Rio Rancho

My daughter, Molly, and I drove up to Albuquerque for the weekend. We sang "Take It Easy" by the Eagles as we drove through Winslow, AZ and "Carefree Highway" by Gordon Lightfoot as we drove by, well, the Carefree Highway (they would play it on the radio about an hour later). We wore out the Satellite Radio, listening to Cards/Cubs (a good result on Saturday, a terrible result Sunday) and 70s tunes - to which I dance and sing while I drive.

We shared a wonderful evening with Francis and Marge Rath, who introduced us to their Dalmation Archie and treated us to dinner. We wish them both the best as they take off for an adventure in Alaska.

As fate would have it, the gentleman that introduced me to Conference Ministry, The Rev. A. Gayle Engel, would be in Albuquerque vacationing with his wife, Donna. I served on his staff for three years before he retired, and learned a great deal from him. We met at the I Hop in Alb., and talked for a couple of hours before we headed over to worship in Rio Rancho. I owe a great deal to that man, and am proud to have been able to serve with him even for a short while.

Sunday morning we attended services at St. Paul's UCC in Rio Rancho, and with apologies to Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona and Shadow Rock in Phoenix, they have a view of the surrounding landscape that rivals any. Rev. Lynne Hinton, who was celebrating her first anniversary at the church, did a beautiful job leading worship and preaching. I could tell just how much her members loved her - because they all told me so.

Following the service and some time in Fellowship Hall, Lynne and her husband Bob took me and Molly out for lunch at my new favorite restaurant - Le Pinto (I think I remember that correctly. Its where I was taken when I was in Albuquerque in June). Molly and I went from there to do some birthday shopping for her mother, and then we drove home - not quite in time to do the drive through Sedona before the sun set on a glorious weekend.