We began our trip to Albuquerque by strolling through some of the shops in Chama. The Mountaineer gift shop had been closed to move to a new location and we caught the owner while she was still setting up things in her new digs. She had a really nice place. Lots of cool stuff.
Hummingbirds get breakfast outside the Chama Station Inn.
Best tortillas of the whole trip at The High Country.
DRIVE TO ALBUQUERQUE
We then headed south on Rte. 84 and it was very pretty. So much of the trip was beautiful it was almost overwhelming. As we drove the scenery changed from rolling green hills to the red and orange strata of the rounded mountains of Georgia O'Keefe paintings. Probably because we were nearing the town of Abiquiu where she made her summer home.
OK, so my only shot of Cerro Pedernal is tiny and almost clouded over. Pedernal is the dark bump in the center of the shot. This is as close as we got before the clouds took over. O'Keefe has a painting of this Southwest landmark. It's peak is composed of several volcanic layers of different types of rock. The flows are almost 8 million years old. 
A natural forming ampitheatre in the colorful rock.
We visited the Ghost Ranch Piedra Lumbre Education & Visitor Center. This is not the Ghost Ranch conference center. It's an educational and interpretive center covering the geology, geography, cultural history and environment of this area and its people. It's a great place for kids. You can walk around a small look-out structure filled with O'Keefe artifacts. Lots of stuff she found on her many, many walks she took throughout the area. You can look through the telescope and see O'Keefe's house waaaaaaay across the way. And you can visit the Gateway Museum to learn about the multicultural traditions of this part of New Mexico. We ducked into the museum when another Southwest storm blew through. It didn't last long. We also were delighted by the variety of birds at the center. Birds we have never seen before in brilliant blues, greens and yellows.
A storm apporaches as we arrive at the visitor center.
Across the way is O'Keefe's home.
Inside the Gateway Museum.
SANTUARIO DE CHIMAYO
Just a few miles from Espanola, in Chimayo is El Santuario de Chimayo (the Lourdes of America). The sanctuary, a National Historic Landmark, was built between l8l4 and l8l6. The "miraculous" crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas was found around l8l0. The people of Potrero have passed on many traditions concerning the healing powers of El Santuario. Each year almost 300,000 people from all over the globe make a pilgrimage here to ask for help, or seek cures, or pray for loved ones.
The chain-link fence that borders one side of the grounds is adorned with homemade crucifixes crafted out of popsicle sticks, twigs, and plastic. Some have left commercially made momentos. At the various shrines some folks have left everything from photographs to stones to chewing gum to those glow sticks we used to use at the roller rink. And some have written personal notes to Jesus, to Saints or just to the universe at large and then tucked them into various nooks and crannies.
Unfortunately for the camera geeks out there and for people who love old churches, no photography is permitted in the church. But it is a feast for the eyes. Postcards do not do it justice (at least the postcards I found). The place is full of momentos, knick knacks, jewelry, articles of clothing, paintings, photos, folk art crafts, etc. Anything that a worshipper wanted blessed. Years and years of this has accumulated. There is also a small room where the faithful can collect sacred dirt from a hole in the ground. Some believe the dirt is blessed. Some believe it has healing powers, indicated by the dozens of physical aids hanging in the adjoining room like crutches and walkers and various braces.
I did get a shot of the exterior but with the plastic garbage can by the door, it’s simply a shot to remember the moment.
Potrero Trading Post (Vigil Store) where we indulged in bags of dried and ground chiles in various degrees of heat.
Outside the store we became friendly with a visiting feline. We asked inside about the cat’s name. I wish to hell I could remember it. I do remember, however, that when we asked for the English translation, we were told it meant, basically, “big balls.” Huh, I hadn’t noticed.
These are ristras, strings of dried red chiles. This tradition goes back centuries as a preservation method. All chiles first go green and this is when you pick them for green chile and green chile dishes. Let to fully ripen, they turn red. They are then strung and dried completely and can last a couple of years this way. 
TESUQUE PUEBLO FLEA MARKET
On to the Pueblo of Tesuque Flea Market located right off of Highway 285, next to the Santa Fe Opera.
It's a huge area but it appeared that it wasn't completely set up. I could tell that only some of the vendors were present. And none of the food vendors were present so a snack was not an option. I think we hit it at a bad time. Still, there was plenty to explore. I kept one eye on an approaching storm. Sally wasn't bothered by the darkness making its way toward us. "This is what happens in the Southwest in the afternoon." But I told her that when I was a kid, if the sky looked like that, we ran across the street to hide in the neighbor's basement.
It didn't take too long for us to realize that the storm was going to interfere with whatever potential for shopping the day held. We headed back to the car but not without first obtaining the funkiest pair of earrings ever for S and an ocarina for me. An ocarina is an egg-shaped instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes. Often made of terra cotta but can be made from wood, glass, metal, ceramic, etc. Mine is brightly adorned with a sun/moon face. The instrument has been around forever, possibly 12,000 years. And in Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures, they are often shaped like animals. In Western cultures, an Italian, Giuseppe Donati, is credited with the creation of the classical ocarina in the 19th century. The name ocarina is derived from the Italian for "little goose." And I bet no one, including me before researching this, knew that the instrumental break in the 1966 hit song Wild Thing by The Trogg's is an ocarina solo.
Air-guitar shmair-guitar. From now on it's air-ocarina, baby!
These oblong egg-shaped items on the floor (and dozens of smaller ones in the tubs on the table) are lingams. It's a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. Yes, most people who know about lingams first think of the most popular respresentation, that of a phallus. There are, however, several other meanings such as means of proof, a stain, a mark of disease or the image of a god, to name a few.
HAIL STORM #1We hit the road just in time. Just in time, that is, to miss being caught in a storm while at the market. And just in time to get caught in a hail storm. Traffic slowed to a crawl and then most of the cars, including us, simply pulled over and stopped. We were pummelled. The hail accumulated like snow.
WE MADE IT!Brad and Nilufor warmly greeted us in their home. Sally and Brad go way back. After catching our breath for a while, we all took a great evening walk to the Nob Hill neighborhood to eat at La Provence. What delicious food and what great company.
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