The One in Colorado

 Monday - April 14

Taos, New Mexico - Durango, Colorado

Song - Durango Romance by Bob Dylan

(The one in Mexico)

Enjoyed a great breakfast at our lunch place from yesterday, The Bent Street Grille, then hopped in our car and began our days drive. Lots of dry desert, sagebrush, the Rio Grande and a few hairy parts (ie cliffs)!

Drove through Coyote and almost to Cuba while Nina Simone was belting out “I put a spell on you” on our car radio.

We crossed back over the Continental Divide.

Our bartender, Clint from Taos does the drive from Taos to Gallup often and he recommended the southern route as it was less “hairy” than the northern route and it had some Native American ruins to be seen in Aztec, NM.  They are called the Aztec Ruins but have nothing to do with the Aztec people from Central America. As the ranger explained to us that the Spaniards who conquered the Aztec culture and then headed north, thought these ruins looked like the Aztec’s so let’s call them that…and the name stuck. 

The Aztec Ruins were actually constructed by the Pueblo Indians in the 12th & 13th century. 

The ruins were fascinating and we were glad we got to see them. As we headed into Colorado we saw the San Juan Mountains in the distance and everything around us turned from dust to green.

Mr. B had heard that Durango was a fascinating Western town with mining & lumber heritage and they had trains!

After checking into our hotel, The General Palmer we walked down the street for dinner at the Mahogany Grille located in the Strater Hotel. Delicious!

Mr. B had Elk and I had Herbert (their nickname for filet mignon). Then we ordered Bananas Foster which was prepared and flamed table side!

Afterward we headed straight home and rested up for our drive back south tomorrow. 

The Angels are Singing

This morning I woke to snow on the distant mountains in Colorado. After a quick breakfast I drove around Trinidad and took a few photos for my family tree.




The streets there are paved with bricks made in Trinidad. I tried to bring one home but all of the business that sell them were closed as it was Sunday. I drove around to some deserted lots but the only loose bricks I could find were attached to a lot of concrete. Heavy concrete. My luggage barely made it on to the plane as it was with all of my painting supplies!



Then I spent about 3 hours at the local cemetery trying to find long lost relatives and reading interesting headstones. Many of the headstones have photographs on them and I remembered that was a custom in Italy as well.






The mountains are beginning to change colors and it was a beautiful but long drive back to Santa Fe. Once again lightening strikes all around me but just a little rain.

My friend Nancy Hartley (http://nancyhartleysartadventures.blogspot.com/) has a second home in Santa Fe and invited all of the artists participating in Carol Marines workshop over for wine & appetizers. It was a beautiful evening!




Tonight however.....I am staying at a convent that used to be a TB Sanitarium and i am listening to the Carmelite Sisters sing downstairs while I write this blog. It is so tranquil and they sound like angels! Dang, I wish I could sing....harrumph.



I have a sparse little room with a dresser, writing table and (gulp) a hard twin bed and it's all mine for this whole week!

Wish me luck!

Location:Santa Fe, New Mexico

Where Have I Been?

Mr. B and I have been at our family cabin in Tahoe for almost 4 weeks. The cabin is very much out of cell range, which is both good & bad.



In some ways it is nice to drop out of the everyday email, texting, TV, newspaper world and relax, play cards, visit, read & hike. But on the other hand.....YOU ARE OUT OF TOUCH! The world maybe on fire and you're blissfully unaware!

We arrived home on Thursday night, unpacked and early Friday morning I began to get back into the rhythm of things. Six loads of laundry...check...pay bills...check...water plants, clean refrigerator, check emails....check and double check....and oh yeah repack!




You see I made arrangements to attend a Carole Marine workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico almost a year ago.

Check her out - http://www.carolmarine.com/


After deposits, car rentals, flight reservations, etc., I discovered the Tahoe cabin was available for the month of September! I really needed to do both. Right?

This morning Mr. B drove me to the airport and after a Gin & tonic for breakfast, I flew into Albuquerque ( by myself - which is huge for those of you who know me) and rented a car for the one hour drive to Santa Fe.



The breakfast of champions or those who are afraid to fly...


Well hold onto your pants!

I made a four hour drive up to Colorado to do some Family Tree investigation. However, much to my dismay I arrived here about 6 pm and drove though so many lightening storms it was amazing





and tomorrow is Sunday so most everything will be closed. I will also need to return to Santa Fe by 4 pm (leaving here by noon ) for a welcoming workshop get together.

My mother and both of my grandparents were born in Starkville & Trinidad, Colorado. My grandfather was a coal miner as we're his brother and father but his parents purchased a dairy farm to try to get away from coal mining.



I am so happy that they eventually moved to California! I tried to buy a bottle of wine today but apparently you need to go to a state operated liquor store. I thought that was in Canada?

At the restaurant tonight, I was talking to the bartender who had hard liquor and an amazing array of beer but just BOX wine. When I questioned him about that, he replied that most of their customers are truck drivers, coal miners, and hard working men that are not really interested in "wine"......well, I reminded him....well never mind. I am just glad I'm living in California!


I will be staying at a convent in Santa Fe and pray they have wifi so I can fill you in on the glorious details of New Mexico!

Laters - J

Faded Treasures

 Song - Chug-a-lug by Roger Miller

While looking through my portfolio of "blog ideas", I came across the realization (place a light bulb over my head)..... that my family history is one of coal miners, saloon keepers, bootleggers and actually that's just on my mom's side!   (Sorry mom - you are still a sweetheart!)

AND Mr. B's family came from the South and they were sheriff's and moonshine smashers.

A Saloon in Starkville, Colorado but not my great-grandfathers.

My background......above.

Mr B's grandfather was the sheriff - second from right

His background....above.


(That's were the light bulb went off.)

They also shot people like "Billy the Kid".....ever hear of Pat Garrett?  Well, that would be Mr. B's great-great uncle! (maybe one more great in there?) Yes sir.

Larkin Randolf Lay and Margaret Garrett (Pat Garret's sister)

Imagine bringing that story into Kindergarten for "show and tell"

OK.....so we both have an interesting supporting cast of characters in our closets.

How the heck did we ever get together?

Times were tough during our grandparents days and they did what they had to do to survive. Whether it was making moonshine or destroying it.

When Mr. B and I were first married (bc - "before children"), I had some time to do some genealogy work and to interview older family members.  I found it fascinating to hear the stories of how they came to be. 

I spent days interviewing my maternal grandparents, with the clock ticking in the background and their canary singing in the kitchen. 

Grandma would tell of having to ride on a horse drawn buggy going over the Raton Pass to get Moonshine from New Mexico to bring into Colorado. She spoke about having to clean out the saloon early in the morning as girls were not allowed inside. 


Grandpa would tell of life as a coal miner and rarely seeing the light of day and of nailing my grandmothers skirt (with her in it) to the top of the dog house "because she just talked too much!" as children living in Starkville, Colorado. He also spoke of the Mother Jones meetings that his father took him to.

Starkville, Colorado

Mr. B's grandmother came to visit from Louisiana when we were first married and told us stories about going on a date in a horse drawn buggy. She was so......Southern and sweet and was delighted to be offered a bourbon-on-the-rocks, with a splash of "branch water".

...a little "branch water" please.

I started going through my genealogy files today to collect some photo's and information.  I began doing research in the 80's......a-hem....before email and internet.  I have receipts for a $4 check sent to England for a birth certificate.  Now, it is probably incredible what you can find online.

Anyway, it got my juices flowing again to do some research in the near future.

My great grandparents Lucia & Pietro and my grandfather is on the far right.

"My address is like my shoes. It travels with me. I abide where there is a fight against wrong." -- Mother Jones