STILL SANTE FE

9/29
  Just a little girl talk here. Ladies, if you ever need to have your hair done in Santa Fe, I highly recommend Jennifer at Salon David. She is a lovely young woman who will work hard at doing exactly what you want. Some of us chicas have a hard time finding just the right hair stylist, and when we do, we don't want anyone else!! And heck, when you're on the road, finding someone good is sort of a crap shoot. Walk your  fingers through the Yellow Pages ( or Google) and pick a name, any name! I got Jennifer-- she's great!

  That afternoon we decided to go to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, which was supposed to be open until 8. With time not an issue, we spent a quiet afternoon at the site and took off about 5 for the museum. When we pulled up to its door, not a soul was around, the bulding was dark. How dare they? It was supposed to be open until 8 on Friday-- it said so right there on the door. A bit deflated, I got back into the truck and then smacked my forehead. (Coulda had a V-8?)  The day was Thursday-- not Friday! So........ this is how it goes with us ding-a-lings.....we'll just have to come back next year!!

PECOS DOG LOVES HIS STICKS

I like this stick!

I think I'll make it mine.

I'll just work it this way.

Well, maybe I'll work it that way.

Maybe if I grab it in my teeth.....?

&%@!#!! I think it's attached to the tree.....

Just kidding- I didn't want the stick anyway.

PECOS WILDERNESS/ BILL'S TURN

9/28
Wednesday we packed up some some food and water, cameras, etc and drove into the Pecos Wilderness for a hike.This from Bill:  

"We-- Doug, Susi, Xian and I-- took a walk in the Pecos Wilderness. Nice well marked trails. We were in the head waters of the Pecos River, altitude of 8000 + feet. A number of streams merge into the Pecos confluence. Fishermen abound. An apparently moribund upscale fly fishing resort/school "owns" or posts about a mile of the waters. A state fish hatchery down stream from this 'school' and situated near the village of Pecos ensures part of the waters are stocked to keep all content and gay.
  Our trail walked beside and above Cave Creek. The well trod trail took the high road on a terrace open forest and shrubs. But, choice had us struggle along the stream's edge through willows, alders, small roses and Toxicodenron radicans. Oh, that's Poison Ivy. Yup
it's here too.

We followed where stalwart 'trouters' had made a passage; narrow, often on shale or muddy slippery slopes over fallen trees, under dense willows, and ever along.  Cold clear water tumbled over rocks, rills, logs to course under shrubs, fallen trees and banks. Many were the hiding places for wily trout . From high points we saw trout down in the pools. Do you suppose they thought they were not visible. Some were big! 12 inches at least. Susi has a photo of one. Its spots are clear.

 

Doug leading the way and first over a pool saw many. I followed along on my three legs: left, right and walking stick. (It was made from a small dead red spruce I cut one day years ago on a hike in the Adirondacks. My rod was back in the camper unlimbered, unstrung. What a waste! Clearly this segment of the stream and going higher is more difficult to walk and fish than many care to attend. No casting of a line here. The places for rods were few and those were small openings in the over arching brush. They were like the kind of places I used to fish in Maine.
   Over our heads towered the forest of Douglas fir, Colorado Blue spruce and Ponderosa Pine of heights 60 to 80 feet. Aspens, 50-60 foot in stature, stood silver straight their leaves beginning to turn to gold.

Along the trail came two horsemen, Tom and his son, Adam. Their garments matched the 1861 Army clothing Manual (Tom did Civil War reenactments.) Tom, a leather worker, made saddles gauntlets, chaps, boot/ stirrup guards, and bridles. The bits and decorative metals were also made by him.  He rode under the brim of a Civil War Union Officer's issue hat of dark blue or black western style with broad brim sporting around the crown a gold braid with tassels. A huge smile on his face, and in his right hand a cold can of beer that clearly was not 1861 Army issue. Such is the world. Enjoy the day."

    And did we ever enjoy the day. The smell of sun-warmed pine and wood was intoxicating. We probably walked about 4 miles, give or take, ( much of it at a slant at first) but according to Doug and his GPS, we spent 3 times as much time in non-motion as we did in motion!! That statistic doesn't apply to Xian, who was in motion most of the time!!

 

SANTA FE 9/27-10/1

Ah, Santa Fe, way too little time in Santa Fe!! The three days we were there went like the wind,but it was wonderful spending time with Doug. Fortunately, Doug ferried us around while the pickup was in the shop....and never complained. Thanks be to the gods, out of all the very expensive problems that could have occurred, this turned out to be a fan clutch replacement-- only a little bit expensive...

    Doug is a busy man. He's working on a master's in teaching science as well as working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. On Tuesday 9/27 we had a tour of the lab area in Alamos.Doug's working for Dr. Aviva Sussman, who is involved in subcritical testing of nuclear weapons.  At the Bradbury Science Museum, we saw at video on just what this is. In a nutshell, we have a huge atomic stockpile which cannot, of course, be tested by detonating. However, for national security, it's important to know that these aging nuclear weapons are still viable. There are any number of ways in which this is done, using computers, and a number of other ways that are way over my head. We couldn't go into the labs, nor did we take any pictures of the grounds-- it is a huge area. Following our tour we drove to the Valles Caldera, a huge meadow created by a collapse after a number of volcanic eruptions, a million years ago. Doug would like to do some rock testing in this area.

   When he completes his master's, Doug then intends to get his PhD. in geophysics or structural geology. He and Bill had the best time talking geology together. Geology is one of Bill's passions, and he's just thrilled that Doug has the same one. Later in the afternoon we met Aviva and her husband Matt and 2-year-old Ellie for a burrito meal at the Butterfly. Love these burritos.....Aviva and company are quite down-to-earth, and we weren't able to spend nearly enough time with them. Maybe another time.....