Post by CrimsonPhantom on Aug 16, 2012 9:05:58 GMT -7
By Pamela Porter
If Las Cruces had an astrological sign, it would certainly be Gemini, those very different twins residing in one being. Spring winds sandblast skin and have launched (at least) a thousand hats, but subside to tranquil breezes that ruffle satiny, amber petals of Mexican poppies erupting from desert slopes. An horno-hot sun dominates summer days before giving way to cool evenings ideal for stargazing; winter ice and occasional snow accumulation usually melt quickly in the mild climate of southern New Mexico.
But in autumn, my Mesilla Valley community shakes off its dual identity to achieve perfect balance and abundance. We celebrate the harvest and our cultural diversity in an extended season that paints our varied landscape with red chile, purple asters, snowy fields of cotton, and golden cottonwoods. New Mexico State University students migrate back, turning us into a college town again. There’s much to adore here, just 45 miles north of El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico.
Our proximity to these borders informs the identity of Las Cruces, at 150 years old a relatively recent settlement along the Camino Real. Mexican traditions and Spanish saints infuse our culture, and the city’s cowboy and farming roots are alive and well.
Read full story here- nmmagazine.com/25reasonscruces_Sept12.php