October 20, 2022: Fall leaves.

The fall colors have been so spectacular this year, we’ve just had to take a few days to enjoy them. We took a hike on the CDT, and watched the narrow-gauge train chugging along below us. Then, the next day, we drove some back roads around the Cruces Basin Wilderness (south of Antonito, towards Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla. The colors might have been the most spectacular we have ever seen. They went on and on for miles.

There’s no aspen in Monero canyon, but a lot of cottonwoods and scrub oak, which are still full of reds, oranges and yellows. I’ve been taking walks daily with the dogs to enjoy the views.

But, back on the ranch, we’ve also been very busy tying up all the loose ends before winter sets in…likely to happen this weekend. I’ve been painting: the outhouse, the doors; just sprucing things up a bit. Also stacked one last cord of oak firewood and finished insulating the rainwater cistern.

Alan’s been working long days on the Wellhouse. It will insulate the vault 8′ below.

In typical northern NM fashion, the days have been in the upper 60s, but the nights are down to 25-26 degrees. We had our first fire, after cleaning the chimney and repairing a broken firebrick. Lovely!

I grew a couple of sunflowers this summer….they got 10′ tall. These heads are about 15″ across. I love the pattern of the seeds. We’ll put them out for the birds once snow comes. I cut them down when harvesting the last of the cherry tomatoes (about 20# of them!). There’s still quite a few big toms growing in the greenhouse, along with peppers and basil. The cat slept on the lettuce and killed it all!

I’m wishing we could be backpacking, but we’ve been busy and I’ve still been recuperating from surgery. All’s good now. Zane and I have both fully recovered! I took the pups for a 5-miler this morning and felt great!