Autumn around Santa Fe
Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year until winter arrives. Then winter is the best season until spring arrives ….
That’s why Cindy and I moved to New Mexico—enjoying all four seasons.
There is something about the light here that attracts artists to Santa Fe. It is so true. The sun casts a golden hue on the land, washing across the landscapes.
Because we love to share our love of Santa Fe, here is a slideshow of some of the outdoor activities we’ve done so far this fall.
Hiking:
Autumn is just another beautiful season for day hikes long and short. Climbing up a mountain gives you that wonderful feeling of peace. When you reach the top, you are spoiled with a fantastic view. You can see as far into the distance as your eye can see. You get the feeling of freedom and joy.
Birds:
Autumn is when the beautiful tiny Hummingbirds leave New Mexico for a warmer climate, mainly in Mexico or Central America. They are only between 2″ – 5” (7.5 – 13cm) in length but can fly as fast as 60mph (96km/h). At times, we had up to 12 Hummingbirds flying around our heads while we ate on our portal.
Birds, in general, migrate and pass through New Mexico. Some choose to have some high-quality food at our feeder.
Chile:
Autumn is the high season for Chile. Ask anyone from New Mexico what autumn smells like. It’s not burning leaves, freshly harvested grapes, or simmering hot apple cider. The regional aroma of roasted chiles is a smoky, piquant perfume that you can enjoy in backyards, parking lots, or at the farmer’s markets.
“Red or green?” is the official state question. Cindy’s response is: “Can you give me the less spicy Chile on the side”. My request is “Christmas”. Christmas is a combination of red and green Chile and is pretty spicy.
Politics:
Cindy is again very active with the New Mexican Democratic Party, and I started to take pictures for them again officially. It is always nice when you can mingle with the peaceful demonstrators.
Neighborhood:
The Home Owner Association redid the road to our houses when a construction crew dropped a big bucket with Stucco. Everybody was disappointed, so we met and cleaned the road together. It was such a great day. We love being in such a helpful and friendly place.
Apple Picking:
Jane Martone, our neighbor from Glen Head, has a brother Robert who lives with his family in Los Alamos. They invited us to their yearly tradition of apple picking, squeezing them to make apple cider and having an outstanding lunch. The lamb was cooked in the ground for hours. Needless to say that this was the most tender meat you can ever enjoy. It was mouthwatering.
Colors:
The colors in fall are magnificent. The Aspen trees turn into gold.
Sunsets: you can never get enough spectacular sunsets right from home.
Click Image to View Slideshow
[caption id="attachment_4153" align="alignnone" width="600"] View from 12,200 (3,720müM) down to the Nambe Lake (11,400ft / 3,475müM)[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4154" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cindy is slightly tired but enjoys the hike on an altitude above 12,000ft (3,650müM)[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4124" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hummingbird – I “counted” beats between 70 – 120/seconds. They fly forward, backward, and hover.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4123" align="alignnone" width="600"] A Western Tanager visited us for a few days.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4168" align="alignnone" width="600"] The House Finch was around for months.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4138" align="alignnone" width="600"] Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4139" align="alignnone" width="400"] Green & red chile ready to be roasted.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4132" align="alignnone" width="267"] Our Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham during a speech.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4134" align="alignnone" width="600"] A woman at the Rally for Reproductive Justice.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4133" align="alignnone" width="600"] Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez’s cowboy boots.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4171" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cindy starting a chant.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4137" align="alignnone" width="533"] Why did the driver of a construction company leave the “crime” scene without informing us?[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4159" align="alignnone" width="600"] But we came together and cleaned “our” road again.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4161" align="alignnone" width="600"] This is serious work for Vance.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4141" align="alignnone" width="600"] Those apples were as good as the ones in paradise.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4143" align="alignnone" width="400"] One apple to pick and one to taste :)[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4144" align="alignnone" width="600"] Carmella, Jane’s niece, making freshly squeezed apple juice.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4145" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cooked for hours and to perfection deep in the ground so delicious.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4164" align="alignnone" width="600"] A return to the early 1700s. Working water mill close to Santa Fe.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4158" align="alignnone" width="600"] Autumn golden color.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4163" align="alignnone" width="600"] Los Cerrillos, an old mining town.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4125" align="alignnone" width="400"] A hot chocolate with chile – so good.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4136" align="alignnone" width="533"] Just checking if everything is fine outside the gate.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4151" align="alignnone" width="600"] Chapel at El Rancho de las Golondrinas.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4166" align="alignnone" width="600"] An invitation for a hike.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4131" align="alignnone" width="600"] One of the many lakes hidden in the wilderness.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4157" align="alignnone" width="600"] Aspen forest.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4162" align="alignnone" width="600"] Enjoying the autumn colors with our neighbors Gretchen & Vance with a bottle of red wine and Swiss Gruyere Cheese (Emmi Chäs).[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4155" align="alignnone" width="600"] A young couple with grey hair :)[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4148" align="alignnone" width="600"] Moonset at sunset.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4129" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sometimes you have no idea what’s going on behind the horizon.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4149" align="alignnone" width="600"] Every evening is a new painting.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4150" align="alignnone" width="600"] Thank you for watching, until next time :)[/caption]
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