I was excited to see a review of Coyote Smart on Melayne Marchese’s blog, “Wearing Pearls in Kindergarten“. You might remember that I met her through Twitter and we happened to be in Ruidoso, New Mexico at the same time. We met at the Starbucks for a mini book signing right after Keeping Faith was published.  She is a kindergarten teacher in Austin, Texas. In the picture is her aunt Linda, me and Melayne. Here is an excerpt from her review, but I encourage you to go to her very cool blog and read the entire article.

I just got through reading Coyote Smart by Dr. Cindy Bradford.
What a great book….this is her third book and each one gets BETTER!

Coyote Smart was my favorite of Cindy’s books so far —
very fast moving and hard to put down.  Cindy lives very close to the Texas/Mexico border.
I learned so much about the human/drug smuggling crisis we have
between the borders while reading this book.

Please visit Melayne’s blog Wearing Pearls in Kindergarten and leave a comment for her.

Aspens

I’ve spent a week in the mountains, and feel remarkably refreshed and rejuvenated. The cool air and peacefulness of autumn in New Mexico seems to always do that for me. Although I love living at the tip of Texas, I long each year for the change of seasons, which is not noticeable at the coast.

In Ruidoso, the colors of fall are as pronounced as the night chill. Pumpkins adorn most porches and the yellow gold leaves of the aspens give a hint of the weeks to come. The smoke from a few fireplaces send a call for the first snow that often comes right after Halloween, but right now, it is fall and wonderful with temps in the high sixties during the day and forties at night.

I can sit for hours looking at the mountains, watching the occasional deer pass in front of the condo, and think about the wonders of nature. I am truly blessed to see its beauty, smell the fragrant air and hear the rustle of the branches gently blowing. If I had stayed a little longer, I’m sure I could have started book four, but there’s no hurry. I can savor the moment. Life is passing too quickly as it is.

Who says we don’t have a lot to learn in our old age? In these two winter months I have been in my condo in New Mexico. This Texas flatlander has learned loads about living in the cold, dry mountain air.

Since I am used to the humidity of South Padre Island, my skin has gone into shock!! It is so dry, I itch!! Not a little, casual itch, a major want to scratch off the skin ITCH. A “local” told me to get baby oil, and that was really good advice. It works extremely well, though I must admit I leave the soft fragrance of a fresh, newly diapered baby’s butt everywhere I go.

Maybe that young guy the other night at the casino wasn’t flirting after all; maybe I reminded him of his wife and newborn he had left at home!!

Another factor I have had to get used to, and haven’t quite conquered is the difference in altitude. Although I am much more acclimated now than when I arrived, I still huff and puff a little climbing the hill from the bottom of the condo complex to the top.

Several years ago I went over to play golf at Cloudcroft, about 30 miles away (elevation: 8,700) and I asked the lady in the pro shop if it was okay if we walked, knowing some golf courses require golfers to rent their carts. She looked at me and without smiling said, “If you think you can.”

I hesitated for a second, not understanding and went on my merry way. When I finished the first hole, I totally understood, and when I completed nine holes, I caught a ride with a friend who had opted for a cart and rode back to the clubhouse not sure I was going to live. There is no magic lotion for this problem, except I guess to get fit and in tiptop shape. Oh well, I’m leaving soon, so why start now??

And a couple of other things I now know: ice is really slick and deer in the road don’t really care if your car is bigger than them. Maybe someday I will spend the winter again in the mountains, but not until I get really hot, until my bare feet blister, and until fish walk in front of my car. Until then, I think I will see Santa deliver my toys in his boat, hang icicle lights on my palm trees, and eat fried shrimp on New Year’s. It’s been fun, but I’m ready to go “home.”

Woodpecker Wouldn't Give Up

Yesterday morning a woodpecker woke me up pecking on the big cedar tree right outside my condo. It had been a long time since I’ve heard a woodpecker—not many are interested in the palm trees in South Texas. I remember when I was a kid, when we would have a woodpecker in our yard, and we had a lot in the piney woods of East Texas, my dad would say, “the woodpecker pecked on daddy’s leg because daddy had a wooden leg.” Who knows where he got that? Of course, my daddy didn’t have a wooden leg, but he had a lot of funny lines that I fondly remember.

This one woodpecker just wouldn’t give it up, so I finally drug myself out of bed, although I was cold and not really ready to crawl out from under the warm covers. When I looked at the thermometer, I knew why—it was 16 degrees. What is a woodpecker doing out in this weather?? Where is Al Gore these days? I turned on the news, and it is cold everywhere, even in the Deep South. Surprisingly, in South Texas, the forecasters are predicting near freezing temperatures. Crazy. Just think what it would be like if we were not in global warming!!!

Atticus Books & Teahouse

In all the holiday excitement, I almost forgot to share my book signing experience with you. Obviously, I was excited and a little nervous. After all, it’s not every day someone has a book signing. I should not have worried because most of the people there were locals who apparently hang out at Atticus Books and Tea House to drink tea, eat scones and hear the musicians, but it wasn’t a complete bust, and I did finally get to sign.

The musicians were good, the crowd jovial, except for one cranky old woman who said my book was depressing and so was the music!!! She didn’t even read the back of the book, much less the inside, and the music was a wide mixture, including some upbeat Christmas. I was glad when she left, and everyone else probably was too. But before she left, she was bragging about being a Sagittarius who spoke her mind, and then I found out we share the same birthday!!! Urggggggggg!

As you can see from the photo, the place is quaint. The inside is quite Bohemian, with all sorts of “bookish things” one might not find elsewhere—a fun, cozy place for a cold, Saturday afternoon in the mountains.

Cindy Bradford's first book signing at Atticus

I am loving the opportunity to spend the holidays in a winter wonderland, but I will be glad in about a month to toss the socks and coats. After all, I’m a beach bum at heart, and all these heavy clothes are becoming a nuisance.

But I am enjoying the change of weather, the smell and sound of crackling fires and beautiful surroundings. And the deer! They are everywhere. They are fun to watch, and many times they are just outside my condo window, fearless in their forging for food. I’m sure that is what happened to my pretty junipers I planted on my last visit. At the house next to the condo, two 8 point bucks hang out most afternoons. At dusk, they rule the streets and yards, and it is “driver beware time.” It’s not uncommon for more than 15 deer to amble across the road right in front of a passing car.

If I were Bambi, I would want to live and grow old here in this protected environment. But Bambi would have to love cold weather! Yikes!

Deer Hangout at Cindy Bradford's condo in Ruidoso

The Indians are restless! I have been to The Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino a couple of times since my arrival in Ruidoso, and let me tell you those Apaches scalped me both times. It didn’t seem to matter whether I was playing one of those funky little penny machines, which by the way never cost a penny, or video poker or even a table game, they just were not going to let me win.

The casino is a beautiful place, and the setting is probably one of the most picturesque vistas in New Mexico. Nestled in a valley overlooking a crystal clear lake with an outstanding view of the Sierra Blancas, the hotel and casino are owned by the Mescalero Apache tribe. They also own Ski Apache, the Travel Center Casino, restaurants, gas stations and everything else on the reservation. And if my luck is any indication of how well they are doing, they may own a lot more in the future.

Actually, I am not a big gambler. I might be if I were rich, but I’m not, so I stick to the small stuff and take only the amount I am willing to lose when I go. But I do like it! Not going to deny that fact. My horoscope sign indicates that Sagittarians have a propensity to gambling, so I guess that is one of those things I failed to mention in my Birthday Blog.

Anyway, don’t worry; I’m going back to the casino really soon for revenge. This is war, and I haven’t made my last stand!

I arrived in Ruidoso, New Mexico on November 20, after several stops and hotel stays along the way. After all, it is a 16 hour trip, so no need to rush. I know it seems crazy to go west to cold country for the winter when others are traveling south to stay warm, but every now and then I like the change, and the way the mountains, trees and potential for snow add to the holiday excitement. The little village here is decorated for the Christmas season (and I do not apologize for calling it that—whoever “invented” political correctness should be burned with a yuletide log).

The twinkling lights hanging along the storefronts in mid-town look just like a holiday card, and the people bustling around the shops remind me of those described in the traditional carols playing on the radios inside the stores. It is, indeed, a magical time, and although I love South Padre, the palm trees just can’t compete this time of year with the tall pines and junipers. It just smells like Christmas here. Of course, when the temperature is 19 degrees in the morning, it definitely feels like Christmas.

Ski Apache is open, and ski racks on top of SUVs are as common a sight as fishing poles hanging out of pick-up truck beds at the island. The drive up the mountain is scary, especially if the snow refreezes over night. Even with the newly added guard rails, it is a treacherous 12 mile drive. But it doesn’t stop the die hard skiers and snow boarders. In my younger years I forged up there and skied a few times. These days, I opt for a hot toddy and a good book in front of my fireplace. Skiing is hard work, and there are not enough hot tubs to make me less sore the next day. Been there, done that, and glad to have the memories, which include landing in a snow drift and running over an old man, not to mention falling off the lift when the operator yelled jump.

They had to stop the whole lift just to keep the chair from taking off the top of my head.  And I had lessons!! Think what might what have happened if I had tried this without ski school. As you know from reading earlier blogs, lessons don’t necessarily “take” with me. But I love a winter wonderland, and I’m happy to be here to celebrate the season. So close your eyes and think snow!