Spirited Week

November 27, 2022

Hello everybody,

Well, Thanksgiving Week zipped right by for us with two noteworthy events: one, me having to watch my friend, Valentin's, place for a few days while he and his Dad went to California for Thanksgiving; and, two, running up to Taos for the day on Sunday to get Erin some new hiking boots and a long-sought-after cookbook. Of course, we had to stop and get a bite to eat, too, and found a wonderful place right off the corner of the Taos Plaza that the locals frequented...when you see the Sheriff and his deputies eating there, then you know you're on the right track! So, in any event, the kittens are getting bigger and bigger and are now based downstairs, but heading upstairs at will now, as well. They literally make us smile all day long and we're struggling to come up with ways to keep them all inside forever and ever and safe from coyotes. In any event, their mother, Chelly, is rolling around on the ground again, letting everybody know that she is ready to make more kittens and we're struggling to keep her from running out the door whenever we go in and out. Zia is more withdrawn, with her batch of kittens that are a month or two behind her sister's, but regularly makes appearances downstairs with the rest of us and even seems to take turns babysitting the kids for her sister. Valentin headed out to LA(Perris, specifically) to see his family and have a big get-together, so I immediately volunteered to watch his place and take care of all of his animals. They went away back in May and I had to watch their dogs, cats, chickens and sheep. This time, they've added three young steers to the group and I had to take care of those little buggers, too: one Charolais and two Black Angus. They left the day before Thanksgiving and I didn't have to go down until the following day, and then all the way through Sunday. They feed twice a day, but let me know that I could compress that into just once a day, so that I didn't have to make too many extra stops. On Thursday, I was there for two hours, really settling in to get everyone settled down. Friday was for about an hour; about the same on Saturday; and then a quick stop Sunday morning to check on things before Erin and I headed up to Taos for the day to do a little bit of shopping and to, in general, just get the hell out of the house for a few hours. We went back to an old favorite, Taos Mountain Outfitters, to each get a pair of shoes and a few other things. We walked around the whole plaza and then got a bite to eat at the wonderful Alley Cantina, nestled in the oldest building in Taos and clearly serving as the spot where everyone gathered to catch up away from all the tourists.

This time we went up the Low Road to Taos, heading up from Santa Fe to Espanyola and then on up the Rio Grande, until the road breaks off and heads up about 1200' in elevation to plop itself down right on top of the mesa that surrounds Taos. Then, you see the massive mountains that loom to the north and east of town and it's hard not to just stand there in dumbfounded admiration. Usually, we head to Las Vegas and then north to Mora and across the mountains to Taos, going through the area that was blasted this year with that horrible wildfire that we had. We also have approached Taos from the north and west and have left it, heading east towards Cimarron, through the roof of the world in snowbound Eagle's Nest. This time, with a little bit of potential weather happening in the mountains north of us, we opted to head in to Santa Fe and then to follow the river up. What a beautiful way to go! Cottonwoods crowded the river at all turns, at the bottom of all the canyons that poured into it from both sides, almost making us think of a Pennsylvania scene from our former life! Also, Espanyola is quite a big area and certainly seems to be bigger than Las Vegas, which we've grown accustomed to for all of our daily and weekly needs. Traffic light after traffic light, and every type of restaurant and store can be seen in every direction. That is not even to mention all the different Indian Pueblos that you go through, too, with their own services, restaurants, stores, and, in most cases, casinos. In the end, we had a great day and Erin found a perfect pair of lightweight hikers; I found a pair of slip-ons for taking the dogs out at all hours; and we both fell hard for the atmosphere and the meal that we had at the Alley Cantina. Taos is two hours from home, but well worth the trip, and we're already figuring out how to get back up there soon to check out the bookstore, the cookery store, and the many other great places to eat! A great end to a long, holiday weekend!

So, here is another batch of pictures for everyone's enjoyment...this time with a few more than usual! First up, a shot that I took of myself hangin' at Valentin's that I jazzed up a bit on the computer. Then, a shot of one of the kittens relaxing on the couch. Next, a series of eleven shots that I took while I was watching Valentin's place: first, looking north to Barillas Peak; then, the three new beef calves; one of the newest lambs; Loka in her stoop, staying out of the wind; all the loose chickens out pecking at food; one of the cats helping me draw water; looking up towards our ranch from his place; then, looking across the Pecos River towards the mesa; the loose chickens roosting; then, them roosting with a crescent moon and colorful sky; and, finally, a closeup of the sliver of the moon. Then, four shots of Valentin and I returning to patio work, now that more flagstone finally showed up: first, him reacting to me taking his picture; a selfie of myself; the last fancy patio that Valentin did, which he's working on a third now in the same style; then, all the square and rectangular blocks that I've been working on for the last two patios on the other side of the house. Next, three nighttime shots from the ranch: first, a closeup of some cholla in the headlights of the buggy; then, two different shots of the amazing fireworks that the sky displays most every night out here! Then, seven shots of our drive up to Taos: first, shooting the canyon as we go from 5800' to 7000'; next, three shots of the mesa that surrounds Taos once we got up on top of the mesa; then, looking back on the same area as we later headed home, with the mountains lit up by the setting sun. Lastly, three shots of the Alley Cantina, now our favorite spot to eat in Taos!

Take care and see you soon.