Soccer Balls, Bombs Away and the Bosque del Apache

We managed to watch one of our niece's soccer games: the Aztec Tigers vs. the Farmington Mustangs. The girls were clearly enjoying themselves and were playing hard. We finished up with another trip to Elda's Mexican Kitchen.

Niece plays soccer. The Tigers lost.

We had a dinner of grilled burgers at Russ' youngest brother's house. He and his partner have been working on it for more than a year, with only the cabinets to finish. It looks so amazing! Most of the wood finishes they used were from the original wood floors, so light fixtures, cladding, and decorative accents were all repurposed wood.

Old bottles used as light fixtures with the old floor.

Hibiscus growing in pots in the upstairs game room.

Light fixture with wood and mason jars.

Main room looking into the kitchen.

Dining area with doors into the backyard.

We re-set and re-packed the R-Pod and left this morning for points south. I made yogurt in the trailer for the first time... it was ok, but more difficult that using all my usual space at home. Our choice of kitten to take home had some time in the trailer, too. We hoped to get him used to the space, since he will have to travel with us to get home.

Cedar with his toy.

Heating the milk.

Straining the yogurt.

Our drive south was lovely, but wet. It's been raining here, raining hard. I'm glad to see New Mexico get some moisture, since they have been in drought conditions for some time. Most of the drive showed the ground as very wet, with the washes full and water pooling on the ground in the low places. We met our nephew in Albuquerque for lunch at Bombs Away Brewing. They menu was small, but everything was done really well, and I had more than one vegetarian choice! I enjoyed that he could take a break from work and meet us. Hopefully, we will see him again when we circle back around on our way home. We ran into another homecoming parade in our college town, Socorro, NM when we stopped to get gas. It was slow going when we turned out of the gas station and followed the parade through town to the freeway entrance, but so fun. It's amazing to see how much the town has changed since we were there in the late 80's.

Bombs Away outdoor seating.

A beer tasting and a tomato and pesto sandwich.

The bar at Bombs Away.

Train and dark clouds on the drive.

I think this is called Strawberry Peak. It's near Socorro.

The end of the parade. Folks are picking up candy.

We've arrived at our spot for the night, Bosque Birdwatchers RV. We got set up and drove into the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge for the sunset. Spectacular! The experience was so much more than I was expecting. The smell of the marshy plants mixed with sagebrush was heavenly. Birds were abundant and the setting sun lit the trees with golden light.

Flowers and mountains.

The marsh reflecting clouds.

Cattails. Loads of these along the shore.

The boardwalk to beauty.

Blue heron with sand pipers.

I think these are sand pipers.

Reflect.

The setting sun lights the trees.

Sunset.

Tomorrow will be a full day of sightseeing and will include a visit with old friends. Early to bed amid the coyote calls and the noise of trains passing close by, but I expect to sleep well.