Lou Morgan's post hike birthay celebration

Lou's birthday celebration continued at the Tewa Lounge in Questa, NM, on our way back to Taos from hiking.

We met J.R., who, with his father and assorted other patrons, serenaded Lou with a beautiful Spanish rendition of "Happy Birthday".

This was a great bar, straight out of the "Easy Rider" era. I kept waiting for Dennis Hopper to come in.

Lou, thanks for sharing your special celebration with us - it was a birthday we'll all remember!

Back in Taos

How did it get to be May 8 already????? Seems like yesterday I was driving back to Taos through snow blanketed country and celebrating new year's eve in Tulsa with green tea because they don't serve anything but 3.2 beer on Sundays!!!!!

I returned to Taos from a 2 week home sitting engagement in ABQ in early April, where I actually performed a cat rescue from the roof of Lori's home. Very exciting stuff! Neko, the cat whom required the rescue, was safely removed from the roof, but not without a valiant effort at keeping himself dug in with his front claws while I was pulling him from below. Turned out we both ended up on our backs on the ground, him on top of me, safe, shaking, but ok. Of course, I was wondering if I'd just been "punked".

I spent most of April at the Murray's with Simon and Lily. This is the home that brought me to Taos.











I was back in time to celebrate my friend Lou Morgan's birthday. The birthday girl is pictured here, at Pizano's, with Janet (in lime green), Deborah, and me. Oh, and the little girl next to Janet was seated with her family at the table next to us, and asked to be in the photo. Cute! She also asked Janet and me if she could have a bite of our dessert! Only in Taos! Her parents' only comment was to remind her to say "please".

The next day, Lou's birthday, we went to Wild Rivers and hiked the Big Arsenic Trail down to the Rio Grande. That's the Rio Grande behind Janet and Lou in the photo, and that's me totally enjoying a really ripe and juicy strawberry.

Greetings from Albuquerque (ABQ) and the Piedras Lisa Trail on Sandia Mountain

This amazingly huge boulder is just sitting up off the Piedras Lisa trail on Sandia Mountain, which is shown in the photo below from the trail.



This photo is looking west to the mesas and Mt. Taylor. And then there's me, with Sandia Peak behind me.

I arrived in ABQ Thursday night in time to have dinner with Lori, whose home I'm staying in while she's in Peru, making her pilgramage to Machu Piccu. A lovely woman, Lori is a former school teacher from Minnesota.

Friday and Saturday I familiarized myself with the NE side of ABQ, trying to learn my way around - and where all the Starbucks, Wild Oats and Whole Foods locations are.

Sunday was a gorgeous day - perfect for hiking the Piedras Lisa Trail on Sandia Mountain. Near where the tram takes visitors up to the top of Sandia Peak.

Ute Mountain at Sunset in El Rito, NM

An unbelieveable (ok, they are ALL unbelieveable - if you don't believe me or these photos, then please come visit and see for yourself!) sunset in El Rito, NM. Ute Mountain is in the foreground of the first photo and Ellen's home is shown in the other.

Gail and Julie ski Taos Mountain

Gail and her friend Julie spent a long weekend at the Taos Ski Valley in early March and of course we got together to celebrate. Gail, who lives in San Diego, has been my accountant extraordinaire for at least 10 years, and Julie is a custom home builder in Placitas, north of Albuquerque.

They skied - I didn't!

Taos Mountain illuminated

Taos Mountain late afternoon, during the thaw, from the front yard of the Solari Hacienda.

Taos-style Adobe Blocks

Who knew that those pesky plastic milk crates could be so useful? Just fill them full of mud and build your adobe home! Located on the Taos Mesa.

Weekend in Santa Fe - February 2007

The photos provided here are all of the extraordinary art outside the galleries on Canyon Road in Santa Fe and on the Plaza. Unbelieveable art! Some very serious, others madcap, sensuous and just plain fun! Be sure to check out the "medusa man" and the "sun god" - click on the picture and it will enlarge to full screen!

March Madness

Cheryl, Marilyn & Denise at the Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant in Chimayo, NM.

March madness, for me, has nothing to do with basketball. How could it be mid MARCH already??? I arrived back in Taos in early January and the magic carpet ride has taken me on quite the journey. The Solari Hacienda was a fabulous place to spend my first winter in Taos, and the first winter in 10 years that produced the amount of snow that made the skiers and ski operators really happy. And then the thaw began, and the MUD.... so deep and powerful that it seemed to be sucking the car tires into it.....I actually went to the store to buy those black rubber boots and planned to make them a winter fashion statement.....but they were SOLD OUT!!!

New friends, new projects, new experiences, new insights.....maybe that's how it's come to be mid March already.

Here we are at El Farol on Sunday, during a long weekend in Albuquerque and Santa Fe with Denise and her colleagues in the nursing field in mid February produced great conversations, lots of laughing, an in depth conversation about the health care system in the U.S. among many other conversations. The Santuario at Chimayo, the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, Starbucks, many of the churces in Santa Fe, the art galleries on Canyon Road, and the gospel choir on Sunday afternoon at El Farol were some of the highlights from our adventure.

Some photos of this adventure for your viewing pleasure are provided.

Out & About Sat, Feb 3

As you'll see, Taos Mountain looks so different depending on what time of the day you are seeing it.

The church is San Antonio de Padua Capillo, the church on La Loma Plaza.

And how about that old fashioned windmill and the spectacular sunset from the back patio?

Let it Snow!

The big snow - again - 4-6 inches, depending on where in Taos you are. This is Taos Mountain under a snow cloud.


The west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge ...

Snow Shoe Adventure At Taos Pines in Angel Fire

Snow shoe adventure with Elizabeth and Deborah on Deborah's mountain property at Angel Fire, NM.

The first snow angel I've made since I was a child!