By Joanne Niswander
I've been back in Bluffton almost two weeks, but my thoughts keep returning to my latest visit to New Mexico. Mind-pictures keep flooding back and need a listening ear, or eye, to share the experience. So join me as we look at a few snapshots.

If you have ever been to Santa Fe, the historic capital of the state, you know that the red-clay adobe architecture brought there by the Spaniards, and maintained today by strict regulations, predominates the low skyline. Even though there is too much urban sprawl in today's Santa Fe (to my way of thinking), the charm of the old part of the city never fails to impress.

Much to my delight, we were able to experience living in one of those adobe dwellings in Santa Fe's old part of town during our two-day visit there. My daughter and her husband had, through the Internet, reserved a small two-bedroom apartment owned by an architect who was living away from Santa Fe for a year.

We had directions to find the apartment, just a few blocks from Santa Fe's central plaza. We drove along narrow, curving streets lined with adobe walls and brightly-painted doorways. Our directions told us to turn at the "dead end street" sign. We then drove half-way down an even narrower alley-like street before arriving at our home for the next two days.

Snuggled in the middle of a city, we entered our own little piece of "old" Santa Fe. Opening the wooden gate, we entered a tiny entry patio with room for one chair and a small tree. There was a not-much-larger side yard of sand and stone shaded by a larger tree, all surrounded by a head-high wooden fence. Inside was a comfortable apartment, decorated in casual modern, with all the conveniences of home - comfy couch, big TV, well-equipped kitchen.

Outside, all was Old Mexico. Inside, we were in anywhere USA.
Now, let's leave the northern part of the state and drive 250-some miles southeast to Carlsbad where my daughter and her husband live. As one approaches the city it may appear like all is desert, but Carlsbad itself has many impressive green spaces. Being situated on the Pecos River, the city maintains a lovely municipal park and beach. The pecan trees are towering, beautifully green, and produce bountifully.

The town itself is more modern America, with touches of Western and Old Mexico. Some downtown buildings have a definite western flair, others with more Spanish architecture, and then there are plenty of the encroaching Wal-Mart types.

Since the temperatures easily reach into the 100s (although the humidity is extremely low) many homes have wide, overhanging eaves for shade. Desert landscaping is common and especially beautiful when the cacti are in bloom.

I marvel at the many varieties of cactus one can find in just one landscaped yard. But, in case you might think that a desert garden is easier to keep, the weeds can grow just as fast, or faster.
Now, a word about the schools.

Since Jeanne has been working as a volunteer reading teacher in two of the neediest elementary schools, I spent two days following her around as she worked with first and second graders. When I first stepped into one of those Carlsbad schools, I could have easily been in Bluffton's elementary school.

The halls were lined with many student-produced projects just as in Bluffton. There were posters and slogans and school spirit "stuff" - all the things that work for school pride, just as in Bluffton. The children line up for recess or lunch, where they smile and wave and squirm and push, just like kids most everywhere.

It's a small world, after all.