Still At Rockhound

 

We are still here in Deming, NM at Rockhound State Park, although we did move to a different site farther down the hill. Strong winds were predicted and arrived this afternoon, so we are sitting at a better angle to take the 40+ mph gusts.

It has been a most enjoyable time here, as we have had many calm days and warm weather, so we’ve been able to hike, bike, and even sit outside in the evenings and be comfortable.

Jim and Elliot have really bonded. Nice to have a dog we can give back to Debbie.

We discovered there is a microbrewery in downtown Deming, Mimbres Valley Brewing Co. The food wasn’t great, but all the beer we tried was much better than average, a pleasant surprise.

Ever since the first time we came here in 2009, we always make an attempt to climb up the mountain behind the campgrounds. Someone we met that first time told us they did it, but we’ve never been able to find a way up that we were comfortable with. There is only about a mile of formal trails in the park, but with people coming here looking for rocks, there are worn paths all up the mountain. We’ve now tried three different times, and yesterday got higher than ever before. It was quite a view.

 

I nearly had to be rescued, though, since I had a panic attack when my foot slid on some loose rock and I had to sit down, unable to go up or down at that point. Jim had gone on ahead and had to come down and help me. I finally gained my composure, but that was it for me. I had no intention of sliding down this.

Jim continued his way up, but came to an area he wasn’t comfortable with, so he gave up, too. Here he is contemplating the way. (Don’t worry, Pat, your daughter did not join us!).

While we’ve been here we sent our Nikon S9100 off for repair. It is only 6 months old but it was refurbished, and Cameta Camera gives a one year warranty. Lately it had been freezing and would only function by removing and reinserting the battery. Also the autofocus was not focusing properly. We had been using Debbie’s camera but decided to order a cheap ($75) Canon A1200 as a backup. It arrived this morning so we went to adjacent Spring Canyon State Park for a hike and photo op. It seems to do a decent job, and with our bad camera luck, we won’t feel so bad if we drop it. And now we will have a spare after we get the Nikon back.

It was a great morning for a hike before the winds began.

 

 

I am still undecided about whether to go back to Mexico for my dental surgery on Monday, although I do have an appointment. I will probably go, but I just keep hoping the problem will go away. Wishful thinking! Either way, we will be going to Silver City sometime next week.