Lordsburg, NM – Weathered boards, dry tufts of yellow grass,
clumps of purple prickly-pear cactus, and the whisper of a desert breeze
rattling a dented tin roof – this was the scene at Shakespeare, a former mining
town just two miles to the south of Lordsburg, where we went this morning.
Beyond the glimpses of the old buildings on the other side of the fence, it was
all we were allowed to see.
Not only was Shakespeare abandoned in 1893 when Lordsburg
took over as the centre of activity, but even today it is closed to curious
visitors, lest they should tumble down a mineshaft or succumb to a rattlesnake
bite. Stern signs deter self-guided visits. The RV parking lot is a lumpy and
grown over with weeds. Tours and re-enactments in period costumes aren’t
happening. You can’t even call for an appointment to see it. Shakespeare has
been left for the buzzards and jackrabbits.
Our other meanderings through Lordsburg were almost as
ghostly. The RV park, though populated with a few fifth wheels and trailers,
showed no signs of life. The streets were uninhabited. The main grocery store
was closed. We did find a general store
where we were able to pick up a few staples.
After that, we went home and waited for the Superbowl to start.
Ordinarily, we are not sports fans. But we figure this is
the big day for our American neighbours, and we are visiting here, so why not
see what it’s all about? I had no idea
they actually recite the Declaration of Independence, word for word, before the
game begins. There were military bands, an
enormous US flag, Queen Latifa singing America the Beautiful with a choir,
opera diva Renee Fleming singing the National Anthem, and then let the game
begin! And check out all those really entertaining ads, and a half-time show
with more energy and pyrotechnics than the fourth of July – well, close anyway.
So we had a quiet Sunday in Lordsburg – a chance to relax,
do a few little chores and prepare for new horizons and adventures ahead.
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