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Robin
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Land for Sale!
Tsankawi Ruins is about a 30 minute drive from our property. Here, you can visit the ancient cave dwellings, and hike the paths that have been worn into the rock.
Tsankawi is near Los Alamos and White Rock. It's definitely worth the drive, too, and offers a good half-day hike once you arrive. Be sure to pay close attention to the rocks, and you'll see an excellent assortment of petroglyphs.
And don't forget to look down, too, as you hike the ruins. Pottery shards are in abundance there.
Between Tsankawi and Medanales (where we have ~12 acres for sale!) is the Pojoaque pueblo. There are a number of things to see and do at Pojoaque, but my personal favorite is Roxanne Swentzell's Tower Gallery. She doesn't charge for admission, and the gallery was built by her and her family. It's absolutely gorgeous. Best, though, is a chance to see her artwork up close. She's my favorite living artist, so I often took advantage of the opportunity to stop in and see what's new.
Just north of our property, about a 5 minute drive away, are the Poshuouinge Ruins. This is another fun hike (take your hiking stick!), and very rewarding once you get to the end of the trail, which sits atop a mesa. From this point, you're able to look down and see the remnants of the pueblo walls from long ago.
Also at the top, is a place that Erica and I call "the quiet place." It's a circle, where the signs indicate that tools were probably made. But that's not the cool part. What's really amazing is that when you step inside the circle, it's completely quiet and still. The wind can be blowing and howling, and when you step inside the circle, there's complete silence--no wind whatsoever. This is a favorite place of mine.
And if you drive a little further north (approximately 10 minutes from our property), you'll come across Abiquiu Reservoir. It's spectacular, and has a number of places to stop for a picnic. Take your boat, too, if you have one; or a canoe. There are also designated swimming areas, and the water is crystal clear. Yes, that's Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved Pedernal rising up from behind Lake Abiquiu!
Snow was a rarity during the time we lived in northern NM. We did get one "good" snow, though, so it was worthy of a trip outside to take photos. Within a couple of days, it was history.
The most beautiful skies I've ever seen are in New Mexico. Every day, every evening, is like a Maxfield Parrish painting!
Nearby, in Abiquiu (which is about 10 miles from Medanales), is the Penitente Church. To get there, turn into Abiquiu (across from Bode's General Store), and take the first left up the hill. Go past Georgia O'Keeffe's old house (on your left) and continue around the corner. You can't miss it.
During the "rainy season," which is in the Spring, I took lots of photos. There's nothing more beautiful than a late afternoon rain in the high desert.
That beautiful landmark is Sierra Negra, which I like to think of as my own "Pedernal." I loved looking at it from my office window, or while I lounged on the front porch of our home. Incidentally, the land that's for sale is visible there to the left. Right where the driveway takes that strong turn to the right (behind the vehicle), is where you would put the driveway to the land. There's actually a drive there now, but it's not visible because we didn't use it.
If you drive over to Las Parras de Abiquiu, be sure to pick up some fresh horno-baked bread. Nothing tastes better! There's a lady who lives at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly known as the San Juan Pueblo) who gives horno cooking lessons. Her name is Norma Naranjo. She's the one who made these beautiful loaves below. She often bakes at Las Parras during the Abiquiu Farm Tour.
These hoodoos are nearby, too. From the property in Medanales, take 142 toward Abiquiu, cross over the "El Rito road" and continue on 142. These will be on your right, near the Abiquiu Mosque. They're even more amazing in person!
Most people are familiar with the celebrities who live in New Mexico, and there are a couple who are local to the Medanales & Abiquiu area. Shirley McLaine is just a short drive away (though I've never been to her house), and Marsha Mason lives even closer. Mason has a gorgeous, organic farm next to the Rio Chama. She makes all kinds of organic herbal products (her "Magical Soap" is my favorite!), and sells them online. She also opens up her home once a year during the Abiquiu Farm Tour. In addition to her beautiful gardens, she also keeps bees. Isn't that just the prettiest bee hive you've ever seen?
When my girls would visit, we enjoyed hiking the arroyos and land around our home, where we would pick up interesting looking rocks, and animal bones. What fun!
Another view of the area that's for sale. 12 acres of paradise!
From Highway 84, you must pass over the Rio Chama before arriving at the property. On this particular day, the water was low. We have some friends who live next to the river. They have all kinds of "wild" visitors at their home, and we would often drive down to see them and enjoy the wildlife.
Another mesa-top view. It's really hard to do the area justice in photos. There's just nothing like seeing it in person.
Aside from the junipers, cacti, and pinon, there's lots of beauty that grows up on the mesa . . .
But at the end of the day, there's nothing better than the Sunset. I used to make a special trip outside, every day, just to watch the Sun go down . . . .
Well, it's been a year since I last posted here. My, how time flies! We're living in Colorado now, after selling our gorgeous home here. There's still 12 acres of land for sale here, though, and it has a well (about 400 ft.), so if you're interested in building a vacation home, or retirement home atop a mesa--on horse property (!!) with breathtaking views, now's your chance!
Email my dear friend, Don Cavness (don@doncavness.com). Or visit his website at:
http://mls.gildedvillage.com/featured.htm
Tsankawi is near Los Alamos and White Rock. It's definitely worth the drive, too, and offers a good half-day hike once you arrive. Be sure to pay close attention to the rocks, and you'll see an excellent assortment of petroglyphs.
And don't forget to look down, too, as you hike the ruins. Pottery shards are in abundance there.
Between Tsankawi and Medanales (where we have ~12 acres for sale!) is the Pojoaque pueblo. There are a number of things to see and do at Pojoaque, but my personal favorite is Roxanne Swentzell's Tower Gallery. She doesn't charge for admission, and the gallery was built by her and her family. It's absolutely gorgeous. Best, though, is a chance to see her artwork up close. She's my favorite living artist, so I often took advantage of the opportunity to stop in and see what's new.
Just north of our property, about a 5 minute drive away, are the Poshuouinge Ruins. This is another fun hike (take your hiking stick!), and very rewarding once you get to the end of the trail, which sits atop a mesa. From this point, you're able to look down and see the remnants of the pueblo walls from long ago.
Also at the top, is a place that Erica and I call "the quiet place." It's a circle, where the signs indicate that tools were probably made. But that's not the cool part. What's really amazing is that when you step inside the circle, it's completely quiet and still. The wind can be blowing and howling, and when you step inside the circle, there's complete silence--no wind whatsoever. This is a favorite place of mine.
And if you drive a little further north (approximately 10 minutes from our property), you'll come across Abiquiu Reservoir. It's spectacular, and has a number of places to stop for a picnic. Take your boat, too, if you have one; or a canoe. There are also designated swimming areas, and the water is crystal clear. Yes, that's Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved Pedernal rising up from behind Lake Abiquiu!
Snow was a rarity during the time we lived in northern NM. We did get one "good" snow, though, so it was worthy of a trip outside to take photos. Within a couple of days, it was history.
The most beautiful skies I've ever seen are in New Mexico. Every day, every evening, is like a Maxfield Parrish painting!
Nearby, in Abiquiu (which is about 10 miles from Medanales), is the Penitente Church. To get there, turn into Abiquiu (across from Bode's General Store), and take the first left up the hill. Go past Georgia O'Keeffe's old house (on your left) and continue around the corner. You can't miss it.
During the "rainy season," which is in the Spring, I took lots of photos. There's nothing more beautiful than a late afternoon rain in the high desert.
That beautiful landmark is Sierra Negra, which I like to think of as my own "Pedernal." I loved looking at it from my office window, or while I lounged on the front porch of our home. Incidentally, the land that's for sale is visible there to the left. Right where the driveway takes that strong turn to the right (behind the vehicle), is where you would put the driveway to the land. There's actually a drive there now, but it's not visible because we didn't use it.
If you drive over to Las Parras de Abiquiu, be sure to pick up some fresh horno-baked bread. Nothing tastes better! There's a lady who lives at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly known as the San Juan Pueblo) who gives horno cooking lessons. Her name is Norma Naranjo. She's the one who made these beautiful loaves below. She often bakes at Las Parras during the Abiquiu Farm Tour.
These hoodoos are nearby, too. From the property in Medanales, take 142 toward Abiquiu, cross over the "El Rito road" and continue on 142. These will be on your right, near the Abiquiu Mosque. They're even more amazing in person!
Most people are familiar with the celebrities who live in New Mexico, and there are a couple who are local to the Medanales & Abiquiu area. Shirley McLaine is just a short drive away (though I've never been to her house), and Marsha Mason lives even closer. Mason has a gorgeous, organic farm next to the Rio Chama. She makes all kinds of organic herbal products (her "Magical Soap" is my favorite!), and sells them online. She also opens up her home once a year during the Abiquiu Farm Tour. In addition to her beautiful gardens, she also keeps bees. Isn't that just the prettiest bee hive you've ever seen?
When my girls would visit, we enjoyed hiking the arroyos and land around our home, where we would pick up interesting looking rocks, and animal bones. What fun!
Another view of the area that's for sale. 12 acres of paradise!
From Highway 84, you must pass over the Rio Chama before arriving at the property. On this particular day, the water was low. We have some friends who live next to the river. They have all kinds of "wild" visitors at their home, and we would often drive down to see them and enjoy the wildlife.
Another mesa-top view. It's really hard to do the area justice in photos. There's just nothing like seeing it in person.
Aside from the junipers, cacti, and pinon, there's lots of beauty that grows up on the mesa . . .
But at the end of the day, there's nothing better than the Sunset. I used to make a special trip outside, every day, just to watch the Sun go down . . . .
Well, it's been a year since I last posted here. My, how time flies! We're living in Colorado now, after selling our gorgeous home here. There's still 12 acres of land for sale here, though, and it has a well (about 400 ft.), so if you're interested in building a vacation home, or retirement home atop a mesa--on horse property (!!) with breathtaking views, now's your chance!
Email my dear friend, Don Cavness (don@doncavness.com). Or visit his website at:
http://mls.gildedvillage.com/featured.htm
Monday, August 6, 2007
It's All About the Process
Last month I got the opportunity to take a workshop with Clarence Cruz. He teaches at both UNM and at the Poeh Center (at the Pojoaque pueblo), though I took his Summer class at Ghost Ranch. It was great fun, because Clarence is a patient teacher and also a very nice person. And he has a great sense of humor. He kept us all in stitches the entire week.
Pinch pots from my July workshop at Ghost Ranch
During the workshop, every day brought a new set of challenges. Everyone's pots cracked, and continued to crack the entire week. I brought my pots home, wrapped them tightly, and let them dry very slowly. They were fine for a couple of weeks, but then they, too, developed large cracks. I decided that they weren't meant to be, so I'll crush them and add them to the outer layer of my horno. However, a handful of my tiny pinch pots survived (above), if only for now. I don't generally photograph a work until it's complete, and these little pots still need to be fired. But since I don't know whether or not they'll make it through the firing, I wanted to photograph them as a reminder of my workshop with Clarence.
Rocks and clay soaking in water
Occasionally, someone would lament the cracked pots or some other problem, and Clarence would reply, "Process. It's all about the process." And he's right. We can't get from here to there withouth the journey. And the journey is process.
I love the color of clay. And something that I've enjoyed working on the past month is turning dried clay, and other rocks & minerals into slip. I'll use this slip to decorate my pots.
After soaking the rocks for many days, I crushed them and added more water to make a paste. The paste was then soaked some more to make slip.
Chunks of clay from the Late Triassic Period await processing
White, tan, orange, and red slips are ready for use.
During the process, a road runner visited my garden
Pinch pots from my July workshop at Ghost Ranch
Rocks and clay soaking in waterI love the color of clay. And something that I've enjoyed working on the past month is turning dried clay, and other rocks & minerals into slip. I'll use this slip to decorate my pots.
After soaking the rocks for many days, I crushed them and added more water to make a paste. The paste was then soaked some more to make slip.The orange rocks (above) came from Hayden Quarry. They were quite pretty, as is, with their little bits of quartz crystal. After a good soaking, and some brute force, I was able to break them up and then crush them. A little water added to the mix yielded a thick paste, which I then added to more water to make slip. This had to soak for a few days before I sieved it.
Chunks of clay from the Late Triassic Period await processingI followed this procedure with some white and red clay that I picked up from the same quarry. These are the rocks and clay that surrounded the dinosaur bones we excavated back in June, so I like to imagine that I'm working with materials that were once touched by pre-human fauna.
White, tan, orange, and red slips are ready for use.And finally, the finished product (above). Today I'm going to make some test tiles, paint them with my new slips, burnish them to a high gloss, and then put them into the next firing. I already know that they're going to be gorgeous.
One of the slips (above, second from left) was made from the clay that Clarence gave me. Whenever I use it, or any of the others that have kept me busy for the past month, I'll fondly remember my time with Clarence, and his reminder that it's all about the process.
One of the slips (above, second from left) was made from the clay that Clarence gave me. Whenever I use it, or any of the others that have kept me busy for the past month, I'll fondly remember my time with Clarence, and his reminder that it's all about the process.
During the process, a road runner visited my gardenWednesday, August 1, 2007
Rest in Peace, Ingmar Bergman
Bonniers Hylen/Agence France-Presse -- Getty ImagesIngmar Bergman died yesterday at the age of 89. He was, easily, one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema.
Bengt Ekerot, left, and Max von Sydow in the 1957 film "The Seventh Seal." (Everett Collection)Goodbye, Mr. Bergman. You've left an incredible legacy. And you will be remembered.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Paleontology, Part II
I've been absent for a while; traveling and preparing for the upcoming studio tour. Soon, I'll post some photos from the past month, but first I want to share some stuff with you about the recent Paleontology seminar at Ghost Ranch.
This week Science magazine published an article about the work we were doing there. Check out this cover art and the blurb that goes with it:
COVER Depiction of four dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors from fossils found at the Hayden Quarry of northern New Mexico. The dinosaur precursors Dromomeron romeri (lower left) and a Silesaurus-like animal (bottom center) coexisted during the Late Triassic with the dinosaurs Chindesaurus bryansmalli (top center, with crocodylomorph in its mouth) and a coelophysoid theropod (upper right), indicating that the initial rise of dinosaurs was prolonged rather than sudden. See page 358. Image: Donna Braginetz
The article from Science can be found at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/317/5836/358
And there's also a nice article about this at the UC Berkeley website: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/07/19_dinosaurs.shtml
Click on the video and you'll get to hear Randy Irmis talking about the finds there.
Congratulations, Randy!
Note to Shannon: It really WAS in incredible week! Let's do it again next year!!!
This week Science magazine published an article about the work we were doing there. Check out this cover art and the blurb that goes with it:
COVER Depiction of four dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors from fossils found at the Hayden Quarry of northern New Mexico. The dinosaur precursors Dromomeron romeri (lower left) and a Silesaurus-like animal (bottom center) coexisted during the Late Triassic with the dinosaurs Chindesaurus bryansmalli (top center, with crocodylomorph in its mouth) and a coelophysoid theropod (upper right), indicating that the initial rise of dinosaurs was prolonged rather than sudden. See page 358. Image: Donna Braginetz The article from Science can be found at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/317/5836/358
And there's also a nice article about this at the UC Berkeley website: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/07/19_dinosaurs.shtml
Click on the video and you'll get to hear Randy Irmis talking about the finds there.
Congratulations, Randy!
Note to Shannon: It really WAS in incredible week! Let's do it again next year!!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Paleontology at Ghost Ranch
What do Indiana Jones, Canadian TV crews, dinosaurs, graduate students, geologists, paleontologists, documentary film makers, bug spray, rattlesnakes, and sunny days all have in common?
They all converge at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. As we were arriving for our seminar, we learned that a film crew for the 4th Indiana Jones movie had just wrapped up. Darn! I would love to have seen Harrison Ford!
This week, Shannon (above) and I joined a small group of other like-minded individuals to experience Paleontology at Ghost Ranch, a week long seminar that involves excavating Triassic era dinosaur bones from the Chinle formation at Hayden Quarry.
And here's the rest of our group, carefully taking off thin layers of sediment to reveal black gold; which in this case would be bone, tooth, armor plate, or coprolite (petrified poo).
Nate (above) is one of the resident grad students. Here he sits above one of his finds, which he's just about to jacket before transporting it back to the lab. Next to Nate is Christy, who took a week off from her work at the Petrified Forest to assist in the dig.
At lunch time, Shannon and I took a hike to the stream to pick up one of the canopies. We brought it back and, with the help of fellow seminar attendee Barb, set it up for some much-needed shade.
When one of us finds something "good," we call the grad students over for a consultation. Randy (from UC Berkley) and Nate (from the Univ. of Chicago) explain to Anita (striped shirt) what she's found.
And in the midst of this, a film crew from Canada showed up to take some footage of our work, interview Alex (our fearless leader, and curator of the Paleontology Museum at Ghost Ranch), and talk with the grad students. Canadians are so cool. They have a DAILY science program on their public television network! I'm so envious.
Shortly after the Canadians left, my friends Pat and Melinda from Convivial Design Studio arrived to take some documentary footage of the site, and to interview everyone. Melinda warned us of a rattlesnake down by the stream, so we were hypervigilant on the way back to the lab. I don't have any photos of Pat & Melinda (a.k.a. the Design Divas), because I was too busy catching up with them to grab my camera.
Anita (above) sits proudly next to her jacketed dino bone. She's found some great stuff this week. Barb has also found several REALLY COOL pieces. I'll try to get some photos of her with her finds before the seminar ends . . .
And when we're not bent over the dig with our tails in the air, we can turn around to see this gorgeous view. If you were to put these three photos together, left to right, you'd see the panoramic view. It's absolutely breathtaking!
Each day, we work from about 8:30 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m. Then we take a lunch break (and rest break!) and meet back up in the evening. Once our bellies are full, and we're rested, we work in the lab until quite late--cleaning and cataloging everything that we found in the field earlier in the day.
Shannon (below) is cleaning the sediment away from some bones that she found. Once everything is cleaned (very time consuming), we often need to glue pieces back together. They're very fragile and break easily. Also, most of the bones are in pieces when we find them.
Below you can see some of what Shannon has ben working on . . .
And then some of the things that I uncovered out in the field: a scute, bone fragments, a vertebra, coprolite, tooth, and a partial metatarsal . . .
He's a close up of the scute I found. I'm not sure where the term "scute" comes from. It's not the official name of this fossil. Perhaps they call it a scute because it's scute :)
And finally, a photo of a couple of yet-unknown things--still in situ. Once I've had a chance to fully uncover them, take them back to the lab, clean them up, and identify them, I'll post more photos!
They all converge at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. As we were arriving for our seminar, we learned that a film crew for the 4th Indiana Jones movie had just wrapped up. Darn! I would love to have seen Harrison Ford!
This week, Shannon (above) and I joined a small group of other like-minded individuals to experience Paleontology at Ghost Ranch, a week long seminar that involves excavating Triassic era dinosaur bones from the Chinle formation at Hayden Quarry.
And here's the rest of our group, carefully taking off thin layers of sediment to reveal black gold; which in this case would be bone, tooth, armor plate, or coprolite (petrified poo).
Nate (above) is one of the resident grad students. Here he sits above one of his finds, which he's just about to jacket before transporting it back to the lab. Next to Nate is Christy, who took a week off from her work at the Petrified Forest to assist in the dig.
At lunch time, Shannon and I took a hike to the stream to pick up one of the canopies. We brought it back and, with the help of fellow seminar attendee Barb, set it up for some much-needed shade.
When one of us finds something "good," we call the grad students over for a consultation. Randy (from UC Berkley) and Nate (from the Univ. of Chicago) explain to Anita (striped shirt) what she's found.
And in the midst of this, a film crew from Canada showed up to take some footage of our work, interview Alex (our fearless leader, and curator of the Paleontology Museum at Ghost Ranch), and talk with the grad students. Canadians are so cool. They have a DAILY science program on their public television network! I'm so envious.
Shortly after the Canadians left, my friends Pat and Melinda from Convivial Design Studio arrived to take some documentary footage of the site, and to interview everyone. Melinda warned us of a rattlesnake down by the stream, so we were hypervigilant on the way back to the lab. I don't have any photos of Pat & Melinda (a.k.a. the Design Divas), because I was too busy catching up with them to grab my camera.
Anita (above) sits proudly next to her jacketed dino bone. She's found some great stuff this week. Barb has also found several REALLY COOL pieces. I'll try to get some photos of her with her finds before the seminar ends . . .
And when we're not bent over the dig with our tails in the air, we can turn around to see this gorgeous view. If you were to put these three photos together, left to right, you'd see the panoramic view. It's absolutely breathtaking!
Each day, we work from about 8:30 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m. Then we take a lunch break (and rest break!) and meet back up in the evening. Once our bellies are full, and we're rested, we work in the lab until quite late--cleaning and cataloging everything that we found in the field earlier in the day.
Shannon (below) is cleaning the sediment away from some bones that she found. Once everything is cleaned (very time consuming), we often need to glue pieces back together. They're very fragile and break easily. Also, most of the bones are in pieces when we find them.
Below you can see some of what Shannon has ben working on . . .
And then some of the things that I uncovered out in the field: a scute, bone fragments, a vertebra, coprolite, tooth, and a partial metatarsal . . .
He's a close up of the scute I found. I'm not sure where the term "scute" comes from. It's not the official name of this fossil. Perhaps they call it a scute because it's scute :)
And finally, a photo of a couple of yet-unknown things--still in situ. Once I've had a chance to fully uncover them, take them back to the lab, clean them up, and identify them, I'll post more photos!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Calling All Visitors: Your Room is Ready!
Well, I finally finished the guest room bed project, and following are some photos of the work in progress. With the help of my assistant, Miss Frida, I made a frame for the bed and built in a side table, which my assistant quickly checked for strength and level:
Once that was done, I gave it a couple of coats of glossy black paint before filling the underneath storage space with linens, sleeping bags, etc . . .
Two twin-sized platforms then sit one on top of the other, forming the base for the guest bed when it's not being used; or when it's being used as a daybed . . .
The addition of a mattress, pillows, and comforter turn the structure into a daybed. This is how we'll keep things when we don't have company. Since this is the smallest bedroom, we're lucky to have this recessed area. Keeping the guest bed in this compact arrangement will give the room more functionality when we don't have visitors . . .
However, Shannon arrives this Saturday (yippee!!!), so the frames need to be joined together, and legs attached . . .
And then made into a king size bed. We'll keep it in this configuration until mid-August, when the last of our Summer guests leave.
This project took only about a week, from start to finish (not counting long breaks). I used a combination of scrap and purchased lumber, and paint that I already had on hand. All that's left to do now is to add a reading light to the bedside table, and some mints on top of the pillows :)
Once that was done, I gave it a couple of coats of glossy black paint before filling the underneath storage space with linens, sleeping bags, etc . . .
Two twin-sized platforms then sit one on top of the other, forming the base for the guest bed when it's not being used; or when it's being used as a daybed . . .
The addition of a mattress, pillows, and comforter turn the structure into a daybed. This is how we'll keep things when we don't have company. Since this is the smallest bedroom, we're lucky to have this recessed area. Keeping the guest bed in this compact arrangement will give the room more functionality when we don't have visitors . . .
However, Shannon arrives this Saturday (yippee!!!), so the frames need to be joined together, and legs attached . . .
And then made into a king size bed. We'll keep it in this configuration until mid-August, when the last of our Summer guests leave.
This project took only about a week, from start to finish (not counting long breaks). I used a combination of scrap and purchased lumber, and paint that I already had on hand. All that's left to do now is to add a reading light to the bedside table, and some mints on top of the pillows :)
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