Southern New Mexico Wine Festival - what the website won't tell you

Cheryl and I hit the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival with the full weight of our thirsty bodies. If you're here to see lovely, artful pictures of the event, click through to see Desert Diva's shots. I'll only embarrass you if you continue here.

 

We came through the gates, got our bracelets, paid, and got our glasses. 

If you want to taste, get in line at the winery of your choice. Wait, get to the bar, ask for tastes of five (or more) of what you want to try. Go from dry to sweet, white to red. Leave a tip, if you're so inclined. Walk away.

Next: Line, taste, forget what you've already tasted, taste it again, dry sweet white red, leave a tip, leave.

Next: Mob, taste, just pour something, you're cute!, open wallet, push through crowd to leave.

Next: It's hot, can I lean on you, pour pour pour pour pour, here's my Visa, roll away, get stepped on twice.

Photobomb?

Lauren Hill

 

Watching this couple made me happy and jealous all at once. They had a nice, easy Jitterbug going; I decided cutting in would be poor form. I love to jitterbug, West Coast swing, and anything you can teach me. No aerials, please. You'll thank me.

It reminded me that I'm in the good company of many, many women who love to dance but have no permanent dance partner. In social dance, followers are many, leaders are fewer. Ladies and gentlemen who follow on the floor, how do you manage? My experience of social dance is that it's brutal if you're not in the market or on it.

But, there will be gracious and willing leaders who will be happy to dance with me, whether I make them shine or not. I just have to be brave enough to weather the others. Right? Right. Maybe later.

When I told them how great they looked on the floor, they told me they'd been dancing 52 years together. Zounds, y'all! He said he couldn't walk and chew gum before he met her. They made each other shine. Dance on!

 

Uh, I'll drink that later.

In New York State winemaking, most vintners also grow their own grapes. Here in New Mexico, I think there are big vineyards that sell their grapes to many wineries. However you do it, Las Cruces is crazy about its wine!

Lots of women wore their winery finery:

I just wore my duckery ... best.

It was a good time! 

Mind scrub

Annie's phone screamed at us all afternoon, warning of EXTREME TORNADO DANGER in our area. It suggested we SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. It was so annoying we finally had to turn it off. We could hardly hear the approaching locomotives over the squawking.

Here's what a local news article advised: If you are in a vehicle or a mobile home, find substantial shelter or a low spot outside and cover your head with your hands. And scream Armageddon outta here!


One of my favorite ways to slip into a different brain is a glass of wine + 70's music. Perhaps another glass of wine, and more 70's music. Maybe 70 wines and one more music - thanks, I'm good.

Last night, it occurred to me I might not own all the music from the 70's, and you guys could suggest some I really should have.

Any genre is good. Any song, any group. The 70's just didn't make bad music. What should I be hearing?

Mea culpa ("the fault of the duck")

Snarky Duck couldn't appear this morning due to burning shame and a hangover.  She asked me to read this prepared statement:

I apologize for getting my paté in a wad.  I paddled around in Lake DeSoto, watched some waterfowl porno with free wifi from The Way Café, and had a few bugs while I chilled my tail feathers.  Snarky Duck needed an attitude adjustment, and I got one from my friend, DownWing Nicole.

Lookit, Snarky Duck can't be trussed!  It's like Patsy said:

Oh, the wayward Duck is a restless Duck
A restless duck that yearns to wander
And I was born to run amok
Run amok with the wayward Duck.

In a downy nest in a semi-truck
I spent my chicklet days
And I guess my youth as a trav'ling Duck
Made me a slave to my wand'ring ways. 

Oh, the wayward Duck is a restless Duck
A restless duck that yearns to wander
And I was born to run amok
Run amok with the wayward Duck.

Oh I met a duck in a border town
I vowed I wouldn't migrate
Tho' I tried my best to settle down
She's livin' with a tired old drake.

Oh, the wayward Duck is a restless Duck
A restless duck that yearns to wander
And I was born to run amok
Run amok with the wayward Duck.

Run amok with the wayward Duck.

Copyright 2011 Duck & Cline 

I hope we can put this behind us, but SD is flighty.

Bob, that's a good price for a magnum of wine you enjoy.  Duke, you are close enough for a cigar;  this is Oak Leaf merlot's trashy sister, Oak Leaf Sweet Red.  You know that New Yorkers are snooty about their wine, which is the main reason we left.

Judy and Merikay, this is a good place to be, and it's my job to enjoy myself while we're here.  While, Nina.  While.

Annie and I had a date night last night.  Reese's McFlurries and Glee in the public parking lot downtown. We sneaked home before midnight.  The people who work in the Lake City McDonald's are uncharacteristically pleasant and personable.  When I went inside to use their bathroom, I realized it was because they listen to 70's disco while they work.  You just can't be crabby singing Ring it!  Ring it! RingItRingIt!  Ahhh!  Try it right now, in case you're building up a snark.

I would like to enrich the Healthcare page, so if you have a resource to share, please leave a comment.  You can comment here or there, but why not do both?