An ode to New Mexico summers

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

No matter if the weather is triple-digit-ish, summer is still my favorite season — I think.

There would have been no hesitation during my childhood in Michigan. If you loved to swim, play outside with friends, take long walks and gather wildflowers, as I did, summer was the season for you. The only season, in fact, that you could count on. Winters were very cold and very long, and prone to make untimely incursions on adjacent seasons. But summer was mostly free from awful weather, except for the occasional hail storm, maverick tornado or prolonged rains.

Here, summer is the usurper of what many consider our best seasons: fall and spring. Newcomers will notice that you frequently hear residents of Southern New Mexico complain: “We didn’t have much of a spring this year: we went straight from winter to summer.” 

You hear it so frequently, in fact, that we wonder why anyone considers it remarkable.

Weird as the weather has been in recent years, there are a few things you can expect pretty regularly during summer here: some wonderful, some — not so much.

A river will run through it (even if it’s only for 45 days this year), and we will be able to envision what summers once were like on the banks of the Rio Grande, when it was a wild river, rather than a micromanaged irrigation ditch. 

There will be what I called, in jest, a monsoon season, when I first moved here. Imagine my surprise when the term seemed to catch on with regional weather people.

While not as dependable as summer wildfires during our recent drought years, if there is going to be a rainy season, summer’s the time. And for almost all of my two decades in Las Cruces, it seems like the most likely time for a deluge, or at least some serious sprinkles, is the Fourth of July. Fireworks displays are just about the only event for which some municipalities have back-up alternative rain dates here. But most seem to decide to go ahead, even during the most impressive Independence day thunder and lightning storms, nature’s much more impressive answer to our feeble-by-comparison manmade explosions. Rain is something to celebrate.

This could even lead to a prolonged periods of what New Mexicans call humidity, a pretty laughable concept for someone who has lived in the Midwest, drizzly Oregon and in South Florida and Jamaica, where you can literally get mugged by desperado tsunamis of humidity which fog your sunglasses and leave you drenched, the second you step out of air conditioned DMZs.

Of course, many of us still have swamp coolers, which are severely compromised by prolonged monsoons.

Still, New Mexicans are so elated by any prospect of moisture, that you’re likely to find us pretty cheery during the summer, welcoming legitimate reasons (like survival) to take it slow, sip a cool drink, slip into places with the best AC, and sing and dance in the rain, when it comes. 

Even when it seems the triple-digit heat will never end, many of us will consider summer way too short, because school will start in August, rather than September, post-Labor Day, as it does in most of the country. 

And some will feel obligated to start contemplating back-to-school issues in July, or even June. 

New Mexico’s tax-free back-to-school weekend is Aug. 2 through 4 this year, so you don’t have to think about all that for another month. And though I just looked it up, I’m not going to mention exactly when school will start for teachers and students.

The older you get, the faster it goes.

 So slow down, kick back and enjoy it while you can. Savor your Southwestern summer in all its steamy, chile-enhanced, hopefully-monsoon-blessed glory.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore.

  

La Posta unveils new brand of premium tequila

About the exclusive tequila

Name: La Posta de Mesilla Herradura Private Reserve Double Barrel Reposado

Available: Shots, shot flights, margaritas, by the bottle

Where: La Posta de Mesilla, 2410 Calle de San Albino

When: Restaurant open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to  9 p.m. Sunday. 

How much? Prices vary

Info: 575-524-3524, laposta-de-mesilla.com

La Posta unveils new brand of premium tequila

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

MESILLA — Could we become a tequila tourism mecca?

La Posta, long celebrated for its food, history and adobe ambiance, now has its very own tequila. More than 225 tequila aficionados gathered for a June 27 launch and tasting party for La Posta de Mesilla Herradura Private Reserve Double Barrel Reposado at the historic restaurant, just off the Mesilla Plaza.

“And we had over 50 people on a waiting list for the party,” said Tom Hutchinson who owns La Posta with his wife Jerean Camuñez Hutchinson. Her great-aunt, Katy Griggs Camuñez, founded the popular restaurant in 1939.

The couple decided to work with premium tequila makers Huerradura, in Tequila in the Mexican state of Jalisco, to formulate their own brand.

And it’s a big deal, said Clint Lanier of Las Cruces, author of “Bucket List Bars: Historic Saloons, Pubs, and Dives of America.” 

He thinks it’s the right spirit at the right time.

“It’s one of just two New Mexico restaurants to have their own tequila. The only other, El Pinto in Albuquerque, has a similar partnership with a tequila maker, and a similar building with a lot of history,” said Lanier, who feels La Posta’s ambiance is perfectly suited to take advantage of a new trend.

“The craft liquor culture has become as trendy as  wine and then beer has become. A lot of those people are now crossing into the spirits,” he said, adding that aficionados will gladly travel on quests for a unique Scotch ... or tequila.

Enthusiastic connoisseurs seemed to be in full-tilt questing mode and La Posta was ready, with a launch fiesta that included an ice sculpture, Borderland music, festive decor, spicy cuisine and wait staff in colorful Mexican outfits.

And, of course, the tequila, served up in margaritas, multi-colored flashing neon shot glasses and a tasting bar designed to educate everyone from neophytes to sophisticated wine connoisseurs about the basics of tequila sampling.

There are procedures as traditional as the familiar wine, cheese and crackers rituals.

“In Mexico, we’ve learned that they use vegetables to cleanse the pallet between shots of tequila, and we’re also offering our own sangria,” said Jerean Hutchinson, holding court near a pyramid of containers stocked with carrots, lime, jicama, cucumbers and celery.

The new tequila is “smooth,” tasters generally agreed.

“It’s very smooth. A little oaky. You can taste the barrel aging. I like it a lot,” said Steve Spotts of El Paso, whose wife Jacqueline, agreed.

So did David E. Ikard of Las Cruces: “It’s smooth as all get out.”

Marsha San Filippo of Las Cruces tried the new spirit in a specialty drink called the Lucky Horseshoe Margarita.

“It was very smooth mixed. I want to try it straight up,” San Filippo said.

“Ooo. That’s nice. Full of flavor. I can see myself sitting on the beach, just sipping this,” said Shakera Crawley, an El Paso native who works in Las Cruces. She tried both a shot of the new spirit straight, and another sample infused with pink peppercorns and pineapple, her personal favorite.

“It’s so innovative. I love the idea of the tequila, that you can give a bottle of tequila that’s from our area and send it all over the world,” said Irene Oliver Lewis of Las Cruces.

“It’s wonderful. Beautiful. Everyone is absolutely intrigued with this,” said Keila Harrington, a Chicago native who now lives in New Mexico.

“I think it would be better if it were chilled. I’m not generally into the reposados, but this is pretty good, with a little bit of bite,” pronounced Ron Farthing of Las Cruces.

“It’s delicious. I like tequila. It’s smooth and easier,” said Margy Papen of Las Cruces.

Those who missed their event will be able to experience their own tasting with a Herradura Lucky Flight, featuring three, half-ounce pours of Herradura agave tequilas, including La Posta’s signature new Double Barrel Reposado, served with the house Sangria and “an assorted garden of jicama, cucumber and carrots to savor and cleanse the palate.” 

The Hutchinsons hope their tequila, sold only at La Posta, will soon be available by the bottle. For information, call 575-524-3524 or visit online at laposta-de-mesilla.com.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore

Ten things you should do at least once this summer

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

We may be having a tough time enduring the hot, muggy (for high-desert country) weather and it may seem that school is just around the corner, but don’t lose sight of some crucial summer pleasures that can be the best part of this season.

Here’s my personal list of 10 things you should do at least once this summer.

•Grill dinner.

Don’t have an outdoor grill, or feel like it’s too hot to contemplate the whole process? Invest in a grill pan and put those impressive grill marks on anything from a steak and chicken to fruits and veggies.

•Walk on the beach. Hurry, quick, while there are still a few more days before they turn off the Rio Grande. 

Or plan a day trip to Elephant Butte.

Or stroll our state’s most famous beach: White Sands. In the sizzling season, it’s best in early morning and by moonlight. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and next Full Moon Night programs will be at 8:30 p.m. July 22 and Aug. 21. Info: 575-479-6124 or e-mail whsa_interpretation@nps.gov.

Fun fact from WSNM: “Only the top few inches of the gypsum dunes are made of loose sand. Rainwater falling on the dunes dissolves some of the gypsum and cements the sand grains together, creating a crude form of plaster of Paris. This makes the white sand dunes easy to walk on.”

And, of course, our whole state is pretty much beach, and if what we hear about the ancient inland sea is correct, most of it was oceanfront once upon a time.

Take off those flip-flops and get ready to feel the sand in your toes and build a castle or two. Wear something summery: a gaudy, tropical print shirt, a new bathing suit and stylish beach cover-up. And don’t forget the silly hat and sunscreen.

•Mix a summer cocktail. Invent your own mai tai or margarita. Add green chile or jalapeños to your favorite beer. Make virgin versions for teetotalers. How about a Virgin Galactic cocktail in honor of the Spaceport? Let me know if you come up with a great concoction.

•Take a cool summer dip. Not a swimmer? Join a water aerobics class, or take cool showers. And you’re never too old to run through the sprinkler or have a squirt gun fight.

•See a blockbuster movie. The sillier, the more special effects, the better. Sneak away during the hottest part of the day to a theater with the coldest A/C you can find.

•Read a beach book. Again, the sillier, the steamier, the better. Or reread a favorite mystery, novel or book from your childhood.

•Find a summer love — or, to recycle a key theme from that iconic ultimate summer festival, Woodstock, love the one you’re with.

 If you’re single, consider tracking down one of your first summer loves online. If he or she is single, too, and you can’t remember why you broke up/drifted apart, set up a reunion.

•Take a siesta, at the hottest time of the day. There’s a reason behind the custom.

•Have a picnic. It can be as simple as a brown bag solo lunch on a park bench or as elaborate as a basket packed with linen,  glassware, wine and gourmet goodies for a romantic brunch or sunset feast at your favorite scenic spot.

•Throw a party. Invite the whole neighborhood and go all out with a Tiki bar, umbrella drinks, leis and grass skirts.

Or have a small, impromptu, intimate soiree for one or two, based on any of the other nine items on this list.

Or not. If your favorite summer pleasure is not on this list, make your own. Happy summer!

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore

A slow start to silly season

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

Having trouble getting into a summery mood?

Climate change has escalated beyond deniability with giant tornados, floods, drought and rampant wildfires.

Our infrastructure is crumbling around us.

Congress is growing more and more dysfunctional.

The impacts of sequestration are coming home to roost and there seems to be a new government crisis or scandal every week.

Usually around this time of year, journalists are talking about silly season — a carefree time of vacations, blockbuster movies, games, music and books that are escapist and frivolous.

This summer, in addition to the greater-than-usual regional, national and international sturm und drang, your local Sun-News journalists are converting from Macs to PCs and a whole new multi-media content management system.

You’d think this would be the time to abandon silly season, personally and professionally.

That was my feeling, too, until I decided I might as well go ahead with my annual fads of summer story (currently in the works). 

And I’m glad I did, I decided, as I tempted a neighborhood dog with my glow-in-the-dark Frisbee and debated whether I should send my new collection of superhero hand tattoos (the temporary kind) to grandson Alexander the Great or  keep ’em myself. (I think I’ll compromise and keep Wonder Woman, then share the others.)

I’m not advocating a slacker, isolationist, escapist policy, you understand. There are issues that need attention, people who need help and members of congressmen to contact.

But could it hurt to throw a picnic, a sing-along, a blockbuster movie date, a swim, or a new toy into the mix?

There’s something about the rhythm of life that calls out for a summer break now and then.

There are American summer traditions as ingrained as the Fourth of July, apple pie and ice cream socials.

Almost all of us grew up associating summer with a break from school and some kind of family vacation, like a road trip to see assorted wonders or a camping expedition to enjoy the wilderness.

No matter what the budget, most of us can manage some variation of that, even if it’s just a day at a regional fiesta.

There are a lot of summer staycation options here, too — a backyard barbecue, summer park programs, free concerts and free movies.

While assembling a collection of my favorite childhood books for a friend’s granddaughter recently, I was reminded of how many adventures you can have just sitting and reading under a shady tree, or in a cool backyard hammock.

In fact, I was tempted to revisit some of my childhood favorites and a mystery series I love, and I’m finding them just as fun the second time around.

With a wealth of summer-reading programs, book giveaways and the resources of local libraries, we can all enjoy exotic travels to foreign cultures, and even other realms, without mortgaging the house or sacrificing college to fund a Spaceport fight.

Back-seat pillow fights and super squirtgun duels. Runs through the sprinkler. An early-morning nature walk with a parent or grandparent, before it gets too hot.

While the memory of  a five-star resort vacation dims, I can still remember a long-ago summer canoe trip with my grandfather. I remember clearly the shock of an icy cold swim, the fun of navigating through pine forests and sandy coves.

In trying times, we should all try to find ways to take breaks, play and have a little silly fun with those we love.

We’ll come back to life’s challenges refreshed, with new ideas and energy.

Maybe we should send Congress to mandatory summer camp this year, and hand out super camper medals for those who best learn how to play well with others.

Do something silly today. Happy summer!

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore

Alternative Dad’s Day plans

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

Today’s the day.

Have you made plans to get together with your dad or grandfather?

If your schedules, locations, or financial or health considerations make getting together impossible, have you sent off the card and gifts?

If not, don’t panic. Dads tend to be forgiving about these things and there are lots of last-minute strategies that can make your father feel special on his day.

If all his favorite restaurants are booked, you can deliver a picnic basket packed with some of his favorite treats, invite him over for a special meal  or offer to grill the steaks, burgers or salmon at his home or yours.

Give him a book or movie you think he’d like, or tickets to a sports or entertainment event and make a date to enjoy it with him.

Since many dads hate crowds (and waiting in line, and public displays), you may actually be making his day considerably brighter.

If dad’s at a distance, you can still share some face time via phone or Skype. Or consider making a date for a low-tech, voice-only phone call. No matter how tech savvy your dad is, this is not a time for mere texting. This is an occasion for snail mail letters and cards, and the warmth of hearing your voice, gifts that will warm his heart, and maybe earn a place in his desk or bureau drawer for decades after the day.

For those of us who have lost our dads, there are still many ways to honor memories and celebrate the day.

Reach out to widows, children, grandchildren and other relatives and friends of departed dads. Plan letters or phone chats and share favorite memories.

If you’re up to it, get some flowers and plan an expedition to his cemetery plot, a place you scattered his ashes, or one of his favorite places or somewhere you think he would have loved seeing.

Follow that with an upper of some kind: a walk, a meal.

If you have friends or family with loved ones in the military who are stationed far away, or who have died in the service, make a special effort to help them remember those special dads today.

Gather packing materials and gifts of toiletries and nonperishable treats and help their stateside families assemble goody packages to send off to those serving far away.

And for those who lost brave dads in battle, from World War II to the present, a prayer, a card, a call, can help ease grief with warm memories.

If you are of a certain age, probably many or all in your circle of friends are without dads to spoil on this Father’s Day.

It’s a good opportunity to gather for a little memorial lunch or dinner of your own. Ask friends and relatives to bring a few old photos of their dads and at various stages of family life, with newborns, small children, teens, first grandchildren, etc. Pass the photos around the table and share favorite anecdotes about your dad and experiences you’ve shared.

Not all of us were fortunate enough to have or know our dads while growing up. If you know someone in that category, it would be sweet to reach out and include him or her in your plans, maybe for a quiet meal, a movie or a concert.

Think beyond the traditional biological or adoptive father box, too. It’s a perfect time to honor good people who have been father figures in your life or the lives of friends and relatives.

Teachers, coaches, clergy, mentors, friends ... any admirable father or parental figure in your life, or those of your friends and loved ones, will appreciate your recognition and appreciation of his or her contributions today.

And never forget the best gift of all, for dads here and present, far away and recently or long-ago departed. Tell him: “I love you.”

Wherever your dad is, I believe he’ll get the message.

Happy Father’s Day.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore

Getting back into summer reading mode

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

LAS CRUCES — Whatever happened to those great summer beach books? And the time and inclination to enjoy them?

I was pondering that when I did our annual story about summer reading clubs at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library. 

They have clubs for tots, tweens, teens and adults. And there’s still time to sign up, by the way, and qualify for prizes that range from tote bags and movie tickets to a chance to win a limousine ride. 

It was great to see readers of all ages picking out books and curling up in cozy library nooks and crannies to enjoy a good read.

And I also realized it’s been a long time since my last visit to the library. I discovered they’ve  instituted a great, user-friendly self-checkout system in the interim.

I grew nostalgic for the days — not so long ago — when I devoured at least five to ten books every week and my passion for the written word knew no bounds. I was limited only by the seam-strength of my tote bags and library check-out quotas. In my reading heyday, I got around that one by having cards for several libraries in the metropolitan areas I lived in, supplemented with finds from the great indie, new-and-used bookstores that I always considered a prerequisite for long-term residence anywhere. (In Portland, Ore., it was legendary Powell’s, which colonized an entire big-city block; here, it’s Coas.)

I subscribed to a dozen magazines and several newspapers and managed to turn out a respectable number of book reviews.

When did it all end? And why?

I can trace it to July 21, 2007, when I read the last Harry Potter book, as usual, in one sitting, so I could do a timely review and return it promptly to grandson Alex the Great, then age 10 and among the 15 million fans who bought it in the first 24 hours after its release. (He and his cousins dressed up for the midnight release party and I was delighted to discover a long-awaited book could be a highlight of the summer for a new generation.) 

My spirit was willing, but my back and peepers were weak. After the first 400 pages, my eyes longed for soothing drops and cucumber spa sessions.

These days, I do almost of my reading and research online. I give at the office and then come home to my laptop and hours of DVD programs and documentaries. Add seemingly infinite amounts of electronic tablet information and smartphone tweets, Facebook and assorted other social media shenanigans, and I’m think I’m suffering from CSF (Chronic Screen Fatigue).

My retired, still-well-read sister says her Kindle inspires her to download and read lots of classic favorites and new books, but my CSF flares up every time I prepare to take the plunge.

I find myself longing for the comforting feel and sight of retro paper pages — and sometimes, retro subject matter. I find myself longing to reread old favorites. 

Marian Elzi, Young Adult librarian at the Branigan, led me through racks of vampire and “dystopian” choices, when a blast from the past caught my eye. Trixie Belden is nowhere to be found, but there was a whole rack of Nancy Drew books, in user-friendly, small paperback form.

The cover illustration of today’s Nancy looks like a teenage Cameron Diaz, and the mystery she’s solving involves Siberia bullying and sophisticated computer skills. But her best friends are still Bess and George, still recognizable as their distinctive selves. Boyfriend Ned and dad, attorney Carson Drew, are still supportive background players to the dynamic girl-power trio. And Nancy, who first appeared in the 1930s,  is still her slightly geeky, but brainy and beautiful self. And she still fearlessly unravels life’s mysteries with hands-on , real-time, on-site sleuthing.

It was just what I needed to get me back into summer reading mode. Old school and big time. 

I’ve got a sturdy, oversize tote bag and I’m ready to stock up on beach books.  

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore

What I didn’t do on my vacation

By S. Derrickson Moore

dmoore@lcsun-news.com

I had ten whole days off. And I had plans. Big plans.

At first, I was consideringg a birthday visit to son Ryan in Portland, but scheduling snafus interfered.

I figured it was a perfect opportunity for a productive staycation.

I was going to get out the leaf blower and clean up my yard and hire someone to do some repair work. Then I was going to finally get around to taking advantage of lower interest rates and refinance my house.

I sprinted through some pre-vacation extras to help my colleagues who are juggling new duties and new positions.

Then, I’d planned to zip home after work and whip up something delicious for an impromptu gathering to honor our late, great moms — some recently departed.

There were some reorganization projects in mind: closets to clean and reorganize for the summer, books and clothing to give away to worthy groups and organizations.

I was determined to design my own spa week, finally getting back to exercising every day, alternating lap swims, weight training and hikes through the hood.

I was finally going to organize the contents of all my cartons of clippings, files and photos hastily rescued after the Sun-News fire.

I wanted to have leisurely lunches and dinners with dear friends and catch up on our adventures. And maybe zip off to Truth of Consequences for a healing soak and a beach walk before the summer crowds take over.

I was going to make sense of a health insurance snafu, because reaching a physician and insurer agreement on just one word amounted to a formidable sum.

After our first big rain of the year seemed to trigger every ache related to line-of-duty wounds and falls, I decided to start with the health insurance issues.

Maybe I gave too much at the office, but my usual communication skills seemed at an impasse. No matter how I tried, via visits, faxes and phone calls, I couldn’t seem to convey the clear-to-me insurance mandates to the doctor and his staff.

I began to suspect this was not meant to be a productive, working staycation.

The aches got worse. I took a nap. And more naps. I watched old movies and documentaries. I napped some more and went to bed early.

Occasionally, I made an effort. I surveyed the yard and picked up a piece of windblown litter: an innocent-looking paper towel. It was embedded with prickly desert passengers. I tweezed out the prickers, decided it was an omen and took a nap.

I called my friends, wished them well and asked if we could do our mom’s day memorial another year.

Then I took a nap.

I went swimming twice and hiked a few blocks, about 20 percent of my regular workout regimen, but enough to warrant a few more naps, I decided. I went through everything in my DVR and watched several movies, many for the second time.

I didn’t research delicious, nutritious new recipes. More in the mood to nap than shop, let alone cook, I decided to use up all my fresh produce and live on salads.

At the end of the week, I took stock. Despite my laziness, inactivity and lack of culinary creativity, I’d lost five pounds.

I checked out my yard, where a windstorm had blown in more leaves, twigs and prickly litter. If I had cleaned it up, it would be dirty again anyway, I realized. And I might as well wait a few more weeks before hiring someone to clean it all and prune my pines.

In one of the trees sat a skinny-looking hummingbird. He was still there and aggressively vibing me an hour later, so I spent a few minutes to retrieve the hummer feeder from the garage, fill it with sugar water and hang it on the patio.

Then I took a nap.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore