Feb. 7, 2010

Passing through China (as the locals call it) on Hwy 76 this morning was a beautiful sight. The road was sanded down because snow had fallen the night before, but the morning commute was alive with crisp, clear skies and a freshness that seemed so clean that even the sandy, gritty roads could not soil. Mornings like this, make me smile, and the coffee in my travel mug seems to take on an even sweeter smell than usual. Even though it's winter, I feel like Spring is just around the corner...the anticipation is killing me. It's like the sunshine is trying to tell us this morning that soon warmth will permeate the air and it will be here to stay for a while. Then in a blink of the eye, (as I've been dreaming of Spring and enjoying the aroma of my coffee) I've almost passed through this sleepy little town and I suddenly hear the radio announcer predicting another snow storm on the horizon for tonight. Well so much for my Spring dream, I'll have to put my anticipation on hold a while longer....

Jan. 29, 2010

Highway 76 looked especially inviting today after work... it was such a long day today; a Friday filled with deadlines, payroll entry, and end of month reports - just plain old end of the week burnout. Anyway, this morning I didn't meet anyone, not even one car on the way to work - at least not until I hit the "T". It wasn't until I turned off of Hwy 76 onto Hwy 75 (the "T") that I finally hit some traffic... well I meet up with 7 cars in Peña, I guess you can say I hit a whole lot of traffic. The morning traffic commute was soon forgotten as I filled my day with repetitive government paperwork. I couldn't wait to hit the highway again, so I could start my weekend! Going home, the road was clear (after mini snow storms all week), and several cars were darting about. I even passed my two BC survivor cousins taking a brisk walk through Chinatown. I hadn't seen them in a long while; it looked like maybe they had started to resume their normal "summer" walking routine. I hope that means that summer's on it's way ~ boy, wouldn't that be nice! Speaking of walking, I need to hit the treadmill a little more next week; this week was a total flop - yeah, like me flopping on the couch! Well maybe I can hit the treadmill this weekend before I head out and hit ol' 76 again Monday morning....

Jan. 28, 2010

Highway 76 has been battling with blustery weather all week long. The road was clear this morning with a whirling of the white stuff (snow flurries ~as other people call them). It was cold this morning and I could tell by the looks of the other motorists on the road, that they too didn't like being out in the "flurries" any more than I did. Then driving through China, I saw Mr. Fruits walking with his hoodie hiked high around his head and his hands shoved deep in his pockets for warmth. He more than likely was walking back home after going to his parents home to share a cup of Java with 'em. I thought about how happy he always is, no matter what. I figured if Mr. Fruits can be happy walking down 76 in the cold weather, then I should be more than happy to be in my nice warm vehicle instead of walking out in the cold. Instantly my morning changed from gloominess to gladness. Thanks Mr. Fruits, you taught me to be grateful this morning. Besides that, what's a girl to do? I have to make a living, and driving down Hwy 76 in a warm, comfy car, going to make some mula, isn't so bad, so I might as well smile and make the best of it...

Jan. 12, 2009

Today Hwy 76 is taking me in the other direction. I'm taking the whole day off of work to take my husband to Santa Fe for a couple of doctor appointments. Our first appointment of the day is with Dr. Hoverson, the Gastroenterologist at 10:45 a.m., so we leave home around 8:00 a.m. to give ourselves plenty of time to get there. The next appointment is at 2:00 p.m. with Dr. Lorusso at the Cancer Center. The day starts out chilly, but the heater from the 4Runner is blasting hot air in our faces for the first few miles of our trip. For some reason, driving through Ojo Sarco towards Truchas, reminds me of the countless trips my husband and I have taken down this road to go to the Cancer Center for my treatments during my bouts with cancer. Alot of time was spent driving down 76 to get to my beloved "cocktail bar" that I endured not only once, but twice in my lifetime. And now, the thought of my husband having the dreaded disease is almost too much to bear. This particular stretch of the road reminds me of how my husband Joey and I would pray the rosary every day at the start of our trip. We would insert the Rosary CD the minute we would hit the highway and it would take us approximately 30 minutes to finish. By the time we would turn off of 76 onto Medina Road, we would be finished and ready to start our day. Saying the Rosary to start our day always made the cancer problem seem smaller. I make a mental note to myself, to get the CD off the shelf to put in this new vehicle...just in case. Nothing like starting your day with prayer..........

Jan. 11, 2010

Monday mornings are always the same... usually I get out the door just a few minutes late, the laziness of the weekend still lingering in my head. This morning Hwy 76 was unusually quiet...with hardly no cars to be seen. I adjusted my radio, trying to find an upbeat song to get me going. Then just when I think I'm the only person awake on this side of the hill, a familiar car comes barreling around the bend. I recognize the gold colored car in the oncoming lane as that of Suzie the nurse who lives in the next town. I meet her every day or so while we're both making our way to work. I call her a nurse, yet I don't know if she even works as a nurse anymore. It's been years since I actually spoke to her, yet I see her every day on the road and feel close to her. Every time I pass her on the road, I notice her head cocked to the side. It always seems like she's very tired or weary. I think about how every day she passes by the house where her mother lived. Her mother passed away last year, and I'm sure it's very sad for her to pass by her mother's house twice every day ~ on her way to work and then home again. I pray a quick prayer for Suzie that she may get to work safe and ask God to please take care of her mother. Her mother and my mother were very good friends in school, so I somehow feel her pain. Even though I still have my mother, I imagine it must be very, very painful to lose such a precious thing in life. We never know where the road in life will lead us..........

Cruz'n 76 ~ How it came about

This blog came about because of the large amount of time I spend driving up and down Highway 76 in the Land of Enchantment. This blog will give a glimpse of my everyday observations and people that I've seen while traveling along this enticing stretch of highway. Highway 76 is known as the High Road to Taos, stretching between mile marker 1 in Española and ending approximately 30 miles north at the "T" in Peñasco (which leads to Taos). It's a beautiful stretch of highway that cuts through the gently winding city streets of Española to the steep inclines of the high mountain villages that surround my hometown. It happens to be the road I take to and from work each day. It also happens to be the road I take to go see my dear mother (who lives 7 miles away from me), and it's the road I take to go to the store, the post office, my friends homes, and any other place I need to go.... therefore, I spend ALOT of time Cruz'n 76!

Hope you'll come along for the ride......