Taos , New Mexico
November 11-12, 2006
Taos Memories:
- Skies that reached as high as the heavens and as low as the asphalt on the city streets. Big billowy steel gray clouds that transformed into a black covering that darkened the East side of Taos. And when I looked West – clear skies with white puffy clouds and a bright sun on a brilliantly blue background. Defoliated Aspens, standing whiter than chalk against the gray/black sky. Taos – the land of stark contrasts and weather that changed as fast as I could turn around to watch it.
- The Taos Pueblo : Morning; cold and windy, snow flakes blizzarding sideways, Dogs patrolling each of their respective domains – tails held high with a walk that said "Do Not Mess With Me", the smell of cedar burning in fireplaces, the sound of the stream rippling down from the mountain and through the Pueblo, walking where Native Americans had walked for the past 1,000 years, wooden latter's that were pulled up after getting into the house for safety, wooden arbors used in the summer to dehydrate fruit and meat. There is no electricity or running water allowed within the Pueblo walls. People come to the stream every morning to collect using water for the day. Their water is not treated and flows from a sacred lake high in the mountains (yes it's tested regularly for purity). Population on the Pueblo varies, residence are allowed to move in and out at will. Today there are about 100 families in residence. It felt like an honor to live on the Pueblo, there is spirituality there, it's a special place. I bought a loaf of bread from a woman who looked 100, but was probably not. She still gets up at 3am every morning to cook her bread in the domed adobe ovens fueled only by wood. Even on a cold day with inhospitatible weather, it was so special.
