Ruidoso, New Mexico

Our final week of timeshare is in the mountains of New Mexico.  The horses were running at Ruidoso Downs, but we just "fed the ponies."

 

The Apaches have a beautiful resort, casino and golf course in Ruidoso.

We took a tour of the pistachio farm in a neighboring town of Alamogorda.  Pistachio trees in the middle of the desert!

These are not ripe yet, but it was interesting to see how they grow.  The trees are relatively small, 15-25 feet, and can live over 100 years.  Once the nuts are ripe, the shells inside will burst and the outer covering will slip right off.

 

 Picked a perfect day for a round of golf -- overcast and chilly (mid 70's! Hey, its been in the high 90's, even over 100 in Las Vegas).

 

 

 Had  to get some Hatch chiles!

 

Then stopped by the Hondo Iris farm.  The irises were past their bloom, but the hummingbirds were very happy.