Lazy Friday / A Good Deal at Ghostrider's Grill

"What a day for a day dream " the words to that song were buzzing in my brain yesterday from the moment I woke up to another sunrise that washed across the desert floor like a golden tide ! Sunlight bringing shifting shapes and illuminating the Chiricahuas with a wash of color to the canyons and peaks . Another day to celebrate just being alive . No plans , no great expectations just the begining of a nice day . Getting moving to get my lazy bones out and about , having a second cup of coffee , suddenly the sun let me know it was appraoching midday . Amble to the office and  pick up the key for the mailbox , trundle down to Rodeo , check the mail , nothing special . Let's take a slow ride to Portal and see what's up with the folks at the Lodge , an excuse for a cup of their excellent coffee and check on the progress of the wall .

The turn has been made and it's nearing completion ! Mitch , has plans to create an outdoor dining , relaxation area and is nearing his goal . After some interesting conversation and a cup or two of their wonderful brew , I made the move to head back to the Ranch and decide what's for dinner . As I stepped outside this is what was appearing over Portal Peak ,

 

  

another example of the awesome power of thunderstorms in and among the mountains .

The trip back to the ranch was uneventful with a quick stop at the Natural Foods Store for some sugar free salt water taffy . The thunderheads had me thinking and as I wheeled into the ranch watching the rain and wind dance around the valley , I decided to head to Animas for dinner at one of my favorite spots

Ghost Rider's Grille behind the Bootheel Grocery .

http://www.ghostridersgrille.com/index.html
http://www.bootheelgrocery.com/index.html
 I ordered the Chili Relleno's this time and as expected they were excellent ! This is the fourth or fifth time I've went there and it's always first rate , the owner Thomas Estrada has owned the grocery and restaurant for a little over a year , his philosophy is keep it simple and good with reasonable [more than reasonable ] prices and give folks an alternative place to go on Friday and Saturday evenings . Ghost Rider's is open only on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm to 9pm with the bar open to 11pm . Thomas moved his family here from Albequerqe , his wife is a local and has strong ties to the community , their main reason for returning to this area was for their children and the education thereof . That seems to be a recurring theme among the folks I've talked to out here . They are proud of their school system and after talking to them and some of the young people here it's evident why , it is truly a good one ! Thomas's mom [Vera ] handles the kitchen , a retired police dispatcher , Vera's skills in the kitchen are self evident , it's spotlessly clean as is the entire
store/ restaurant .Linen table cloths and napkins grace the comfortable tables , seating is well placed and you never feel crowded . The staff is friendly and courteous , there is a well stocked bar with wine , beer and liquor . Prices for alcoholic beverages are moderately priced and affordable , to everyone , they also have plenty of soft drinks , tea and coffee. On another trip there I had one of their specials , Chicken fried steak with REAL mashed potatoes and cream gravy , again it was right up near the best I've had in awhile! Cost ?
About $8 ! A good deal anytime . While some would say Animas is out of the way Thomas and his crew seem to stay busy every weekend and folks like me drive twenty miles or more to get there , they must be doing something right !
The grocery store is a treasure also , with the closest large grocery 40 to 50 miles away the Boot Heel , has just about everything you need to get by on and they do Package sales of alcohol , Beer ,Wine and spirits .An added plus is the very friendly and knowledgeable staff at both places  , they live here and can direct you to just about anywhere you need to go or where to find things . The grocery also provides fuel , both gas and diesel with prices within 5 or 6 cents of what you'd pay in the big city .
All in all a great place to come on the weekends for dinner and some relaxation and during the week for groceries and fuel . A nice place with some very nice people !

 

  

 

Sorry about the poor quality of photos , but then again in my previous life I was a chef not a photographer ! I'm still learning . ! Just for informational purposes , the front parking lot of the grocery is my great phone booth in the sky , I spent a lot of time there last year watching and learning about the area from some of these incredible people !
Stay tuned ....