Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Day Four

I got up at 8:00 and went for a run, following roughly the same route as yesterday morning, but skipping the church.











I checked up on the alfalfa field and found the hay had been taken away.











And I found this cool stretch of dry tumbleweeds.

I came home to find my father making French toast for breakfast. For that kind of calorie count, I would’ve preferred something with a little more staying power, but I ate one piece and some bananas, and hoped it would hold me for the day.

After we ate, Dan and I got ready to go horseback riding and also packed one of our smaller bags in case we decided to stay overnight in Santa Fe. All options were open at that point, except for camping. There is still snow up in the mountains and we didn’t bring the right kind of clothes and gear for that.











We had been to these stables before, so we knew how to get there.











Crossing the Rio Grande. It's high right now due to snow runoff from the mountains. The valleys haven't gotten rain in a long time and it's this river and the canals running off it that are feeding the fields.











Hills near Cerrillos and Santa Fe (Turquoise Trail area).

We got to the stables in good time and I was given a roan named Abby and Dan got a bay named Eli. My horse had an amazingly smooth gait, especially on the canter, which felt like we were hardly moving at all. The only problem I had with her was that she was being tormented by little flies and kept shaking her head, which slowed us down and caused us to fall behind, where we got dusty.











But with so many pretty vistas to admire, it was no great hardship to go a little slow and take a few pics.











Juniper.































We rode for two hours and then checked out the little town of Cerrillos.











This ornately carved door caught my eye.











As did this shop decorated with old glass insulators.

By now it was after 4:00 and we were starving, so we went into Santa Fe for dinner at the Indian restaurant we like to go to. We usually eat Indian on Saturdays and we were overdue for curry and hungry for just about anything we could get our hands on. Then, full and happy, we decided it would be best for our pocketbooks to head back to Bosque for the night and crash at the DadWays Inn.











Mesa at sunset.

Tomorrow, we’re thinking of doing some hiking on Sandia peak in Albuquerque, then stop in at my Aunt Mercy’s house for a visit. But we may end up finding some kind of indoor activity because something happened today that has never happened before. My dark-skinned hubby who never in his life has gotten a sunburn got burnt. I dabbed the red areas with a combination of white vinegar and water to take the sting away, and I hope I’ll be able to sleep tonight with a man who smells like an Easter egg!

9 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Thank you for posting a picture of the Rio Grande!!! My hubby was quite upset a few months ago to hear that it had dried up...he'll be happy to hear that there is water in it (at least, for now!)
I can't believe they picked up that hay already - if we stacked it that quickly up here, it would heat and rot!

And is that you on that horse? Wow, not at all how I had pictured you in my head....

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Did you expect big ears, BL? :-)

Thomma Lyn said...

Wow, wow, wow, what beautiful pictures! I'm enjoying following your adventures. :) And I'm sorry your hubby got sunburned! Yee-OUCH!

That's a great picture of you and your hubby on the horses!

the Bag Lady said...

Hehehe - yeah, kinda! :)

No, actually, I don't know how to put this properly... you just look so darned young! I thought you said recently you just turned 40, didn't you? You certainly don't look it, at least, not in that photo! (Darn you!)

(Now me, on the other, if you have a mental picture involving bags - under eyes, around waist, etc.....)

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

How'd the hubby get a BURN? That IS weird.

I wish I was there with you guys. I need the break before things get intense around here for the summer (read: school ends). Please keep the virtual vacationing coming!

RoadBunner said...

Yay for smooth canters! They're the best! Are you a horse lover, too? Do you know I've found that a lot of rabbit people are also horse people? I guess they're sort of similar animals in many ways. I've never heard of that vinegar/sunburn trick. Does it work? I've been much more diligent lately with sunblock but it's a nice trick to know.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

RoadBunner-- The vinegar trick is counter-intuitive, but I've never known anyone say it didn't work. Use white vinegar in 50/50 combo with water. And yes, I went through a horsey phase when I was a kid and still enjoy spending time around horses when the opportunity arises.

BL-- Yes, I turned 41 last January. I told Dan what you said and he said you just didn't see me close up. I'll let you know when the divorce is final so you can share my email with eligible men of your acquaintance. ;-)

the Bag Lady said...

I hope you slapped him on his sunburn for that one!!!

Una said...

I'm loving the pictures and the blog. How beautiful Santa Fe is! It's so different from anything I've ever seen, I must get down there some day!

The door is striking, and the glass insulators, never heard of them (I've seen them but thought it was decorative!) I'm going to have to google.