Red River in May, beautiful days, rainy days, snowy days, hail days, sometimes all on the SAME day. It is true that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a bit and you will get to experience something new! As we started our summer reservations, Red River reminded us that we are not in charge with a pretty good snow storm in the upper and lower valley. We will not complain because we need the moisture to help provide us with a safe summer.
We have started the summer off with two fish deliveries and have put 600+ pounds of Rainbow Trout in our pond! Two young kiddos caught their first fish in our pond this week, that’s what it’s all about folks. Watching a dad, mom, or grandparent teaching their family members how to fish, and celebrating with them when the first fish is caught can always flash us back to one of our favorite fishing memories. There is so much that can be learned when fishing.
Road thunder, rumble in the valley, rolling thunder. As we gear up for the Red River Motorcycle Rally during Memorial Day Weekend, we hope to see many returning friends of the Rio and also, make new ones. The town will be packed with people who love to ride. If you have never been here during the motorcycle rally, you have missed a great time! However, on this weekend, we also want to remember and thank the men and women who gave their lives to allow us to enjoy freedoms like this. As we remember those we have loved and lost on that weekend, we must remember to celebrate their lives with joy.
Hummingbirds have arrived and you can hear them as they dip and dive around the river on the Rio Colorado. If you get the chance, sit and watch them and their agility. They are amazing little birds. The mountain sheep between Red River and Questa have been active near the road recently. They are beginning to divide into subgroups as the females prepare for their new babies to enter the world. The rams are starting to group together and the yearlings that mommas have sent to be on their own are finding others in the same situation. Be careful driving that way, many times the sheep are in the road or people sometimes stop in the middle of the road to view these wonderful animals. There have been many close calls so be sure to pull over to the side as far as possible. We want you to enjoy our wildlife for many years to come. Speaking of wildlife, we have an abundance around our little town and in the upper valley. The geese and ducks are back. The female ducks are not as prevalent right now, I believe they must be sitting on their eggs and we should have ducklings soon. Remember bread is not good for them and can kill them, so as much as they may beg for bread and chips, etc, please refrain from giving it to them. They eat greens and berries and food especially for them. Also, we have had a few sightings of our black bears reported. If you are hiking, be wildlife aware. We absolutely love our bears and want to keep them, and you, safe. We have also had a sighting of a mountain lion and several bobcats in recent months. They usually are nocturnal, but have on occasion been seen in the daytime. That is one reason we ask for you to keep your pets on leashes when outside.
On a personal note, our youngest son Zach graduated from High School on May 14th. We were happy to have a lot of family and friends join us this year in celebrating all his hard work. I know many of you have watched our boys grow up over the years that we have been here. It will be very weird later this summer when both boys head off to college. Zach will be attending Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas this fall and will be studying forestry. We are very excited for him to begin this new adventure.
Our crew has been hard at work getting ready for, what is looking to be, a very busy summer! The mountains are calling and you must come! We definitely hope that you will be able to join us at the Rio Colorado for a wonderful season of mountain fun! Come discover the allure of our special town! Hope to see you soon!
