Octoberfest and Dad fest

As many of you that read my journal know, Ruidoso, New Mexico is one of my favorite destinations. It is in the Land of Enchantment after all and that is no understatement. Fall is my favorite time of year in the mountains, the air is cool with the promise of winter, the aspens are golden and Mount Sierra Blanca is a patchwork quilt of greens, reds and yellows. The Ruidoso Octoberfest is a small show that I do mostly because it is so much fun and not that it is a big money maker. This year is no exception, it is fun and I manage to make more gravy than the past few years due to the fact that the regulars that attend the show are starting to look for our booth. The Ruidoso Civic Center is a nice venue too, not too large and in a beautiful spot next to the Links golf course and a great view of Mt. Baldy (the locals affectionate name for Sierra Blanca). Needless to say, Jan and I had a wonderful weekend with beer, food and a continuous party and at night a safe haven at our dear friends John and Robyns' house. The show only runs Friday night and all day and until the wee hours of Saturday so after packing the tent, we had Sunday off and decided to take the back road from Ruidoso to Cloudcroft and then down to High Rolls to check out the Apple Festival. This road runs through the Mescalero Apache Reservation and the little farms and ranches along the way. The early morning sun lit up the patches of aspens with a yellow so bright you could hardly bear the beauty, it was so intense. We enjoyed visiting with other vendors at the Apple Festival, our friend Cactus Mary was there with her husband David and quite a few of the other gypsies that we do shows with. After a nice stroll through the junipers we headed on home to our guys and a nice evening and best of all, our own beds!

Today is a momentous day...my Dad's 84th birthday. He is a man that I have measured all other men by and that is not an easy thing to live up to (just ask Cecil!). His life has been one of many adventures and because he choose to write them all down in a voluminous journal, Dad's history is something I will always have and treasure. In his eighty four years he has seen and done many things; the youngest Chief Petty Officer in the Navy at the time, he was there at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed; he is a recipient of a Purple Heart; he played in a Dixieland Jazz Band (he could play any tune on his piano just by hearing it); he learned to clown around and he and my Mom spent a great deal of time as Sugar and Spicey visiting sick kids in the hospital and old folks in rest homes; he could do magic and slight of hand; he made his first grandchild's cradle, rocking horse and wooden toys for both the boys. All his life he has not only been creative but a man of his word, a man of honor, and the best example a child could have of a parent. I give him all the credit for any wisdom that I have garnered in this life. We have a special bond and I am justly proud to have been raised by such a man. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD, I LOVE YOU!!!



Dad and Nathan, Summer of 1984, Ruidoso, New Mexico