CoME Episode 11: What I like to do in Massachusetts. What I will continue to do in New Mexico.

In talking to people I work with now, I have heard many, many times “I don’t know what I will do with my time when I retire.” Let me tell you that I am making a list, a long list of things I want to do. This is just one of them.

I am now an earlier riser. This was not always the case. I like my sleep but as I got older I found myself sleeping a bit less after a time shift. I can’t stay up late anymore. Letterman was a regular companion but now I only catch him on an occasional Friday night. I am now an early riser. As a teen, I rarely saw noon. Now going to bed early means getting up early, rarely making 8 am on a weekend, always by 6 am during the week.

Now, I really love my coffee. I used to have several everyday but over the last 15 years, I have had less and less. Usually not more than 2 cups on any day. No soda caffeine during the afternoon either. Otherwise I will be visiting with Letterman that night as well as the other late night suspects. Thus each cup of coffee I drink is somewhat special. When we moved to the country, I began to drink my morning cup of joe, each weekend day, on my porch looking at the forest, listening to the birds, scanning for bears (see The Bear Story) It is quiet and peaceful and relaxing. Sometimes I can talk the DW into joining me although my tolerance for cold is higher than hers. It is not unheard of to have her sitting on our wooden bench wrapped in a blanket, with a steaming cup of “wake up and get the day going”. The problem with this scenario is the weather. It is really only warm enough at 7 or 8 am for about 4 months of the year, 5 if you have a good blanket. I want to do this even more often after I retire.

When we visited LCNM, it was already warm enough in mid-February to be sitting out in the sun doing this. Warm enough such that the DW will be a willing partner. I am looking forward to sitting on a patio, looking at the mountains in the distance, listening for birds, scanning for road runners and drinking a nice hot cup of Pinon coffee. Ahhhh, Pinon coffee (drools in excitement).

We walked into a breakfast café our first morning in Ruidoso. After being knocked back by the wonderful smell of fresh baked pastries, a second whiff announced coffee, fresh hot coffee. Pinon coffee. It is a wonderfully aromatic blend, naturally sweetened by the Pinon nuts. Pine nuts are often used in Italian pastries and this sweetness is just fantastic.

The first breakfast led to another the next day and another later in the week. Yea, well maybe the delicious handmade southwest/Native American/Hispanic influenced pastries helped (mrsfabp was particularly taken with the Mexican wedding cookies…) We bought a bag of Pinon coffee, got out our coffee grinder at home and enjoyed it for a number of Saturday and Sunday mornings, making the transition back to New England tolerable after our SouthWest adventure. I'll tell you more about Pinon coffee in another post.

Now, I have to get some Pinon coffee, mail order pronto!