Land of Enchantment

Observation of the Day

January 9, 2008

Half the day was spent driving across the rest New Mexico, heading southwest towards Arizona. New Mexico is large in area, but small in population. Its slogan Land of Enchantment. Today I paid attention and discovered that it really is a land whose landscape is enchanting and as varied as the people who inhabit it.

We started the day in the plains of Roswell and as we headed out of town past the UFO museums we saw in the distance snow-capped mountains. It was not a mountain range, but a peak. We then climbed into gently rolling foothills. The early morning Sun cast shadows across the landscape. The hills were mostly bare except for a few short trees. We slowly began a climb up a mountain to and through Ruidoso up the mountain with snow and tall pines. I was a real mountain with an elevation of 7,000 feet.

On the way we passed towns like Tinnie and Hondo, Indian reservation towns. This is also Billy the Kid country. It is the real rugged Wild West country.

We then came down the mountain into the White Sands Missile Proving Grounds. The sand was indeed white, the range huge and the speed limit was seventy-five.

We climbed another hill coming out of the White Sands valley. As we crested there before us was once again the long straight road and flat lands. In the distance were isolated mountains peaks that resembled large anthills.

The contrast in color throughout the day was amazing. The brown of the plains, the white of the sand, the purple cast to the hills, the green of the tall pines, and the white snow beneath them, all in contrast and yet in natural harmony with the World.

It is amazing what you can see when you look.

Have a nice day.

Sam