So the muse called yesterday. Not from anywhere far from home, but right in the backyard and even in the house. Fortunately, she called while I was watering the plants and before we hit the jackpot temperatures we’ve been getting lately. Yes, we are “enjoying” that heatwave that’s the talk of the Southwest. But if you stay in the shade and don’t move around too much, it’s not bad. It really is all about the humidity. And the fact that we live in New Mexico, NOT Phoenix with its 119º. Okay, it helps that both of our AC units are back online. Last week we had to limp along with just one of them for several days.
But back to the muse; I’m calling her the muse of minutiae because I was looking at things close-up rather than trying to see the big picture as I often do. Really, I wanted to find something extraordinary in the hum-ho of the yard I look at each day. But who really looks closely at their backyard every day? Guess I need to practice that more, particularly at off times. It is a nice backyard, especially at the end of the day when the hummingbirds visit while you sit out with a glass of wine.
This is a close-up of a painting by my aunt Pat Croke. Talk about the muse’s energy, people!I’m a big lover of all things sun – hell, why else would I have chosen to live out here in the desert? This is part of a chiminea that the original owner of our house left. If we touch it, it’ll break. It has to stay.
Taken as I am by the sun on the chiminea, I’d never noticed this almost shadow of a kokopelli hiding down near the ground. Who isn’t inspired by the happy flute-player?
What do you see in the shadows?
What a treat to find a rose like this one blooming during this heatwave!
Then there’s texture. Who’s not excited by the muse of touch?LIke I said, the god of sunshine is always here in my Albuquerque backyard.And he brings his a-muse-d friends.
Meanwhile, someone else is not enjoying the heat one iota! Tynan barely agreed to show you “what’s on the frame” this week. He’s barely looking me in the eye to shoot the pic. Instead he insisted that he was too hot to pose, to move even. That is until I got the shot and mentioned the usual treat. He was up like a puppy – not a heat-stricken nine-year old. He’ll feel better when he gets his hair cut tomorrow.
Maybe he’s just embarrassed by the shameless commercial nature of this new rug. Even if he was its muse!
A reminder, the blog will be back in a couple of weeks. I think I mentioned that Tom and Tynan and I are off to Pagosa Springs in southern Colorado soon for a little R&R. Nothing big; it’ll be just as warm there. But nothing sounds better than morning hikes and afternoons spent lolling on the patio with books and beverages. Pics to come!
What fun are you up to now that summer’s fully set in?
We finally did it! After like eight hundred LONG years (okay, really it was only eight years, still really LONG), Tom and I were finally able to get away for a few nights of adventure. Our empty-nestedness still holding, last Monday we loaded up the car with bags, snacks, hiking boots, and, of course, Tynan and headed south towards Silver City.
Looking back to the east on our way to Silver City. Just outside of Hillsboro, NM. Make sure to pray for no car trouble because your cell phone is worthless here.
Anyone else see a rug hooking possibility in this photo?It’s spring and the cholla’s blooming!Mixed feelings alert! This pic was taking at the Chino Mine Vista Point. It’s the best place to attempt to take in the immensity of what we read is the third largest open pit mine in the world (!!!). The Chino Mine facilities clearly make a HUGE mess of the natural surroundings. On a scale that boggles the mind. That being said, they’ve been here since the 1800s. More importantly, I surmise that the employment they provide to locals is pretty important. I wish I had an answer…
Driving to Silver City is almost a “you can’t get there form here” experience. It certainly reminds us that we aren’t in New England any more. First you head down Interstate 25 for a few hours. After Truth or Consequences, you bang a right off an exit that puts the Rio Grande River to your backside, and you head east/southeast eventually into the far reaches of the Gila National Forest. You’re on a narrow road with lots of ups and downs and twisty-turnies. And fabulous views. More hours than you think later, you level out, the road straightens, and Silver City is almost within sight. If it weren’t for more mountains, mines, big sky, cows, and sweeping vistas. But you will make it; I promise.
Blistering on tree bark caused by a forest fire slooks like dragon scales. (Karen Miller of Karen D. Miller Studio, I was thinking of you!)
Despite being known as a tourist destination, Silver City is mostly a town filled with friendly working folks, artists, college students, and retirees going about their daily lives. It’s colorful, lots of art – galleries, shops, studios. Very shabby chic and a little on the edge what with a number of empty storefronts along the main drag. One hopes that summer’s activities and tourists
There be more dragons in these hills!
can change that, fill the place up a little more, provide some employment for the locals. There are plenty of restaurants, but be advised that a number are closed on Mondays – at least during shoulder season.
The supercilious attitude of these deer was palpable when I took the shot. “F-ing tourists…”
Mr. (or Mrs.?) Quail didn’t give a crap about me either.
Nope, our trip was about getting away, relaxing – when we weren’t driving, that is. The one full day we stayed in town was spent on a fairly leisurely hike, finding a great lunch, and poking in and out of little shops. I swam in the hotel pool and read my book. Later we headed into the tiny community of Piños Altos for dinner at the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House. The historic bar was authentic though I doubt that back in the 1860s they were serving goat cheese and aioli with their burgers. Still, very yummy. Excellent fries and a good beverage list.
Somewhere north of Silver City in Big Sky Country. (I think you could fit Rhode Island in just this picture!)
Tynan contemplating the beginning of the Catwalk.
Wednesday we climbed back into the car and headed up north along the Arizona border. It’s a desolate and supremely beautiful ride. Lots of ranch land, not a lot of people or infrastructure. Gas up in Silver City, people! This is Big Valley for real! And big mountains too. We detoured to the Catwalk Recreation Area because I’d seen pictures that looked quite intriguing. (New Englanders, this is the Flume on steroids. With a lot less trees and humidity.) We even got to ford a river. Twice. In a Honda Accord, that can be rather…exciting. We made it, so it was okay. Just like I told Tom it would be. Even though I wasn’t driving…
The Catwalk trail built into the sides of the slot canyon and hanging over the river. Tynan really didn’t like walking on the catwalk. We tried to tell him it was just a name, that they could have just as easily named it the dogwalk.
Now that Tom and I remember how to do the get-away thing, we plan on making it the habit it was a couple of decades ago. And since the snow’s on its way out up north, it’s almost time to go that way. And west; there’s still plenty of west between us and the Pacific. We didn’t move all the way cross country to sit on our butts.
Someone installed this mosaic into the side of a Silver City building. To me it screams this is the southwest, a little rough, but filled with unexpected beauty.
Have any travel ideas for High on Hooking? List’em here in the comments ’cause we’re raring to roam everywhere now!
Another busy, busy week. There are acceptance letters to get out for the Fiber Arts Fiesta happening here in Albuquerque – GASP! – next month. Yesterday was a demo day at the BioPark. The second part of the class I’m teaching up at Española Valley Fiber Arts Center meets Saturday. We’ll be finishing up the little rugs we started last weekend. And I really need to whip the larger, blue rug I’ve entered in Fiesta. Not a small job. Sewing through t-shirt is definitely harder on the hands than sewing through soft-as-butter wool. The RA doesn’t exactly help.
Best news: Tom and I haven’t been able to get away from home alone in almost 9 years when we vacationed on Jamaica’s quieter southwest coast (skip Montego Bay; it’s far more interesting down south.) We’ve recently – and rather suddenly – become empty-nesters. Not being sure how long it’ll last, next week we’re trying to take a few days down in Silver City (New Mexico) south of here. There’s food, artsy-fartsy stuff, and mountains to hike. Yes, Tynan is insisting on coming. He’ll appreciate the hiking most of all. (We keep having to tell him “No green chilies for dogs! Not even on burgers.”) Now I have hotels and such to research. No worries; I’ll have plenty of pics and southwestern inspiration to share when we get back. Hopefully, we’ll get a full week to vacation…somewhere TBD after Fiesta.
In the meantime, “Hatch Chile” is still the current rug on the frame. (Though I did start another small mat last weekend during my class. More on that later.)
Tynan resting on “Hatch Chile.” No, he’s not relaxing. It was much too close to the magical dinner hour last evening. “Hatch Chile” is being hooked in up-cycled t-shirts and bed-sheets.
So, other than Jean Ottosen over at JLT Studios who heads off on a South Korean adventure soon and my fellow guild member Nancy Huntington who’ll soon be in Indonesia diving with the fishes, where have you been and/or where are you going to find new inspirations for your artwork? Share with us!
I can’t believe we’re about to celebrate our second holiday season here in our newly(ish) adopted state of New Mexico. Thanksgiving is in two days! Tomorrow is the day to bake pies and get a head start on some side dishes. Come Thursday morning Tom, Tynan the Dog, and I will head out for a hike in order to burn a few calories before we slice into the turkey and taters and tarts. And as always, thank goodness, there will be hooking.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember, it’s all about the gratitude. (And the pumpkin pie.)
Happy Thanksgiving from High on Hooking out in New Mexico!
Southern Route 4, the Jemez Mountain Trail, somewhere around Jemez Pueblo.
Escaping the city heat was only one of the things on our minds yesterday when Tom and I headed off for a day out. The kid’s been driving us crazy, my RA won’t stabilize, and once in a while I need back-to-nature.
Much as I like Albuquerque, I come from a succession of small towns in Connecticut then Kansas then Connecticut again and then Massachusetts. Albuquerque’s got a population of just over a half million. Sure, it’s spread out – much as most western cities – but that can make for a butt-load of cranky-pants people driving in 104 degree weather.
Soda Dam is a 300-foot long natural dam created by mineral deposits from a hot spring. Very cool.
We’d promised the dog that he could get out too, so northward ho the three of us went. Mountains sounding coolish (compared to here), we headed up the Jemez Mountain Trail, a national scenic by-way, towards Los Alamos. Enjoy some pics!
Welcome to Battleship Rock; it marks the confluence of the Jemez River and San Antonio Creek. Yesterday it also marked the location of a nascent forest fire. Maybe you can see it to the right of the rock. Fortunately, the fire was contained by last night. Especially fortunate as I took the photo standing in the driveway of a YMCA camp, and I could actually hear the kids celebrating someone’s birthday in the mess hall.Vibrantly green conifers all over the mountains.
New Mexico – it’s not all dry desert. We hiked about a third of a mile down to the stream, but my knees opted not to continue on to the hot springs.Really, the only clouds we saw all day.
To come around a curve and find…this amazed Tom and me. It’s the Valles Caldera National Preserve. It’s one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, about 17 miles in diameter. You might have seen it on the news this week. A woman running a marathon stumbled upon a mama bear and her three cubs. Thank goodness she lived to tell the tale.I loved it up there so much that the next plan is to spend a couple of nights in Jemez Springs when we get a chance. Tynan’s happy; there are a couple of little motels that welcome polite dogs. He can be very polite. As long as we give him lots of snacks.
Will you be escaping the city this summer? Where will you go? What will you do?
