© mike connealy

Doña Ana is a small, very old village to the north of Las Cruces between the Doña Ana Mountains and the Rio Grande . Housing developments are growing all around the perimeter, and there is an expensive new on/off ramp for the town at the main highway intersection. Many of the adobe homes and the mission-style church are undergoing renovation, but the old heart of the village still has a kind of timeless authenticity.     Walking through the narrow streets on a weekday morning, one is unlikely to encounter any of the residents beyond a stray dog. There may be a distant hum of trucks from the freeway, or the clatter of a long freight train passing by the west side of town. What most captures the attention, however, is the character of the mud brick walls of the houses, with shapes, textures and colors that embody the memories of generations past. home