Albuquerque is such a beautiful city.  It is situated in a Valley with the Sandia Mountains bordering on the east side.  The scenery, no matter where you drive is just breathtaking.  On Sunday before I left Gino and I went to Sam and Melissa’s house.  Sam is my step brother, Gino,s half brother.  He lives in Bernalillo, which is north of Albuquerque.   Gino wanted to do some drinking, lol, so he invited his friend Anthony to drive us.  They all grew up together and attended the same schools.  So we took off down the freeway and then headed north in the valley shadowing the mountains on the right.  When we got to Bernalillo, we turned west and climbed out of the valley somewhat.  Sams house was located in a development that was overlooking the town.  When we arrived Sam was doing dishes….lol…..The boys were home, both grown now, Sammy G and Issac.  Melissa was outside with her parents from Santa Fe.  I had met them one other time.  Sam made steaks on the grill and we had a great meal.  As we looked out across their back yard I seen…..    “THE RAINBOW”     …..In the sky was a dark rain cloud hovering and moving slowly up the valley between us and the mountains.  The rainbow appeared as we watched.   I can’t imagine sitting in my back yard every day and watching such gorgeous views before me.  We continued to watch it as it slowly headed north up the valley and the rainbow disappeared.  You could just see the rays of the sun playing on the mountains across from us and casting shadows.   A view always changing.

View from the backyard of Sam and Melissa’s

After a fun evening, which included visiting and watching the NBA finals…lol..in Overtime, I might add, we headed back to Gino’s.  Again the views of Albuquerque at night are stunning.  All the city lights, the strips of lights of moving cars on the freeways’ and the lights of the homes all the way up to the foothills of the mountains

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On Monday I went back to my sister Anna and spent to day.  We went to Applebees for afternoon lunch, and then back to her house. We spent the rest of the day visiting and looking at pictures.  That’s what we always seen to do when we get together…..We love pictures….

Tuesday afternoon, It was time to leave.  After an hour + wait, the train finally left.  It was interesting watching the murals and the graffiti painted as we slowly wove our way up the tracks while we were still in the city….These are only sites to be seen on the train….

I can only imagine what I missed seeing on the other side of the train.

As we traveled up the valley towards Santa Fe, we passed one of the Pueblo villages..

At the Lamy stop…(Santa Fe)…I loved the little church up the hill.  Also in front of it was a side track with an old engine and a baggage car with a painted mural.  If you pull the mural up close, you will see the mural matches the name of the locomotive…..Pretty neat…..

We slowly kept heading north up into the mountains…..The train has to travel very slowly on this stretch.  It is very mountainous and rocky.

The scenery and homes nestled in the mountain sides are priceless.  On the way to Raton Colorado, we went through a tunnel at Raton Pass.  Then we passed a sign.  We were traveling the Santa Fe Trail, which traveled through the Ranch of Dick Wooten.

“Uncle Dick’s” real name was Richens Lacy Wootton.  He constructed a toll road through the pass around 1870, cutting several hundred miles off the Santa Fe Trail through the mountains. When the railroad came through they bought the right of way and built the tracks over his toll road.

Uncle Dick’s family moved from England (via Scotland) about 1800. First to Virginia, then to Kentucky. He left home at age 16 and became a “mountain man’, He knew Jim Bridger and Kit Carson. He built the first store in Denver, Colo.

Now we are back following I 40 heading through a small part of Colorado heading east.

Along the way we came upon an area that had a forest fire.  Dramatic scenery when the sun was setting. Finally we sped up as we were out of the mountains heading for the flat plains of the Midwest.

I love the train.  I slept in the chair, but I didn’t have anyone next to me this time.  lol.  The rocking motion is so peaceful.

I spent some time in the observation car the next day.  It is such a bright and cheerful spot.  The café is downstairs, with soda, sandwiches, snacks, and alcohol, for sale.   The dinner car is next to it, serving 3 full meals a day.  It is expensive, but nice that they offer it.

Finally crossed the Great Mississippi in Fort Madison Iowa, entering Illinois.  This is a double decker bridge.   The cars are on top and the train on the bottom. Finally arrived home…..Rich had been waiting to pick me up……..lol…..Only about 3 hours late….lol…But that’s what happens on a train.  Kids were all glad to have me home again.

This is Carly and Cassidy.  This tree is in the front yard and it is called the Family Tree….The kids always have their picture taken in it.  Now this week, I am babysitting my Grand Dog, Dexter.  Tina, Ed and the kids are heading to South Dakota for Mileys Gymnastic Nationals.  They will be gone a week.  I will be spending nites with Dexter at his house.

He is a Golden Doodle and is only 5 months old.   OMG….What a baby…and now a chewer…..He is locked up in the kitchen when no one is home.  They have gates everywhere leading out of the kitchen.  He also has a soft doggy pillow that he lays on in the kitchen.

First nite, I looked away for 5 to 10 minutes.   “LOOK WHAT HE DID”…..He ripped a hole and was pulling out the stuffing.    An hour later, I was playing ball with him.  I through it to high, and took out one of the lights on Tina’s ceiling fan…….hahahaha…..Oh No……I’m in trouble now.   The next morning he found my new ear buds that came with my new phone I just purchased in Albuquerque.   Grrrrrr……Things have settle down, but he is such a baby and so full of energy.   He circles around and round.  He brings you his toys and wants you to play with him.   Yesterday he destroyed a flyswatter…..He loves plastic…..and Mileys little stuffed animals….I have rescued a little monkey several times.

Well this week will be over soon……….

Back To Normal……….Hopefully…….