Cochiti to Abiquiu

May 2018

Cochiti

Ah, Patti ate quiche to her hearts content in Elephant Butte, she even took 2 slices ‘to-go’ and froze them for salivation for the next couple of days… So happy to oblige her in her quiche addiction, we all have them, addictions, that is…

Cochiti was our next stop on our way north in search of cooler weather. It is about a 300-mile trek – we wanted to arrive about noon for the prime spots. We usually leave for a new camping spot on Sundays, for most people that are of the working class, go back home to their jobs. But this time we arrived on a Thursday. To our dismay most of the prime spots were taken and we had to camp in the nosebleed section on a windswept bluff. The lower, prime spots were all full or reserved. We left much too late in the week to get a desired spot (for school was now out). Oh well, we had electricity but had to be communal when it came to water, traipsing through other campsites is not an ideal situation. The other issue was that the bathrooms were “out-of-order” on the bluff. So we would have to drive down to the other campground to use the showers. We were debating about just staying one night, but we realized – every campground would be full by this time.

The next morning I woke up with a tiny piece of my tooth in my mouth, not good! As the day progressed, I realized my filling on a molar had come out. When you are traveling and you need a dentist or a doctor, you are at the mercy of whomever when you need help. Luckily for me we have friends in ABQ who could recommend a dentist. Yeah, and thank you! Luckily, the dentist was able to fit me in on Friday at the last minute.

As I sat in the dentist chair, I thought this wouldn’t be too bad… They took an X-ray and then the dentist walked in. She said, “You have a boo-boo”. To me a boo-boo is something you put a Band-Aid on – But her idea of a boo-boo and mine were entirely different things! My molar had 2 cracks: one split the molar vertically and the other split it horizontally, both along the entire tooth, not just a superficial crack!!!

The filling was still intact but the tooth was fatally damaged! So it had to come out, no two ways about it. The dentist sent us out to have a good lunch, as the yogurt I had for breakfast (because it hurt to chew) would not be enough to withstand the numbing agent, Novocain (and I chose gas as well). Did I mention I am a chicken…?

We went to the Flying Star for lunch, a marvelous eating establishment and ate outside on the patio. I had a burger and chewed it on the opposite side for I knew I would be on soft food for a while after today. It was delicious. I savored every bite. Then we went back at 2pm and I had the tooth extracted and a bone graft installed inside the gum with stiches to hold the bone graft granules in place. So my decision, in 12 weeks will be either an implant or a bridge, or I suppose, a gaping hole in my mouth, which would be unseen.

Patti drove us back to camp and luckily we were going against traffic for it was a Friday and everyone was, we thought, headed for our campground. LOL We arrived safely, thank you Patti. I went to bed with Tylenol and an antibiotic. I recuperated very well and Patti got to be my nurse, for a change. I tried not to be a bad patient but when pain sets in, you never know???

Abiquiu

Sunset through my feet on the dock!

On Sunday, I was feeling well enough to drive, for it is I who drives our Gypsy and Rosalita (truck and travel trailer) we went north again to Abiquiu about 110 miles north and west of Santa Fe. I didn’t do much for a few days and just hung out watching the sun rise and set, and sleeping. Eating, or rather swallowing, as I didn’t do much chewing at all – (yogurt doesn’t need much chewing LOL) was still tenuous. But as with all things, I graduated to semi-soft and then regular food but foregoing nuts, chips and other hard things.

Riana Campground has some of the most gorgeous sunsets overlooking the Abiquiu Lake and I never tire of capturing them …

We met up with Patti’s daughter for a couple of days as she was driving back to Cody, WY and we stayed at Ghost Ranch to enjoy the beautiful and scenic world of Georgia O’Keeffe. Patti and Audra toured Georgia’s house and gardens in Abiquiu where she spent the last years of her life. We toured the Lavender Farms, where they grow organic lavender for all sorts of things including teas, pillows, salt grinders, lotions and salves to name a few. They have a Lavender Festival the second weekend in July, that we have yet to be able to attend (timing…).

Audra and I hiked the back-country, in and amongst the red rock, cathedral spirals that Georgia painted so beautifully. We hiked in the late afternoon and had a picture taking frenzy as the evening colors accentuated the red spirals in heavenly hues.

On the second day of Audra’s visit, we went to “Plaza Blanca” where Georgia used her paintbrush as a magic wand to make the canvas come alive. Most of the area around Abiquiu is red rock which is wind and water whipped to perfection, but this area, i.e. “blanca” is white – so out of place in the surrounding hilly area. We arrived during the heat of the day, and there was no shade but a few windswept, low-lying, bonsai junipers, which only provide shade for lizards and snakes. We did not stay long, as we did not take any water with us either – you can tell we were not raised in the desert!

 

My first reaction to these white rocks was that of East Indian Temples that were intricately carved by hand thousands of years ago, or longer. The rock formations are unlike the rest of the area – these Blanca rocks, instead of being wind or water swept appear to be whip-swept. Like someone took a whip to the rocks and left lash welts across the skin of the rock-temples, every-which way. So unusual and foreboding and we wondered how many rattlesnakes resided in this canyon, hence the staff carried by leery travelers through this ancient land.

 

It is surely VERY hard to beat Mother Nature in her magnificent array of colors, carvings and beauty! But alas 2 days went by too fast and Audra had to continue her trek home. We drove up to Chama with her and had breakfast at the Boxcar Café on her last day and then she went on into Colorado via Wolf Creek Pass and north to WY. Goodbye Audra and thanks for making the time to visit us!

We returned to Abiquiu for the remainder of our 2-week stay, and then sadly said goodbye to Georgia’s country and headed north to Heron Lake.

We cannot go too far north, as yet, for I have a follow-up appointment with the dentist on the 19^th of June. We will return to Cochiti, but this time with a reservation, so that we are in the prime real estate of the Buffalo Run Loop.