Hatch, Deming, Kingston and home

We went for a great drive today. Headed south to Hatch to do some banking decided to keep going and see where we'd end up. Made a loop west to Deming, then north toward Silver City. Saw this Huge open pit copper mine that goes on for miles. Mountains ripped up and crushed, with the tailings deposited alongside the original mountain. This is in the mountains just east of Silver City, next to the Gila National Forest. From there we drove east to Kingston (at one time the largest town in NM, now a ghost town) through some absolutely beautiful country. The road is well paved, but twists around like a snake with epilepsy. Here's the straightest, most level stretch we saw. I kept expecting to see my own tail lights up ahead of me. The color of the rocks changes every few hundred yards from red to green to gold to iridescent grey. Was too busy watching the road to take many pictures, but take my word for it, it was spectacular. This is only an hour from home and I can't believe it took us so long to make this trip. Pine and Cedar mixed with Cactus and Agave... then a bunch of cattle and rock outcroppings that look like human figures standing sentinal on ridges high above the road. I now know why they call this the Land of Enchantment.