The Catwalk that Bucky recommended was amazing. It is a mile hike through this small gorge that is partially over a suspended metal catwalk. It takes you over and through this small river and passed a bunch of freezing swimming holes. We went for a dip in a couple of different spots. In the first, official swimming hole we got there five minutes after a handful of teenagers and immediately started cramp their style.
There was a small water fall with some angry birds living under it. The kids climbed upstream of the falls and were working up the courage to jump off. Shelby wondered,
"What makes them want to do something that stupid?"
It was potentially pretty dangerous.
Shelby was pretty tickle by my answer, because it was the first time she had heard the phrase,
"Young, dumb and full o' come."
It that how you spell that? I don't normally use such sophisticated terminology.
As we started back we met a nice couple, Ray and Ellen from Massachusetts, and talked to them the whole way back. They were staying in the hotel across from Bucky's and had seen us in there the previous night. They came to New Mexico every year and we traded stories about the place we had seen. They made some recommendations and we took note, because we had been talking about coming back. Ray and Ellen were spending an entire month in New Mexico, and we could have easily done the same.
Our next stop was the Hot Springs in Gila. We stopped at a little campground along the river and set up camp. They had a real nice set up with a communal kitchen, a refrigerator, nice bathrooms and a big hot tub fed by the Hot Springs. There was a section that seemed like more permanent residences for the hippies that were running the place. As I was putting up the tent, Shelby scoped out the Hot tub. What she scoped was a pair of old saggy hippy boobs. Turns out this camp ground was clothing optional. Whoops. Shelby and I both opted FOR clothing and thankfully so did the rest of the folks we encountered. I think the rule was that the hot tub was clothing optional after dark. Which means that hippy that Shelby ran into was bucking the system. Old habits die hard, I guess.
There was a group of three arguing women, and four screaming boys camping across from us. We swam in the river and made dinner. Later we ran into the loud bunch at the hot tub. Near as wee could tell it was a mother and the two surrogates who birthed the four boys, having an annual family vacation. They were nice and we chatted with them a bit with the boys slashing around. We eventually got to relax in the hot tub.
The next morning we went to the nearby Gila cave dwellings. They were neato, and we saw a bunch of lizards.
The entire trip Shelby has come to learn something about me that I have known for a while. I generally have to always be making noise. I fidget, verbally, sonically, audibly. If talk radio or news is on I can just listen, but if it is music I have to sing along regardless if I've heard the song before. If the radio is off I make up my own songs or just babble. These spurts of musical gibberish usual end with Shelby reaching for the radio knob, saying,
"OK."
Here are some lyrics I remember: (Imagine your own tune, because the original was pretty substandard.)
California smells like farts, California smells like farts, California smells. like. farts. Just thought that I should warn ya. If your drivin through California...
(repeat ad nauseum )
I guess my point is that I'm not the least annoying person to be trapped in a car with for a month. So, give Shelby a pat on the back next time you see her.
Also I mention this because I wrote a song about New Mexico, and this seems to be the appropriate place to include the lyrics. It was inspired by the slogan on their license plates. See if you can guess which phrase that is.
Here goes:
Land of Enchantment. You're full of surprises. New Meh Hee Ho. New Meh hee ho. (repeat ad nauseum)
(I wish NM license plates said, "New Meh Hee Ho")
Anyway, New Mexico was really great and a huge surprise. You think it's all desert, but it's full of surprises.
New mexico song
land of enchantment you're full of surprises new me hee ho new me hee ho
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