Autumnal Equinox

So day and night were of equal length this Saturday. From here on out, the days grow shorter. It's a time that marks the coming of winter and the harvest, so I really wanted to make sure we went to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market Saturday morning. It was a crisp, blustery day. We saw lots and lots of apples, pumpkins, gourds, and of course, chile. They were roasting green chile at three different stands, and the air was thick with it. Later that day, things warmed up, and we went to an outdoor wedding at the Randall Davey Audubon Center. (It was Tommy's bandmate in the Unborn Soul, Mike Tait. You can check them out on My Space.) After the ceremony, Tommy and I took some time out to stroll around with the camera, and he got some great shots.


Tommy at the Farmer's Market, where someone was selling Dream Catchers made of salt cedar.


This baby liked to watch the chile roaster go round and round.


Lots of musicians were playing at the market.


Look close (or maybe, enlarge) to see the hummingbird in the background.


The birdseed bandit.

Daisy in Disguise

For those of you who don't live in Santa Fe, John Cougar has continued his world tour. That is to say, there has been another siting in which our mountain lion was seen eating a chicken in broad daylight in a public rose garden a few blocks from our house. Honestly, I'm not sure which is weirder: a mountain lion in a rose garden, or the fact that apparently, someone in central Santa Fe has a hen house. Anyway, recent events have been hard on Rushing River, Placid Lagoon, and our hairy child Daisy, who is no longer allowed to go outside without adult supervision, lest she become a chihuahua McNugget. This has been going on for weeks now, and our little dog is getting stir crazy. Luckily my friend Linda suggested camouflage of the kind that is respected in the animal kingdom: We disguise her as a skunk. She's the perfect size. And THAT should make old John Cougar think twice about attacking her. The costume is still in the works, but fortunately, the Placid Lagoon has illustrated the Stealth Chihuahua Camouflage Costume.

Our Twilight Year

Well, we're about to sign a new, one-year lease. This is good because we were living here month-to-month and could be evicted upon sale of the property. This is bad because it means it's our last year here. I'm looking forward to it in a way. A year to plan for another home, whatever or wherever it may be.

One more year for this to still be our front door. Overall, I feel peaceful about it, like I did in the dream.

Sunday in Chimayo

Sunday, we jaunted up the road to Chimayo. We made a brief visit to the Santuario and said some prayers for Tommy's mother. She's having some health problems and undergoing tests--for leukemia, among other things. We took a nice stroll and took some photos.


Later that day, Tommy played his flute at a wedding held at Rancho de Chimayo. It's a beautiful property with a massive restaurant and a bed and breakfast. I had never been there before. It was lovely and we pledged to go back soon.

Awakening

Since my last post about the sale of the place we call home, I had a wonderful dream. I dreamt it was a golden autumn afternoon and almost time to go home from work. I was chatting with my co-worker, Barbara, and asked her if she wanted to come home with me for some cocoa or something. She agreed, and we walked to our house. Strangely (aren't dreams always like this?) I lived there, though I had never been there before. Or maybe my dream self had been there, but the whole thing was new to my waking self. Anyway, apparently, Tommy and I had a beautiful home on the edge of a forest that was ablaze with yellow autumn leaves. Inside, it was opulent and homey at the same time. Lush rugs, thick upholstry, warm light. There was even this entertainment center that looked more like a giant apothecary's chest (with a TV), and I had the sense that all its little drawers and cubbies were filled with treasures and surprises. I woke up feeling totally fine about the house thing, and that the best was yet to come.