S and J's Big Adventure(s): It's been a loooong time...

Hello there – long time no see (literally, as I will now explain.) I’ve been very neglectant about this blog for the last month and a half.

"Hello, out there! I can see you now.

It’s been a busy month with doctor’s appointments and cataract surgeries for my eyes. During the whole month of September, it’s been visiting the doctor for pre op exams, the surgeries on the right eye and then 2 weeks later, the left eye with post op exams after each surgery. I am now seeing colors and objects with a clarity that is indescribable! It’s a wonderful thing to see flowers, trees, the ocean and the mountains as they really are instead of things that have a filmy hazed aura.

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Desert Oak, Taos, New Mexico - the site of the 2012
Ancient Mariner Gathering

With my new eyes, I was able to join my childhood Girl Scout friends for our annual gathering this year in Taos, New Mexico.

Since I was abroad last year, it was a special treat to see my oldest and dearest friends for a whole week in the vibrant town of Taos. We were lucky to have found this wonderful house in town that was walking distance to most everything that was Taos – the old town square, Kit Carson Park, the City’s art museums, gift shops filled with native American art and artifacts along with beautiful jewelry.

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Outside of the town, we took a road trip on the “Enchanted Circle”. We got a late start, had a midafternoon lunch and then went back to Taos, but we saw some incredible scenery – the Fall colors were in full bloom.

A toast to the beginning of the annual week of fun and laughter!

Amazing vistas of the mountains covered with green and golden trees
on the Enchanted Circle route

The Fall colors sneaking out of the forrest

Where do you think this road will take us?
Enchanted yet?

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On another day, we visited Leigh Gustafson, an artist extraordinaire. A 45 minute drive out of Taos in an area where Leigh has a few acres of land that is artfully littered with a chicken coop, a truck/car graveyard, lots of open space and a yurt for a studio in which she has workshops and a gallery.

Leigh and her dogs by her decorated sotrage bin

Not much plowing being done by this fellow

Grand views to paint from the back 40

Inside the yurt the studio gallery and workshop space

www.leighgusterson.com

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Another day we went to Ojo Caliente, a spa with mineral springs, a mud bath and massages – on our way home we stopped to view the “gorge”.

Ojo Caliente entrance to the mineral pools and spa

After massages, the mineral waters

Taking in the view of the Rio Grand Gorge

It is a pretty GRAND sight to see

The Rio Grand - a grand river it is

Looks like the Gods are shinning upon us

Beautiful Big Sky

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The highlight of the week was San Geronimo Day at Taos Pueblo:

Morning Foot Races - 8am

Arts and Crafts Booths - all day

Traditional Pole Climb- 2pm (approximately)

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
(Photo from the Pueblo website)

No camera’s or cell phones allowed on San Geronimo Day because the Foot Races and the Pole Climb are traditional sacred rituals of Fall celebrating the Summer Harvest thanking the Gods for working so hard all year. The Foot Races are run to promise the Gods they will work as hard as the Gods in appreciation for the bounty of the year. Men, young and old, painted bodies, feathers in their hair relay back and forth from the North Community Pueblo to the South Community Pueblo. Later in the day there is a pole climb and clowns that entertain the crowds – making visitors happy and welcoming joy to the Taos Pueblo community.