An inauspicious beginning ...

Gallery in Gila NM

Well, we're here in Silver City NM ... it was a rough trip.  First day was great and after that, not so much.  Wendell got what I call his 'travel illness'.  It consists of a major sinus blowup ... picture riding three days in a truck cab with someone blowing his nose, pinching his nose, rubbing his nose, dabbing at his nose or rubbing his eyes, dabbing at his eyes ... well, you get the picture.  I've been here before.  Strangely this all clears up the day after we get wherever we're going.  I say he is allergic to being away from home.  LOL (not)!

Then I actually got ill for real.  Got a slight sore throat that got worse.  Imagine trying to find a doctor in a city you've only been in three days.  Well, it was a God moment.  Right around the corner from where we are staying is an ENT's office!  I just walked in and prayed they would see me.  This wonderful doctor worked me in within 15 minutes of walking through the door and actually took time with me.  She was very careful and obviously knew her stuff.  I'm now on drugs for yet another sinus infection and after two days am feeling almost back to normal.  It is obvious my sinus surgery of 5 years ago is wearing off ...

We went for a drive yesterday and saw some beautiful country.  We drove out to Bill Evans Lake, right along the Gila River, and did some geocaching along the way, picking up three caches (yeah!).  Wendell liked the lake and will probably go back out there and fish.  After leaving there we went through a little town called Gila where the picture above was taken.  It was a great little gallery with everything made from found materials.  This is how she decorates the outside (I'll never look at a piece of river wood the same again.)  This is about a mile from the Gila River and she finds her materials there.  Inside were smaller, similar items.  Right next door was an old hardware store so W. visited it.

Today we took a walk through some of Silver City's downtown.  We're only two blocks from downtown.  Obviously we'll have to go down there a few more times to cover everything!  There are lots of art galleries, a wonderful co-op grocery where we picked up some local cheese, an army surplus store, lots of gift shops, a fudge and candy shop, lots of antique shops and on and on!  Also a YARN shop!  (I have started a scarf with some really cool nubby mohair yarn I bought there today.)  There is gelatto shop which we'll have to try some time, too.  Lots of cool restaurants and coffee shops galore!  These people must love coffee; I think we saw at least five shops.  We had a great lunch at Vicki's in an old Eagles lodge building. 

I'll have more to write about later.  I'll tell you about this place we're staying later ...