Ojo Caliente to Corrales –Chapter 6

Hello family and friends, I’m sitting in the shade at a friend’s home in Corrales NM writing this story. She is Diana Kelleher, who we met in Abiquiu two years ago. We have a common interest in the natural world and in art. Diana was kind enough to invite us to camp on her ranch property. This is our second year staying here. Diana’s Border Collie Colin is keeping me company as I write. He is calm, loves to play fetch and listens to what we humans have to say.

Woke up with another attack of diverticulitis. The third in five weeks. Instead of spending hours at the ER, as I did on 9/17 at Whidbey’s ER, and 9/25 in Aspen, I mentioned the return of this condition to Diana. It is an inflammation which causes sharp pains in the lower left abdomen. Twice I was prescribed an antibiotic called Augmentin. Guess it didn’t succeed in helping.

Diana said she’s had this condition and took oregano oil. I recalled taking this when I was diagnosed with SIBO in 2024. It’s a natural antibacterial. That and a dose of slippery elm, and I’m hopeful the inflammation will lessen its symptoms. Thank goodness Sprouts Grocer is nearby.

Meanwhile Diana grilled up some bacon, made delicious scrambled eggs from her son’s chickens who live on her ranch, which we enjoyed with fresh tomato. We declined her offer of hot chiles for our eggs. When we told her we liked the roast poblano chiles we bought in Taos, Diana shook her head, saying how weak they were in heat–too much like a bell pepper.

After visiting the local Sprouts to pick up tonight’s dinner–chicken alfredo in coconut milk and fresh salad, we returned to Diana’s and drove a short distance to the Rio Grande, where we took a walk with Colin and Peanut, Diana’s other dog. The river flowed quietly. We heard Canadian geese honking overhead, and, were lucky to see five Sandhill Cranes flying in the sky, calling with their distinctive voices.

Before arriving here in Corrales, we spent a wonderful five nights at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort. 

Only 45 minutes from Taos, it is an oasis, compared to the roar of traffic and booming bass speakers in Taos. We camped in site #2, close to the all gender bathroom. I found it discombobulating to be in the bathroom brushing my teeth with men. I mentioned this to one of the campers who agreed it was a strange feeling to share the sinks with women.

Our first morning took us hiking up to the Posi/Tewa ruins. A pueblo once housed an estimated village of 10,000 from 1300-1600. Now what’s left are pottery sherds–yes this is the correct spelling–in situ. There is a thrill to see such ‘art’ as it was left.

Oct. 21 was the day the C 2025 A6 Lemmon comet was supposed to make its closest appearance. We will take any reason to return to Abiquiu and viewing the comet from the Abiquiu Lake mesa was an ideal excuse. We visited the  Abiquiu Farmer’s Market once again, where Bill bought a loaf of reserved raisin bread from Poppy Ridge Bakery. We also bought fresh tomato, potatoes and green onions. Eating for a third time at Cafe Sierra Negra, we were glad to visit with our server Ben and enjoy the cafe’s excellent food.

Driving up to the Abiquiu Lake mesa we watched the sunset over the powerful Cerro Pedernal mesa. The stars and the Milky Way made an appearance. We saw with binoculars a fuzzy green dot–near the sunset point. Think this was the comet.

This was the comet we saw last year at the same location:

Beatrix our 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was scheduled for a tuneup. So we drove her in to Toyota of Santa Fe. We learned that the car’s extended warranty had expired. At first it would be $600. Then after inspection the bill rose to $1800 to clean the hybrid battery filters and protect areas from rodents. Ernie Griego, who’s lived in Santa Fe a number of decades drove us to the La Montañita Food Coop. Along the way he bemoaned the population explosion that his hit Santa Fe in the wake of the Los Alamos hiring blitz. We enjoyed his down-to-earth banter.

We found people watching wonderful at this shopping complex, where we did our laundry and had our hair cut by lovely Luz, who works with Geri at Geri’s salon. Only $25 for each cut! I do not understand why women’s simple haircuts are often twice the amount of men’s. It’s why I gave up my Whidbey stylist. Her prices were too high and I began cutting my hair myself.

Living art appeared in the form of a woman arriving on her e-bike. Just as she walked by, a little girl walked by with her parents. Bill called out, “I don’t know who’s cuter, you or the little girl! Our e-bike woman smiled graciously at the compliment.”

Bill said he never had a better time spending $1800–meaning we didn’t stress over the cost of the car maintenance–than we did on this day where we were in the flow of a neighborly shopping center.

Thursday Oct. 23 we soaked in the lithium pool before taking a 4+ mile hike to the Joseph mine, which mined mica until 1965.

Mine tailing mounds abound here and we sat on one mound feeling as if we were visiting dragon Smaug’s treasure lair. The ground sparkled with mica, quartz, rose granite, a “pegmatite intrusion” dated to 1.4 billion years old. On our return, our legs felt the ache of a long hike and we returned to Marion weary and enjoyed a bowl of pozole made the night before. We waited out a terrific thunder/lightning/rain storm until about 8:45. Ojo Caliente closes its pools when lightning is within 10 miles of the resort. Glorious to sit in the lithium waters gazing up at the sculpted peaks under a black sky lit with stars.

By Friday morning, Oct. 24 we packed up Marion and said adios to Ojo Caliente until next year. Northern New Mexico has woven true heartfelt experiences for us.