My New Mexico Bucket List

So, the time has come to release my own bucket list. It is a bit long, does not include everything yet and ends with a few last minute additions sent by my friend on the ground in Las Cruces, Bill, who is living the retired life and enjoying the hell out of it. Here goes...

-check out the new Las Cruces minor league baseball team, the Las Cruces Vaqueros (Cowboy in Spanish) Love their logo

-go to cowboy storytelling some evening
-take a class in digital photography editing like for photoshop
-create a line of New Mexico Note cards like I did for New England note cards so many years ago -go into the desert after a rain to smell the air; I understand it is sweet and unique-go to some NMSU basketball games and see the next Dwayne Wade
-do some of those park education and tours events, you know, the one where the park ranger is dressed in one of those green uniforms (think Yogi Bear and Mr. Ranger…)

-take the Rail Runner Express Train from Belen to Albuquerque and Santa Fe

-watch the desert sunset with a nice glass of wine (did it with beer already, want a changeup…)

-try some other NM wines; my friend Maqz thinks they can’t be too good because it is so dry there. I’m out to prove him wrong or get tipsy trying…

-expand my beer making dynasty by adding a new beer to the Blue Canary Cream Ale we make already; another cream ale perhaps, a different ale, a lager…who knows?

-be around for a chile roasting day; I have done some of my own on such a small scale, I want to see it done in the giant cylinder roasters and buy them fresh

-get a small freezer to store all the green chilies we are going to buy
-plan to save a small space in it for Caliches (see The Great SouthWest Passage aka Chronicles of Las Cruces: Part 12 - "Ending on a sweet, sweet note…”)

-try some different green chile foods – like GC spring rolls, GC meatballs. I plan to work on a recipe for GC meatballs and a GC Meatloaf…my friend Bill in LCNM has tried hot chile powder on frozen custard. Wow, this could be the best of both worlds – green chile topped Caliches…

-see another road runner

-feeding birds to see the different types in the south west

-walk the Farmer’s market to buy Christmas presents.

-go to some NMSU baseball games to see the next Derek Jeter

-go ATVing in the desert-feeding hummingbirds and taking photos of them in order to document other varieties
-spend more time on my book; it has been more difficult than I thought to spend the necessary time on it but I do want to do it
-drink pinon coffee every day of my retirement
-get a juicer and make some healthy fruit/vegetable drinks and smoothies

My friend Bill provided the following addendum - I think Clair may have had a voice in this too...
-The Owl Café which makes the best chile cheese burger in the southwest
-La Vina Winery with its summer concerts and wine tastings
-Nellie's Restaurant for the Las Cruces gang breakfast (8:00AM every Sat---join us!!!)
-the Bosque, Las Cruces state park
-Dripping Springs natural area
-Visit the towns of Pecos, Shiprock, and Jornada

Remember, this list is ever expanding, like our universe and is complete with a blog post subject material for each of the items on the list!