Having completed the amaranth havest in Michigan, Edie and I headed for New Mexico and Arizona. Our primary mission consisted of some volunteer work for Wycliff Bible Translators based north of Tucson, but also hoping to do some photography. We spent the first night in Tulsa, Okalahoma. The second travel day found us bucking the strongest headwings I have ever experienced while traveling by auto. Winds were averaging 40-50 mph with gusts recorded over 90. Edie likened it to traveling by aircraft in heavy turbulence. We arrived in Socorro, New Mexico in time for the evening meal. We checked into our hotel and headed for The Stage Door Grill, only to find that it had closed. Our second choice was the Socorro Springs Brewery Company (
http://www.socorrosprings.com/), which unlike a lot of Socorro restaurants boasts a 11 year record. Edie ordered the creamy pesto pasta with grilled salmon while I had the grilled red pepper salmon. Both were excellent. Since the brewery featured a beer which was described as having authentic Dutch origins (Heynankamp Dutch Lager) we ordered their sampler of 5 beers which they had on tap. I might be biased but I think the Heynankamp held it own among the other beers although I never did find out how the Dutch influence migrated to this area of the world.
The following morning I arrived at Bosque an hour before sunrise. Bosque is primarily a winter destination for birders and very few Sandhill Cranes and even fewer Snow Geese had arrived yet. I took a few pre-dawn shots and headed for the Wigeon pond on the campus of New Mexico Tech. The pond here offers some of the most cooperative ducks anywhere. Since it borders a gulf course the ducks are use to heavy traffic and allow close proximity.
Bosque Sunrise
Male Wigeon
Female Wigeon wingflap
Male Wigeon
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