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| Duncan, my doggie soulmate, born 8/15/1988, lived for almost 17 years! This was at the Dog Beach at Huntington Beach, Southern California. |
Monday, August 16, 2010
Duncan
A nicho on an outside wall of an old adobe complex
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| These small adobe homes had sprung up along old trade routes in the 1850's |
The Vicente Silva house, built in the 1870's
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| Silva was a sheriff-gone-bad, had a bandit gang in the 1890's |
"Montezuma Castle" built in 1886
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| now the Armand Hammer United World College-originally built as a hotel by a railroad company |
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Viva Las Vegas!
The New Mexican one! I just had the greatest little road trip. Las Vegas is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Taos. Used to be one of those wild west towns. I stayed at the old Plaza Hotel right on the green grassy plaza. Wonderful place, well worth a stay. The night I got there, I went to have a quiet dinner in the bar but ended up staying for 3 hours when a young mariachi trio came in, Carlos Medina y Los Gallos. They were terrific! Carlos has a warm style and strong beautiful voice and sang non-stop for the 3 hours. I ended up sharing my table with two different couples and made some new acquaintances. One of them might use my pet-sitting services, and the other were locals, Armando and Josie, wonderful couple who I bumped into again at a cafe. The owners knew this couple and gave us a free lunch. Enchiladas swimming in red chile sauce, and the best soapapillas. (I tried to make those once but they came out like hockey pucks.)
And of course I stopped in at Tome on the Range, their wonderful independent book store. And of course I bought some books (got to stop this!!). Wanted to buy a copy of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" for my book club, and a huge book on New Mexican painters.
The main reason for my visit was the house tour. I thought it would be all Victorians, but there were some surprizes. A quirky adobe compound, old houses added onto room by room so many years ago. I really liked this one the best. The owner has one of the 7 units and she has fantastic collections of Stuff, glorious stuff, including a beautiful photo of Amelia Earhardt. These old adobes are so organic, sensuous and colorful. No sharp edges or predictable rooms, and the outside walls had little alcoves with statues. They reminded me of an old Craftsman bungalow court I lived in once in Pasadena. And it even had a shared outside area with chairs set around a firepit.
Another interesting building was the "Montezuma Castle", an affectionate nickname given to a World College for brainy high school students who want to study with an international flair. This is in the forested hills in Montezuma a few miles outside of Las Vegas. The original buildings both burned down in the 1800's, what a shame after all the man power and money it took to build them, but it was Railroad money and there was plenty of that at the time. Anyway, this third attempt is just as beautiful as the first two, a huge rambling affair bursting out of the trees with domes that remind me of Russian churches, an all-wood lined lobby, and a nice wrap-around verandah with plenty of rocking chairs from which to admire the view.
And that's not all. I drove back to Santa Fe that night and treated myself to a front row (at eye level with the fast as lightening feet) ticket at a fabulous flamenco show. Juan Siddi who is from Germany but is of Spanish and Italian descent. What a force of nature he is, wow!! He has taken over from the famous Maria Benitez, who has retired I think. I saw her in Taos 20 years ago. I love the passion of flamenco. His whole troupe was so incredible, including a couple very young boys (8 or 9?) who had the moves and the expressions down pat. And the singers and musicians were just as astounding. Though I was partial to the handsome Spanish guitarist, a real gypsy guy. And the girls costumes! I've got to go down there again before their season is over (like next week I think, darn).
And of course I stopped in at Tome on the Range, their wonderful independent book store. And of course I bought some books (got to stop this!!). Wanted to buy a copy of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" for my book club, and a huge book on New Mexican painters.
The main reason for my visit was the house tour. I thought it would be all Victorians, but there were some surprizes. A quirky adobe compound, old houses added onto room by room so many years ago. I really liked this one the best. The owner has one of the 7 units and she has fantastic collections of Stuff, glorious stuff, including a beautiful photo of Amelia Earhardt. These old adobes are so organic, sensuous and colorful. No sharp edges or predictable rooms, and the outside walls had little alcoves with statues. They reminded me of an old Craftsman bungalow court I lived in once in Pasadena. And it even had a shared outside area with chairs set around a firepit.
Another interesting building was the "Montezuma Castle", an affectionate nickname given to a World College for brainy high school students who want to study with an international flair. This is in the forested hills in Montezuma a few miles outside of Las Vegas. The original buildings both burned down in the 1800's, what a shame after all the man power and money it took to build them, but it was Railroad money and there was plenty of that at the time. Anyway, this third attempt is just as beautiful as the first two, a huge rambling affair bursting out of the trees with domes that remind me of Russian churches, an all-wood lined lobby, and a nice wrap-around verandah with plenty of rocking chairs from which to admire the view.
And that's not all. I drove back to Santa Fe that night and treated myself to a front row (at eye level with the fast as lightening feet) ticket at a fabulous flamenco show. Juan Siddi who is from Germany but is of Spanish and Italian descent. What a force of nature he is, wow!! He has taken over from the famous Maria Benitez, who has retired I think. I saw her in Taos 20 years ago. I love the passion of flamenco. His whole troupe was so incredible, including a couple very young boys (8 or 9?) who had the moves and the expressions down pat. And the singers and musicians were just as astounding. Though I was partial to the handsome Spanish guitarist, a real gypsy guy. And the girls costumes! I've got to go down there again before their season is over (like next week I think, darn).
Thursday, August 5, 2010
On the Road Again.....finally
Heading off tomorrow for a short road trip, another one to Las Vegas, the real one aqui in Nuevo Mexico. There's going to be a tour of the old mostly Victorian houses scattered throughout the town. Staying at the historic Plaza Hotel, right on the Plaza, imagine. There'll be music and fun Friday night, then the tour on Saturday. Then Sat. night I will look up my old neighbor Grace who moved to Santa Fe, then, and then, a flamenco concert! Can't wait. I need a break, been working non-stop at pet-sits, dog rescues, overnight housesitting, and good ole Mabel's.
Speaking of Mabel's, we've had back-to-back groups staying there, mostly writing workshops, which means fabulous dinners by our fabulous cook Adrian. Roasted chicken, salmon, fish tacos, curries, etc etc. Another perk of working at this historic, atmospheric, quirky house.
Speaking of Mabel's, we've had back-to-back groups staying there, mostly writing workshops, which means fabulous dinners by our fabulous cook Adrian. Roasted chicken, salmon, fish tacos, curries, etc etc. Another perk of working at this historic, atmospheric, quirky house.
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