Just sharing a few pics I've taken around Santa Fe since I've been back. Most were taken the weekend I got here, when they had just gotten fresh snow. I had a couple of days off before I had to get back to work, so I spent some time walking around town & hiking.

St Francis Cathedral

Adobe Church near the Plaza

Side street off the Plaza

View of town from Picacho Peak

Farolito's on Canyon Road~ Christmas Eve

Now I'm back to working like crazy, trying to recoup my travel & moving expenses & still looking for a place to call home! I haven't had a chance to do anything artistic since I've been back... but am really looking forward to getting back into it once I get settled in. I can't believe the New Year is just around the corner... the weeks, months, years seem to be flying by lately. 

Wishing you all a Happy & Safe New Year!!!

:) :) :)

An Early Christmas...

Well, hello there my friends! I hope you are all having a most wonderful season... and not getting too wrapped up in the commercialism/marketing machine that seems to run rampant this time of year, but hope you are finding time to do the things you love, with the people you love, and are remembering to find the joy in the simple things.

Since I was scheduled to be back in New Mexico for work next week, and I have no family here, I had the chance to celebrate an early Christmas as well as spend some quality time with various family & friends... and for that I am truly thankful! Most of my gifts this year were hand made, of course! Well, for the most part :). I started with the ceramic bowls I made & filled them full of little goodies (coffees, teas, salsas, chocolate of course, gift cards for the teens, even a lottery ticket here & there, 'cause hey, ya never know!) Then I shrink wrapped them, added a pretty bow & whala! Instant gift! They were really fun to make!

I think they went over well, too... so that made me happy! So while everyone is finishing last minute shopping, I have already celebrated, so now I can focus on other things... like trying to find a relatively inexpensive... as if that exists... place to live in Santa Fe. Since I'll be staying with friends this year on Christmas, and my ornaments are in storage... I appreciated spending time admiring my mom's tree... and my mom for that matter!

Mom- decorating :)

Beyond all the gift bowl making, & running around visiting people, I also had a bit of time to relax, walk along the ocean & soak up some Southern California sunshine & warmth. And now, after 2 days of driving, I am safe & sound back in Santa Fe... missing my family, but looking forward to starting the next chapter of my life.

:)

Hope you are all well & enjoying the warmth of family & friends!

♡♡♡

And a special thanks to my mom... for all you do, for who you are... I hope you know the difference you make in all the lives you touch!

Sunset Cliffs, Ca

Just a quick note to say hello, & pardon my blogging absence, but I have been busy spending time with family & catching up with old friends. When I'm traveling for work, or living in another state, many months go by before I have a chance to see them again, so my time spent on the computer has been self-limited. After visiting with my Aunt  yesterday, I drove along the coastal route where I caught this gorgeous sunset & the surfers out at Sunset ClIffs. I used to live near here years ago & used to walk & jog along the Cliffs, so it's always nostalgic to spend some time here... and always nice to be by the ocean. Once I make the permanent move to New Mexico, I'll be landlocked, so I am trying to squeeze in a couple of "beach days" before I leave San Diego. I hope everyone is doing well, & I'll catch up with you all soon!

:)

Grab a Cup of Coffee... It's a Long Story

Disclaimer: This is going to be one of those rambling posts~ of which I actually haven't done in quite some time... so If you came by to see some pretty pictures, you may as well just move on now... honest, I won't be offended! :) While I started this blog for a digital media class over a year ago... I have kept it going as I have found it fun to chronicle this Journey on the road of this chapter of life. Sometimes I actually entertain myself while writing posts, and I love checking in to read your comments & visit your blogs... some of you I feel I know through following your blogs (and one of you I have met!) You entertain me with your humor, contemplations, wisdom, encouraging words, art, adventures & photography! I also found keeping a blog was a fun way for family & friends to keep track of where I am & what I'm doing. So, here's what's new!


I'm sure you all figured now that I was finished with my assignment in New Mexico, that I was headed to San Diego to soak in the sun & warmth of my family! Well, yes... BUT! It has been a busy time! Here's how it went~ I finished my job on a friday... packed, cleaned & headed out the following monday. It took 2 full days to drive home... then I was inundated by the things I had put off or didn't have the time to do while working. 4 of my 6 days in San Diego were spent either at the dentist (fillings, root canals & such) or getting my car serviced (I did my last post from the dealership-free wifi & donuts!) or putting new tires on (need that good tread for winter driving!) Once that was taken care of, I did have a couple of days to visit with family, which is always nice! BUT! I did have some pressing issues to take care of. You see, I have decided to make a more permanent move to New Mexico... but most of my things are in storage in Southern Oregon. Well, actually my things are spread out in 3 states... I left some things at a friend's in Santa Fe, I have a closet full at my Mom's in San Diego... and a storage unit in Ashland. Yikes! So I made the drive to Ashland... another 2 days of driving... & put my things for sale on Craig's List. I listed every thing at a very good price~ so Goodbye Stuff! I really didn't have much of an attachment to my things, except of course for my art stuff & camping gear, so it was kinda fun selling it AND I made just enough money to cover my gas from San Diego to Ashland & back! Here's a pic of my storage about midway through the process~

It only took about 2 1/2 days to get rid of everything except what would fit in my little Corolla!

So~ I am all packed & ready to go! Except for one small detail...

Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
38° F | 31° F	36° F | 31° F	36° F | 27° F	31° F | 18° F	31° F | 25° F
Snow 90% chance of precipitation	Snow Showers 70% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 50% chance of precipitation	Partly Cloudy	Partly Cloud

Ashland doesn't generally get much snow here in the valley... but Siskiyou Pass on I-5 can get pretty nasty, and I don't care for driving in the snow! So, I'll be on the weather watch... looking for a window of opportunity, hoping I'll get back to Southern Cal in time for Thanksgiving! Until then, stay warm & stay tuned... perhaps they'll be a snowy post in the near future!

:)

Museum of History in Granite

On my trips to & from NM to CA, I have often driven by this monument along I-8 just across the AZ border. The last time my mom & gram visited, they stopped & took pics here, and once I saw them, I knew I'd make the stop as well. You can see the church on the hill from the freeway... but if you ever get the chance to stop here, I'd highly recommend it. It's beyond interesting, and gives one pause to think...

The church itself is quite photogenic... with it's natural elements & manmade lines.

I took quite a few, 'cause there were so many interesting angles... but I narrowed it down to a couple of favorites to share.

Before you get to the church on the hill, there are ROWS upon ROWS of polished & engraved granite. It represents the History of the World. There is the rise & fall of civilizations, the invention of "money," the creation of the universe, world religions, representations from countless cultural influences, art ... you name it & you'll find it here. Below is a memorial to those lost in the Korean War.

Our galaxy & the birth of our Universe~

Even famous artworks, like this one by Michelangelo:

The Creation of Adam~

Below, the engravers tools. He was not around, the visitor's center was not open, and there was not another soul around to question about this place. Walking through, I had more questions than answers. Who decided to put this here? Why? Where did the money come from?

And as you can see, there is much more work to be done. Much of the granite slabs at this time remain unfinished... but make for interesting reflections.

There were many quotes engraved on the ends of the rows of granite. This was one of my favorites.

I've condensed this quite a bit! If you'd like more info, or would like to see more photos on The Museum of History in Granite, click here:

http://www.parafame.org/history_of_50_states.htm

Until next time,

I shall leave you with another of my favorite quotes~

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." 

~H.H. The Dalai Lama

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."

             ~Aristotle

The Freezing of Nambe Creek~ Click to Enlarge for More Detail

It's no secret that I find just about anything to do with nature completely fascinating and soul reviving. The seasons and their accompanying colors, the detail in the tiniest leaf or rock, the smells of the forest after rainfall, the wide expansive vistas and towering mountain peaks. It's hard to capture in Photography exactly how beautiful something is, or perhaps more importantly how it makes you feel, but I shall forever keep trying.

:)

P.S~ a little note... I'll be on the road & visiting with family for a bit... so if I don't check in regularly, I'm still thinking of all you out there!

:)

Take a Hike!

Finally, a weekend off! Yay! My schedule has tough for the past 3 months, in that I have worked every weekend, which makes it tough to get together with friends who work the normal M-F. My assignment ended on Friday, so my friend & I celebrated Saturday with a nice long hike in the Mountains above Santa Fe. I thought I'd share a few pics...

Our hike started out at the Ski Basin, above 10,000 ft... and a chilly 34 degrees!

A fair amount of the lower trail was icy as we had snow a few weeks ago and it hasn't gotten warm enough in the mountains to melt completely... just enough to start to melt & then refreeze, which made for some slow going & careful steps!

Penitente, Lake & Deception Peaks

The view as we climbed higher, looking towards the 3 Peaks.

(which is also a great hike, by the way!)

Climbing higher still, we make it to the saddle & look up toward our destination, Santa Fe Baldy @ 12,622 ft!

Yup, that's me... crossing the windswept ridge to the Summit. It looks so sunny & warm, but the wind was icy!

The views are amazing in all directions~ from rocky ridges & outcroppings...

to alpine lakes & mountains as far as the eye can see!

(Click to enlarge any of these for a better view!)

Looking down towards the ridge, it's time to descend...

back into the forest, with the sun casting late afternoon shadows.

Passing stands of Aspen that have lost all their gorgeous fall color... but still look lovely to me!

Leaves frozen in creeks display their own wintery beauty!

I did get a few cool "creeksicle" shots, but I think they deserve their very own post... so stay tuned! Until then, wishing everyone a wonderful week!

:)

Along the Rio Grande

I'm in love with the varied landscape of Northern New Mexico. Mountain ranges, open mesas, river valleys... all of it. I drove from Santa Fe to Taos the other day to visit my friend, and all I kept think was how beautiful it all was! On the way home, the sun was making it's gradual descent to the west, further highlighting the already dramatic landscape. 

Photographing facing the sun can be a challenge, so I'll often shoot directly into it, rather than try to avoid it... and it usually makes for an interesting shot anyhow!

:)