Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe

I am in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for only a few more days. I have spent the two months here exploring the area, eating great food, and meeting a variety of people; even went to the first movie that I’ve seen in years. I have also attempted writing this blog many times . . . and have given up each time.

Swamped in the presidential campaign rhetoric, I tried figuring out what it means when someone is called an “elite” or “liberal.” I started writing pieces focusing on trips to Bosque del Apache and a Las Cruces chapter of the Native Plant Society field trip to Aden Crater; the trajectory of the city of Las Cruces and it’s needs and wants; the failure of communities to recognize in advance what is the most crucial component needed for building their community. And I reflected on my intention for this multi-year road-trip around the West.

When I started this experiment I had only vague ideas of what I would be doing and where I would be going, but pretty good ideas—I thought—of how I would determine if any particular town or city was where I would want my new home.

I would look at housing and infrastructure, bike paths and pedestrian accommodations, cultural events, health care, temperate climates—you get the idea. But it only took a few days here in Las Cruces for all that to go up in smoke. Only three days after I got here there was a call-in program on the public radio station to ask questions of the mayor—I actually called in with concerns. Las Cruces is recognized as one of the top ten communities in the country in which to retire, yet I can’t get from where I am parked to the BIG shopping area three miles across town safely on my bike (I crashed the day before the radio program and after two months am still healing) and the public transportation system means that the three mile trip would take me 45-50 minutes each way. Like many sprawling cities, I haven’t found a place that I could live and be able to shop, get health services, or participate in community events without driving a car or do it with amazingly complicated schedules, time commitments, inconvenience and difficulty. My sister did point out that New Mexico is a poor state, Las Cruces is a poor city, and that I have spent the last 40 years in relatively wealthy areas—another topic I attempted to write about.

Which has led me to the conclusion that all the thought that I have put into the criteria I believed were most essential to my well-being in this next step are not as important as the feeling that I get from just being in the community. Though there were things that I could or could  not check off my list, my overall feel for the area supersedes any particular attributes–it is important to know how the community feels about those attributes and what vision they have for the future.

I have met quite a few people who love Las Cruces; who have moved here or are visiting from all over the place and love it. And I do confess that I probably have given the town short shrift in this two-month long assessment, but despite the good times that I have had here, the good people, the good food, the great weather—I am not putting Las Cruces on my short list of places to consider living.

But I do have photos to show! And if anyone wants to talk about any of the discarded topics that did not show up on this blog, I would love hearing from you!

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                         Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument

Dripping Springs Natural Area

Mesilla Valley of the Rio Grande

Organ Mountains

Near La Cueva

                                Trip to White Sands National Monument

San Andres Mountains

Lake Lucero–source for white sands

Selenite Crystals–material for white sands

Dust Plume on Lake Lucero

                             Zuhl Museum, New Mexico State University

Triolobites–ummm, no, Crinoids!

Banded Iron Specimen–excuse the glare!

                                            Field Trip to Aden Crater

Aden Crater

Native Plant Society Field Trip

Desert Verbena