Santa Fe

While we were in Santa Fe we took in a few galleries. I loved these sculptures but I can't remember the artist's name. I picked up a brochure but I haven't been able to locate it. It was quite cold that day but the sun was warm and it was calm. The temperature was only in the mid twenties but it felt quite nice. Maybe too nice, because we were tempted to dress lightly and I don't think that did my cold any good.

This sculpture was amazing in the sun. A big slab of rock with the glass set in to a rectangular slit cut in the slab. I'm a sucker for glass so this one really appealed to me. There was a glass blower across the street but the shop was closed.

Robin took us to one of the yarn shops in Santa Fe, Needle's Eye. They have a very nice selection of yarns, though not a big color selection in each brand. I'm sure space limitations were the cause and no doubt they could order the colors you need if you ask. The two ladies who were there that day were both very nice.

They had Koigu on sale for $9.00 a skein and since I'm on this baby sock binge right now and have used up all my sock yarn scraps, I bought four skein specifically for baby socks. I've already used up two of the four. I can get three pair of socks out of a skein.

I also bought a skein of Lane Borgosesia Baruffa Cashwool which is new to me. It's so soft. I was little disappointed that they only had three colors the day I was there but I've been wanting to make a shawl in off-white. Here's a photo of all the yarn I bought along with a crocheted bag I bought from a Mexican girl in the lobby of a restaurant. I couldn't resist the colors and it makes a great knitting bag. The clear object in the foreground is a Yarn Clam. Here's a better photo of it. It's made out of the same plastic they make take-out containers from. I'm sure it won't last very long but it was cheap and it works great for yarn cakes. The hole in the top has a metal grommet to protect the yarn. It comes in different sizes too.

When we left the yarn shop Robin took us by the Really, Really Big Cows and Geese. There are sculptures everywhere in Santa Fe especially of Elk.

We also went to the Silver Sun which is where Robin works. I didn't get any photo though because I was still pretty sick then. Please check out the website. They have a fabulous selection of Native American jewelry using American Turquoise from a variety of mines. She gave Joyce and I gift certificates for Christmas so we went there the day after and picked out our treasures. I selected a Zuni piece but I haven't photographed it yet.

We left Santa Fe on Friday, Dec. 28th around 11am and arrived home in Maryland on Sunday, Dec. 30th at 10pm. It was a quick trip back with good weather most of the way. We all had a great time but it's always good to get home to your own bed.

The Journey Ends - Day Four

If you read the last post you'll recall that we were in Amarillo, TX and it was 60 degrees but they were calling for bad weather. When we awoke the next morning it was 24 degrees, the wind was blowing 40 MPH and it was snowing hard.

All I had taken into the motel was a hoodie. I took the first load of bags out to the car so I could get my coat, scarf, hat and gloves. I couldn't feel my fingers by the time I got back inside. We loaded the car and Doug went to check us out while I warmed the car up. That's when we realized that we had forgotten the ice scraper. The car was completely coated with about an 1/8th inch of ice. The defroster was slow to make any headway against the wind but finally it melted enough that I could get out and scrap the windows and clean off the wiper with my gloved hands.

I drove us to a gas station where we bought a scraper and filled up the tank. The wind was blowing so hard and the road was so icy that the car was being pushed sideways across the road. We went back to the Cracker Barrel beside the motel and ate a good hot breakfast and waited for it to let up some. It was supposed to end at noon. We left the restaurant and Doug drove a few miles up I40 where we decided to get off and reevaluate just how badly we wanted to get to Santa Fe that day. While we were setting in the parking lot of a Barnes and Nobel it stopped snowing. We decided try it again.
The roads were icy and the bridges were treacherous but we crept along at 40MPH. Gradually conditions improved and by the time we got to NM we were back up to 70MPH.
We passed another wind farm before we left Texas and this one went on for miles. It was well off the road and I couldn't get a good photo but I could tell that the blades were turning - fast in the 40 mph winds. If you click on the photo at right and view the larger size you can make out the turbines against the cloudy sky.

Gradually the sun came out and the icy roads melted and dried. We headed into New Mexico in the bright sunshine.

We saw several wrecks including a few that had obviously rolled at least once. Most were trucks including this one. I just hope no one was injured in these accidents. One was an SUV loaded down with stuff just like we were. You can't see something like that and not think how lucky you are. We stopped in Tucumcari at McDonald's to get drinks and use the facilities because all the New Mexico rest areas were closed.

That's Tucumcari Mountain on the left. It was smooth sailing into Santa Fe and we pulled into Robin's at about 2:30 local (mountain) time. We were certainly glad to arrive safely after seeing so much carnage on the highway and now we can rest and enjoy our stay in this beautiful city. More about Santa Fe later.

The Journey Continues - Day Three

Oklahoma and Texas made up Day Three of the trip. We left Conway, Arkansas and headed for Oklahoma City. All the way from Maryland we had been meeting bucket trucks for utility companys from all over the eastern US. They were all headed home from Oklahoma where they had been assisting with repair from the ice storm the week before. Convoys of utility trucks. Hundreds of them traveling north and east from OK. When we got near Oklahoma City we started see why they were there. Of course, I could only snap pics from the moving car but I think you can make out some of the damage. The photo at left is of a playground covered with debris. Not many trees were spared some sort of damage.

I've seen my share of ice storms but this one must have been a doosy. We passed neighborhoods where the broken trunks and branches had been neatly sawed up and stacked along the curb (for pick-up I guess) sometimes 4 or 5 feet high. They'll have a lot less shade come summer.

I took some pics of downtown Oklahoma City. We discussed taking the time to see the memorial site for the bombing but decided we should press on instead.
Here's the skyline of the city. We passed some wind farms in Oklahoma and Texas. This one is in OK. I don't know why but they weren't turning. They were HUGE though and I was disappointed that they were still because I wanted to hear them. Surely they make noise?

We stopped for the night in Amarillo, Texas. We had a great dinner and stayed at a nice motel. It was 60 degrees when we went to bed but they were calling for bad weather. But that's another story. Here's the sunset.

Trip to Santa Fe - Day 1

Be sure to click on that photo to the left to see the larger version. This was the only thing worth photographing on the trip today. I love the fact that this guy had the guts to name his company "Turdbusters". Can you imagine working for this company?

Phone: "Ring, ring"
Employee: "Turdbusters. May I help you?"

How great is that? We made it to Cooksville, Tenn. today after a later start than I had hoped. That's about 600 miles and we didn't push it. We kept to the speed limit or just a little over (5mph). We stopped in Winchester, VA at the Cracker Barrel and had a big breakfast. We skipped lunch and had a nice supper. Tomorrow, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock and maybe Oklahoma City (mighty pretty).