parked the car.

Welsh recipes and steam punk

I can't believe that March is slipping into its final week! Where in the world does the time go?

Before it is over, I do want to keep my promise and post a few recipes from Wales. That region holds a bit of my ancestry since my maiden name was Morgan, the same one I chose for my first nom de plume way back when,  well before  I  published Powerful Medicine and Andy vs the Colonel, now nearly twelve years ago! If my husband, bless his heart, ever felt a twinge that I did not use my married name when I started striving for publication, he never gave me the slightest hint. In fact he joked a lot about being "Mr. Gwynn Morgan" when he accompanied me to some RWA and RT conferences in those years. So although some non-fiction work appeared under the Gaye Walton name, all my fiction is under either Gwynn Morgan or Deirdre O'Dare--the later all appearing after he had passed away. Anyway Morgan is a Welsh name and there was some Welsh blood on my mom's side as well.I celebrate that heritage with pride and bow to the Welsh dragon, a handsome beast indeed.  Below is Llanberis Pass in a mountainous region of Wales. Very rugged terrain! I visualize my ongoing Gothic tale taking place in a similar locale. There will be more on it in my other blog before long.

So here are a couple of recipes:

Teisen Fel or Honey Cake

2 cups sifted flour (modern flour probably does not need sifting)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/2 cup honey--warmed to liquid
1 tbsp warm honey
1 tbsp confectioner's (very fine) sugar
2 tbsp milk (use if eggs are small)

Mix flour, cinnamon and soda. Separate the eggs, leaving one egg white separate. Cream butter and sugar, beat egg yolks and blend in and then gradually add honey, continue beating. Stir in flour mixture and add milk if batter seems stiff. Beat the single egg white and fold in. Grease small cake pan (8-9" sqare or 8" round) and pour in mixture. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool in pan for two minutes and then remove and cool on wire rack. Beat the two egg whites with the fine sugar until thick. Brush cake with tbsp of warm honey and dab meringue mixture on top so it stands in points. Put back into over at 325 for 10-15 minutes until meringue is set and delicately golden on top. Meringue can be left off and top with fine sugar instead.

Swper Mam or Mother's Supper

8 large bacon rashers or ham slices
2 medium peeled and finely chopped onions
1 cup grated hard cheese (cheddar is good)
pepper and salt to taste if meat is not salty

Spread half the meat in the bottom of a fireproof shallow dish--cake pan or casserole dish.
Cover with the chopped onions followed by the shredded cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the rest of the meat. Bake at 375 for an hour until the top meat is crisp. Traditionally this is served with either baked potatoes in their skins or Welsh Omelet.

Crempog Las -- Welsh Omelet

2 cups flour
2 eggs, separated
4 tbsp milk
2 tsp chopped parsley
pinch of mace or nutmeg'salt
bit of fat to grease pan

Put the flour in a bowl and add spices and beaten egg yolks. Mix with fork then stir in milk, beating until mixture is smooth. Whip egg whites stiff, add chopped parsley and fold in egg whites into the batter, mixing well. You can  fry in a large skillet until firm and then cut into quarters or separate to fry individual pancakes. Be sure pan is very hot if cooking the whole thing before adding batter! Flip to cook both sides golden brown. Spread with butter and serve with Mother's Supper.

There you are! Fairly easy and quite delicious!

And now to steam punk. It's becoming quite a fad and has developed a number of offshoots now with fictional offerings in science fiction, where it began, and now romance and even westerns. I think part of the popularity is the fact we all secretly love the idea of playing dress up, let's pretend and role playing games--sometimes it may be hearkening back to the Medieval or Renaissance eras like the Society for Creative Anachronism and the various Renn Fairs etc; it may be Star Trek and other sci-fi based conventions; it may be reenactments of the old west, the Civil War etc and now we add a revamped Victorian era with twists to history, wonderful gadgets and inventions, wild adventures such as are found in the fiction of earlier writers such as H. Rider Haggard and Jules Verne and added inspiration from several films like Wild Wild West and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The neat thing is you can weave in whatever fantasy or off-the-wall things you fancy! What is not to like? I'm rather new to the whole idea but find myself quite taken with it so I expect you will be hearing more as I attempt some fiction, probably combining romance with either the western or the more traditional venues and maybe even getting personally involved. I've already started to invent an avatar or character for myself. More on her soon! And yes, she has Celtic heritage! Drop by later in the coming week to meet Alana Quaterfoil--my tongue-in-cheek nod to Haggard's Alan Quartermain of King Solomon's Mines etc. Africa and the Orient are not the mysterious realms they were in the 1800s but one can still pretend, go instead to the old west or diverge from history and visit an alternate world that may somewhere actually exist.

A Potpourri of fun stuff

First today is National Farmers Day. Before you laugh or make snide remarks about John Deere tractors take a second and remember that the better part of our food comes from farms and farmers are the folks who grow those fruits and veggies, provide the eggs, milk and meat we all must have to survive. I'll put in a small boost for another blogger,  www.kissedafarmer.blogspot.com who is a staunch supporter of farms, farmers and the wonderful things they do for us! We cannot thank and honor them enough.

I'm enjoying the many small signs of spring that are appearing. I saw a pair of robins today while Ginger and I were out for our walk. They were playing chase games which I took as a sign they were probably a pair, mated or soon to be. Birds do it, bees do it!! Then there are the blooms. Daffodils and tulips in some yards we pass, fruit trees all around and the filaree--an odd little weed that appears early all across the southwest. It is distantly related to the clover and legumes I think and grows in a neat little ferny-leafed doily shape and then produces pretty tiny purple flowers. It is good feed for cattle and wild creatures that browse and graze. Back when I had horses and mules, they all loved it. The plants have popped up fast the last week or two and are now blooming. I am waiting for the first mesquite leaves. They always mark the real start of spring as they never seem to jump the gun and get caught by a late surprise frost.

The mesquite is a ubiquitous southwestern shrub or tree. There are many varieties scattered in the border states, some native and some imported from Mexico and Central or South America. They have small leaves in the Acacia pattern of opposing pairs along a thin stem, mostly each leaf no more than 1/8 inch wide and up to 1/2 inch long. Before they leaf out, the twigs develop hard, nobby little budlets--you'd never think they would turn to leaves because they are dark, dense and almost warty looking. Then all at once, they change like the caterpillar to the butterfly and leaves appear, the sweetest and most vivid green you can imagine--the real color of spring to me. I missed that so much the years I was in Colorado. I'll try to get a picture when they emerge but I am not sure it will capture the color exactly as it appears. Later in the year they turn a dusky olive shade but for a month or so they are just lovely!

And last, a fellow staff member at Coffee Time Romance is doing a project for a women's studies class she is taking at college and wanted some contributions starting with I am beautiful at... with the writer supplying the age. All women are beautiful and that got me to thinking. I've been trying to ignore or deny a serious upcoming birthday, one of the milestone type ones but all at once I decided to look at it positively! I did a very short essay and sent it to Kimberly and she liked it so I guess I will share it here. And trust me, all of you are beautiful, every one of my friends and readers! Whether you are fifteen or fifty or pushing the century mark, it doesn't matter because beauty comes from inside--the soul and spirit, the divine spark that is life itself.

"I am beautiful at seventy because I have known all kinds of love and survived many kinds of loss. I am beautiful because I am strong, caring and courageous. I let the love inside me shine out every day in all that I seek to do. I am beautiful because I have kids and grandkids I am proud of and know they are the legacy I leave to the world when my time comes to depart. I am beautiful because my dog loves me and I love her back. I am beautiful for gray hair, some lines in my face and a body that time has rearranged because all this reflects that I have truly lived. I am beautiful for the wonderful memories that fill my heart, part of friends and family who will be with me always. Most of all, my beauty comes from the divine spark that I know lives within me and will go with my spirit or soul through every moment of this life, coming from the past and going on into future lives!" 

Happy Irish Day!

I guess it is darn near heresy but I am not really a huge fan of St. Patrick. To begin with he was actually born in England and wasn't really Irish at all. But be that as it may. Anyway that is why I normally just say "Happy IRISH Day" and let it go at that! More on that in a minute. I do revere and enjoy almost all things Irish and certainly hearken back to the 'olde religion' of the Irish which was a form of Druidry. To the left, my little stone-shrine--Our Lady of the Wildlands, suitably green! Perhaps now I'd name her Brighid, another Irish saint as well as a Celtic goddess..

To wrap up my coverage and comments on the Last Great Race, the final three contestants to complete the Iditarod actually got into Nome today. Sure, they may have been bringing up the rear, but they finished and that is pretty awesome. I don't think there are any losers, no matter where they finished!! There was also a sad bit of news about a dog that perished at a check point after having been dropped. I am sure a lot will be made of this by PETA et al but I do want to put it in perspective.

Yes, it is very sad and a tragic loss and I feel deeply pained for this gallant animal but the fact is that huskies regularly burrow in the snow and sleep!. In Colorado we had a half-husky, half- Lab dog who had a nice insulated house but frequently lay atop a snowbank as happy as if he was in the finest accommodation. Somehow the wind and the texture of the snow that particular morning  was such that the dog suffocated in it which is not normal. Perhaps it was tired and did not stir as much as normal to maintain an air space.

I saw comments on yahoo that there should be shelters and a lot of other 'stuff'. I can only say that most of the checkpoints are tiny villages where the people who live there--mostly natives of Inuit or other tribal affiliation--barely have adequate shelter. themselves!  These dogs are bred for snow and cold. To build huts or shelters for up to 100 or more dogs that may be resting at a checkpoint at any one time would be hard if not actually impossible. They are watched and cared for very conscientiously.. No one would intentionally neglect or put in hazard a dog. Not only are they loved and admired but each one has thousands of dollars of care and training invested in it. I am sure the musher is heart broken but all I can say is tragic accidents do happen despite all care..

One dog escaped from perhaps an inexperienced musher--the man from Jamaica --and was found several days later. She is okay. One more fact, consider that 65 teams started the race and I believe 57 finished. All begin with sixteen dogs--that means  1,040 dogs took part in the race. One fatality occurred and it was the first in several years. I believe the last was in 2009. And a correction to prior posts--it is Deedee Jonrowe, no h in her name; my bad. I apologize.

Enough of that! Yes, I did wear green today--a favorite old t-shirt that I shortened the sleeves on back on this date in 2009, just before I moved to Colorado. I was visiting my old home area in Cochise County, AZ from Hurley. NM near Silver City and found myself 'greenless' except for a long sleeved shirt that was too warm for the day so  I lopped off the sleeves and rolled them up, later hand-hemmed them so they would not ravel. I still wear it now and then and did so today.

Will I have corned beef and cabbage for dinner? No, I will not. I neglected to grab a corned beef when I went shopping the other day and really wasn't in the mood to cook anyway. The day started mild and nice but turned windy by midday and several bands of clouds passed over us. There were showers in the area but nothing right here. Dusty too, of course. So half a good day and half not-so-good. I guess that is not a real loss, eh?  At any rate, I have some Irish tunes playing on my CD changer--old favorites by the Chieftains, Clanned and a few other artists from the Isle of Green that I favor. No green beer, either, although I expect I will brew a cup of green tea after I have some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for supper! Progresso's chicken cheese enchilada soup, I think. Not exactly Irish but it may have a bit of potato in it!

In a day or two I will post some Welsh recipes. I do know that along with the Irish ancestry I do have some welsh on both sides. My maternal grandmother was a Wilcox and the name, we were told, was originally Wilcockson and the family was affiliated with the laird of Powys Castle in Wales. My paternal grandpa was Morgan and that is definitely a Welsh name. His father is the only great grandparent I have not been able to trace as he just suddenly appeared in Missouri as if born full grown but we suspect he may have come from Pennsylvania or West Virginia. In time we may unravel that mystery.

So again, Erin go braugh and all of that. Everyone is getting ready for March Madness which I will follow with much less interest and enthusiasm than I did the Iditarod although I am mildly pleased that the New Mexico Lobos won the MWC conference title last night in Las Vegas and the NMSU gang from Las Cruces won their conference title (WAC?) as well. So perhaps they will be moving on up and even get to the NCAA so-called Sweet Sixteen. Who knows. I'm sure I'll hear all I want to know and then some on the TV news the next few days!

May ye be half an hour in heaven ere the devil knows you're dead! ;-)

The Race Wrap Up

I managed to catch part of the video cast of the live finish--a little faster/earlier than had been anticipated. I caught Seavey going under the arch--first. Aliy was about 18-20 minutes behind, 40 minutes closer than she ran her second last year. All the pundits kept saying she'd make her move in the last stretch but I believe she held to her philosophy that the dogs' welfare comes first--regardless. They had given her one heck of a good race and she was not going to demand more of them at that point since it was iffy she could actually pass Seavey and make it in first. Some said it was a lead dog battle--his big male and her smaller female; it takes a hugely aggressive lead dog to pass another team and forge ahead. But she ran a bleeping great race and I am very proud of her and that great group of dogs!!!

Aliy is certainly bringing glory and glow to dog racing. She is very attractive and a hugely charismatic and personable person as well as just being honestly nice! She had to be exhausted but she spared a few minutes for well-wishers and the press, then dug in her sled bag and walked through her team to give treats and some love to each one. Tails were wagging and they looked good--amazing considering the run they had made in 9 days and so many hours etc. The love between them and her was so real you could feel it, and her fans there-- she is extremely popular-- were giving it back to her big time!! It was not the fastest Iditarod but they had some wicked conditions with unusual heat and melting. It is cool to have a strong and courageous woman do this and one who is almost a 'star' type person. Bewhiskered Seavey is taciturn and stern; he was tired and the dogs were too. He's in his mid 50s and it was showing. But he is one tough competitor and ran a very canny and skilled race. My hat is off to him as well. I'm betting on Aliy being back next year.

Eleven racers are now in. Seavey the younger was a pretty close fourth. Deedee Johnrowe made it in 10th. So although some fifty mushers remain on the trail, the 'race' is over. They'll stream in the next two days. Ten have scratched now from the original starters. So now back to business as usual but it has been fun and exciting and I hope you all enjoyed my sharing since I suspect it is new territory for most of my readers.

Off now to walk and work my K9 champ who has to be the best part Border Collie in New Mexico! She did great on her training yesterday and Jacque and I were both pleased and proud of her. Her new confidence is coming thru and she's lookin' good!

Down the Home Stretch

Wow, Aliy and the Sr. Seavey are about a mile apart now and twenty miles out of Nome. It would be a stretch but she with lead dog Quito, a girl!!, just might manage it. It will be close, a lot closer than her second place finish last year. I may not make it up and awake until midnight Alaska time but I am going to try. This has been a totally awesome race!!!

Go out to www.spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com and scan down the list on the left hand side of the supporters. Yep, that is me a space or two up from the bottom. I 'sold' a quilt for the March Book Brew event on Coffee Time Romance and More and I put part of that into something I support wholeheartedly. It gave me a shiver to see my name there and feel I have a real stake in this game tonight. Ye gods but I wish I was there at Nome waiting with the rest of the excited crowd!

This spkennel outfit  is the personal site and blog of Aliy and her husband and their kennel. BTW several of the dogs in her team were in his team last month when he took first place in the Yukon Quest, the other 1000 miler. He is running 'the second string' more or less to give her the best chance to win this one and he's back in the middle of the pack. All contestants --60 at last count--are past the middle now,  in or leaving Eagle Island which is the next to last checkpoint on the Yukon River before the trail turns out to the coast. I grabbed a few photos off the Iditarod site and this one but don't feel I should share them--they are just for me to add to my running slide show screen saver. But if she manages to pull off the win, I swear a I will get one of those shots and show it to the world!!!

If my gal comes thru you will hear me give a rebel yell from New Mexico to Alaska but even if she is that close second, I will be proud and happy. She has hung on and seen several guys who thought they'd beat her end up back in the muck now. She is young enough and has enough good dogs that there is always next year. Experience pays in the end. Mitch Seavey's father won literally by a nose back in the early 70s so he grew up with this and now young Dallas has had his turn; he is running about 5th or 6th, probably near Safety, the 22 mile checkpoint right now. No threat but running a darn good race. At last check, Deedee Johnrowe was holding 11th, not too shabby in this company. Goodnight for the time being!