Chapman Family Reunion - Sandia Peak Tram

We got home late from the river trip.  Pretty darn late, especially for Harriet.  I think this is the only spot where we didn't think things all the way through.  We had scheduled to do the tram first thing the next morning.  I think I, at least, would have liked to sleep in a bit and do something later in the day.  But, we were pretty concerned with sneaking in a morning activity (oh AND an afternoon activity that quite frankly got canceled too) before we had to be all dressed up and ready for family pictures and fancy dinner.

I digress.  We went on the tram!  Truly, I was excited about this.  We have lived here 2.5 years and have not done the tram yet.  We see that awesome mountain every single day from our window and can sometimes catch the light glinting off the cables too.  It was just begging to be done.  The Sandia Peak Tram is the longest single cable tram in the world.  (I guess there are longer trams, but the tram actually switches to a new cable system in the middle - so we have the longest single string with a bucket of people hanging from it in the mountains... NM isn't all dirty strip malls and brown dirt decorated with gravel ya know.)

Oh, and David had also planned to try to hike down.  Knowing him, I wasn't surprised by this plan at all, on the contrary, I expect these things after 15 years of marriage.  But, when Wendy (who is ALWAYS up for random strenuous physical outdoor activity) said, you wanted to hike down THIS?!
I knew no one would be hiking down.  Thank and you.  I had never planned to hike down myself, but I hate sitting there waiting for someone who should be coming "soon," but isn't, and I have to worry about their safety, and more importantly, I have to worry about everyone showing up for pictures on time in something other than sweat-drenched hiking clothes.   My priorities are cool like that.

Now, having said how much I wanted to do the tram, I also should include how incredibly scared to death I am of heights in my old age.  I was kind of nauseous the whole time.  But it was gorgeous at the top of the mountain in the trees with wild grasses and flowers growing everywhere.  The only unfortunate part was that a giant wild fire near Ruidoso completely ruined our view (not to mention people's lives in Ruidoso.)  From Sandia Peak you should be able to see clearly for hundreds of miles.  We couldn't even see the volcanoes near our house about 20 miles away.  (correction, David says 12-15 miles away. See, this is why HE should be blogging about this!)

 "view from the top"... of the mountain, or marriage?  50 years for these two.

15 years this summer for us.  We're like in the foothill category.

 what view?  I'm trying to read my texts.  

 what view?  I'm trying to read my book.

 I guess I can't blame them, the view really wasn't great with all the smoke.

Alec and Clare... I really do have a soft spot for these two.  They were my first nephew and niece experience.

 Poor Hattie, she fell and ripped the skin off her knee trying to keep up with big sis and big cousins.

possible Christmas card... except 2 have sunglasses and 2 don't.  hmm...

oh, and then we had a big picnic at Elena Gallegos.  What a pretty area!