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DITCHBACK DIARIES
Unwinding & Connecting
On the late afternoon of Feb. 25, the temperature was a balmy 72 degrees and the Valencia County ditchbanks were calling my name.
As the shadows filtering through the trees lengthened, golden hour was fast approaching, I met up with couple Raquel Silva and Anthony Padilla at this perfect moment.
Observed walking, talking and laughing together, they gave me a few minutes of their time. The couple said they were enjoying the nice weather and the lack of wind prompted them to take a walk on the ditchbank near their home.
This was their first walk on this route since the cold weather set in.
“I like how safe this area is and it’s nice to be able to walk around the cemetery as well,” said Silva, a Belen native.
She also said this path is quiet and the terrain remains flat. Silva, who works for the Belen Consolidated Schools, noted how nice it is to take a walk in her neighborhood after being in the office all day.
Padilla agreed that the safety and sense of community in Valencia County are important to him, especially since he works in Albuquerque and witnesses a lot of chaos.
The couple has lived in the area for about four years and fully enjoys the quiet and peaceful pace.
“If someone offered to give me a house in Albuquerque, I would turn it down.” Padilla added with a good-natured laugh before they continued their journey, just in time for golden hour.
