Letters From Genie

Hello from Ruidoso, NM

Wed 23 Nov 2005

I t is a lonely night at the Mescolero Hospital. It tends to be feast or famine with many medical institutions. There is no reason for patients to come to get a note not to work or go to school because tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I guess it says that so many of the illnesses we see only need treatment when it is convenient for the victim. I still enjoy seeing people and doing a lot of preventative medicine and teaching regardless of the reason for the visit.
The week-end was interesting. I went to the Dance Studio for several hours of ballroom dance on Saturday night (having worked till 10:30 Friday night). We did the two step and East coast swing, cha-cha-cha, salsa, polka and waltz and the Bolero. I wore one guy out doing the polka and finished up with a young gal doing turn after turn. Wore her out, also. I asked one of the two teachers if she had boogie-woogie. She asked who recorded it. These ballroom dance people are naive. I laughed. There is a dance party at this studio once or twice a month. I cannot stand the smoke in the bar which I visited twice. Have difficulty breathing; though the bands were nice and the people friendly.
Sunday, I went to Chinese brunch at a place recommended. It wouldn't last a week in the DC area. Not very good and overpriced as well. I found an article in the local paper about the sandhill cranes wintering from Churchill Manitoba (on the Hudson Bay) now in San Antonio NM. I decided to go watch them land for the evening so went to see the Petroglyphs (stone carvings which are about 10,000 years old) en route. Got a call from my realtor who was removing (for me) some things in my home that I do not want to sell at the auction at my West Virginia home tomorrow morning. I was in the middle of a yucca desert when she called. I did make it to San Antonio by dusk and saw thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese in this marsh area. They like the marsh for protection from coyotes. It was beautiful with a backdrop of the setting sun behind some hills. The cranes were graceful, large and noisy. They were making landings in groups of 20-50 coming in from the south where they had fed all day. They head back to Canada in February. I got a couple of pictures.
I then drove the 100 miles back to Ruidoso (which means noisy water) in the dark. I stopped to look at the Milky Way coming back. The stars are bright here, especially with no moon yet. They are preventively burning forests here to avoid massive fires. The sky was smoky for most of my 15 mile trip back to my hotel for the past two nights. A co-worker saw 5 large elk by the road going home. I missed seeing them. They were apparently driven to the road by the fire.
Ruidoso is one of the hangouts of Billy the Kid and Smokey Bear was from nearby Capitan. I remember reading "Smokey" to Jeff when he was young. "It was a bright May morning in the mountains of New Mexico...". Have finished two books on tape The Rock Orchard and The Kite Runner . Both were excellent. I learned a lot about Afghanistan with the latter. On written page, I finished The Rule of Four and am reading The Charm School. Will go to Alamogordo for Chinese buffet, and line dancing before work next Thursday. Need to get sushi ginger. Miss that so much. I use it medicinally, too. Still doing bridge and line dance here.
It was 60 here with blue skies. I am incredibly anxious about the sale of some of my more precious possessions at my home tomorrow. I hope the weather(Moma says snow) does not interfere. Wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am working from 1 until 5 pm.

Love, Genie

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