Santa Fe Trip

We had a good weekend in Santa Fe and life is now back to normal. Rachel headed out yesterday after a delayed flight, but got home okay. Poor Isaiah had to get up at 3:30 this morning so he could carpool with another guy from Cargill that lives here in Lubbock. They are going to trade off driving, but the bad part is that he has to be at work by 5, so Isaiah has to go that early as well. The only benefit is that he gets off work earlier, usually around 3:30 or so.

Anyway, we took some good (and funny) pictures on our trip, so I thought I'd share...

Rachel and Tuggy excited to be on the road. (Isn't Tug's face priceless?!?!)


I turned around at some point on the drive and found Tuggy sleeping like this. I think he was afraid he'd miss something if he put his head all the way down. Crazy dog...

After we got settled at the place we were staying, we made a trip into town. It rained on and off all weekend, but this was later in the afternoon when it had cleared up a bit. This is the St. Francis Cathedral, just one block off the main plaza and a main focal point of the city. I first became aware of the history of this structure when I read "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by Willa Cather in college. It's not a thriller or anything, but is based on the life of Archbishop Lamy, who built the cathedral and shepherded the people of the area in the 1800s. I may just have to locate me a copy and read it again...

I don't know why I thought this was so funny, but just across the street from the cathedral, there's a courtyard with this piece of "art" in it. There's nothing more artistic than a chunky girl in a bikini! You go girl! ;)

The next morning we took the dogs and headed to Pecos National Park. But on the way, we stopped at Glorieta, the Baptist conference center my family used to visit just about every summer when I was growing up. The tree I'm standing by is an aspen my Dad carved way back in the day, and I always go visit it every time I'm there. Above my hand the carving reads "Clay & Dad '83" and below it reads "Summer and Mom '84" -- isn't that so cool?!?!

Here's a picture of the Prayer Garden from the top of the long walkway with the stream running down the middle. Such a beautiful place. Ah, childhood memories.

After our side trip, we hiked around the trail at the Pecos park. Here's Rachel giving a Gig 'Em while coming out of a kiva.

Family photo in front of the chapel ruins...

My favorite photo of the day...

Back in Santa Fe that afternoon, Isaiah and Rachel were sweet enough to accompany me to the Georgia O'Keefe museum. I have always loved her art and I bought some prints to decorate our house with while we were there. This is in Burro Alley on the way to the museum.

We had beautiful weather on the way home -- isn't that always the way? It'll rain during your trip and then the forecast for the next week will be perfect. Ah well, we had some good breaks in the weather. I couldn't get over the clouds. They just looked so fluffy I had to take their picture.

On the way home, we stopped by Fort Sumner and the Billy the Kid museum. It's very kitschy, but is fun to do every once in a while. I remember us stopping there once when I was a kiddo and thinking the gift shop was just great. What the heckfire was I thinking?!?! All Rachel kept saying was, "He sure was ugly." Ha ha! Then in true Isaiah fashion, he went and rented Young Guns for us to watch that night. I wonder what the real Billy the Kid would have thought about Emilio Estevez playing him. He'd have probably shot him dead on the spot for being the same fellow that thought making three Mighty Ducks movies was a good idea...

Last night I went to a social thing with Erin and some girls from her Sunday School class. We got together at the church kitchen and four of us demonstrated one of our best and easiest recipes for the other gals. We had a really fun time and some good food. I made hot spinach artichoke dip from a recipe I got from my high school friend/college roomie's mom, Ms. Brenda. It was good but I thought something was missing...then I realized in the middle of the night I forgot the salt. Ah well...live and learn....