A dose of high country research . . . .

We traveled 818 miles this weekend and had the opportunity to visit with many dear friends.  Last week we experienced three days with temperatures in the mid-90s here in southern New Mexico.  This past weekend up in northern New Mexico we wore sweaters and jackets and even experienced a full night of rainfall.  Rain?  We had almost forgotten what that form of precipitation was like as we have had less than a half-inch of rain since January 1st here in Las Cruces.

Saturday afternoon one of our friends told me something that would gladden any author's heart.  She was traveling through the Phoenix airport one weekend and while waiting for her flight took a seat in the passenger area.  Across the aisle a young woman was reading Tierra Red.  This occurrence not only put a grin on my friend's face but made my heart sing!

Yes, we were in Tierra Red country over the weekend.  Did some rather important research up in the mountains at about 8,000 feet in elevation.  We drove through a ranch with open cattle grazing which meant the cows and their calves were meandering across the road in search of greener grass.  The sky was overcast, the air was chilly, and the wind was rustling through the pine trees -- it could have been a day in 1900 or a day in 2011 during which the sequel takes place.

And, yes, the sequel is progressing nicely . . . .

Of cabbages and kings . . . .

For some strange reason, that stanza from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass always pops into my head whenever I am doing research. Perhaps it is because I begin looking for one thing, which in turn leads to looking at something else, and then again at yet something totally unrelated. Or, so it would seem.

The 1890's were a time of transition. The early 1900's was a time of lightning-fast changes. And all of this was much more evident in a place like the Territory of New Mexico than one could imagine. Especially in southern New Mexico.

Anyway, I digress. My adventure in researching this afternoon and evening led to more than a few fascinating discoveries.

Did you know that the lowly file folder has been around for over 130 years? Go to the Early Office Museum and look at the 1876 Centennial Expo page.

Did you know that during the 1890's Americans went bananas for board games? Go to this charming website and discover how many games we play today were being played then.

Do you know who wrote the bible of card games? Go to this link and read all about it.

I'll say it again -- research is fun!