TIRED OF WATCHING TV? LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN RODEO, NM. WE HADN'T EXPECTED TO FIND WHAT WE DID IN THE BOOT HEEL OF NEW MEXICO.
	One day not long ago and after excessive computer staring, we decided to take a day off and go for a drive to see what was new in Rodeo, NM. We’d heard there was a lot of new building going on. Rodeo is about 100 miles west of Columbus on Highway 9 and a few miles south on highway 80 toward Douglas, AZ. We left a couple hours later than our original plan, but that’s what days off are for.

MOST LSA'S ARE MADE IN FRANCE AND IMPORTED
	When we got there, we drove to the south end of town and worked our way back north. The Rodeo Grocery and Cafe was one of the first places and, conveniently, it was time for lunch. The food was good, the service friendly and after filling our bellies we walked a half block north to an old church that is now The Chiricahua Gallery.

LIKE THEIR BIG BROTHERS, SOME ARE LARGER THAN OTHERS

The gallery is an artist’s cooperative, with books to metalsmithing and pottery to perfumes. We browsed and Celinda bought a couple of items. I should have known not to leave Celinda alone. The lady volunteer told us about another gallery and when we got there we found we’d met the owner, Roger McKasson, at an electric coop meeting a few years prior. Roger’s work includes paintings, sculpture and other art.

SOME HAVE TWO-CYCLE ENGINES AND OTHERS ARE FOUR STROKE.

Next, we drove back north to check out the brand new Rodeo Natural Food Market that we’d passed on our way into town. We cruised the aisles, talked with Maria the manager and Celinda bought a loaf of bread. She’d been looking for that specific brand and type of bread without success for some time. The market is well stocked, and obviously well-financed, but we were amazed that we would find that particular bread in Rodeo, a town of maybe one hundred people.

THE FACILITY INCLUDES A SCHOOL FOR CERTIFYING PILOTS IN LSA.

The friend who’d first told us about the changes in Rodeo had also told us that John McAfee, of McAfee computer antivirus systems, was the person behind the building boom, old cars and sport flying. Maria affirmed what we’d heard. John McAfee is her daughter’s significant other. Maria told us to be sure to check out the Sky Gypsy Cafe and airport where the light-sport aircraft, similar to but larger and faster than ultralights, and pilot’s school are located. You can check out the differences between light-sport aircraft and ultralights on www.wikipedia.com.

NOT MANY HAVE THEIR SIGN PAINTED ON A 1940'S FORD PANEL TRUCK
	A couple of miles north we turned east on a gravel road. The Sky Gypsy Cafe turn off is easy to find, as their sign is painted on a restored 1940ish Ford panel truck. A half mile or so later we parked and walked into a building one wouldn’t expect in the boot heel of New Mexico.

A CAFE IN THE DESERT WITH A CINEMAX THEATER.

More than just a cafe in the middle of the desert, The Sky Gypsy Cafe has a cinemax theater where classics and educational movies are shown, outside and inside dining areas, Internet connected computers, small sun-filled rooms with jigsaw puzzles on the tables and more. I suspect the entire building is set up for wireless Internet, since one man was sitting in the lounge with a booted up computer in his lap.

AN ACCOMPLISHED WRITER AND SKY GYPSY COFFEE.

We chatted with Zola, the lady on duty, while waiting for Bruce Thompson who was coming to show us the hangars and aircraft, so I could take some photos. Zola belongs to a writers club in Rodeo/Portal, and has some of her work published in prestigious place. Our wait for Bruce was interesting as we had a lot to talk about. Check out www.skygypsycoffee.com Coffee is correct, since someone apparently already had skygypsycafe.com.

RESTORED AIRSTREAMS AND CARS TO MATCH.

Celinda, Bruce, who is a certified flight instructor in sport flying and weight-shift control, and I took a short walk to one of the hangars where some of the aircraft are kept. On the walk, we passed vintage cars and restored Airstreams and other period travel trailers. The Airstreams are matched up to restored vintage cars of the same year. If the Airstream is a 1950, so is the car in front. We have a 1949 Dodge truck that I’m trying to get enough time to put back together after some major work and we’d thought about finding a Silver Streak travel trailer of the same year. Before taking on another project though, I have to get the truck back together .

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO FLY? CALL THEM UP AND CHECK THEM OUT.

The aircraft are interesting to say the least. I’m not up on ultalights and sport flying, but Bruce was a walking encyclopedia. Apparently sometime during the 1990’s, a TV show did a program that hammered ultralights. The sport and the connected industries in the US went from thriving to barely existing, but that wasn’t the case in Europe. All of the aircraft used in the pilot training programs, and flown by private owners at Sky Gypsy, are made in France or other European countries and imported into the US. I’d had the opportunity to fly an ultralight, with the instructor along, when living on Kauai in the mid-eighties and it was quite an adrenaline rush, as was the hot air balloon ride I took with the same person.

A BEAUTIFUL DRIVE AND SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS.
	We wanted to stay longer and explore further but weather was moving in from the west, the wind was picking up and clouds were creeping over the Chiricahuas, hiding their snow covered tops. The day had been filled with new adventures and things to see and do. By the time we got home the sun was gone, the house was dark and our cat was waiting outside our front door.

Larry R. Miller is a freelance writer, innovator and photographer. His weekly newspaper column can be accessed at www.demingheadlight.com on Fridays.