On Sunday was a glorious, riotous orange and yellow sunrise that lit the east side of the Organs up like neon highlighter. The drive away down the Aguirre Springs road was made begrudgingly, but the border control checkpoint and White Sands were waiting.
White Sands is best in the morning or evening, when it is cool and there are long shadows on the dunes. Boon loved every second of it and sneezed white clumps the rest of the day.
The long way home took us past the Gallinas, through Corona, and Cedarvale, where there was a decrepit, abandoned schoolhouse from 1917. It was a little bit haunting to think that once upon a time, it was just like St. Joseph’s, probably a bustling little place full of laughter and the alternately whiny and excited voices of kids.
East of Willard on US-60 were salt lakes that used to be (still are?) used by the natives to collect salt. The water in them was unexpected. Too bad it was difficult to get closer to them.
A giant storm between Albuquerque and San Fidel made the last 60 miles of trip gorgeous and took the edge off having to go back to the grind the next day . . .
One of these days will be Outer Banks beachy posts and then the Balloon Fiesta.
Be well. – SAWK