Well, the governor has locked down the state again, which is very sad, I feel. But there is still some spirit and levity to be found.
This is a funny little billboard on Highway 28, which runs through the gorgeous Stahmann Farms pecan groves I've shown and mentioned before. I love the little pecan mascot!
Come visit or retire to Las Cruces and get in on the fun!
In the very beautiful, very new residential/commercial area centered around Sonoma Springs Road and Northrise Boulevard, the medians and sidewalk areas are very beautifully landscaped. A light version of xeriscaping is used, with many plantings of Palo Verdes trees, mesquites, Texas Mountain Laurels, lantana, and other desert-y plants.
One of the developers near Sonoma Springs Elementary School placed a beautiful bronze mountain lion statue at the beginning of their particular stretch of homes. I love traditional public art, and the lion looks quite at home with the Organ Mountains to his back.
We have actual mountain lions here, as well as many other desert denizens, such as roadrunners, gray foxes, coyotes, cottontails and jackrabbits, and the occassional coatimundi passing through. We also have elk, deer, and amazingly, the African Oryx, settled here decades ago on the White Sands Missle Range by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and now residing up in the Organs in sizable numbers.
Las Cruces, despite being in the desert, is not just a 2-season place, "Hot" and "Not Quite As Hot," as some may think. No, it has all four seasons, which is delightful.
All the markers of each season arrive each year. Our leaves turn beautiful colors during autumn, especially on the NMSU campus, in Mesilla Park neighborhood, and in most neighborhoods with established trees, such as Telshor.
This tree is in our back yard, and is a wonderful Mountain Ash, with golden leaves and vivid red berries during fall.
Come experience a temperate, wonderful climate in Las Cruces! It's a wonderful place to retire, with reminders of "home," and great new experiences as your NEW home!
We had a very surprisingly early snowfall today, and it is still snowing almost 24 hours later! In fact, it's a record for earliest snowfall since recordkeeping began.
The desert looks lovely in snow, and so do our yards. Unlike many areas of the country, our snow usually is gone quickly and dry conditions reign again, making travel and errand-running easy. And snow shoveling is not something we do here.
Consider retiring to enchanted Las Cruces if you love temperate weather with a few surprises thrown in to spice it up!
Strangely, this year autumn is seeing a flush of growth far beyond the usual amount. We also have snow flurries predicted for today and tomorrow! Most unusual.
This prickly pear in against a walkway wall at City Hall, on Main Street just north of the Farmers Market area. I think you'll agree it has beautiful, delicate colors. When nature combines them, the hues harmonize perfectly.
Thank you for dropping by.
We have many cholla cactuses growing out here, some in the wild landscape, some in medians, and some in the home yards. One of the most popular chollas to grow is the "Teddy Bear Cholla," which is a very deceiving name. While the stickers give the look of thick fur, the painful reality is that it is studded with thousands of these spines.
The Jumping Cholla doesn't jump, of course, but you might think the segments of the cactus actually do, because it's so easy to get stuck by them. They seems to be everywhere, even where you looked just a moment earlier.
Our photo shows the beautiful red fruits of a totally wild cholla growing near the Dripping Springs area, the Christmas Cholla. These are tiny fruits; less than the size of a grape.
Be careful when picking up cholla fruits: They have many invisible spines. You won't see them, but you will feel them.
Come enjoy the wild landscape of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
We had a cool snap about three weeks ago, but now true fall is arriving. It's a relief not to have scorching hot days. Many love the warmth here, but by October, I think even the most ardent summer fans are ready for a change.
Around town, leaves are changing and berries are ripening. These Mountain Ash berries are on the grounds of the Immaculate Heart of Mary cathedral. Beautiful! So much nature to enjoy in Las Cruces. Make southern New Mexico your retirement home!
There are now three hospitals in Las Cruces: Memorial Medical Center, which is the oldest one by far; Mountain View, and now Three Crosses.
Three Crosses is brand new. Its opening was delayed due to COVID, but they had their grand opening a week ago in October 2020. Its location is on an old, defunct golf course that is the bottom of the hilly Triviz/Arlington area -- our hidden gem of a neighborhood.
If you're considering moving to Las Cruces, take a look at this neighborhood!
Our blog will be on a Monday - Wednesday - Friday schedule for a bit, due to the busy autumn season. Always so much to do in Enchanted Las Cruces!
Catholicism plays a big role in the lives on many in New Mexico and in Las Cruces. There is a vibrant and large Catholic community here, and during non-COVID times, there are many fairs and weekly bingo for those of all faiths or no faith.
In the Mesquite Historic District stands Our Lady of Health, a lovely church building that often features fluttering bright flags and balloons to enliven all who view it. The parish it serves is relatively poor, but rich in spirit. It offers Mass in both Spanish and English.
No matter your faith, you will find a church home in Las Cruces. From Baptists to Buddhists, we have it all, and they are very welcoming to those who relocate here. With a large state university, there are also many esoteric faith offerings you'd usually only find in a much larger city. Truly, something for everyone, religious or not.
Come retire to Enchanted Las Cruces and see for yourself!
While other locales are seeing blooms wither and fade, Las Cruces sees an explosion of beautiful blossoms. The plants seem to catch their breath after the scorching summer, and celebrate by putting on an autumn show.
Other areas may have the beauty of leaves turning colors -- and we do too, by the way, as will be shown in an upcoming post -- but we have the flowers of fall.
Here, clamboring over a wall on a deserted adobe home, is Coral Vine. The beauty of this vine when seen in person is just indescribable. It has such grace of habit, and the vivid pink color is striking.
Also making a good show is Texas Yellow Bells, a plant native to the U.S. It has an airy, upright growth pattern and holds its bright yellow bells out into the sun.
Texas Yellow Bells have a cousin, Orange Bells, just as lovely and with a rich, golden yellow/mahogany shade.
If you love gardening, you will enjoy retiring to Las Cruces, where it's easy to grow so many beautiful and rare plants that bloom almost year around!
Mesquite is the orginal townsite of Las Cruces. It's a neighborhood of small homes and shops nestled against the downtown area. Mesquite Street is the original El Camino Royal, traveled over 500 years ago by conquistadors, priests, and settlers.
Some of the businesses that were established decades ago are still going strong along El Camino Real ("The Royal Road" that eventually grew to be the longest highway in North America, from Mexico City to Canada), such as Nopalito Restaurant, which also has another branch near Telshor. But the main restaurant is on Mesquite Street, across from Beck's Coffee and down from Mesquite Art Gallery, two relative newcomers who appear to be doing quite well. A few blocks down, on the corner of Amador and Mesquite Streets, is Lujan bakery, great for traditional Mexican "pan dulce," or pastries. Get ready, because Mexican pastries are nothing like European or U.S. baked goods. They are much less sweet, and often feature colored flour that looks like icing -- and isn't -- on top. Strange at first, it's easy -- all too easy -- to develop a taste for pan dulce.
The building for Sunshine Grocery and Grill still stands, newly painted, but it isn't a grocery now. Built in 1918, it is a local landmark, and is used as a location for movies filming in Las Cruces.
It will be interesting to see if after COVID-19 runs its course, if the Mesquite Historical District continues to develop as a corridor for small, quirky businesses.
Would you like to live in the Mesquite neighborhood, just steps from the weekly Farmer's Market and famed COAS Used Bookstore?
There are several distinct neighborhoods in Las Cruces, and we have talked about a few of them. One that absolutely must be mentioned is the very old, formerly very modest, Mesquite area northeast of downtown.
Much of the Mesquite Historical Area is undergoing gentrification of a modest sort. There are also some conversions of the small houses into shops. There is a stone coffee house and an art gallery that were homes in disrepair, now quite busy and looking very cute indeed. Some of the homes are very tiny, not much bigger than a short singlewide trailer, although they are site-built. Others are larger, but none are very large. I did see several two-story houses among the bigger homes, and some very small newly constructed homes.
Some of the Mesquite homes proudly display the the Historical Society's plaque, also found on the old-style street lamps. Houses with stoops are rare in the Southwest, but there are quite a few in the Mesquite area.
Don't confuse the neighborhood name with the nearby small town on the way to El Paso!
Would you like to live in a renovated historic bungalow? If so, consider the Mesquite area when you...Retire to Enchanted Las Cruces!
It is autumn and nearly time for the researchers to harvest their crop of experimental chile varieties. The gardens of the Chile Pepper Institute can be viewed from afar, but are off-limits to the public. The chiles will be examined for suitability of their yield, taste, fertility, etc. by NMSU plant scientists. In years past, the public could mingle the chiles, and I saw many fantastical peppers growing, from pitch-black spheres to ghostly yellow horns that almost seemed to be fluorescent. Now, admire them from behind the fence.
The chile garden is next to the Fabian Garcia Botanical Garden, at University and Main (University and Bowman Street of Mesilla Park form its western boundary). During COVID-19, it is closed, unfortunately, but I can only hope and assume this will not be the case shortly.
If you don't love chiles now, you will once you move here. The New Mexican chiles are the main reason our food is so delicious. Come retire in Las Cruces and taste it for yourself -- and attention SNOWBIRDS -- consider making Las Cruces your winter home! We'd love to have you!
NMSU, the large state university located in Las Cruces, is open despite COVID-19 this semester, at least so far. Usually, avoiding University Avenue while college is in session is a good idea, especially around lunch time, but with such reduced numbers attending, traffic remains light and unchallenged by students pouring across every corner by using the automatic crosswalk lights.
The NMSU campus is just gorgeous. It is shady (always a good thing here) compared to the surrounding area, and has numerous interesting flowers and foilage plants. It is kept immaculately clean, trimmed, and swept. It's a beautiful choice for a walk any time of year.
Beauty is hidden around every corner: Either flowers blooming in profusion, the surprise of a muskrat pond, expanses of lawn (very rare here), antique buildings, Spanish-style architecture, and more.
For seniors interested in keeping our minds sharp, sit in an undergraduate classes just like a regular student, for $5 per credit hour, up to 10 hours. You earn the credit, just as usual, but are on a non-degree-seeking track. If you want to seek a degree, you can, just pay the regular tuition instead of the reduced rate.
The photographs show autumn's bloomfest of the Esperanza plant, also called Texas Yellow Bells. They are found all over the older part of campus, with blooms in the millions during the early part of October.
Come retire here!
The landscape in Las Cruces is punctuated by soaring palms, their fronts stirring in the desert wind. Unlike tropical palms swaying above a bay, our palms grow straight upward and do not bend in our sometimes-fierce winds.
Some of the palms are date palms, and long trusses of ripe dates fall into your yard, ready to eat. Others you will see here, usually the pride of the whole landscaping, are Mediterranean Palms, which are good for petite yards at only 20 feet high at maturity, and California Palms, which soar into the sky to 40 feet.
The NMSU campus has many mature palms gracing its lovely grounds.
The tallest palm here is the gorgeous Mexican Fan Palm, which dwarfs many others at 100 feet tall. These stick up all over town. These are the palms you see with a large "pineapple" growning beneath the fronds -- the "pineapple" is the cut ends of the fronts forming a bulged out area that looks like a giganitic pineapple.
If you want a very short palm, consider planting the Pindo Palm, which also produces delicious fruit. A palm that is short for about ten years before suddenly elongating is the Canary Date Palm. Finally, the Windmill Palm has a very wide crown and is short until about its tenth year. It's a show-stopper with the breadth of its fronds, which are also a lot larger than most palms'.
A mature palm adds value to homes here. When you move to Las Cruces, consider adding a palm if your yard doesn't have one!
Small things make a big difference in the livabililty of an area. For me, natural beauty is important. Spotting "hidden treasures" is important.
When you drive around Las Cruces during your day-to-day life, you will come upon many "Oh! How quaint! How pretty!" moments.
Here is one: Blooms against an adobe wall that is painted in what we term "Desert Rose," a very famous shade here, often called "burnt orange" by those new to the area. Vigas, which hold up the roof, jut out and are a very desirable touch.
Hope you will consider making Enchanted Las Cruces YOUR retirement home!
We have a long growing season here in the Mesilla Valley, where Las Cruces is nestled. With relief from scorching summer temperatures, the plants seem to catch their breath and find the energy to put on another show before the curtain of winter falls.
Do you love to garden? Does lots of sunshine perk you up? Las Cruces might be a perfect fit for your retirement needs. It has all the amenities of a city, yet still has a rural feel, thanks to the large NMSU campus and all the agriculture up and down the valley and tucked into neighborhoods such as Mesilla. Urban farming is starting here, too, with micro-farms in backyards, sideyards, and vacant lots.
This side yard brings joy to all who pass by. Even with limited water, the desert here blooms beautifully. Make your retirement home in Las Cruces, and bloom along with our plants!
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.
Because of its age, Las Cruces has a variety of strange and unusual buildings. Sunday drives around town are always interesting because of this. On one such drive, we discovered this tiny religious store, City of the Crosses, at 307 S. Main Street. Built against the back of another business, it is barely the size of a den, and it takes its name from the nickname for Las Cruces.
If you choose Las Cruces for your retirement, you'll love the light traffic. It's one of the plusses of the area. Driving is easy here! Not only is there little traffic, but weather conditions are almost always mild, even in winter. It's enjoyable to be out and about on our sunny winter days.
Thanks for dropping by, and see you tomorrow. Leave a comment if you have any questions about Las Cruces, the City of the Crosses.
Who would've thought that apples grow well in the desert of Las Cruces? Did you know that at the turn of the previous century, Las Cruces was known for its excellent apples? Apples from here were proudly displayed in 1899 at the World's Fair in Paris -- where they won second place! In the 1800s, apples were an important crop here. In fact, they were the number one crop economically.
There's always something to do or see in Las Cruces, and one thing not to miss is the you-pick apples at U-Pick Mesilla Valley Apple Orchard off Shalem Colony Trail.
Sometimes I get a little homesick for things back East, up North, or down South! And apples in autumn is one of them. It was such a balm to my heart to discover this wonderful fourth-generation apple farm that features three different kinds of apples: Common delicious, Red Delicious, and Jonathan apples. Get out there fast and pick fast to get the Jonathans! But there are literally tens of thousands of pounds' worth of apples in the orchards. It's a wonderful way to remember "back home" and a wonderful way to build memories here.
Even during these "COVID" times the apple farm is open for picking, by appointment! You just text them. So wonderful to see it open at all! Last year, the whole orchard smelled so sweet and good, and everyone we encountered was friendly and nice. It was heartwarming to see the children proudly picking their apples, and retirees such as ourselves out in the cool air, enjoying the morning! So 2020 will have to be a bit different, but join me in a hope and a prayer that COVID disappears and 2021 will bring crowds out to enjoy apple pickin' time together!
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