Santa Fe, New Mexico!

If you've been on Suzanne's web site recently, http://www.loveatthecenter.com/, you've seen her exuberant image with her arms upraised. Evidently her "en-Suzyasm" is catching on here in Santa Fe, as this picture outside an art gallery confirms. We arrived at our campground, set up camp, and then went in to "recon the ville", as we used to say in the Navy. We had visited Santa Fe only for a couple of hours a few years ago when visiting daughter Elisabeth in Taos Ski Valley, north of here. We now have the time to really get to know Santa Fe, the beautiful capital of New Mexico. We'll be here for 8 nights. After a bit of sightseeing around the Plaza, including fifty or so Native American vendors and their unique turquoise jewelry for sale, as well as several art galleries, we were ready for a break.

We saw a sign for the Low and Slow Bar, part of the Hotel Chimayo (here shown with festoons of hot chile peppers)- the bar is advertised as being decorated in lowrider style, with diamond-tuck upholstered seats, hub caps, and tables made of chromed chain-link steering wheels... it will have to wait for another day, since Suzanne really wanted an iced coffee from Starbucks. Adios, Dos Equis...

Rudy and Gretchen had to wait in the coach while we went to town, but they were rested and ready for their w-a-l-k around the campground when we returned. Dog owners will understand that dog-dads and dog-moms have to spell out "walk", "ride" or "treat" because their canine companions would go crazy with anticipation otherwise. Well, just as we finished our w-a-l-k, this little critter scooted out from behind a bush... it's a desert cottontail, mush faster and more agile than its eastern counterpart. It can run at 15 mph, swim and climb trees and brush! Fortunately, our "kids" didn't see them, or we'd still be out in the desert chasing that "wabbit"....

Finally, we got to relax with a nice glass of cabernet before dinner (Suzanne prepared a delicious shrimp pesto over linguini, one of my favorite meals; I was raised in an Italian family). Suzanne was able to drink only one third of her glass because she was affected by the altitude here (7,000 feet), so I graciously offered to finish her glass. Perhaps it's the extra wine, but I have to raise one issue tonight... it's about one of Suzanne's weaknesses... as I mentioned, I was raised in an Italian family, and everyone in our family twirled their pasta in a soupspoon with a fork. That's the "correct" way to eat pasta. Well, Suzanne is a cutter.... yes, we have a mixed marriage... a twirler and a cutter. I've tried to correct her aberrant behavior over the past 15 years, but to no avail. Sigh...