A Tale of Two Ho's

While cruising up Central Avenue on our way to visit friends on Albuquerque’s west mesa this past Saturday evening, my wife marveled at the restored neon saguaro cactus sign that demarks the Westward Ho Motel. I sighed under the weight of knowing that I have been sitting on that landmark as potential blogging material for some time now, yet unsure how to best present it to my readers. Luckily, I had removed the top of the jeep only minutes before the drive, so my sigh was drowned out by a combination of rushing warm air, the roar of tires across pavement, and Paul Westerberg’s vocals on the Replacements "Swingin' Party” issuing forth from the speakers.



I understand that the Westward Ho Motel was constructed in 1948 and was one of the first impressions of Albuquerque that eastbound Route 66 afforded visitors. I really don’t know a whole lot about this motel other than it looks like it must have been a welcome sight to innumerable road weary travelers in the 1950s and 1960s. For many, Tucumcari would have to wait for at least another day.

I suspect that like many Route 66 motels and roadside attractions, the Westward Ho Motel must have seen a marked decrease in business with the construction of Interstate-40. Certainly the property fell into varied states of disrepair, yet failed to kick the old bucket. Just prior to the turn of the century, the U.S. Congress passed the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Act. A brilliant plan to use funds designated by that act to restore old neon signs along the Mother Road was proposed by Elmo Baca, and accepted by the National Park Service. Thus, the postcard-worthy saguaro cactus shines brightly for all to enjoy each and every evening.

Although separated by a distance of some 450 miles, Albuquerque’s Westward Ho Motel reminds me of another personal significant cultural property… the Westward Ho located at 618 North Central Avenue in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. That Westward Ho is inarguably one of the Valley of the Sun’s most legendary landmarks having pampered the world’s elite and famous since it was built in 1928. Today the Westward Ho serves to house some 300 elderly low-income residents. It’s once grand lobby now smells distinctly of stale perfume, forgotten cigars and undiscovered urine. It is simply fabulous!



For the past 12 years, it has been my dream to retire to the Westward Ho when the time comes… assuming, of course, that it is still available to old people in a few years. I’ve “heard” rumors that they are in the process of restoring the old hotel’s “Thunderbird Room,” that has been vacant since the hotel closed in the 1970s. My fear is that it will become a popular hangout and someone will recognize the fabulous structure for what it is, and convert it to luxury condos forever ruining it with the stink of money and corruption.

Certainly if the walls of either of these fantastic buildings could type, they would be capable of producing a blog worth reading.

home sweet historic home

So, you've read all about the upcoming Huning Highland Historic District's "Mother’s Day Historic House Tour" at the Duke City Fix, and have come to me for more details and photos...

Smart move!

Historic home tours include the following properties:


816 Silver SE


209 High NE


111 Walter SE


123 Walter SE


301 Arno SE


418 Arno SE

Vintage cars will be displayed at the following historic gas station locations:


320 Central SE


601 Coal SE

Gardens available for touring include:


201 Edith NE


501 Walter SE


416 Iron SE

put 'em in coach

The combination of this less than ideal weather and the fact that the Isotopes are in the middle of a road trip makes me begin to think that just maybe spring hasn’t truly settled into the Albuquerque area yet. Then I begin to wonder if maybe I jumped the gun and planted my gourds and sweet corn too darned early. I think my grandfather used to consult both the Farmer’s Almanac and the other farmers at Riley’s Gas Station in the wee town of Chambersburg, Illinois before he put in his cash crops each year.

I have my fingers crossed that things will begin to heat up for good when the Isotopes return to the Duke City and kick off a 12-game homestand. First the New Orleans Zephyrs blow into the valley Friday night for two night and two day games. The Zephyrs are, of course, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals (Major League Baseball’s “newest” ball club), so that should prove interesting enough.



Next, Robert Fick will lead the charge when the “nasty-boy” Portland Beavers (San Diego Padres) do their best to irritate both Isotopes players and fans alike. (If you don’t make it to any other ballgames this season, I highly recommend coming out to the park and catching at LEAST one of these games. And please, do not throw beer at Mr. Fick!)

The longest Isotopes homestand of the 2005 season wraps up the following weekend with four games with the Tacoma Rainiers. Many of the Rainiers players hope to be called up to play for the Seattle Mariners before the end of the year- or before they get traded to another team where they will have even less of an opportunity for promotion.

Hopefully the Isotopes will return to Albuquerque in a winning frame of mind. Outfielder Matt Padgett leads not only the team, but also the entire Pacific Coast League with his whopping Ted Williams-like .409 batting average. I’m predicting here and now that IF the bunny in right-centerfield is going to get bopped by a homerun this season, it will be during one of the next 12 home games… and probably by Matt (or perhaps big Mark Little).

Although the fans will be given freebies as they enter the park before most games, the only two promotions that really stand out include performances by Rockin’ Ray and the Amazing Skyy Dogs on Saturday, May 7th, and “Salute to Duck® Brand Duct Tape Night” on Thursday, May 12th.

The Isotopes just recently announced that they have been selected to host the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game. Albuquerque is sure to shine in the spotlight as the 20th Triple-A All-Star Game is broadcast on ESPN2 on July 11th. The Triple-A All-Star Fiesta (sponsored by Sandia Casino) will feature the best minor league players from the Pacific Coast and International leagues as they face off in a home run derby, skills competitions, and the actual game itself. Players will also be available for autograph sessions and other activities that will be announced over the next 2 years, 2 months and 19 days (give or take a few hours).

who let the dawgs out?

Gee whiz, have I really not posted any blog entries since the last one about my visit to the racetrack? Would you believe that I got busy with baseball and gardening again? Well, those are my excuses. Unfortunately, I seem to have more excuses than I have ideas for interesting topics to blog about.

And to make sure that you don’t think that all I do now is spend my time betting on the ponies, here is a photo I snapped this Saturday at the Downs at Albuquerque. Although these little critters only raced some 50 to 60 feet, I was AMAZED at how quickly they covered that amount of ground after busting out of the gates like a pack of insane rats at a cheese convention.


(Don't forget to click on the images to see them full-sized.)

I also took this photograph of what I would describe as a “normal” horse between two of the horse races. My theory is that they keep “normal” horses around the track to help calm the high-spirited racehorses so they don’t jump the rails and trample the fans.



Certainly Albuquerque has been getting lots of national press this weekend with the arrival and quick departure of Atlanta native, Jennifer Wilbanks. It almost goes without saying (but I will anyway), that it is great news that she was found at the payphone in front of a local 7-11 store rather than stuffed in a dumpster behind the building. Too bad the television show “COPS” has been banned from filming any more episodes in our city, as that would have made for a fantastic episode. On a nearly related note, seeing her photos flashed all over the tube the past few days has reminded me that it is probably about time for my annual visit to the optometrist.

This blogger is left wondering whether Jennifer and her blushing fiancé will be returning to Albuquerque this fall for the balloon fiesta. If so, hopefully they’ll be able to stay longer.

horse cents

A friend recently asked, “Have you ever been to the racetrack at Expo New Mexico?” My answer was, “No.”

After giving the question some thought, I decided that spending part of an afternoon at the racetrack might at least provide some good blog material. Taking advantage of a sunny sky, mid-70 degree temperatures, and a gusty spring wind (plus the fact that the Isotopes won’t be back in town until Saturday night), Wednesday afternoon proved to be the ideal time to visit the Downs at Albuquerque. MAN, the tiny worlds and subcultures that exist throughout sprawling urban areas never cease to amaze me! And to think that I thought that Expo New Mexico was only worth going to during the state fair or the odd art show. (I must admit that I’ve never been to the flea market there either, but I suspect that will soon change.)

First, “people watching” at the track is second to none. You will see cowboys, ranchers, gamblers, owners, business peoples, students, families, and probably even movie stars just to name several. Conversations of a wide variety are available for eavesdropping. You can hear good (and BAD) advice for picking ponies, listen to discussions about which jockeys have the biggest eating disorder (although that seems odd, it may prove to be very important in your bet placing strategies), work on your Spanish, find out which Applebee’s has the best happy hour, and smile while old men ridicule each other for their picks… then explain why their own horses failed to win immediately after the race (if not during).

If you should ever get tired of watching the humans, the animals are quite possibly even more interesting. Race fans are able to get within several feet of the horses in the paddock before each race in order to judge which ones are most likely to perform well. Voices cheering on names and numbers of horses are drowned out by the sounds of hoof beats as the magnificent beasts thunder down the dirt track to the finish line just beyond the grandstand. As it turns out, horseracing has been a popular sport in New Mexico since even prior to the first state fair in 1938. It seems like I was the only person at the track who would have been surprised by that information.



Although I suspect that a person might make better informed wagers if they knew a little something about the horses, jockeys, trainers, etc… it is possible for complete a novice to win some ca$h at the racetrack simply by sizing up the horses before a race, or getting lucky by betting on favorite colors and/or numbers. Daily racing forms are available at the racetrack, or you can obtain them online in order to study up before you leave home. I think it would be very difficult to get rich at the racetrack, but that probably isn’t a very healthy goal for a single afternoon anyway.

I bet on six races, and managed to return to the window a winner on two occasions. I hit on the 2nd race with my $2 Quinella wager on “A First Down Runaway” and “You Get Credit.” I also managed to pick the first and second place horses in the 3rd race to collect even more winnings for my $2 Exacta wager on “The Big Rumble” and “Fantasy Gal.” Even though I failed to pick any winners during the other four races, I still managed to leave with more money in my pocket than when I arrived.

If you are intent on spending your money, the Downs offers several ways for you to do so. Besides betting on races there, you can place wagers on horses at various racetracks around the country, then sit back and watch the simulcasts on television screens scattered throughout while enjoying a frosty beverage. You can spend money even without wagering if you wish. The Downs offers a wide variety of food- hotdogs, burgers, pizza, steaks, corndogs, pretzels, popcorn, chips, candy, ice cream, and more. As far as beverages go, if you can name it, they can serve it. Tecate seemed to be the popular beer of choice while I was there. T-shirts, hats, and belt buckles are just a few of the souvenirs you can pick up for your friends and co-workers.

There are definitely more sights, sounds, smells, and tastes available at the Downs than a single person (or possibly even a small group) could realistically expect to take in and process in a single afternoon. I think it is relatively safe to say that dull moments must be few and very far between. Live racing at the Downs in Albuquerque ends in mid-June, then picks up again for 17 days straight during the state fair in September.

So now it’s my turn to ask you, “Have you ever been to the racetrack at the Expo New Mexico?” I’ll see ya there!

there's a new blog in town

In case you haven't heard, there's a new cityblog creating quite a buzz in cyberspace this morning. You'll want to be sure to check out Duke City Fix as soon as you are done here... especially if you simply can't get enough of my photos. I will be contributing original photos to that website on a regular basis (every Friday I believe is the plan) and other times when the mood is right.

open air gallery

I guess I should state right off the bat that I do not own a laptop computer or any sort of Blackberryish device. The whole of my easily portable electronic devices include a cell phone, digital camera, and a Garmin GPS unit. That said, I’m writing this blog entry using paper and pen while perched atop a large volcanic boulder near the western reaches of Rinconada Canyon on the west mesa overlooking the city of Albuquerque to the east. (I will type this stuff up later at home.)

I ventured out to Petroglyph National Monument this morning to snap a few photographs of rock art, and to see how “things” have changed in general since last fall. My favorite petroglyphs all appear to remain intact and basically unchanged by time or weather since my last visit. To be sure, there does seem to be some “fresh” graffiti scratched into the rock surfaces here and there, and what visit to a national monument would be complete if you didn’t have to watch the trail carefully to avoid stepping in dog crap? The answer to that rhetorical question is, of course, “None.”

The trail through the day use area is a 2.5-mile-long loop that winds around the basalt outcrops that serve as the canvas for prehistoric and historic (okay, AND modern) artwork, then cuts back to the east and returns to the parking lot. I don’t want to spoil your experience by describing everything you may see when you go, but keep your eyes peeled for geometric patterns, anthropomorphic figures, and decidedly abstract designs ranging from “simple” to “elaborate” that have been pecked into the desert varnished surfaces of the basalt boulders. The area is also teeming with wildlife and interesting vegetation, making it virtually impossible to take in everything there is to see in a single trip.



As I reached the approximate halfway point in the loop, I encountered an elderly Hispanic man sitting on a rock staring off toward the southern horizon. We spoke for a while about how nice the weather was and how many rabbits were hopping about in the sage. Then he pointed out a coyote making his way along the ridge that makes up the southern skyline from this vantage point. He informed me of a trail I haven’t explored that leads along the spine of one of the more prominent ridges. We both agreed that it was probably about the time of year when people should take care to avoid stepping on any rattlesnakes. We chatted for about 20 minutes, but interestingly, the subject of petroglyphs never came up. I learned that he makes the hike “every morning.” I don’t think he told me this information to be boasting, but just to let me know that he hadn’t wandered off from some nearby Senior Citizen Center.

Eventually he announced that it was time for him to continue with his hike. As he wandered off, I claimed his spot on the boulder- that I now share with two small lizards. One of the lizards is watching me as I write. Both are doing push-ups. The sunshine feels amazing on my skin as it warms my blood that is still chilled from that last bit of winter that passed through town on I-40.



Only the shape of the Sandia Mountains can be made out through the haze that has settled over the Rio Grande River valley down slope to the east. Although I can hear and feel the low rumble of life in Albuquerque and traffic along Unser Boulevard, the din is for the most part drowned out locally by the songs of various birds and the roar of jet engines that pass overhead every 15 to 20 minutes.

A goodly number of wildflowers are present, yet the display is less than spectacular. I remind myself that this isn’t the Sonoran Desert. I find the color palette soothing… black, brown, green, grey, blue, white, and just a teasing of yellow.

I do not hear the whispers of ancients as I sit on this rock. I wonder about the artists who passed through this area hundreds, even thousands of years before. I give no thought to those who will pass this way in the future (other than to mention them here). Eventually, the sound of more hikers making their way along the trail reminds me that it is time for me to pack up my notes and head back to civilization. After all, their legs may be weary by the time they reach this rock, and it truly is a fantastic place for one to kick up one’s heels and relax.

kid gloves

No, I haven't been sucked into the great black hole of cyberspace. I've been busy with the beginning of baseball season, and trying to get more seeds planted in the garden. Seriously, I don't understand how you readers find the time to even breeze by my blog to find out if I've posted anything new or not.

Last week I was fortunate enough to have been invited to participate in Media Day at Isotopes Park. Freelance photography does have some amazing perks as I was able to snap over 300 photos of the players and the stadium pretty much at will. In a perfect world, one of my photos would be selected for use in one of the Isotopes baseball cards this season. A few of my photos have been published in the spring souvenir program, so make sure you pick up a copy the next time you visit the ballpark and see if you can guess which ones are mine. Be sure to check out the ads throughout the program too, as they are the key for people winning some wonderful free things (including ca$h dollars) during the ballgames.

Working close to the players is VERY interesting. For the most part, these guys remind me of how spring made me and my buddies act when I was a kid. These dudes didn't want to have to have their photos taken. Instead, they would rather have been tossing baseballs across the infield, or taking some additional batting practice to get ready for Opening Night. It is refreshing to be around people who LOVE their job!

Don't worry... I won't be posting all 300+ of the abovementioned photos here in my blog. It will just SEEM like it!

the BUCK stops here

Your eyes are not deceiving you. Buck Showalter and the mighty Texas Rangers are currently in town to play two Spring Training games at Isotopes Park. The Rangers applied a big hurtin' to Byung-Hyun Kim and the Colorado Rockies earlier this evening.

Tomorrow the Rangers play host to the potentially formidable Arizona Diamondbacks. Although the DiamondBees are clearly a better team without Kim than the Rockies are with him... I still don't think they have the pitching required to silence the Rangers' bats.

you just never know...

whom or what you are going to run into at your favorite Albuquerque grocery store.

pregloating 101

Okay, so it only took three and one-fifth days after I declared spring a week ago until we got dumped on. Here's hoping that was the last of winter!

is this heaven?

Why yes it is!

Trust me... baseball and Krispy Kreme doughnuts are a fantastic combination.

when it rains, it snows

A view of the St George Greek Orthodox Church at 308 High Street SE (between Lead and Silver) during a lull in the snowstorm that buried Albuquerque on March 14, 2005.

Unfortunately, they weren't serving gyros at that time.

revenge of the adobe brick

I was sitting here in my office this past Thursday afternoon quietly editing some graphics and trying to think of a clever name for my fantasy baseball team. Without warning, I was subjected to a LOUD thud-like noise similar to what the munchkins must have heard when the fictional tornado dropped Dorothy Gale’s house on the Wicked Witch of the East some 66 years ago. (I don’t believe that a house dropped in the book version of the story would have made a sound.) I assumed that the sound I heard was the result of our government testing some new device to better guard the nation’s borders, and that it was none of my concern.

Just moments later however, the doorbell rang. Figuring my work could be put on hold long enough to chat with some Jehovah’s Witnesses, I pressed the save button on my computer and went to the door. Instead of having the latest edition of the Watchtower thrust in my face when I opened the door, I was greeted by our new next-door neighbor and his son. They recently purchased the run-down house immediately to the south as an investment and are in the process of remodeling in order to resell it on the HOT Huning Highlands housing market. Earlier that morning, I had observed them in the process of tearing down the dilapidated garage that abuts our property. They were pretty much all smiles and jokes. Now they didn’t seem to be having any fun.

As it turns out, they accidentally dropped the garage on the wooden fence that defines our property line. I do believe they were afraid that I was going to be pissed at them and threaten to sue and all that. I mean, isn’t that the American way? I was just glad that neither of them had been hurt, especially since the dad had been inside the garage when it began falling. As it turns out, the garage walls had been constructed of true adobe blocks, so it was quite substantial. I have no doubt that anyone caught inside when it collapsed would have been crushed to death. Certainly it was heavy enough to splinter a 30-foot segment of our fence and knock a 24-foot-tall pine tree akimbo.



The top portion of the wall only missed hitting the side of our house by a few feet. The owners assured me that they will replace the fence and that they felt awful for the inconvenience. Instead of getting angry, I offered to help clean up the mess in exchange for them letting me have the adobe bricks that they were going to have to haul to the nearest landfill. You see, these bricks are the perfect solution for materials to construct raised garden beds in the back and side yards. Certainly they are better than using wood that would quickly rot, and in this case, the price can’t be beat. If I had purchased these blocks new from a local source, it would have cost several hundred dollars. That money can now be invested in a load of rich topsoil that our plants will absolutely love.



The moral of this entry then is this… you never know when disaster or fortune can strike. So when an opportunity arises for you to act neighborly, do it. Everyone benefits!

the Nicole DeHuff phenomenon

This post is about the oddity of web traffic stats and how they affect me personally. I would say that I'm a casual observer of stats when it comes to baseball and traffic that checks out any of my web sites.

Lately I've been noticing a marked increase of unique, first time visitors to my Thumbprint.org siteby people who are looking for photos and information about Nicole DeHuff. For about the past month, I would say that I've had about 50 to 75 people per day hitting my site for that reason. A portion of my site includes a small write-up about Suspect Zero with lots of photos from when Tom Cruise's production company rented our place in the Washington Apartments to film the sex scene (which was not included in the final cut) between Nicole and Aaron Eckhart.

At any rate, I got real curious yesterday when the number of unique visitors topped out at 811, and shattered my record for a single day of web traffic. Why are some many people suddenly interested in Nicole? Well, she's dead. Apparently she died of pneumonia on or about February 16th and was soon after cremated. That sucks. I suppose her claim to fame will be that she was the girl who got her nose busted playing volleyball in the swimming pool in the movie "Meet the Parents."

At any rate, already today, my website has logged 9,868 unique visitors... and it isn't even noon! Interestingly, I'm also noticing some spill over of people checking out my other web sites. I wonder if any of those people will navigate all the way over to my blog.

Well, I have things to do, so I should get doing them. I will update the stats later... perhaps as comments to this post. Plus, I also have an exciting story to tell. One that ended up being a good thing for several people while narrowly escaping being a tragedy for one or a few.

Spring is in the air!

I suspect that is the reason for the sneezin.'

Led Zeppelin paint disclosure

I admit that one of the main attractions of home ownership is being able to do ANYTHING to your residence without having to obtain prior written permission from your landlord. Of course, if the structure you own is located within a documented historic district such as Albuquerque's Huning Highland Historic District, you may still have to jump through one or more hoops before you make any modifications to the exterior of your home.

That typed, can you guess what I’ve been doing lately?

Part of my recent Valentine’s Day present to my wife was all the paint, materials, and (promise of) labor needed to repaint our bedroom. Less than a month later, the paint is dry and all but one piece of artwork has been hung. I’d say that’s pretty darned good for a well-known procrastinator.



It wasn’t so much that we disliked the previous look of the room, but we wanted to make the room feel warmer and more conducive for sleeping in till noon or beyond. As it was with the peach walls and white ceiling, the room was so bright that only the cats could sleep in past 11:00 AM on a regular basis.



Overall, the work was about as difficult as it was fun. Certainly it was harder than kicking back in the Laz-E-boy and watching a bunch of home improvement shows on tv, but possibly also less painful. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like loud rock and roll music and paint fumes make for a wonderful combination.

The cats and I agree that the “tool” that provides the most fun is a large roll of painter’s tape. To be sure, we all hate it when that rolls under the sofa. I also arrived at the conclusion that instead of “torturing” detainees at home and abroad, our government should make them paint 10-foot high ceilings until they are ready to talk. I don’t think it would take very long before they began offering useful information.

I only really freaked out after the first coat of paint failed to cover the primer like I had envisioned. I calmed down after subsequent coats dried and evened things out. In the end, I think the room looks much better than it did before. It definitely is darker and better for sleeping. Now if you’ll excuse me…

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

kitty rescue in bronze

If you haven't noticed, Albuquerque is home to some pretty amazing public art.

This attempted kitty "rescue" is the creation of Glenna Goodacre, and lives inside the Albuquerque Biological Park just outside the main entrance to the Rio Grande Botanical Garden.

If you look closely, you can make out the Clyde and Carrie Tingley statues (also bronze) in the distance directly beneath the kitten. Although less whimsical and "fun," the Tingley bronzes were well executed by Betty Sabo in 2000 and are worth stopping and gazing at for a bit.

beauty and the bottlebush

Bored and can't think of anything interesting to do?

I recommend a visit to your local botanical garden to check out the many interesting species of plants on display. I shot this photo of a bottlebush flower during a recent fieldtrip to the Rio Grande Botanic Garden. It was one of only a few photos I managed to take inside the greenhouse before my camera lens fogged over.



Flower lovers should make sure to click on the image to view a full size copy.

First Snow, now Milton's?

Following up on a tip from my wife who saw a film crew at nearby Milton's restaurant earlier this morning, I wrapped up in my winter coat and set out to see what was up. It was the cast and crew working on "First Snow."



From what I could gather from the limited amount of time I surveyed the scene, they were fixing to shoot a scene inside where it was warm. Obviously they weren't looking for any extra extras, so I soon turned back and headed back home to my painting project.