Chile Ristras in Old Mesilla, New Mexico

Even in January, the ristras are still beautiful. There are numerous long ristras hanging from the lamp-posts in Old Mesilla, much to the delight of locals and tourists alike.

 

Beautiful Salopek Farms in the Mesilla Valley

The two major pecan growers in the west are Stahmann Farms and Salopek Farms, two fine old families of great important to our economy and our community. It's always wonderful to drive through their groves, but especially so during autumn.

These photos are from Salopek Drive. It's a calm, windy road that spans between Highway 28 and Highway 85. In town, Highway 28 is known as Avenida de Mesilla and is the main road of Old Mesilla. Highway 85 is Main Street.

There's always a beautiful drive nearby when you retire to Las Cruces!

Las Cruces Begins Holiday Decorating for Christmas 2020!

Yes, it's true: Perhaps it's due to COVID-19, but Las Cruces has caught something else, too: Holiday Fever. 

It seems everyone is starting early for the winter holidays.

One of the favorite light sets to use is the lighted Christmas Chiles strings! We love our chiles here (not chilies or chilis -- we spell it C-H-I-L-E-S!) and it shows.

It's also time for new ristras. I have one on order through Ristramnn's in Old Mesilla, right next to Las Cruces. For the long, long ristras, early in the season you have to order them, as they are bought within minutes otherwise. Later in the season, you might be able to get a long one without pre-ordering. 

The smell of the red chiles drying in the ristras is heavenly! You may not know it, but the green chiles will ripen to red. That's the chiles you see in the ristras. Some smaller chiles called serranos are also used in ristras.

Thank you for dropping by, and see you Wednesday!

 

 

Ghost Cow of Mesilla

Once upon a time, I believe this statuary was completely plastered and painted. Now, she is mainly her wire armament, standing patiently by the fence of her little orchard paddock and gazing at those who drive down her quiet, narrow lane in Old Mesilla.

 

I love that no matter how many times I drive around this area, there is always something more to discover. Are you considering making a move for retirement? Consider Las Cruces!

Happy Monday!

Layers of Our Ag: Onions

The fertile Mesilla Valley is known for its green chile and pecans -- and onions! Huge onion fields, with both short-day and long-day varieties, are planted throughout the valley. Red onions and short-day yellow and white onions are harvested in summer, but long-day onions aren't ready until September. When a field is harvested, it takes several days, and the nearby areas smell like a delightful French Soup! This particular field is at the edge of the historic town of Mesilla, directly south of (and touching) Las Cruces.

Come enjoy our local sights and smells, in Enchanted Las Cruces! Make our home...your home.

Adorned Walls in Las Cruces

 

Something you will notice in Las Cruces is the number of homes that have religious tilework on them, small handpainted murals, or Southwestern metalwork motifs such as geckos. 

La Posta, famed Mesilla eatery (Mesilla is a tiny village just south of Las Cruces and "touching" Las Cruces), has some gorgeous tile work inside, but many homes also have it on the exterior.

Sometimes house numbers are displayed on colorful tiles affixed to adobe or stucco walls.

It all adds to the unique feel of Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico.

Introducing the Great Neighborhood of Mesilla

 

 

Mesilla, New Mexico is a tiny village that is connected to and just south of Las Cruces proper. It is sometimes called "Old Mesilla," as it predates the rest of the area. It has its own marshal, post office, community center, and more, and has a huge amount of historic homes and businesses for its size. It also still has a very agricultural feel, with orchards, onion fields, cotton, and alfalfa being grown all around town and right up to the backs of old homes.

There are restaurants there that date back before statehood, such as La Posta, where locals and tourists love to dine in a huge adobe building with exquisite decor and amazing talking parrots. Even the bathrooms are gorgeous, with sinks imported from Talavera, Mexico. Nichos line the walls, with tilework or miniature murals painted inside. 

Old Mesilla is a very desirable place to live, but there are many rules regarding how and if historic structures can be altered. Regardless, to be able to call Mesilla home is definitely a braggin' right. But as one real estate agent used to tell me, "Bring your money."

Beautiful and venerable Basilica de San Albino is located on the square in Mesilla, which also features many unique shops, restaurants, and a gazebo that is a favorite of musicians and photographers. Ristras swing from the old-fashioned lamp-posts and worn bricks are underfoot. Side streets feature more shops and restaurants, and many renovated homes. Josefina's Old Gate, an historic inn and eatery, is just steps away from the Basilica. We felt such calm and peace sipping coffee there one morning.

I hope that you will get to experience visiting or even living in Mesilla!