Find the Old West in Magdalena
Via friend of the blog, Reid Farmer. Reid, “Oh, where art thou here?”
This tourist brochure fluff piece is comical for the title alone. As John Gierach said, “Once you see anything that advertises the old west you are nowhere near it.” How soon before it is “spiritual”*?
the residents represent a cast of characters that include famed author and falconer Stephen Bodio
Good that Steve got some press, though.
I was surprised that Magdalena is so far removed from its hardscrabble days described in Querencia. It reminds me of the village that is nearest to my remote property. It is 10 miles away and while it was not home 35 miles away there is a bond of time and place over a lifetime. I assumed it would fade away in this economically depressed region (think northern New England). Instead, like Magdalena, the galleries and craft beer breweries moved in to suck the teat of summer tourists and cottagers. It is small scale but a life line. The pop is still down -8.5% since 2016, however.
* page 111 Querencia