Bambi's cousins & kitschy art

When we were in New Mexico over the summer, I was disappointed I didn't see any elk. This time we spied quite a few of them on several different days. They were always in big groups of cows with their calves, and a few bulls sizing them up in anticipation of the rut.

Mr. Big Elk, seen below, was all-in on attracting the attention of the lady elk, though in a most disturbing way. Be glad I didn't get a video of that. Right after I snapped this shot, he hopped up and proceeded to urinate so that he did a good job of dousing his own head in the stream - more flexible than I imagined! Next he belted out a bugle and rubbed his face on the wet-with-urine grass for good measure, just to be sure it was well coated. Then he swaggered over a few yards and started munching on the golf course grass after this he-elk display. Unfortunately for him, the cows didn't seem impressed.

We also ran across a group of mature mule deer bucks, just chillin' on the lawns of homes between the Kokopelli and Outlaw golf courses in nearby Alto, due north of Ruidoso. We didn't witness any urine dousing displays, thank goodness. I pulled over to take a couple pics, and they didn't give a hoot. 

We tried several new restaurants while we were in New Mexico. The four of us snagged lunch one day at a burger place downtown (Hall of Flame) while we were checking out the shops. Who doesn't love beer battered fries, especially when they're covered in a tasty green chile queso. I also ran across a mural I hadn't seen before of Billy the Kid.

My friend was happy to hit the local Christmas store with me. They had expanded into a small space next door and the Santa options were even more impressive this time since they're gearing up for the holidays. I might need to see about a part time job in there once we build our mountain house, just so I can get an employee discount. We also hit a couple yard art places because the friend loves that sorta stuff.

All in all, it was a relaxing weekend. The view from the back deck of our VRBO was lovely, and we enjoyed the dip in temps at 7000 feet. I love nothing better than a pretty east facing porch to enjoy sunrises. I'm already looking forward to our next visit this winter. Hopefully by then we'll be well on our way to hiring an architect and can start the process of making our second home in the mountains a reality.