A trip to Abiquiu Dam

We love to go up to Abiquiu Dam. The scenery there is so magnificent, we wanted to show it to our friend Susie. It was a lovely day when we went there, and here are some pictures we got:

The crosses at Chimayó

There is a place along a chain link fence at the Santuario de Chimayó where pilgrims leave crosses they have fashioned from twigs and other simple materials.

The first time we went to Chimayó years ago and I saw the fence full of handmade crosses -- and realized the simple faith expressed in them, I was overwhelmed and I stood there for the longest time, in awe.

Since that time years ago, the fence has been moved to another location, along the paved walkway from the parking lot up to the church. I still take time to stop and look at the crosses ... but I am amazed at the numbers of people who walk right past them without looking. Seems like we do that a lot in our lives.

I took these pictures when we were in Chimayó a week ago:

A visit to Santuario de Chimayó

We did a lot of traveling around the area while my friend Susie was here. There were so many possibilities, so it was hard to decide what to include and what to leave for another visit.

Last Sunday we went up to Chimayó to see the Santuario. It was another beautiful New Mexico day. Here are some pictures we took:

On the road to Chimayó:



The Santuario:









Susie and I:

Santa Fe Plaza in September

Things in the heart of town start to slow down a little after tourist season ends following the Santa Fe Fiesta in early September.

We were down on the Plaza a week ago, and there was still a festive, party atmosphere and lots of people, but fall is in the air, and it seemed like there were fewer tourists in the stores and restaurants.

Got a few more pictures:







Me:


Friend Susie:

Scenes in Cerrillos

We were on a drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe last weekend, and we stopped off in Cerrillos NM to visit the little gift / rock shop there.

Got a few nice pictures around the little "downtown" area.

Plaza Shopping Center

I love this shopping center on the Plaza in Santa Fe.

Very colorful and lots to look at:

The Ore House

We had lunch last weekend at the Ore House during my friend Susie's visit to New Mexico.

The Ore House is a traditional Plaza restaurant with great food, and if you sit out on the balcony, you have a perfect view of all the activity happening out on the Plaza.

The best part of our lunch there last week was that our good friend Jeff Kotowski was our waiter.

I wish I had taken more pictures that day.



(This picture was taken by Susie.)

Heading for home

Hey...open up!

Labor Day 2010

For most people, Labor Day is the last holiday of summer, with last picnics in the approaching fall weather before colder days arrive.

For political junkies like us, Labor Day signifies the unofficial start of the fall election campaign season.

We put the first of our yard signs out at the roadside this weekend; there will be more to follow soon:

Green Chile 2010

Today was our green chile day here at our house. For many New Mexicans, freezing green chile in late summer every year is a state tradition. This is the third year of our residency here, and our third year to prepare roasted green chile to put in our freezer for the coming year.

We went into town this morning to get our green chiles roasted in the neat roasters designed especially for chile. You see them all over town, and the aroma is soooooo wonderful.

This year I remembered to get some pictures of each step of the chile process.

Worst part? Preparing the chiles is a lot of work and we are really tired when we're done.
Best part? A freezer full of the chiles to enjoy for the coming year. yummmm....


Our chiles in the roaster at Jackalope on Cerrillos Rd. in Santa Fe...



The chiles when we got them home:



In the ice water bath:



Draining:



Ready to go into the freezer bags:



The finished chile, in the freezer for the winter:

Sundae Sunday 2010

One of the best days of the year in Eldorado...

...the Annual ice cream social...

...held the last Sunday of August...

...to benefit the Vista Granda Public Library...

...all the ice cream you can eat ...

...and a silent auction of neat stuff...

...games for the kids...

...on an absolutely gorgeous late summer day...

...what could be better than that?