The Everglades

Yesterday we visited the Everglades. We thought we had good directions, but had to stop in Homestead to ask for more. We did not see any signs going north from Key Largo, but once we got turned around, south, there were the signs!

Our first stop was a park ranger guided tour of the Ahinga Trail. If you visit the Everglades, don't miss this trail. You will see more wildlife here than in other sections of the park. Here we saw quite a few birds, soft-shelled turtles, gars, tilapia, bass and alligators. We saw an ahinga, which is a bird that hunts fish underwater.

After the Ahinga we continued southwest to Flamingo City for a guided pontoon boat tour. We wanted to get on the 12:30 PM boat, but when we got there, at 12:20, we were told the tour started at 12. The next one was at 2. So, we bought some lunch at the Marina Shop. Not much of a lunch selection. It would be better to bring along some food.

We ate on a marina picnic table. Ventured off to nearby Echo Pond to kill some time. Got some photos of a fishing spoonbill along with several mosquito bites...the mosquito season is supposedly over by this time of year.

Went back to the marina and got on the Pelican pontoon boat. Saw lots of mangroves...after this trip I don't need to see anymore! Spotted a few birds, herons, osprey, cormorants. Did not see as much as I thought we would.

Overall it was on okay day. I am disappointed that there was not more wildlife. If there is a richness here, we missed it.

Got back to Azul del Mar, our boutique hotel, about 5 PM. Dinner was salads we bought at the supermarket. Watched Dreamgirls, read a little and then lights out!

More driving

I vowed not to drive so much yesterday, but that is what we did. First we went to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Paid $9 to enter. It was not worth it. Mostly a park to rent kayaks and boats. The reef is actually offshore.

Continued heading south towards Key West. Stopped at the bird sanctuary/nature center. It is privately owned. Donations must be low. It is a sad place. Not worth a visit. Something dead was near the parking area...the smell was very strong. The most interesting bird was a cockatoo near the entrance. All the cages were in dark areas and heavily enclosed making photography virtually impossible.

Drove to Robbie's, a landing where you can call tour guides to pick you up for a trip to the bay area of the Everglades. You have to call in advance, so we didn't go. Plus the tour prices are based on four passengers at $40 a head. A private tour is $300. We haven't decided to spring for that yet.

At Robbie's you can buy food to feed the tarpon by the dock. The tarpon are very large and hungry. There was a teenage kid feeding them by holding the food up above their heads to make them jump to get it. They did and one of them got his hand in the process and he was bitten. He continued feeding them with blood running down his hand. Crazy!

A highlight on the way back was a stop at DQ for an ice cream cone. Then a stop at the grocery store to pickup dinner, salads and some California rolls.

Took a short nap in the afternoon. Enjoyed the evening sunset. Watched one of the Bourne movies on TV. Read some more of "Best Friends Forever." and then to sleep.

Overall kind of a disappointing day. Perhaps we needed such a day to get a feel for the place. We did decide not to vacation in Florida again. We like the mountains and the West.

We will make the best of it! Off to the Everglades today.

Today...Salvador Dali Museum; Yesterday...Driving, and more driving, finally...the Florida Aquarium

On our way to Key Largo, we went to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. We begin touring on our own only to find that his early work is "boring" in the respect that it was very traditional...still lifes...stuff he was learning in art school. Before going too far we joined a tour with a docent. As we went along the exhibit was chronological. It did not take long before the images became much more abstract and interesting. Dali was strongly influenced by Freud and his images are a clear reflection of his dreams. We thought he might have been on drugs or some substance that brought out these themes, but his biographical information does not indicate any substance abuse. A strong influence was his wife, Gala. He signed many of his works with her name first and then his.

From childhood, Dali sought attention. His art is a reflection of this search. He did manage to get a lot of attention during his lifetime. Here are some facts about his work/life we found interesting:

• First gallery show at 17
• Something red in each painting
• Symbol of the lion is his father (a love/hate relationship)
• Gala in many of his works. Met her at 25. She was married at the time. Pope annulled her marriage much later. Married Dali when he was 52.
  

We enjoyed the museum very much. This is a trip highlight!

Yesterday Vicki and I drove Dave to the Tampa airport. He is returning to South Korea for his second "deployment." The first time he taught English in a public junior high school. This time in a private school where he will teach kindergartners and junior/senior high students. It will be interesting to hear his stories.

Anyway there was just a lot of driving yesterday. Early morning to the airport. Back to the hotel for a little while, back to pick up Mom and Dad and head for the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. Tampa is about an hour from Bradenton, so two round trips and the adventure finding the Aquarium.

We asked the hotel front desk guy to get us directions to the Aquarium. He did a Google search and said there were two results...one to the Tampa Bay Aquarium and another to the Florida Aquarium. We asked him which one was THE Aquarium. He picked Tampa Bay Aquarium and printed the directions. Anyway...he was wrong! He had picked a place that sold aquarium supplies...which we never found. I stopped to ask for directions to the Florida Aquarium and discovered we were way off course.

The Florida Aquarium was worth the effort. Highlights were the river otter and penguin programs. Amazing were some sea dragons that are fish, but seem to be sea horses that look like weeds. Very strange.

Drove back to Bradenton. Stopped for Chinese food. Said our goodbyes to Mom and Dad. Back to the hotel to crash. I was tired.

Today...vacation begins. We are headed for Key Largo. The plan is to visit the Everglades and time permitting visit Key West (Dad warned us not to walk the streets and night because he heard there are a lot of weirdos.). Such a warning makes us curious about seeing "weirdos."

St. Petersburg and the Roaring 20s

Yesterday we went to The Pier in St. Petersburg. Mom and Vicki had a lot of fun feeding the pelicans. We also visited the aquarium that had a hands on exhibit...we could touch sea urchins, star fish and other critters.

At a hat shop we tried on a few that had hairpieces attached. Pretty funny! I should have bought the cap with the ponytail!

In the evening we went to The Roaring 20s pizza parlor. The featured attraction is a pipe organ that is connected to many different instruments...drum kits, trumpets, marimbas and more. The organist plays mostly show tunes and 20s music. He takes requests, but never got to mine, "Stairway to Heaven."

Florida Trip/Vacation

From the coolness of Fort Worth to the muggy 80s in Tampa, Florida, we made our trek to visit my Mom and Dad yesterday. We burned up our AAdvantage miles and came first class. The trip was the smoothest ever with the exception of Vicki "hiding" a can of Diet Dr. Pepper in the backpack I was carrying through security. Well, it was discovered! The inspector asked if I wanted to drink it outside the security area...like I really had the time to just get out of line and have a soda. Anyway, another item "confiscated."

Got the rent car from Alamo. After completing all the paper work they sent us to the car lot with instructions to just "pick out a car." The keys are in the cars, so we just picked one from about a five or six different models. We ended up with a Dodge Charger...big enough to carry everyone (Mom, Dad, Dave, Vicki and myself).

Headed for the Holiday Inn @ River Ranch in Sarasota. Checked in, took a short nap and headed for "Il Villaggio", formerly known as Bradenton Missionary Village in Bradenton where Mom and Dad live. Village owners changed the name to attract rent paying residents. The primarily missionary residents do not pay rent, only utilities, hence making it affordable.

Visited with Mom, Dad and (brother) Dave for awhile. We had not seen Mom and Dad for more than two years. Both are doing well. Dad is two months into knee replacement surgery recovery.

Took everyone to dinner at The Outback. Celebrated Dad's 82nd birthday. After dinner went back to their place and watched some of the first game of the World Series - Phillies vs. Yankees.

Back to the Holiday Inn. While getting ready for bed Vicki managed to drop her ring (not wedding ring) in the toilet. Just know that it was not worth fishing out. Use your imagination to fill in the details or ask her about it. :)

June Vacation: The Path and San Antonio

Well, not too much rest and relaxation on this one. The vacation began last week, Friday, June 5, when Vicki and I began "prepping" the large flower bed/garden for the path. We finished up putting in the weed preventer cloth. Oliverio and three of his guys came over on Sunday morning to put in the decomposed granite that makes up most of the path. About 200 feet of 300 feet of path is complete. We are hoping to get the rest of it installed on Sunday, June 21.

On Monday and Tuesday we bought and installed a variety of plants based on a plan a landscape architect (Steve) put together for us. We are sticking to Texas natives to reduce irrigation needs. We also put down more than 100 bags of mulch.

Needless to say it was five days of hot, hard work!

We left Wednesday morning, June 10, for San Antonio, Texas. Our hotel, La Mansion (Omini), was on the Riverwalk. The room had a balcony overlooking the Riverwalk...on the first floor. Fortunately the hotel is on a quiet end of the Riverwalk, so noise was not an issue. We would have preferred a room that was higher up, but this one worked well. We kept it dark and cool...got some good sleep...better than at home. I guess that is one of the reasons for going on vacation.

Wednesday evening we walked around. Had dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk, Rita's. Mediocre food, good margaritas.

Thursday we walked around downtown San Antonio. Looked at a lot of touristy shops...did not buy anything. It was mostly junk. It was really hot and muggy. Not comfortable weather.

In the late afternoon we went to the Watermark hotel spa across the canal from La Mansion. Lounged in the relaxation room reading and then had massages. Dinner was at Las Canarias, in the hotel. It came highly recommended and deservedly so. The spa and dinner were the highlight of the trip.

Friday, we went to Seaworld. The shows were good, the heat oppressive...over 100 degrees. Shamu remains my favorite. We did feed dolphins, which was fun.

Dinner was at Rosario's, a restaurant south of downtown. The food and service was great. We learned to stay away from the Mexican restaurants near the Riverwalk...this was worth the short trip.

The "trip" was a short taxi ride ($7 including tip). The driver suggested another place, Los Barrios, and was a bit disgruntled when I reiterated Rosario's. He made some kind of crack about you can't "lead horses to water" --- some kind of hint that we were not making a smart choice. So, how much was Los Barrios paying him to bring visitors? Also, a much further cab ride?? Geez.

Headed home Saturday. Toured a couple of the missions. Stopped in Austin to lunch with Justin and his roommate Donald. Got home in the evening.

Yerba Canyon Hike

This is the toughest hike Vicki and I have done. Even tougher than the hike to Williams Lake we did on our last trip to Taos. The elevation change was 3900 feet in 4 miles. The "difficult" rating of this trail is well deserved.

The trail head is near the 10 mile marker on Hwy. 150 going up towards the Taos Ski Valley. At the beginning the climb is not too bad. The trail crisscrosses a stream 17 times (our innkeeper said 22). It's very scenic. The vegetation near the stream is very lush, like a jungle. A characteristic of a deciduous forest.

After the seventeenth stream crossing, the trail begins to get steeper. Some of the inclines are very steep.

One thing missing in our New Mexico hikes is wildlife. We rarely see any. This time we saw two hawks chasing each through the trees above us. We startled a grouse, which in turn startled us by suddenly flying out of the brush. Chipmunks were running around and we saw more birds.

We met a couple of hikers at the beginning. Later we met Gax Stone and his 6 month old son, Spiro. He actually caught up with us...Spiro was in his backpack. He was from Taos and teaches Photoshop at the local college.

He gave us some tips on the hike...to look for a meadow/coniferous forest of pines at the top of the hike. So, that was our goal. By around 2:30 PM (we started at 10 AM) Vicki was getting tired, she was feeling the "burn" in her legs, plus the air was getting thinner. We kept going and made it to the pine forest.

Coming down was much easier. I felt it in my knees. Vicki was pretty much fatigued and fell a couple of times...no serious injuries. We got back to the trail head at 5:15 PM.

Dinner was at Relleno's. A very small Mexican restaurant a block from the Plaza. The food was better than Orlando's, so we will definitely be back.

I had a pork relleno chimichanga and Vicki had spinach enchiladas. I tried a green chili brewed beer which was interesting.

After dinner it was back to the B&B to pack for tomorrow's trip home.

Francesca's Clothing and Jewelry Boutique...where Vicki finds style

The Francesca's "adventure" actually began in November, 2007. We were vacationing in Taos for our wedding anniversary and "stumbled" upon Francesca's when we got lost in Arroyo Seco looking for Taos Pueblo...we never made it to the Pueblo.

We stopped in to get directions and some of the outfits hanging on the front porch caught Vicki's eye. We went in and met Francesca. She is a woman in her 6o's that has a great sense of style and is a skilled salesperson. She is formerly from New York City, the daughter of a socialite.

Now let's be clear about one thing, Vicki does not like clothes shopping. One of the reasons being, not finding suggestions on what looks good. Well, Francesca took care of all that...with my encouragement. I sat there while Vicki modeled and tried on many outfits and jewelry combinations. About four hours later, Vicki leaves with a new stylish wardrobe. Consequently, any visit to Taos requires a trip to Francesca's.

So, we paid Francesca a visit this afternoon, but not as long as the first. A couple of hours this time.

Vicki requested that I put the "brakes" on excessive purchases...whatever that might be. I considered establishing limits, but Vicki does not spend much on herself, and she and Francesca put some great outfits together. So...just go for it.

My role is to sit on the stool next to the counter and critique the clothing combinations modeled by Vicki. And, to listen to Francesca's running commentary as she continually pulls items from the clothing racks. Vicki insists that I be involved in the selections...I guess because I have to look at what she wears. I don't mind, but I do wonder at times if other husbands do the same thing with their wives. I've never seen one so far.

Well, she added to her wardrobe and we will need to add to the luggage...but it's all good!

I made it to the top!

This morning I picked up a road bike at Gearing Up. I headed to Hwy. 518 to ride on a marked bike route that follows part of the Taos Scenic Byway. We had driven this route on yesterday's journey to Nambe Falls and I decided I'd at least ride to where the marked bike route ended...about 7-8 miles from the start intersection of Hwy. 68 and Hwy. 518. It seemed hilly enough to get to that point, given that I am a low-lander in high-lander country...only getting one third the air I am used to in Fort Worth.

Anyway, at 10:30 AM I got on the bike, a carbon-fiber Specialized, and was pleased to find out that it had a third chain ring. So, I was rolling along and got to the end of the marked bike route in 30 minutes. I figured, geez, I am not going back this soon. So, I started up to the pass (aka U.S. Hill). I decided I would go as far as I could.

This is where the third chain ring came in handy. I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath, but I made it to the top! Yea! I was at the top about 11:50 AM. I had gone about 10 miles, mostly up...probably a 2000 ft. elevation gain. I think it was a great accomplishment for a low-lander.

Coming down was fun and fast. I put it in high gear and pedaled to get more speed. I probably was going over 50 mph. The posted limit is 55.

So, climbing the hills (mountains) is not as intimidating as I imagined!

Nambe Falls...another time

Yesterday we left the B&B around 3 PM to begin a journey along the Taos Scenic Byway down to Nambe Falls. We left late to get better lighting for photos. The sky turned stormy and rain burst clouds were scattered across the horizon. I stopped to take photos on a number of occasions...taking images across the horizon so I can experiment with creating some panoramas.

We went through towns such as Trampas and Truchas. We made our way down to Chimayo, but the lighting was too poor for photos. We got a bit confused trying to find some of the highways/roads to Nambe. Not until later did we determine that our map was old and some of the roads had been renamed. Our confusion resulted in delaying the journey.

We got to the Nambe Falls entrance at 6:22 PM. They close the Falls to new visitors at 6 PM. So, we were turned away by the Nambe Pueblo Reservation security who control entry. Bummer.

We discovered you have to pay to enter, $8 per vehicle, and...$5/camera. The camera fee is the same deal at Taos Pueblo. I know they want to make money, but a camera fee? Why not just include it in the entry fee?

At this point we are near Espanola. We've got about an hour drive to Taos and it's now about 7 PM. Vicki is "hungry" now, but we decide to dine in Taos. The sunset was spectacular on the way back.

We stopped at 5 Star Burgers, which is a couple of miles south of the Plaza. The burgers were great. We were two of 4 or 5 customers. We watched the only football game they could get on the TV, the Chicago Bears vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

Wild Rivers Hike

Wild Rivers Recreation Area has one of our favorite hikes. It is very scenic. One of the most beautiful spots in New Mexico. The area is sometimes referred to as "New Mexico's Grand Canyon."

We recommended the hike to Bill and Marianne, who were also staying at Adobe and Stars. Unknowingly they followed our recommendation and we met on the trail. They are from Minneapolis, MN. She is a 1st and 2nd grade teacher on sabbatical and he works for the State's health department.

Our route begins at the La Junta Campground, down the 800 ft. to where the Red River and Rio Grande River meet. Then we hike along the Rio Grande to the Big Arsenic rim and up 680 ft.. At the top of Big Arsenic take the Rinconada Loop back to La Junta. Total mileage is about 7-8 miles. This time we left around 10:30 AM and got back to the car by 4:30 PM. That includes all of our stops.

The hardest part of the hike is coming back to La Junta along Rinconada Loop. It's an easy hike on a gravel trail, but for some reason it hurts my back and Vicki's feet.

Next time we plan to park the car at Big Arsenic, hike to La Junta along Rinconada and go down. That way we can end the hike at the car.

We headed back on Hwy. 522 to 143, a narrow road that winds its way to Arroyo Seco. There is a small Catholic church on the way that has a beautiful door. I stopped and took some pictures.

Dinner was at Pizanos, an Italian restaurant. The Caesar salad was probably the worst we have ever had...no flavor, but Vicki's veggie lasagna and my chicken parmesan were very good. The portions were large and could easily be shared.

Dessert was Bailey's on ice as we sat on our balcony looking at the stars.

Taos Pueblo

Yesterday's activity consisted primarily of visiting Taos Pueblo. It was our first visit despite our traveling to Taos several times in the past.

The Pueblo is a mix of authentic Native American culture and commercialism. Many of the homes are open as shops where handmade jewelry, furniture, drums and other items are sold. You have to cut through all the "distractions" to get a feel for the spiritual nature of the place.

I recall from stories told us by Gordon (@ Little Tree B&B), from our last Taos visit, that this pueblo is one of the last that is inhabited. It's a living pueblo of a few hundred people. There is no plumbing or electricity. A stream flowing through the center of the pueblo provides drinking water.

Of most interest are the stories and people we met while visiting the shops...

We met Patrick Maribal brother of Robert, the popular Native American flutist. He volunteered to give Vicki some flute playing pointers since she is trying to learn how to play. So, he played a short song for her to demonstrate the fingering. He also described his role as "giant" in Robert's video...a PBS created show (we bought the DVD).

At another shop we visited with an owner who was a healer. His principal tools are smudge sticks and feathered prayer fans. His grandfather negotiated for 60 years the return of Pueblo lands from the Federal government. There were a number of framed photos of the signing in Washington D.C. with President Richard Nixon.

He told us that his grandfather's advice to him was..."the best form of engagement is diplomacy." I immediately thought how much that advice was needed by the Bush administration.

There was a framed picture of his daughter behind the counter in a military uniform. She joined the Army out of high school in 2003. He is very proud of her.

Finally, on our way out, a five foot dreamcatcher caught my eye. There were also some beautiful benches inlaid with turquoise. The shopkeeper was unloading his truck and took some time to speak to us. He handed me a diamond back rattlesnake skin as we walked into his shop.

In his shop was a six foot long wooden snake with inlays like the benches. He met the snake when he and his wife went to retrieve some hay bales that were drying. One bale was stuck, so he reached underneath it to get leverage and grabbed onto the body of a rattler. Both were surprised. He told the snake in his native language to go, the snake bowed to him and left.

On the next hay bale he uncovered a mouse, that frightened him more than the snake, resulting him yelling his surprise and dropping the bale. Apparently, the mouse had been the snake's prey.

A few moments later the shopkeeper picked up a small drum and sang us a song of welcome in his native language, Tiwa. Very cool.

So, there are some special moments, nuggets in the sea of commercialism.

Taos Continued

I am two days behind in chronicling our journey.

Wednesday we spent the morning walking Taos Plaza. I found a hat I liked that is "crushable" making it easy to pack and still keep its shape.

We checked on our bike rental at Gearing Up which is just off the Plaza. We reserved two mountain bikes for Thursday. We got great service from the staff.

Lunch was at a burger place about a mile south of the Plaza. Then nap time and afterwards dinner at Graham's Grille. We both had salads which were very good. We plan to go back again, just to try the corn chowder a guy at the next table was raving about.

After dinner we went to the Spirit Runner Gallery to hear storytelling by Roberta Courtney Meyers. She is an artist/dramatist/historian that is originally from Taos, although she spent some time away working in opera and theater.

The Gallery is a small venue. There were six of us in attendance. Roberta took on the roles of Kit Carson's Cheyenne wife, Mabel Dodge Lujan, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Sakajawea (sp?). It was a special evening...a great way to learn history.

Thursday morning we picked up the mountain bikes and headed for Forest Service Road 438 which is a few miles south of Taos on Hwy. 518. It was a good road for beginner mountain bikers. It's a steady scenic climb. About a 1500 ft. elevation change. The challenge for us was the thin air. Coming from 600 ft. in Fort Worth to 6-8000 in Taos is a big change.

Vicki did very well for not biking much. She made it up some pretty steep hills. Yea! She took a break while I went on to the end of the road.

Coming down is fun! Especially when the shadows cast from the roadside trees obscure holes and rocks in the road when we were "flying" down. I guess we could remove our sunglasses to see better...but hey, it was an adventure.

On the way down a large bug flew just under the edge of my sunglasses on my right eye. It got stuck there and was flapping away. Needless to say, I slam on the brakes and just lift my sunglasses to let it go. Weird.

It was a good ride. We probably did about 10 miles.

Lunch was Subway, then nap time. A short walking tour of Arroyo Seco and Francesca's Boutique. Dinner at Orlando's Mexican Restaurant.

After dinner we went to the Plaza. An outdoor concert was underway. It was one of a series they have in the Plaza during the summer. Afterwards we called it a day.

Today, we are finally going to make it to the Taos Pueblo, on this our fifth trip.

On to Taos

Yesterday we left Santa Fe for Taos. We decided to take the long way and visit Abiquiu to see if we could get reservations to tour Georgia O'Keeffe's home. The tours are usually booked months in advance, but when we checked they had two cancellations. Tours are limited to 12 people and cost is $30/person. The tours originate from a building near the Abiquiu Inn and you need to "know" to find the place because there are no prominent signs. There is no signage on O'Keeffe's home...it's well protected from commercialism. Also, you can't take any pictures.

At noon we boarded the tour bus for a one mile ride to O'Keeffe's hilltop home. She was a remarkable woman. It took her 10 years to purchase the home from the Catholic diocese to whom it had been deeded by a Spanish general. When she got it the place was a ruin. It took about 4-5 years to repair. She bought it when she was in her 40's and lived there until she was 96.

There are about five acres of land. The house is 5,000 sq. ft. and is surrounded by an adobe wall. Inside there are trees and a garden watered once a week by an aqueduct system fed from a spring in the mountains behind the house. She grew all the food she would need to live. The current gardener is the grandson of the original.

The view from the hilltop is amazing. Even if you are not an artist, it's inspiring. The tour guide showed us some images of her work and then indicated from the view what O'Keeffe had painted. For example two cottonwoods by the side of the road in front of the house...

After the tour we went to Bode's general store, bought some lunch to go and stopped at a picnic table by Abiquiu Lake to eat. Continued on from there to Ghost Ranch where O'Keeffe owned another home. She did much of her painting there.

The name Ghost Ranch originated from the Spanish that referred to it as "brujas" or witches. It evolved into "ghost" when the house was occupied by horse rustlers who kept their "acquisitions" in the box canyon behind the house. They spread the rumor that the place was haunted so people would stay away. But, apparently it did not work that well. One of the rustlers was hung in front of the house and another met his demise nearby.

Upon entering Ghost Ranch there is a "rough" looking log cabin. It is actually part of the City Slickers movie set that remains. It looks pretty authentic...I've got pictures.

From Ghost Ranch we headed north to Tierra Amarilla. From there we took Hwy. 64 east to Taos...about a 60 mile drive through the mountains. A very scenic drive. The Fall must be fantastic because the mountains are covered with aspens.

We arrived at the Adobe and Stars B&B just before 6 PM. Visited with the owner and some other visitors that had just come from the Telluride Film Festival. They recommend a movie with Jeff Goldblum, Adam Resurrected, that is about to be released, another with Greg Kinnear. Also, a foreign film, Everlasting Moments.

Around 7:30 PM we caught the sunset. The views are great from here. I plan on experimenting with some panoramas.

We had a "white" pizza and Greek salad at the Taos Mountain....and finally got to bed around 11 PM.

Today we are planning to get acclimated and visit town.

Farewell Santa Fe

Today we leave for Taos. We will be there until Wednesday, Sept. 10. I am trying to find some places to check out on our trip up there.

Yesterday we took in the Santa Fe Arts Festival that was in the Plaza. Chatted with a photographer whose work is a combination of digital and acrylic painting. I bought one of his images and a package of post cards...it will give me some ideas for some of my own images.

Vicki got some jewelry and I got a choker and leather bracelet. I haven't worn that kind of stuff since college, but now it's back in "fashion." The choker has a silver bear talisman...the bear symbolizes "seeker of answers" and "The Shaman." Seeker of answers is a good fit for me.

Dinner was at a restaurant called "Dinner for Two" off of Guadalupe Street near our B&B. They offered a "prix fix" dinner for $24 that was a very good value. My soup was cold cherry and ginger. The biggest surprise to both of us was the calamari that was part of the presentation on which Vicki's crab cakes were placed and my shrimp appetizer. They had been marinated in rice wine vinegar and ginger...sort of like a ceviche. The meal was very good and we will go back.

Santa Fe continued

It's early Monday morning, Labor Day. Yesterday we spent most of the day wandering through the galleries on Canyon Road. Of most interest were some wind driven sculptures made from copper and stainless steel. One had two "windmills" turning, each in the opposite direction of the other which gave it a kaleidoscope effect when the wind blew. Very cool! But, too cool for $1700.

We had lunch at El Farol. Sandwich and salad. The salad had a really good cheese...something that started with "iz." I'll have to try and find it a Central Market.

Saw some amazing bronzes of Native Americans. One of a woman with the wind blowing a blanket behind her like a cape. I got pictures. Time permitting I will post them here.

We rested part of the afternoon. Had dinner at Il Vecino an Italian place near the B&B. Afterwards we walked up to the Plaza in the rain. Walked the labyrinth in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe. Then went to Evangeline's to listen to some blues...a pretty good live band was playing.

Santa Fe Trip

Well, it's time to make something useful out of the blog. Chronicling this vacation could be of interest. At least it will be record for us.

This is the fifth time Vicki and I have vacationed in New Mexico. The second in which we flew into Albuquerque and rented a car. Normally it takes us about eleven hours to get here.

The flight was uneventful. Paying for checked bags is different. Since we had two bags each it cost us $80. It will be another $80 on the way back.

Rent car pickup was at Dollar. We reserved it online, a Dodge Caliber, because we wanted the rear seats to fold down in the event we want to put bikes back there. Well, we got a Chevy Cobalt. Fortunately, the seats do fold down.

The woman who waited on us at the counter was friendly at first, but when we went over the cost and removed Vicki as a driver ($7/day) she got a bit put out. But, since this is a trip of 11 days, it was not worth the cost. She tried to sell us insurance at $20/day. We thought about getting a GPS, but that was $9/day. The total cost of our upgraded compact vehicle would have been about $800. Geez!

The drive to Santa Fe was about an hour. The weather rainy and about 20 degrees cooler than back home in Fort Worth. A welcome relief.

We are staying at the Adobe Star B&B...first night in the Pinon room. A bit cozy. We are scheduled to move to a bigger room for the next two nights.

This is an older home near the Plaza. It has wooden floors throughout that squeak throughout. No sneaking around or walking quietly!

Saturday night, las night, was dinner at Maria's a Mexican restaurant on Cordova Street. This was our second visit. They are famous for their Margaritas...some for as much as $64. We went conservative, Vicki with strawberry and mango for me.

Vicki had blue corn chicken enchiladas and I had chili relleno. The relleno rivals the ones at La Familia. The peppers are not poblanos...I think they might be hatch. They have a smokey flavor. In any case, the food was good.

That pretty much ended the day.

Spirituality in the 21st Century

The other night while watching the News Hour on PBS they interviewed Charles Taylor, a philosopher who won the 2007 Templeton Award. Here is a link to an interview on his views regarding spirituality in the 21st Century:

Later that night, while watching Jon Stewart on The Daily Show (on Comedy Central), he interviewed the author of a book titled "Religious Literacy" Stephen Prothero.

What struck me about these two shows is how spirituality is making it's way into the mainstream. Here we have a serious newscast and a very popular, sometimes crass and irreverent comedy "news" show, spending time on spiritual issues. Is a spiritual movement taking shape? Interesting stuff.

Feeling lucky?

Try this...open Google and enter "failure" in the search field. Click I'm Feeling Lucky. Checkout the search result. A kind of dry humor result I'd say.

Immigration...

I am a bit late in the news on this subject, but it is one where I have some experience. In the early 1980's I spent three years working as a paralegal for a non-profit in Chicago assisting undocumented workers (as opposed to illegal aliens). We typically assisted low-income individuals and their families obtain legal permanent residence in the United States. The majority of our clients were from Mexico and other countries in Central America.

The vast majority of these folks were escaping a grueling life of poverty. Some worked multiple jobs to send money home to family. This type of situation continues to this day.

Put yourself in their shoes. If you had the opportunity to escape poverty and a dim future, wouldn't you take it? Even at great risk? I would.

None of the solutions are easy, but there are some already in place. For example, legislation enacted in 1986 included employer sanctions. How much of an effort has been made to enforce what is already on the books?

One of the primary causes for the influx of arrivals is the struggling economies of Central and South America. What kind of an effort has been made regarding implementation of NAFTA? How neighborly has the U.S. been regarding aid to these economies? From what I know, the answer is not much.

Hopefully Congress will kill the effort to classify undocumented workers as felons. Even if being here illegally was a felony, where would the government put all these "felons"?

There is a need for a wholistic approach to immigration. Building fences and imprisoning folks is not the answer. Stronger enforcement of existing immigration laws against employers, increasing the number of visas available to immigrants and comprehensive economic aid to our southern neighbors would be a start.

Molly Ivins sums it up pretty well in her article titled "Immigration 101".