The Land of Enchantment

I was enchanted with New Mexico from the moment I crossed the boarder. Driving through sunset and dusk, the changing light on the landscape stirred my heart. The way the light hit the mesas, a brown hill would appear glowing white. Approaching Albquerque, the city lights tucked in the valley charmed me.  It has been a long time since I have seen a city at night. 

In the morning, I went to Old Town and walked through the shops.  The colors!  The diversity!  The people I met were so calm and the interactions so easy – no formality, all guards down – without a thought.  I  enjoyed the interactions with the sales clerks and talked to one artist for almost an hour.  Store after store revealed handcrafted jewlry, pottery, and art.

 

These guys were playing hits from the 70's on flutes/pipes.  I did't get a chance to ask what the instruments were called.  When I heard the music, I literally turned on a dime to find it.  I couldn't help myself.

A delightful man at the information stand created this rock garden.  He made me laugh and offered to take my picture with his rocks as long as I promised not to knock them down.

This was in one of galleries.  It made long to get back to the wheel to get my hands dirty.

Another one of the galleries. . . .

There were a couple of weddings going on in Old Town.

I bought a tin punched mirror with blue and white tiles from this man's store.  He paints retablos, and his work is displayed in galleries around the world.

Okay, so pouring rain for an hour in New Mexico?  Blinding rain that makes you hold your breathe when a truck passes you.  Rain that makes you feel like you are danger of drowning.  This picture was taken near the end of the storm.

The Next Adventure

So I am off.  Actually, l I have been for a few days.  It has taken me a the better part of a week of  traveling to start writing.  Here is a smattering from my first day back on the road.  Oh, if I haven't mentioned it, I am heading back across country  to Maryland.  This time by the southern route.

The last few days before leaving CA, I visited my favorite spots on the coast.  The beautiful places file in my memory is nicely stuffed.

This is Buttercup, otherwise known as Boo, most affectionately called Butter-Boo.  I am going to miss her waking me up at 4:45 am -- well not really.  I will miss her dainty way of making herself at home on my lap or  the curve of my arm.  She is posing with Osoito.  He is currently hibernating somewhere in my car, at least I hope he is.  This photo was the time he was seen.  He is bit leery of road trips.

A few days ago, I headed East.  What different emotions and connotations those words have: EAST and WEST. wisdom, freedom, oppression, sages, destiny, home . . .

I ignored the GPS when it wanted me to go immediately east, I just wasn't ready yet, so I drove south along the coast and after saying one last farewell to the pacific ocean, found a lovely road east.  Even better, I had it all to myself, and it had mile after mile of views like this:

That first day, I also passed acres and acres of orchards.  The baby one below was especially endearing.

I bought an extra large cantaloupe before leaving the valley which served as dinner and breakfast for two days.

There was a wind farm gracefully set on a hill.  Grace aside, windmills still feel like aliens to me.  I have twice now seen the long "arms" of the windmills on the beds of trucks being transported.  It gives me the hebbejebbies  -- really -- somehow they feel alive and intelligent to me even dismembered.

San Francisco

What is the first thing you want to see in a new city?  For me it is either the zoo or the botanical gardens.  So on a lovely day in San Francisco, my college friend and I braved the traffic for the gardens.  Now, I must tell you there must be something in the air of San Fran to make the traffic acceptable, platable even -- why was I not annoyed and overwhelmed like when I was in LA?  Why is San Fran so charmed?  

This is the view upon first entering the gardens.  Locals get into the gardens for free -- everyone else has to pay.  Pretty good system.

My favorite part of the gardens was the "Fragrant Garden".  I was the only one touching all the plants and smelling my fingers.  Mugwort is disgusting.  I never knew there were so many varieties of geranium -- all so delicious.  And white lavender . . . I think you should get a plant for yourself.

These were one of my favorites -- orange of course.  I could not find a sign to tell me what they are though.  Does anyone know?

I loved every time we came across one of the garden sheds.  Apparently, I wasn't the only one drawn to them as there were many KEEP OUT signs.  Doesn't it look homey?

Surely, a relative of Cousin It.

This is a kind of oxalis -- otherwise known as redwood sorrel -- not to be confused with clover.  (I had a lovely red variety as a house plant before I moved).  It makes for an exquisite native ground cover under the redwoods.

I have hat envy.  Seriously, I had to control myself.

This would make for a lovely painting. Don't you think?

This is a passion flower.  Many butterflies lay eggs on its leaves which are eaten by catapillars which then make their crysalis on the passion flower vines.

The street before this, which was much steeper, took my breath away, literally.  Adrenaline pumping, the real deal.  I did not think my car would make it down.  Please don't scold me, my friend took the picture.  Who needs roller coasters?