Friday, July 30, 2010

Fun Friday: Abiquiu and More

For our third "Fun Friday" date, we again headed north from Santa Fe and made a brief stop at the Tesuque Pueblo Flea Market, which consists mostly of overpriced stuff for tourists, but we were lucky enough to find a woman selling good used clothes for a reasonable price. Score!

Leaving the market under ominous clouds and distant thunder, we again drove through good old Espanola (the aforementioned Black Tar Heroin capital of the country) and made our way as quickly as we could to Abiquiu Lake, another of those U.S. Army Corps of Engineers damming operations that provides opportunities for fishing, boating and swimming. The water was lovely, and as the storm clouds and winds moved through the area in the mid-afternoon, the waves made swimming almost ocean-like, and jumping off the rocks into the water was one of the highlights of Keith's day.





Before taking our leave of the lake, we met a vivacious and courageous young woman from New Zealand who has made her way across the country in a rented car from her starting point in Boston, and we had one of those wonderful conversations that only fellow travelers can have.

We returned to Santa Fe to attend an art opening at a downtown chocolate cafe, and returned to the Turner Carroll Gallery to catch the new Rex Ray show before it closes next week. Ray works with hand-colored cut paper glued to canvas with painstaking attention to detail.


Driving across town, we paid a long overdue visit to the Meow Wolf Collective to see their latest art installation of fanciful rooms and spaces, a show that closes tomorrow. With thunder and lightning increasing outside, Tina was very happy to be ensconced with us in these small, cozy indoor spaces that resembled anything from Hobbit holes to fantastical yurts and mirrored crawl-spaces.



Next stop was the Second Street Brewery for local beer, steamed mussels and salmon tostadas accompanied by free live music. And we capped off the night with a game of pool at a pizza place across the street from the brewery (Mary won, of course!).

Fun Friday is a new tradition that has already brought us great joy, surprises and serendipity, and we have no doubt will continue to do so. Exploring the area in this way helps us to maintain our "travelers' mind", seeking out adventure and novelty even as we create a more solid life here, for however long that may turn out to be.

Tomorrow, we drive to Albuquerque to see Over the Rhine, a band from Ohio who we have followed for many years, and whose performances at the fabled Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts never ceased to entrance us. It will be great to see OtR again, and we look forward to a wonderful night of transcendent music.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and expressing our deepest gratitude for the abundance of love, community, adventure and blessings in our lives.

7 comments:

  1. ditto!!! I'm amazed by how much fun and culture you two (three w/ Tina) can pack into one day! Bravo!

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  2. In Defense of Española

    If I may, next time take it low and slow
    Don’t let The Single Story chase you through Española.
    To assuage anyone’s fear
    I've never been attacked
    By a heroin addict or even a low rider
    Since settling here over 20 years ago.
    If you drive too quickly
    You’ll miss the other stories
    The Frito Pie at Stop & Eat
    The shocking pink buildings near the Santa Cruz Church and Plaza
    The tree-lined narrow back roads along McCurdy
    The college where Isabel Allende made a special trip to meet our students –
    she sensed their warmth from their letters to her.
    The new plaza where Obama spoke during the election
    The center of the Sikh community
    The graffiti-ed free walls near Simmons Lane and behind the Police Station
    Susie Lucero’s pastelitos at the Farmer’s Market
    The starlings at the corner of Fairview and Riverside

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  3. Laurie,

    Thank you for the colorful and thoughtful portrait of the Espanola that others may not see. We will certainly take you up on your advice and spend some time taking in the town beyond the cliches and stories.

    Yes, we have been influenced by Espanola's reputation and by the opinions of others, like we were influenced in El Paso and other places we moved quickly through in our travels.

    We have actually explored the streets along McCurdy Road, driven past the Sikh compound, and checked out some yard sales along the main drag, chatting in Spanish with the people selling their wares.

    Thanks for your kind comment, and we'll certainly take it to heart.

    Keith

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  4. Dear Keith,

    Thank you for your response to my comment.

    I look forward to a visit with you and Mary when you throw a vuelta up this way again!

    My reference to The Single Story is from a wonderful talk by the writer Chimamanda Adichie on TED:

    http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

    I enjoy reading and viewing your blog!

    Laurie

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  5. P.S. If you do not know of Jim Sagel, may I recommend his work to you. I think you would enjoy the humor!!!

    from a eulogy by the great playwright Denise Chavez:

    "Jim Sagel belonged to Española, New Mexico, to all New Mexico, and in turn, he belonged to all of us. Jim lived in the low-rider capital of the world, which is about the most exciting and wonderful small town on earth. I know. I lived there. And if I were to move from my hometown, I'd make a bee-line there..."

    To read more...

    http://www.frankwaters.org/friends_p3.htm

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  6. I've really enjoyed reading your posts. Keith is looking just a bit like Pete Townshend, don't you think? Great stuff.

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