Land Grant Country

Even the smallest settlements in northern New Mexico boast a Catholic church.  Shown here are the adobe churches in Golondrinas and Watrous.  Services are offered every few weeks when a circuit riding priest passes through.  This is Spanish land grant country where nearly everybody descends from the Conquistadors and Los Archuletas, Medinas, Gallegos, Torres and Cordovas seem to populate every community.

Golondrinas

Stock Pond

Not far from Watrous grasslands roll toward the Sangre de Cristos and the land heaves up to 13,000 feet at its highest point.   State Road 161 winds through fertile pasture land past alpine lakes and tiny villages before joining Highway 518 and its abrupt ascent near Holman.    

Watrous

Highway 161 Westbound

I'm having blogger software problems folks so the images and copy are not in the order intended.  Gave it four tries and gave up.