Blog Archives
planning ahead can be helpful
I’ve seen a lot of things in cemeteries, but this was the first “reserved” sign I’ve ever noticed.
I found a book called Spanish Surnames, Older Baptismal First Names and the Origins of the Spanish Language at a tiny grocery store in New Mexico earlier this month. I bought it because it seemed like the right thing to do (it’s less a book, honestly, than it is some photocopied pages stapled together) and because it seemed like the sort of thing that might come in handy. And that’s why I can tell you that the name “Rael” previously appeared “as the name of a soldier, Real de Aguilar from Lorca, Murica, Spain, at paso del norte in the lower Rio Grande in 1689.” My new book further notes that as a surname, “Rael” is of Jewish-Greek origin.
And that concludes today’s lesson. Please carry on.
Truchas, New Mexico
photographed 9.3.2024
four eyes
I’m not saying that on a four-day visit to Tesuque I ate at the Tesuque Village Market four times. But even though I am not saying it, that is precisely what I did.
Tesuque Village Market
Tesuque, New Mexico
photographed 8.31.2024
hilltop shrine
If you drive into town from the south, you’ll see this place high on a hill way before you see the town. And then, if you’re like us, you’ll spend kind of a long time trying to figure out how to get there. (Hint: not the way you think.)
And once you get there, you can see this chapel and also enjoy a magnificent view of the San Luis valley.
Shrine of the Stations of the Cross
San Luis, Colorado
photographed 9.3.2024
jewel drop
For the record, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden is a delightful place to visit on an early-fall day. There are a lot of benches, so you’ll be sure to find one in the shade so you can look at plants or people or maybe close your eyes for a bit of a nap.
And also, check out the drippy sap on the piñon tree!
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Santa Fe, New Mexico
photographed 9.2.24
waylon’s town
Oh, Littlefield. Poor Littlefield. The town just can’t seem to catch a break.
This is last image (for now) from the incredible trip that Don Toothaker, Chuck Doughty, and I made across a little part of Texas. It is hard to describe how much joy the three of us got from just wandering around. Sure, it was like a million degrees outside. Sure, there were some long-ass days. Sure, we probably missed as many shots as we took. But still: so many good things happened; most of them aren’t quantifiable by any traditional metric. But if you’ve ever been on a trip that was totally new adventure every hour, a trip that you were sad to see end, a trip where your group was stronger friends at the end of it all, a trip where visions of the Next Place To Go was a constant visitor, then you’ll know what I mean.
My greatest thanks to Don and to Chuck, who were great traveling companions and who were willing to make as many u-turns as we needed.
in-camera double exposure
Littlefield, Texas
photographed 8.3.2024
One Day | One Image 