ABC Wednesday-"G"-Gates

In two previous posts I have shown you painted gates here and here, but these are unpainted or of natural stain. Whether they are painted or not, each casa has their own individual signature gate.

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts, click here.

ABC WEDNESDAY-"G"-Rio Grande Gorge

About 7 miles outside of Taos is located a bridge that spans the Rio Grande Gorge at a truly dizzying height.  On a recent road trip to show a visiting guest some of the unusual phenomena in New Mexico, we drove the spectacular High Road to Taos, stopping at several small towns, art galleries and this restaurant I have already shown you.  When we arrived at the bridge, DH who saw the gorge for the first time was a bit stunned, seeing this remarkable river from a height of 650 ft. ,which seems much higher when standing on the bridge, looking down at the river! Coming upon this scene in high mountain desert terrain is an amazing surprise! To learn more about the bridge that spans this river, go to this Wiki site: 

Go here to see more ABC Wednesday posts.

O'Keeffe Country

 The scenery is spectacular when driving to Ghost Ranch where Georgia O'Keeffe owned a house and painted the landscape for a number of years before moving to Abiquiu.  It is familiar territory if you're familiar with her paintings. 

Window in Taos

Even some of the most humble dwellings in New Mexico add beauty to their surroundings.

Moo! Camera Critters

I saw this wonderful painting in McLarry's Art Gallery on Canyon Road.

To see more Camera Critters, click here.

SPA-10,000 Waves

These steps lead you to the fabulous Spa,-10,000 Waves, just outside the city limits of Santa Fe.  It is a place not to miss!  The hot tubs, massages, and relaxing room are exactly what the doctor ordered.  You can even be pampered overnight if you wish to stay longer. If you would like to see an interior photograph, here is a waterfall I posted in 2010 when I visited the spa for the first time.

As you enter the building, you are greeted by this soft and lovely image.

St. Francisco de Asis -Front view--

Anyone who is interested in New Mexico and Georgia O'Keeffe is familiar with the church below (small photo), which has been painted and photographed an unbelievably number of times. This iconic image which faces the street, however. is really the back of the church.  Few have seen the front of the church (the large photo), which is located at the back of the property,  so I have taken it upon myself to show both.  The other photo is a close-up of the adobe wall...real adobe, not  concrete.  If you'd like to know more about the history of the church, click here.

AbC WEDNESDAY-"F"-Fountains

I saw these unusual fountains outdoors at a gallery on Canyon Road.

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY photos from bloggers posting from their cities from around the world,
go here.

ABC WEDNESDAY-"F"-Coyote Fence

We often can hear coyotes at night, calling to one another.  DH got lucky recently when he saw a coyote loping across a field at 5 pm.  In trying to find more information about these distinctive coyote fences which seem to be everywhere in the neighborhood, I found this information:

Fencing - Coyotes can jump over and dig under fences that are improperly built. Coyotes don't  leap fences in a single bound but, like domestic dogs, they grip the top with their front paws and  kick themselves upward and over with the back legs. Their tendency to climb will depend on the  individual animal and its motivation. Coyotes are also excellent diggers, therefore the type of  fence you install may require barriers be built into or extending from the ground. Eliminating the coyote's ability to grip the top of the fence is also recommended. The height of the fence should be a minimum of 6 feet in height and tightly flush with the ground. To see more ABC WEDNESDAY photos from bloggers around the world, click here.

Doorways and Gates #2

When DH and I take Maggi, our dog, on daily walks in our neighborhood we pass many entrance gates, each unique to the casa.  Some are stained or unpainted, but many have the favorite New Mexico colors of blue or turquoise in varied shades. 

Neighborhood Terrain

I have no rational explanation nor can I explain why, but I really love this photo, which is an image I often see when DH and I are out walking in the neighborhood.  Perhaps it's because it is such a typical scene right now in New Mexico.  Not enough snow to relieve the drought, but the landscape is very arresting in its color and texture.

50 BIG ONES!!

50 YEARS ago today, DH and I eloped at Old St. Mary's Church in Chicago.  Since then the church has been razed, but we still are going strong and are still standing!  It's been a wild and interesting ride in many respects, but our marriage has mellowed and become sweet and serene. 

St. Elias, Greek Orthodox Church's Icons #2

 Yesterday I introduce a major icon in a beautiful church in Eldorado, New Mexico, named Saint Elias the prophet Greek Orthodox Church, which was established in 1992.

"Byzantine iconography is meant to cover the entire interior of the church.  It truly assists the faithful in feeling that they have been transported into heaven.  Since 1998, distinguished Greek iconographers Maria Sigala nod Nikos Spanopoulos, a husband and wife team, have painted the icons on canvas in Greece, then installed them at  St. Elias." Credit: Guide to the Icons


When we went to the church to see the icons, one of the parishioners who had taught Art History at Wellesley before retiring gave us an outstanding tour and explanation of the art work and history of the parish, inviting us back later.  Last Sunday (2/12/12)  we attended their service and stayed for coffee and a light snack afterwards.  What a welcoming parish! Had good conversations with several parishioners.

ABC WEDNESDAY-"E" St. Elias, Greek Orthodox Church's Icons

On January 31st, I posted a photo of the outside of St. Elias the Prophet Greek Orthodox Church.  The interior of this small church has an astonishing array of iconic paintings depicting various religious figures and biblical stories.  Iconographers, aria Sigala and Nikos Spanopoulos, from Athens Greece have done the paintings.  The one above is identified as the "Nativity of Christ", and is described in a"Guide to the Icons."


"The Virgin reclines at the entrance to the dark and humble cave in Bethlehem. The Holy Infant is within with an ox, ass and angels looking on.  A young shepherd holds a lamb, representing the Lamb of God (Christ).  Lower left corner: Infant Christ receives his first bath.  Right:  Joseph the Betrothed is confronted by the devil with doubts about the Virgin's conception."


To see more ABC WEDNESDAY photos from bloggers around the world, go here.

Tomorrow:  More Icons!!

ABC WEDNESDAY-"E" Eternal Love

What better post for Valentine's Day than the well-known symbol for ETERNAL LOVE?! This artist was demonstrating his technique at a Canyon Road Gallery.

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY posts, go here.

Sand Dune Fun!

While touring the Sand Dunes National Monument near Alamagordo, NM we stopped to watch small children slide down the sand dunes which you see in the background.  Asking permission to take their photos we talked to their mothers.  Debbie who is holding her little boy is an Air Force wife whose husband is stationed at Holloman Air Force base.  After 3 years she claims that she is "getting used to desert  life" but it's a far cry from her home in Minot, North Dakota. Her friend Jennie, a pastor's wife,  on her left is visiting Debbie from her home in Minot.  It seemed like a great union for the two women and their children who played happily on the dunes as we talked. The little guy didn't have too much to say for himself!

northern New Mexico artist, Richard Sandoval

McLarry Fine Art Gallery on Canyon Road had a reception Friday (2/10/12) night for artist Richard Sandoval and his collection of paintings and sculptures. He has been painting New Mexico landscapes for most of his 70 years, concentrating on northern New Mexico. In addition to the work in the exhibit, Mr. Sandoval has illustrated books, exhibited at Spanish Market, written books, and has been involved artistically with New Mexico Magazine for many years.  The gallery was packed with lifelong fans and newcomers to his art as well. He obligingly posed for this photo as others were snapping away as well.

A New Mexico Icon

After Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings became widely known and appreciated, this icon definitely is identified with New Mexico.  

To see more Camera Critter's photos, go here.

Rose the Lavender Lady

Rose is definitely a vision in all her finery.  For several years now whenever I am in Santa Fe, I visit the Farmers' Market on Saturdays.  She is always there, selling her  products which relate to her special color,  such as sachet encased in lavender packets.  Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, she has been living happily in Santa Fe for many years.  She told me that she also is a film maker so next time I go to the market, I'll need to find out more about  her interest and activity in film, tv, and theater.

Rose is the 66th portrait I have posted on Flickr for my 100 Stranger Project. To learn more about it , click here: www.100strangers.com/

The Happy Wanderer

While wandering the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe, I stopped at Kiran's booth where she was selling some of her original watercolors and acrylic paintings. She has been living in Santa Fe for the past sixteen years and her subject matter focuses on downtown storefronts, churches, and portraits of people and animals. Kiran has visited many countries:  India, Spain, Greece, Nigeria, England and Sweden. In 2001 she earned a vendor license to display her work in the Plaza, directly across from the Palace of the Govenors on Palace Avenue.

Doorway or Gate?-ABC WEDNESDAY "D"

Doorway to mi casa.  Inside is a small courtyard which Maggi, our dog, often enjoys.  

To see more ABC WEDNESDAY photos, go here.

Yesterday I posted several dune trees, and Birdman from Portland, Maine suggested that he'd like to see them in Black and White.  I posted one of them below, just for him.  Great suggestion, Birdman!!

Life on the Dunes-ABC WEDNESDAY "D"

There is stark beauty on the Dunes!

To see more ABC Wednesday photos, click here.

War Memorial

The Plaza is the central attraction in downtown Santa Fe, and in its center is a tall Obelisk with an interesting history.  To see a photo of the Obelisk, click here. According to the Nile Guide, a travel website with interesting facts about Santa Fe, 

The obelisk in the center of the Plaza is called the Indian War Memorial Monument, and was erected in the 1860s to honor Federal troops killed in battles with Native Americans and Confederate forces. The inscription originally made reference to "savage Indians," but sometime in the 1970s a man dressed in a suit chiseled the word "savage" from the marble inscription. There are also pockmarks left by bullets in the monument. [I wonder why "dressed in a suit" is important in this explanation?]

Another website claims that the obelisk had been erected in honor of the men who fought in the Civil War and is called the Civil War Memorial.

Richard

Richard was sitting on a park bench in the Plaza in Santa Fe when I approached him.  He told me that he has been living here for 16 years, leaving Denver, Colorado to join one of the most beautiful women in the world.  She's still beautiful, but they are no longer together although they are both still residing in Santa Fe. I didn't press him for more details and he didn't offer any. I'd bet that there is an interesting story behind that!!

Maggi on the Dunes-Camera Critters

Maggi relaxing on the dunes in Sand Dunes Nat'l Park near Alamagordo, New Mexico.  We felt that it is great that we could take her along on our fantastic hike in this surreal landscape!

To view other camera critters, go  here.

Cowgirl Rouge

Because of the color red, this sign in Madrid, NM,  reminded me of two bloggers to whom I wish to dedicate this post today.  This may not be Paris, Vj and Genie, but I suspect you'd have a lot of fun in this former mining town!

Signs in Madrid, NM

Madrid, NM was once a thriving mining town. Arriving in town after traveling The Turquoise Trail on Hwy 14 from Santa Fe, you can see remnants of the past.  Many of the old buildings have been converted to galleries, restaurants and shops.  The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, as you can see from some the signs I photographed. The sign at the top has been hanging in the Mine Shaft Tavern for years and always makes me laugh, and the idea of  Madrid always makes me smile! (Pronounce Mad-rid)