Sunrise-Sunset "Adios, Amigos!"

Since I returned from Santa Fe to St. Paul, Minnesota more than a week ago, I guess it's about time to say "Hasta Luego" to this blog and concentrate on Visual St. Paul instead. Please come visit me in St. Paul! The sunrises and sunsets are glorious in New Mexico.

 I shall miss them!

Camera Critters--An Artistic Horse

This piece of painted metal artwork was hanging on a wall in one of the rooms in the Ranchos Plaza Grill that we visited before.  It's not exactly my style of art, but it is certainly different.

To see more photos of camera critters that have been posted by bloggers from around the world, go here.

Alvaro Cardona-Hine Gallery #2

Our friend, Marty with Barbara McCauley, DH, and Alvaro during our brief visit to see these two talented artists who live in Truchas, New Mexico.  I introduced you to them yesterday with a bit of background information. The photographer seldom gets into the photo!

Cardona-Hine Gallery in Truchas, New Mexico

These two talented artists moved to Truchas, New Mexico about 2 decades ago from St. Paul, Minnesota.
When you take The High Road to Taos, be sure to stop at their gallery because you will be enthralled by their art and will be treated graciously and with hospitality by both of them.

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Cardona-Hine has lived in the United States since 1939.  He s a self-taught artist practicing three disciplines: painting, writing and music composition.  His work is in public and private collections world-wide.

Barbara McCauley said, " Here in New Mexico and in New England where I grew up, there is a reverence for the land by the people who inhabit it.  I paint that reverence.  This begins with an awareness of light, how light travels through space and falls on objects to create the illusive beauty of at the world." Her work is in collections all over the U.S. as well as abroad.

ABC WEDNESDAY-"H"- What a hat!

While shopping at Whole Foods in Santa Fe, I noticed this very large man with a wonderful Cowboy hat.  I decided to take a stealth shot, and it worked.  I was asked, however, not to take photos in the store by one of the cashiers. Since I was on private property, I decided to comply.

To see more ABC Wednesday photos for the letter "H"--check here!

ABC WEDNESDAY-"H"-Ross and Perry, Oryx Hunters

I met Russ and Perry in Alamagordo NM in a a breakfast room in motel filled with hunters who were trying to get one of the many Oryx in the 3-day hunting period allowed in that area.  Both of these men who live in the the Four Corners area had not known one another previously until they met that morning. Ironically, they live only about 10 miles from one another in their hometown. They told me about the history of the introduction in the 1960's of 9 African Oryx into this area around Alamagordo that has exploded into a population of thousands.  These animals are well-adapted to New Mexican terrain, and because the herds were not getting enough grazing food and had suffered starvation, hunters are now allowed to hunt them during a short time period of 3 days. Since Perry's wife holds the same negative opinion of hunting as I, we, nonetheless, had an interesting conversation about this hunting activity of theirs.

Here is some more information I learned about the beautiful Oryx animals:

The Oryx is a large African antelope that now lives in southern New Mexico. In 1969 the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish decided to introduce Oryx to the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish wanted to establish a huntable animal population in an area where there were not currently huntable numbers of big game. Oryx are specially adapted to desert life. They can go an indefinite period without drinking water. They feed on desert grasses, yucca, buffalo gourds, mesquite bean pods, and tumbleweeds.


To read a fascinating article, "A Graceful Gazelle Becomes a Pest," go here!

And to see more ABC WEDNESDAY POSTS, GO HERE!

Musician or Entrepeneur?

Although the hat looks empty it gradually filled with many greenbacks as this young musician played expertly at the Saturday's Farmers Market.  Perhaps music may not be in her future, but her instincts as an entrepreneur will probably be fulfilled. 

The Rainbow Man

One of my favorite shops in the Plaza is The Rainbow Man on Palace.  In the back of the shop, the Curtis Room displays many Curtis photographs as well as old Native American and Pendleton blankets. Not to be missed!  If I lived here year round I'd lobby to volunteer at this amazing store.

Chanticleer! Camera Critters

My Father who raised Bantam Roosters as a hobby would have loved these paintings.  Geoffrey Chaucer who wrote the Cantebury Tales probably would have enjoyed them also.  As I was struggling with the Middle English language of Chaucer's 14th Century masterpiece, I fell in love with Chanticleer, the proud and foolish rooster.

The paintings are hanging in McLarry's Art Gallery on Canyon Road.

To see how other bloggers treated Camera Critters today, go here.

Old Adobe church in Abiquiu, New Mexico

DH and I are on our way back to St. Paul, Minnesota, taking the southern route.  We should be in Oklahoma City today, visiting the Cowboy Heritage Museum and the Memorial. I'll still be posting photos from Santa Fe for a week or two, though...so keep coming back 'til I tell you that I'm switching blogs again.

This gate opens into the courtyard of the old adobe church, St. Thomas, in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Theme Day-March, 2012-Electricity

Electricity is a pretty challenging theme, and I didn't think that I would participate this month, but Eureka!  There are murals painted on many electrical utility boxes all over Santa Fe.  This one by the railroad crossing close to the Farmers Market is a perfect example.

Added later:  I swear that Randy and I did NOT collaborate on our photos today!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants