Red Sky at Night- Sailor's Delight?

But, what if we are in the mountains?: Same rules apply; And FYI, Jesus, said it first in Matthew.

Mora River Falls

Though it may not look like much, it does flow year-round, it feeds many acequias upstream, and the "willow trees" in Mora/ Cleveland are gigantic from soaking their roots for centuries.

Wilderness View of the Sangre De Cristos

60 Miles as a crow flies to Santa Fe NM directly SW over those mountains.

Blue Green Mountains

The color that reveals itself on the surrounding hills and mountains of northern New Mexico is truly a rich and striking contrast to the eyes.

A Cedar Forest

Cedars are a hardy fragrant tree that adapt well to the sunny dryer areas, and grow quite large when moisture is available, that is why they do so well in the Mora Valley; especially, Holman, North Cleveland and the southern facing hills.

Winter's Last Breath before Spring

The colors and light of Northern New Mexico offer a never ending palette for the senses. The buds are teaming on every branch, but one cannot tell from the picture. Flowers of spring will just appear as if by magic by the first full-moon of April.

New Mexico Fixer

No joke, this is considered a New Mexico fixer. However, these efficient old adobes look unbelievable when they are freshly plastered with a new roof. Adobes function by absorbing radiant thermal energy throughout the day from the sun, due to their thickness of walls, the heat does not reach the interior until evening, then, the radiant heat warms the house all night, in the morning, the house is cool, and the whole process is repeated.

A View To Chacon New Mexico

The road below is Hwy 518 heading north at about 35 miles from Las Vegas, NM to the south. The split in the road in the far view of Hwy 518 is the road to the ancient valley town of Chacon, NM. Heading north from Las Vegas NM, one will pass the towns of Sapello, Buena Vista, Ledoux (inland west), Mora, Cleveland, Holman, then Chacon; if one continues on 518, you will end up in Taos over the mountain pass, which is around 30 miles NW of Chacon. 

A View From Above HWY 518 In Cleveland New Mexico

This is a view north from the top of our property, the town of Angel Fire, NM is just over those distant mountains..

Full Moon Rising Above Comanche Peak

The full moons rises above Comanche Peak from our location, and moves more south as we enter spring and summer. The sky in the Mora Valley is well-known for it's lack of reflective light, making it a true "dark-sky" location for star-gazing or astronomy. In fact, the stars are so bright in these mountains, one cannot see through the Milky way, for the stars are too thick and bright. Throughout the year it is interesting to watch the band known as the Milky Way move it's position from East to West during winter to North to South during the equinox changes of spring and summer; this is something I never noticed my entire live of living near the west coasts. Even well-known constellations such as "Orion" can take a moment to spot in the sky, due to the sheer amount of stars within the group. I have actually seen shooting stars collide in the sky here during Leonid Astroid Showers. 

No Need For Car Alarms

Your city may be known for high-tech gadgets to put your heart at ease; like car alarms, fire truck runs, cameras on street poles, etc.. My home town was once known for it's fruit trees, then somehow, the entire county's population grew from around 200,000 in the early 60's, to over 3.3 million when I left in the early 00's. My point is this; car alarms were a standard item on most newer cars in that city, no one ever called the police when they went off, and they were a source of much frustration for those who had to endure the noise of "dozens-a-day" going off from the wind blowing, or trucks going by. Now, where I live, you can't get someone to steal your car; or, for that matter, give away the ones they no longer want, which are now considered a source of beauty.

Angel's Touch in the Sangre De Cristos

Snow so light and delicate that it will be gone in one day. One day's sun can end, only to awake to tomorrow's latest "do".

Plein Air Painter Heaven, New Mexico

Most folks envision 'PLEIN AIR" painting as dragging an easel out into nature, and "fussing all-day long" with oil paint; actually, that is not quite accurate. True painting "en plein-air" is an attempt to capture the moment, before the moment ceases to exist. Now, take the above cloud for example, which was only there for 3 minutes, then the color, the shape, and moment was gone forever; this is the true nature and essence of "plein air", one must develop a fast technique, eidetic memory, and a humble respect for the fast changing beauty of the world; and of course, attempt to paint what one thinks they saw.

Year round moisture in the Mora Valley

An artist friend of mine from California, ( also known as Schwarziland), said to me once, "yea, but mountain living is too dry for my liking, I need atmosphere for my paintings": Well, dryness may be a factor in many ranges across the country, but in the Mora Valley of New Mexico it is not at all true. Mora Valley being circular, flat at the bottom; much like a bowl, surrounded by 10,000'+ foothills, and those surrounded by 12,000'+ mountians, actually send all of their melt-off, rain, moisture, etc., down their slopes right into the Mora Valley. Which is why the Mora River, Coyote Creek, and numerous other streams, all feed the "year-round" acequias throughout the entire valley.  

Mora the "Big Sky" Valley

The colorful marbled skies of the Mora Valley are unlike other locations in New Mexico; largely due to the circular shape of the valley, humidity levels, various wind directions, canyon currents, etc., which cause the clouds and passing fronts to arrange into different "eddy" patterns, which create a show unique throughout the year.

Why are they called the "Sangre De Cristos"?

The "Sangre De Cristos" Mountian Range, which runs from northern New Mexico northerly into southern Colorado. The name in Spanish means "Blood of Christ", and was so named because of the effect of the morning sun at dawn, which lights-up the mountains with a definite "sanguine" red color; it only lasts for a few seconds. The early bird truly does catch this fleeting view, and it is something to behold. 

Sangre De Cristos, Mora, New Mexico, USA

The Mora Valley of North Eastern New Mexico lies in the Sangre De Cristos Mountain Range. Mora Valley has been continuously inhabited for more than 2000 years, though 500 years ago the Spanish Conquistadors settled it. Surrounded by peaks as high as 13,000 feet above sea level, the towns of Mora, Cleveland, Holman and Chacon have a surprisingly mild four seasons; similar to the Columbia Valley of Washington.