Great Pie on the Great Divide...

Before I moved to New Mexico, I thought the Continental Divide was just a movie starring John Belushi. Well, I knew it was more than that, but I didn't know much about it...

The Continental Divide (also known as The Great Divide) in the Americas is the line that divides the flow of water between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Rain or snow that drains on the east side of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean, while precipitation on the west side drains and flows toward the Pacific Ocean. The divide runs from northwestern Canada along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico. Then, it follows the crest of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental.

On my first trip to Pie Town, along the 2-lane ribbon of asphalt known as Highway 60, we drove by a sign that said "Continental Divide 6,355 Ft." It seemed rather uneventful. At first, I had wanted to get out and take a picture. But it was just an ordinary, green road sign without much of a view behind it. Then we got to the top of the Divide and I saw in the distance a small cluster of buildings, rundown and abandoned. A short distance ahead of that was a quaint downtown, nestled in the high hills, between juniper trees. And then I saw it: The Daily Pie Cafe-- our destination. "Great Pie on the Great Divide... it's all Downhill From Here" is their slogan.

Being from New York and having lived in LA, I'm no stranger to good food. Being a baker myself, I was a bit skeptical when I was told this was the best pie I would ever eat. I said, "I'll bet it won't be better than the Key Lime pie at Blond Giraffe’s in Key West!" I had one slice of blackberry.... now I'm willing to eat my words. And more pie, please!!

At this down home restautant you can chat with locals, drink a bottomless cup of coffee for $5 (and then keep the souvenir mug), and order from the ever-changing menu board, otherwise known as "The World's Only True Pie Chart." Their cozy gift shop features T-shirts with aliens saying, "We came for the pie." Their mouth-watering array of heavenly slices are worth the drive from any star system. I'm still gathering the courage and the taste buds for their New Mexican apple pie, made with green chilies and pinon nuts!

Fundraising Dinner for Pete Fowler!

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Benefit Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo for Ronald "Pete" Fowler
Pie Town Community Center
4:00 pm Dinner — $5.00 per person
6:00 pm Bingo — $0.25 per card per game
Pie to Buy, Pie to win, door prize

Proceeds to go for construction costs of ramps, tile and material to make Pete's house wheelchair accessible
Call Joan Shannon (772-2528) or Karen Bingham (772-2524)
Sponsored by P.T. Motorcycle Club

Catron County Historical Society Meeting

February 24th at 6:30 p.m.
Quemado Community Center
Bill Candelaria and Eric Skrivseth will speak about the early history of business in Quemado.
Contact Eric for more information or to become a member! 575-773-4152

Life in Datil

I arrived here in this magnificent sanctuary of a town in November of 2008. It took me several weeks to get used to the remoteness, the altitude, the quiet and the huge, expansive views. See, I'm a city girl from way back. Little by little though, I've been shedding my city skin and making friends with the mountiains. Now I feel as though I've been here forever.

Thirty-six miles west of Magdalena, at the western edge of the San Agustin Plains, the Datil Mountains rise and pinon and juniper trees emerge from the bush and grass. At the intersection of U.S. 60 and S.R. 12 at an elevation of 7500 feet sits the town of Datil. To the Spanish settlers the seedpods of the prevelant yucca resembled dates, and "datil" is the Spanish word for date. Levi and Fred Baldwin established the first Datil store and post office in 1884 to serve the cattle ranching families.

The hub of Datil is the Eagle Guest Ranch (pictured above) which dates from the 1920s when Agnes Morley Cleaveland's sister, Loraine, and her husband, Tom Reynolds, opened the small store. With a cafe, motel, general store, gas station, and RV park, the Eagle Guest Ranch today serves as a general meeting place for the 150 townsfolk and the surrounding community of ranchers.

One of the early settlers, Agnes Morley Cleaveland, described ranching in Datil in the 1880s in her well-known book, No Life for a Lady (see link in the left column to order her book). A monument to her parents can be seen on U.S. 60 five miles west of Datil.

Pickups have replaced the horses, but ranching remains the main occupation in the area. And with more elk than people, the emphasis is on outdoor recreation in northern Catron County. Hunting for elk, deer, bear and wild turkey is extremly popular during fall and winter.

The temperature averages range from 32 degrees to 70 degrees with 350 sunny days a year. But once the sun sets behind the mountain trees, the winter temperatures drop quickly. The coldest night I've experienced so far is 3 degrees! Brrr. Monsoon showers hit hard in July but do not last long.

The Datil Well Campground, south of town, commemorates the site of a cattle watering well on the historic stock driveway from Springerville to the railhead in Magdalena, our neighboring eastern town.

So far, life here has been more of an adventure than I had imagined it would be. The magnificent beauty that surrounds me is a constant source of inspiration.