ConnectionsThe Magazine of Southeast New Mexico

Railroads have an important place in New Mexico's history. When the railroad arrived from the north it immediately took up rapid transport of goods and passengers such as had previously come in along the Santa Fe Trail, fueling a new prosperity and growth in the Territory. A wider variety of people more readily moved into the area, including homesteaders.

The railroads became vital not just along the East-West and North-South corridors, but also because of the many branches and lines which led to lumber, livestock, mineral, and cultural resources. Some of these lines, and whole railway companies, are long gone now, the only traces being some route cuts and embankments and the occasional rusty spike. Towns boomed when a railway came through, and dwindled when the tracks were taken up

Railroads were also important in developing tourism in New Mexico, with beautiful advertisements offering the accommodations of Fred Harvey's Houses and the grandeur of the scenery accessible via the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . These advertisements had a profound influence on popular perceptions of the American West, worldwide. The railway made it easy for thousands of tuberculosis patients to travel to New Mexico in search of a more salutary climate, responsible for a surge in Albuquerque's population and growth across the state as some of the "lungers" became residents.

Many a smaller town in New Mexico owes its very existence to the railroad and is laid out along the railroad tracks

ABOUTTHIS

ISSUE’SCOVER

July 3-4 – 4th of July Electric LightParade Celebration and Fireworks. Las Cruces celebrates with a parade of floats decorated with electric lights. Experience live entertainment throughout the day plus a spectacular fireworks display at night. All events are free and open to the public. (575) 528-3170, (575) 541-2200.

July 3-6, 2014. Roswell UFO Festival We are planning tons of great activities for the family. Whether you are a serious UFOlogist, or just would like to check out the most unique festival in the world, we have something for you!

August 30-31 – Hatch Chile FestivalThe Mesilla Valley is the chile capital of the world, Sample some of the finest chile while you enjoy food, cras, an auction, live music and more. Hatch. (575) 267-5050. www.hatchchilefest.com

August 30-September 1 – New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival; grape stomping, wine tasting, live entertainment, arts and cras vendors, children’s activities, hourly wine seminars. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10 exit 132. 12 noon – 6 pm each day $13 adults 21 and older, under 21 free but must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian. $3 discount for active duty military on Monday. (575) 522-1232. www.wineharvestfestival.com

September 20-21 - White Sands Hot Air Balloon Invitational. A collection of colorful balloons filling the air over the white gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument. (575) 437-6120, 800-826-0294, www.alamogordo.com

September 3-7 – White Sands International Film Festival. Cineport 10, Mesilla Valley Mall. 700 S. Telshor Blvd. $30-150. 575-522-1232. www.wsiff.com

Grandma’sWhose’ Bed

You have a spare bedroom that is only used when your family comes to visit at the holidays.

It would be nice to use that room as an office, sew-ing room, or me-dia room. If you could only getrid of the bed…

But no, Aunt Jane would never sleep on the sofa, and Uncle Mike is way too old for the sleeping bag. If only there was some way to quickly convert the room from living space to sleeping space and back again. Consider the Murphy Bed, a bed that is hinged at one end so it may be stored vertically against the wall, or inside of a closet or cabinet. Fold it down at night for sleeping & up again during the day for more usable living space.

The Murphy Bed was patented in 1900 by William Murphy.

In those days, the moral code frowned upon a gentleman enter- taining a lady in his bedroom.

Having only a one room apartment, Murphy designed thebed to fold up into a closet, changing is bedroom into a parlor and Social order was maintained. Murphy Beds come in twin, full, and queen sizes. They can be folded vertically or horizontally. Designs include elegant cabinets, integrated book cases and special lighting. Or may integrate desk that folds down while the bed is up and out of the way, creating a computer work station. XtraWorX, llc , can build a Murphy Bed to meet your design , matching your style, wood type and size requirements. Located at 1132 Hwy 48, Alto. Drop by, or call 575-479-7010

Co m i n g !Does She Get?

Staying beautiful in the desert isn’t always easy – but a girl’s gotta do it!

The southwest is known for its incred-ibly dry climates and high heat, and both of those can be unique problems of their own depending on where you are (not all desert regions stay hot, but they’re almost all dry). If you live in the middle of a southwest desert , here are some tips for staying beautiful year-round!

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your skin fresh with regular moisturizing habits when you’re in a dry climate. Dry heat is great compared to humid heat, but the problem with it is that you usually don’t realize how dehydrated your body is until you’re (sometimes literally) dying of thirst! Your skin is the same way – so preemptively keep it moisturized throughout the day, especially if you have to wash your hands oen.

Sun Block

Everybody loves a nice tan, but when you’re close to the equator and in direct exposure to the sun like we are in the south- west, the sun’s rays really “sneak” up on you.

Before you know it you’re burnt to a crisp, so be sure to apply a little SPF before spending any prolonged amount of time outside. And remember Sun Block dœs not last all day. You will need to reapply every two to four hrs depending on your activities!

Dry Lips?

Dry lips are a major casualty of desert conditions, and it’s not uncommon to get equally dry, cracking, peeling lips. Part of this is due to the digestive enzymes in saliva that gets spread when you lick your make up for it, which can further damage your lips Moisturize your lips oen, preferably with some- thing with Vitamin E, and exfoliate at night to remove dead skin cells and follow up with moisturizer.

Don’t Forget Your Face!

Wash and – you guessed it – moisturize your face oen. Try an at-home facial mask.

I BOUGHT THE FOREST! It was by all accounts, just another typical beautiful Sunday morning in

Ruidoso, New Mexico, that my journey in becoming an RV Park owner began. My wife, JoAnn, and I were up from Austin, Texas, to visit my daughter

Christina and son-in-law Marshall. Breakfast was being cooked; the smell of

bacon sizzling and popping in the skillet, eggs ready for the pan, and the

smell of fresh homemade biscuits being cooked in the oven.

Somehow being in the mountains with the crisp, cool morning & fresh

clear air, life at the mo-ment was perfect. After finishing off break-fast Marshall suggested a drive through Nogal Canyon. Never driven the back roads in that canyon, I was all in for a day’s adventure; but my wife and daughter weren’t exactly keen on the idea. With a little persuasion they consented and our adventure began and what an adventure in life it became. Our drive, as expected, was nothing short of spectacular and as we

approached hwy 48, three miles from Bonito Lake, I saw a small for sale sign

in front of a big yellow sign that said Bonito Hollow R V Park and Camp-

ground. We weren’t exactly campers but for whatever reason, I call it fate, we both

wanted to know more about this small RV park nestled on the back of the

mountainside with the bubbling Rio Bonito kissing its boundaries.

Long story short, we along with my brother Terry, bought the park, and our

lives changed forever. Our first season as park owners gave us the opportunity to see people at

their best, but as we all know that things happen that we don’t plan on. For

example, when in July a couple from Ft. Worth, Texas came in for a week of

camping. Nature’s creatures often come visiting at night.

Not thinking, after cooking steaks, potatoes, and all the fixings that go

with a great meal, they forgot to put the food away when supper was

finished. They retired to bed only to be awakened by a mother bear with two

cubs eating everything that was left out including the two ice chests of food

that was not stored away. The next evening they again cooked out, but this time they carefully stored their two ice chests of food in their jeep with a cloth bikini top. Thinking that everything was fine they retired to bed only to be awakened again by the sound of you know what. The man jumped out of bed, opened the trailer door, and what he saw is what great stories are made of. The mother bear had

slapped the bikini top back and was sitting in the seat of the jeep eating a

bag of onions found in the ice chest.

The next morning the man came in the office smiling as if he had just won

the lottery. He asked for another night’s stay as he wanted to set a complete

dinner out on the picnic table for the mother bear and her two cubs. What a

great story and memory that will last a lifetime.

After our first two seasons of hard work, rebuilding the infrastructure,

refurbishing the cabins, bathhouse, pavilion and just about everything made

tragedy reared it’s ugly head. June 12, 2012, the Little Bear fire destroyed

everything but our beautiful land, our fond memories of what we had

achieved, and most importantly our tenacity in knowing we could rebuild a

better park. It’s taken almost two years, but we now have a new bathhouse, a new

pavilion, our new cabin designs are completed; and most importantly, our

home is almost finished. Bonito Hollow has truly risen from the fire. Our plans continue to be in recreating a better park; a park that is your

vacation destination when in the Ruidoso, New Mexico area. So from my

family to yours, travel safe until we meet again keep in touch with us on

Facebookwww.facebook.com/BonitoHollow.RVPark.Campgroundor visit our web page at www.bonitohollow.com/ and we look forward to

seeing you this camping season!

Grilling with Zin

Although salads, seafood and fish are great summer foods, there is little question that grilling red meat is still the number one summer activity for many backyard chefs. For barbecue, there might be no better choice than a Zinfandel. The black pepper spice, acidity and ripe tannins will help carry the flavor and texture of the meat, whether using a barbeque sauce, steak sauce or mild salsa.

Stuck on White

For barbecued chicken, the fruity profile of a dry or an off-dry Riesling will help accentuate the spices while providing a contrast to the sweet, smoky nuances of the dish.

A Chardonnay will pair well with grilled fish as well as corn on the cob while the herbal nature of a Sauvignon Blanc makes it a perfect compliment to almost all the vegetables and an even better marinade for fish.

A sweeter white wine such as a Gewürztraminer would also be a great choice for spicier dishes such Cajun chicken thanks to this wine’s sweeter profile.

GUILT-FREE DESSERTS Looking for some tempting summer desserts

that won’t send your healthy diet into a tailspin? Try some of these to-die-for healthy summer desserts and satisfy your sweet tooth

without the guilt!

FRESH FRUIT KEBOBS Summer is a great time to take advantage of all the delicious fruits that are in season. For a healthy and completely guilt-free dessert, skewer up some tasty fresh fruit kebobs.

Big juicy chunks of pineapple, mango, banana, grapes, strawberries, blueberries .... are you drooling yet?

FRUIT PIZZA

Pizza is always a winner, no matter what's on top. And if you haven't tried a fruit pizza yet, you are in for a mouth-watering surprise. Whip up this skinny dessert with your favorite homemade pizza crust. Aer it's cooked, spread on a thin layer of Neufchatel cheese mixed with just a dollop of the sweetener of your choice. Pile on as many fresh berries as you can handle, dust with powdered sugar & voila! You've died and gone to pizza heaven.

DRUNKEN STRAWBERRIES To make this delicious dessert, use a double boiler to melt a bar of dark chocolate, dip in some succulent strawberries, wait for them to harden and get ready to swoon.

These drunken chocolate strawberries are the perfect treat for any summertime soiree.

ALMOND BANANA POPS And while we are still in chocolate heaven, try dipping a few bananas in for a cool, refreshing, guilt-free treat. Aer dipping in chocolate, roll in crushed almonds, pop a stick in one end and return to the freezer until frozen.

Everyone will bow down when they taste this healthy alternative to ice cream.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES Are you surprised to find brownies on this list? If so, you probably haven't heard of the secret to lightening your favorite brownie recipe. It may sound strange, but baby food prunes or applesauce can be swapped for butter or oil in almost any brownie recipe for a low-fat version of this decadent dessert. Serve warm over a scoop of frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream. Shhhh… no one will even know the difference.

Every �me you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie

The placement of a donkey's eyesin its head enables it to see all four feet at all �mes!

No piece of square dry paper can be folded more than 7 �mes in half!

Skep�cisms is the longest word that alternates hands when typing!

The praying man�s is the only insect that can turn its head!

In Virginia, the Code of 1930 has a statute which prohibits corrupt prac�ces or bribery by any person other than poli�cal candidates.

Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces a�er ea�ng!

Porcupines float in water!

The only 15 le�er word that can be spelled without repea�ng a le�er is "uncopyrightable"!

A person uses approximately 57 sheets of toilet paper each day! ( That’s a lot of Charmin)

Connec�ons The Magazine of Southeast New Mexico

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