New Mexico travel — Blog 1

Social Distance Canine Photography

The science is fairly clear. We all need to be at least 6 feet apart and wear a mask to reduce the potential infection of someone else during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Does a human pandemic stop your dog from growing? Nope. He's going to grow and change no matter what happens to us.

That reality, coupled with a need to build my portfolio, led me to do some free photo sessions. Buttercup's owner Michelle Clark was among those answering my ad for a free Social Distance Canine photography session.

Buttercup Was Free

Michelle called to ask if I was really offering free dog photography, and I assured her there was no cost for JPEG files and a small print. During our phone conversation, Michelle told me she'd gotten her Chihuahua Buttercup for free at a garage sale. She'd overheard a man say "Oh, I can't pick her up today, can I come back tomorrow?"

Michelle took one look and piped up, "I can take her now!" And that's how Buttercup came home with her three years ago.

Buttercup's Session

We agreed to meet at Marion Fox Park near her home one evening. I used Google Earth and the Sun Surveyor app to see what the park looked like and check light angles when I'd be shooting. There were tennis courts, trees, some benches and playground equipment to use for props. This was Buttercup's environment, reflecting her and Michelle.

We used almost all of the park. Buttercup sat on a bench, struck hero poses on a picnic table, and posed in the grass. I had her chase Michelle around for some action shots too. One of the best pictures came from me sitting on the ground with her.

It was clear after about 40 minutes or so that I had some good pictures in a variety of poses. After some editing, I posted the best shots online for Michelle to see. She liked them a lot, and is thinking about which one she wants a free print of.

"It was just super easy. You made me feel comfortable, and you made Buttercup feel comfortable. Just seeing her in action, and her expressions, it was great fun." - Michelle Clark

In-State Travel with Pups - Cloudcroft

Albuquerque was baking in the high 90s. So we looked for a mountain destination to cool things down. We'd visited Cloudcroft before, and it was forecast 10 to 15 degrees cooler, so the choice was easy.

Then I tried calling for RV campsite reservations. Since most everyone is off work and RVs are a self-contained way to travel, campgrounds fill up early. We're so wired into travelling around weekends that when the nearest weekend was booked already, we thought only about going the following one. Then my wife had an epiphany - why not travel during the week, since she's been working remotely anyway, and my schedule is flexible? Leaving on a Monday, it was relatively easy to get RV campsites.

Too Hot To Hike

We stopped but didn't hike at Valley of Fires State Park near Carrizozo, a 5,000 year old lava flow. It was much hotter when the rock was molten, but still too warm for us at 104 degrees.

By the time we arrived at Cloudcroft, it had cooled to 89. We'd taken other dogs hiking on the Osha Trail before, so it was a sort of extended hike baptism for 9 week old Jessie. We hadn't remembered how rocky that trail was, so we were a little disappointed. Dine-in restaurants weren't an option, so we masked up, picked up some burgers and fries to go in Cloudcroft and headed to our RV campsite.

Cool Pines

We'd stayed at Cool Pines RV Campground before, so we knew what to expect. We've aways booked the water and electric-only sites with meadow views. And we knew we'd have an evening show. A white tailed deer herd usually appears in the meadow to browse around sunset. And they were there right on schedule.

The next morning we decided to get away from Cloudcroft, and found the Cedar Creek trail system in Ruidoso. These shaded trails wound beneath tall cedars (what else?), and gave us a reasonably-scenic workout with our dogs.

Inn of the Mountain Gods

We decided to go for something different for dinner - Cloudcroft's food possibilities hadn't exactly wowed us. We'd stopped there before just to look at the place, and decided to check out the to-go food options at Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero. And boy, were we in for a treat! The Broken Arrow Tap House had fish and chips made with beer-battered lobster tail, with lemon grass aioli and waffle fries, plus pleasantly-sweet coleslaw that was obviously freshly made. The New Mexico BBQ Platter included brisket, smoked sausage and roasted chicken breast with three different sauces - mustard style, creamy BBQ, and more traditional spicy bourbon red sauce. This was some of the best BBQ we'd had anywhere - moist and tender, BBQ-spicy flavor in just the meat, and sauces that added sweetness and more flavors to the meats without burying them.

Nearly-deserted Inn of the Mountain Gods

There was plenty of begging, but Sheltie Jessie and Berner Taylor got just a few fries after their dinner. After a walk around the nearly-deserted grounds (a big change from 3 years ago), we returned to Cool Pines for another night with the deer.

Ruidoso Redux

We'd really liked the trails at Cedar Creek, so we hiked a different one there the next day. We were staying at Ruidoso's Midtown Mountain Campground for our last night, so it made sense to do something in town. We found Noisy Water Winery with their excellent Big Legs red blend, and the completed-unrelated Noisy Water Sushi. We returned to our RV site and enjoyed bulgogi, tempura and sushi with wine. A young white tail buck wanted some too, but we don't do wildlife handouts. Berner Taylor and Sheltie Jessie enjoyed their food and begged for some of ours (mostly to no avail).

Sheltie Jessie and Berner Taylor at Midtown Mountain Campground

It was nice to get away to the mountains and avoid some of the heat. Hiking unfamiliar trails gave us new scenery to look at too.

Last Call for Free Social Distance Canine sessions in Albuquerque

Call (408) 483-3782 before August 7 and tell me you visited my website at markbohrerphoto.com, and get a free Social Distance Canine photo session. We'll shoot at a park, mountain trail or other outdoor location of your choice. You'll get free full-resolution JPEG files and your choice of one 8x10 print from one of them. Call soon before this offer goes away!

Book a Social Distance Canine Session

From the Osha Trail - reconstructed railroad trestle, mountains, and distant White Sands National Monument

More Information

Fair West Neighborhood Association (nd), Marion L. Fox Memorial Park. Retrieved from https://abqfairwest.org/safety-and-services/fox-park/

Cool Pines RV Park (nd). Retrieved from https://www.coolpinesrvparknm.com/

AllTrails (nd), Lower Cedar Creek Loop. Retrieved from https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/lower-cedar-creek-loop

Broken Arrow Tap House (nd), Menu. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y65gb7v4

Noisy Water Winery (nd). Retrieved from https://www.noisywaterwinery.com/

Midtown Mountain Camoground & RV Park (nd). Retrieved from https://midtownmountaincampground.com/

Dog Photography And Travel - At A Distance