October was the month that Susan and I were going to spend in Paris, France. Everything was planned, but guess what, COVID-19!! So--- Susan dressed me up like a Frenchman and with the goodies her sister and brother-in-law sent us, took my pic to pretend we were there. Maybe next year?

November 30

We decided to get out of town for a couple of hours, so we drove to Madrid. We first drove through the Galisteo Basin Preserve on our way there then through the little town of Cerrillos and on to Madrid. We walked around Madrid some and only saw a couple of locals putting up Christmas lights. No tourists! Only Java Junction was open for window service. Everything else closed!

 

November 18

We drove to the Wildlife Refuge outside of Las Vegas, NM to eat our sandwiches. Yum! Very windy day! Didn't see many cars on the way there or back on Interstate-25. Covid-19 has reached new records in the state and all restaurants are closed to indoor dining at least until the end of the month. New Mexico is in a deep drought so the water in the ponds at the refuge was minimal. We did see a few ducks and an osprey flying with something in its mouth!

 

 

October 27

We got about 10in. of snow yesterday with an artic cold front. Snowed all day and night.

 

October 20

We went to town to drop off our ballots at the County Clerks Office. After dropping them off we walked around town to the plaza. It was the first time we saw the remains of the obelisk. Just a wooden box with a fence around it is all that is left! Tearing it down because of its racial meaning was quite an issue. Wonder what how it will be replaced? Hope with thoughts of peace!

October 15

Susan and I went to the Abiquiu area to have a picnic lunch and see the cottonwoods turning yellow. It seemed to be the peak of the season and we really enjoyed seeing the trees along the Rio Chama.

We stopped at a very popular scenic spot going up the incline in the highway on the way to Abiquiu Lake.

We ate our lunch beside the river at a little park outside of Abiquiu.

October 9

Today we went to Galisteo to eat our lunch and to see the yellow cottonwoods. The leaves are turning at their peak this month. We found a bench to sit on and eat beside the Galisteo Creek below the little bridge in the bosque. No one around and very nice weather!

 

October 1

Our luncheon drive to eat sandwiches today was up on the Santa Fe mountain to see the aspen turning from green to gold. There were a lot of people at Aspen Vista, but we ate in the car farther up the mountain at the lookout where there were very few cars.

 

September 24

We walked up Canyon Road this morning from the parking lot close to Paseo de Peralta to the Teahouse. Ate a couple of goodies outside on a bench and walked back. Saw a few people and most were wearing masks. Most of the galleries were closed and very few people on the street.

 

September 22 (Autumnal Equinox)

Susan and I began the fall with a 2 mile walk to La Tienda. We had breakfast at the new food truck that just opened yesterday. I had a chirizo green chile burrito and she had a bacon croissant.

On the way we identified the plants that were blooming by the side of the walking path from the Senior Center to La Tienda. Many of the spring blooming plants have a second bloom in the fall.