Adobe Deli - Deming, NM

There is a restaurant, rather more of an eclectic fascinating destination, south and east of Deming called the Adobe Deli. It is described in various publications as:

(01) Unassuming and seemingly miles from anywhere place, most folks wouldn’t look at it twice. But this is no ordinary farm or ranch. Step inside and you’re greeted by an army of stuffed animals and other oddities guarding the entrance.

(02) Is this a museum? Well, not exactly. This is the Adobe Deli steakhouse and saloon. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better steak west of the Pecos. T-bones the size of man hole covers. Rib-eye Steaks, thick and juicy. French onion soup, a cheesy concoction that’ll warm you down to your boots and put a spring in your step. Folks come from miles around to sample the fare. Step up to the bar and have a beer with the regulars at the liars corner

(03) A treasure trove of disembodied voices, electromagnetic fields and residual hauntings. There is a lot of conjecture that the place is haunted.

About 18 years ago we had eaten a fabulous dinner here and wanted to see if it had changed much and if the food was still the same wonderful eats.

This is the view you first get of the Adobe Deli as you head south down Lewis Flats Road. The Deli was originally a school named Lewis Flat Elementary school. The large structure you see on the right in this picture is the old multi-purpose room or cafetorium and now serves as the restaurant and bar. It does not look like a place where you can have a good meal but don’t let the appearance fool you.

We parked out front and saw this entry sign. As you will see in later images this "Entrance Sign" hanging sideways seemed appropriate for this place.

Immediately walking around the corner and following the entrance sign we find this large American Flag hanging on the wall. This is the other side of the Multipurpose room that we saw on the road in and this is where the Restaurant and and Bar are located.

From the flag in the previous image you make a right hand turn through a gate in the fence and approach the entrance of the "Adobe Deli"

This is the front door to the Adobe Deli and sets the tone for what you might find inside as you look around. The old poster with the police officer talks of traffic stops for drunk drivers. "You drink, You drive, You Loose".

Not being hippies we did not have to use the side door, at least no one told us to.

On the wall to the left of the door in the previous image is this plaque. It represents that the building was actually a school built and opened in 1955. It is a neat historical plaque and we are glad it was preserved.

Glancing just to the right of the entry door before going in we noticed this sign. It shows it's age and hopefully does not apply to those of us that have come here for lunch.

Upon going into the entry foyer, we will loosely call it that, there is this wooden cowboy character with this sign. He has a great line to sell more beverages at the bar.

The moose and other critters behind him are similar to the other artifacts that are on display. This is not a fancy museum showplace but there is a lot to see here.

This is a view in the dark restaurant and bar. There is the pool table you can see and the bar behind some dining tables. Everything is kind of mingled together in the large open, very dark area.

It was very dark in the restaurant. It took several minutes for our eyes to adjust to the lack of light. These folks at the table next to us and others across the room were using the flashlight on their smart phone to read the menu. If you look closely you can see some full sized stuffed animals above the bar in the distance. The critters are everywhere.

Looking up in the walls and the various second level alcoves we see a wild variety of stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. Some are the full animal standing there staring at you. Fortunately it is dark and they are not too bothersome.

Yes there is food here and despite the darkness it is really quite good. Here is the buffalo burger that Deanna had. It came with "French Fries" but they were in reality baked cottage fries that were extremely tasty and in quantity far more than one person could eat. We brought them home for a later meal.

Here is the sandwich that George had. It is a great french dip with green chill's, this is New Mexico after all. There was the same copious amount of cottage fries that accompanied Deanna's meal and many of them went home for a later meal as well. The sliced beef was quite tender and the Au jus served with sandwhich was an excellent flavor and not too salty.

We absolutely had to have dessert and the item we chose from the limited selection was a chocolate toffee cake. The waitress said it was rich and she was not kidding. When she brought the dessert she also brought the check and said "I can easily add another dessert, if you wish". One was more than enough split between the two of us for a wild sugar high.

Sitting next to our table and exactly at eye level was this long enclosed glass case. The Deli Gator.

This gator was in the case, part of the myriad of stuffed and preserved, once wild animals that are seemingly everywhere you look.

At one point I wandered down the hall to use the restroom. These are the two sinks that are located therein. There are also old license plates adorning the walls from a wide variety of years and many states. This style of sink was only in the men's room. The door was open to the ladies facilities as I walked by and it was much more conservatively appointed.

Along the hallway leading to the restroom facilities are these old highway signs. Unfortunately there is no description, that I could find, that describes their origin. There are many signs featuring a variety of different towns and distances. Also note the hats on the wall above. They line the full length of the long wall.

As you start to exit the front door there is a small glass enclosed room which would be just opposite the wooden cowboy we discovered upon entry. There is a lot of stuff in this room and the lady in the background seemed to be wanting to say something though I am not sure what.

Then as you turn and try to get out the door you notice this full sized stuffed mountain lion. It is not clear if it is trying to say "Thanks for visiting" or "Don't never come back" or "Next time you are my lunch". It certainly is am interesting departing vision.

We had noticed this barbecue on the way in. It definitely looks as if one could cook up a mess of ribs, burgers, and chicken on this thing once it was all fired up.

As you are driving out you will notice this directional sign giving you guidance to your next destination.

Google maps ain't got nothing on the Adobe Deli.

You will hardly notice this sign at the Adobe Deli. It is really stuck back and out of the way. It is one of the last items we saw as we departed.

We hope you enjoyed this brief tour of the Deli and found it informative. We did think the food was just as copious and wonderful as we remembered though the place had taken on a more eclectic air than we were able to recall.

If you are ever near Deming or this general area in New Mexico be sure and stop by for something to eat and a look around this fascinating place. These simple images did not really do the place justice, we only scratched the surface. We could not verify the presence of ghost like spirits but with everything else we saw there it would not surprise us in the least to understand several apparitions live there.

As always let us know if you have any questions or comments.

All the best - George & Deanna

A Brief Look at Some Red-tail Hawks

A few people have commented on the variety of Red-tail Hawk markings on some of the birds in the various posts we have created and how they can look quite different. We thought it a good idea to put together a collection of Red-tail Hawk images that we have taken at various locations over the years along with some explanatory narrative. It is either too windy, too cold, or snowing to allow us to do much of anything else today besides, this seems like fun.

This collection of images will give you a little better understanding as to the variation in markings that can be found on a Red-tail Hawk. We have placed a number at the start of each narrative and if you have a question or comment about a specific image, just use the number and we will try to answer your question.

Red-tail Hawk - 01

This is what we would call a standard looking Red-tail. It has a band across the lower chest or belly that is often referred to as a "Belly Band". These hawks most often, though not always have a brownish colored head as this one does. This is obviously the view from the front and we will look at other views shortly.

Red-tail Hawk - 02

This is just another almost ordinary Red-tail. It is colored a little lighter and the wind is ruffling it's feathers. Typical "Belly Band", and brown head.

Red-tail Hawk - 03

This image is a view of the back. You can see the reddish colored tail and the narrow dark banding on the tail that help identify the hawk. Also note that even in this “I am trying to dry out” posture the wing tips do not extend below the end of the tail, another field mark. In a Swainson’s Hawk for example, the wings extend below the tail, they have long wings.

Red-tail Hawk - 04

Here is the back of another Red-tail. The lighter markings, on each side of the back, are often called “Windows”, and they are clearly showing here. This is another field mark you can use in identifying a Red–tail. Also you can see the wing tips do not extend beond the length of the tail. Looking at the Hawks tail in this image there is no doubt it is a Red-tail.

Red-tail Hawk - 05

Uh-oh here is the back of another Red-tail. The purported windows look more like a stained glass design or shattered pieces of a window. Also the head is not a consistent brown. This is most likely a juvenile or first year bird and the plumage is still developing. Here, we can see that some field marks are not always definitive.

Red-tail Hawk - 06

Here we will start looking at some variations in markings. We can see the belly band but the colors and streaking are different than in the first two birds. Lots of variation as we shall see.

Red-tail Hawk - 07

Another variation in banding. Fairly clear “Belly Band” but getting darker in coloration. Note the streaking on the upper breast. There seems to be a wide variety in streaking as it pertains to the upper breast in all these examples. Some heavily streaked, some clear, some in between.

Red-tail Hawk - 08

This is another Red-tail, the belly band is present though it seems to be a bit lower and dark brown head. Rough-legged Hawks have dark banding marks on their lower belly but they also have several other distinguishing field marks.

Red-tail Hawk - 09

Wait-a- minute, wait-a-minute where did the “Belly Bands” go. This bird's entire front is mottled and there is not a distinctive band. He seems to be screaming at something. He does have the brown head and blocky stature of a Red-tail. Boy these Red-tail can sure look different.

Red-tail Hawk - 10

Here is another image and this bird is really light in appearance. Often the juveniles can have very different plumage and this is most likely a juvenile or young bird. It is as if they don’t know what their feathers should look like. Whitish head, whitish belly, whitish everything. The Red-tail will molt from it's juvenile plumage into adult plumage, including the red tail usually in the second year.

Red-tail Hawk - 11

This picture was taken in the Southwest, Arizona, not far from the border with Mexico. Many times the resident Southwest Red-tail will be lighter in color and not show any definite belly band. However in our experience we have seen a wide variety of color variances in the Southwest, the hawks are not all the same regardless of where you find them.

Red-tail Hawk - 12

Shifting back from light birds to darker Red-tails we find this image. The hawk does have a “Belly Band” but the overall coloration is getting dark. We can still see the somewhat narrow banding on the tail and certainly the head is an almost uniform darker brown.

Red-tail Hawk - 13

OK so we are getting even darker. The band across the mid section is hard to distinguish or non existent. Overall the bird appears very dark. This image was taken in dense fog hence it appears a little fuzzy.

Red-tail Hawk - 14

This coloration of a dark Red-tail is often referred to as a Rufous Morph. It is characterized by a reddish upper chest area and darker overall coloration. Perhaps the previous image is of a juvenile Rufous Red-tail. The term Morph is used to describe this coloration but in reality this hawk will not change or morph into anything different, he is what he is, color wise.

Red-tail Hawk - 15

Here is a dark chocolate Red-tail. We don’t very often see them this dark overall but they do exist. In winter we often see more darkly colored Red-tail Hawks and the purported reason is they have moved south from northern climates to survive the cold, snow, and ice. In reality you can probably see almost any color and marking variations at any location at any time. The hawks don't always go by our book and calendars.

Red-tail Hawk - 16

On the leading edge of the wings, going out from the head, in an area you might call the shoulders, are dark brown lines. These are called the petagium and clearly identify the Red-tail Hawk while in soaring flight. Note how broad the wings are, certainly a hawk built for soaring.

Red-tail Hawk - 17

This does not require you to think about field marks or how to identify Red-tail Hawks. Here are three chicks in a nest. They will soon grow up to be efficient rodent hunters but who knows what they will look like. Just a fun picture.

Red-tail Hawk - 18

OK now we have done it. This hawk doesn’t follow many of the various field marks we have discussed. It does seem to have a “Belly Band’ but the bird is basically dark gray and white. The head is definitely not brown. What kind of a Red-tail is this? Perhaps another juvenile? We have asked various bird gurus what this hawk might be and the overall consensus is that it is a Red-tail, so we will go with that conclusion. You may have a different thought or opinion, if so, send us an e-mail or post a comment and let us know what you think.

We hope that you enjoyed this blog post and maybe even learned a little along the way or at the least got to think a bit. There will not be a test on this material and certainly no homework so you are free to go out and look for Red-tail Hawks.

As always let us know if you have any questions or comments.

All the best – George & Deanna

Some Birds and Some Signs

This bird is a wren and it is perched atop a cactus, I believe it is a chain cholla (pronounced choya) cactus. The bird is a cactus wren, a very common bird found here in the south west. They are also very noisy and sing constantly and chase each other around. They are a neat bird. The yellow flower buds on the cholla contain small spines and if you pick them bare handed you will spend hours trying to get the basically invisible spines out of your fingers. OUCH! Fortunately the wren does not seem to have that problem.

Every RV Park we have stayed in has posted speed limits. Some are 8 MPH some 10 MPH and other similar speed limits. Willow Wind the park we stayed at in Hurricane, Utah had a speed limit of 11 MPH. Here at Hidden Valley Ranch RV Park outside of Deming it is 10 MPH in some places and 8 MPH in others but they have these tortoise signs scattered around indicating that you should slow down. Neat sign.

These are Northern Pintail ducks. The image was taken over in Whitewater Draw. Note how long the pintail is on the duck in the back. They are strikingly marked birds. The audubon.org website indicates that the Northern Pintail is one of the most numerous duck in the world.

This is on the wall in the club house here at Hidden Valley Ranch RV. It seemed to be painted on and was very well done. In case you cannot read the sign the character is holding in his hand it says "Got Milk?". I think it is a wonderful spoof on the advertising campaign for the California Milk Processors Board that featured the “Got Milk” slogan in the mid 1990’s and later added the milk mustache. Well done cartoon – “Got Milk?”

We took a short trip to a New Mexico State Park called City of Rocks which is about 35 miles from where we are staying. This bird that we found there was very appropriate for the state park as it is called a Rock Wren. We will get back to the City of Rocks in a bit and provide a more detailed blog post of that location.

There are several of these speed limit signs along the dirt road coming into Hidden Valley Ranch RV Park. We think it is saying that the cattle or cows are limited to no more than 35 MPH. We did not see any signs indicating that radar detection devices are being used nor did we see any cattle police along the road watching for speeding cattle so our assumption might be in error.

This picture is of a Red-tail Hawk as is the next one. There is a huge variety of markings on the Red-tail that sometimes they almost look like different species. We have seen a lot of Red-tail Hawks in our limited travels around the southwest.

This is another view of a different Red-tail. It was really windy when we took this image and you can clearly see a belly band and the feathers puffed out in the wind. This bird to me looks different than the one above yet they are the same species.

This sign was up against a window in a local eatery here in Deming. The punishment for smoking is a little harsh though we looked out back and there were no bodies hanging from the trees so the policy must be working. When we stopped for diesel one day I needed to go inside to get a receipt for our purchase. The person in line on front of me was buying cigarettes. They purchased four packs and the cost was $32.80. Maybe they needed to see and adhere to this sign in the restaurant, they could save a lot of money.

We hope you enjoyed this blog post and as always let us know if you have any questions or comments.

All the best – George & Deanna