Thankful to friends for another outing to the canyons

Three friends, Yvette Peacock, Elizabeth Morris, and Susan Hamiton-Vick decided we needed to go the the canyons at lma again. Of course, I didn't argue with them because there is no place I'd rater go. The clouds were gathering as we drove along thus making the trip more exciting than usual.

We stopped at lma first so the girls could walk to the edge of the canyon to look across to Grandmother's house. I was thrilled to see two deer gliding across the pasture--a sight rarely seen in our county these days,- Since that was Susan's first trip out there, I just naturally had to tell a little history of the area, despite having told the same stories to the other two friends earlier.

We then drove to the road going down to the house. While Yvette, Susan and our two dogs walked down to the house, Elizabeth and I visited about my childhood out there, and she took some great pictures of a few areas I had never taken and was very pleased to see. The clouds were getting darker and some rain began to fall by the time we all got into the car. Thunder and lightning began to be noticeable before we decided to go to another area. Unfortunately, I missed the right road, thus causing us to turn back just as the rain began to fall harder, and the hail began to bounce around.

At least, we were close to the pavement and didn't have to worry about getting stuck. We then went down the lma Hill into the Alamogordo Valley. They had no idea what that road was like when I knew it first. Now it is beautifully paved and not filled with the hairpin curves that were once rather scary. Just a few of those curves still exist, and one really has to know where they are.

The rain was still falling and causing many comments. In fact, it fell off and on most of the way back to town. Just being able to see it was the main experience of the day because we so rarely see more than a few drops. Of course, I enjoy watching people who see those canyons for the first time. They either see its beauty or its starkness. Some wonder how we could have lived out there; whereas others are almost envious of our having lived amid such beauty. The solitude can be frightening if a person prefers noise to silence.

I surely hope those girls know how much these trips have meant to the woman from those canyons. I cannot begin to thank them enough for those outings, but I'll try to figure a way to show my appreciation. Maybe they can go out to see the results of the wonderful rain. Green grass and wild flowers will add to the beauty of those canyons and pastures. To close the perfect day, we watched six deer glide across the road a Ragland. What a treat!

Lynn Moncus is a Tucumcari resident and can be contacted through the Quay County Sun by calling 575-461-1952.