Christmas In Taos

On the night of December 23rd, I had to go out and run a quick errand. I happened to drive through the Plaza, in the center of Taos, and it was so beautiful with all the Christmas lights and decorations, and the frosting of snow that had fallen that night, that I had to take some photos.  First, here is a hotel I passed on the way to the Plaza:

And then photos taken on the Plaza:

 

 

 

 

I love the farolitos which are used as decorations here in New Mexico.  They are paper bags with a layer of sand in them, onto which a small votive candle is placed.  They are very beautiful, shining through the dark.

 

Then on my way home I wanted to take photos of the pretty display of lights around a courtyard entryway near where I live.  I parked at the end of my street, and walked about a half block.  Here were my footsteps in the snow, and the lights I found so pleasing:

 

 

And then I walked back to my car, and continued driving on up my street, where warmth and cats awaited me...

A New Cat In The Neighborhood

A couple of days ago I spotted a strange cat out in my yard.  My cats had also spotted him, surrounded him, actually.

                                                  

He did not seem all that concerned, though he kept down low in the the weeds and slowly backed away from  my Tobias and Henry who were growling at him.  He even took time to stick out his tongue at them!

Then he just kept moving further away from Tobias & Henry, towards my garage...  slowly, slowly, easy does it...

                                

 He paused for a while, perhaps thinking he was well camouflaged by the weeds, while peeking out at us from between them.

But then he decided he'd had enough, and tried to duck into my garage, not realizing that my Zebbie was already in there.  Zebbie was not at all amused by that move, and he expressed his displeasure at full volume!

So New Cat quickly trotted around the corner of the garage, and then with one last look over his shoulder he was gone.  I have not seen him since then.

With Dad, In The Past...

My oldest brother, Bev, was the family photographer for many years.  He has just begun going through hundreds of old negatives of family photos, scanning them in to digitalize the images. (Hooray for Bev!)

One of the first images he did, which he sent to me last night, was the one below, which shows me with my father.  I look to be around six years old, which means the photo would have been taken in 1961 or 1962.

Dad and I both have odd expressions on our faces, which makes me wonder just what was going on in that moment almost 50 years ago.

And here is a second photo, taken just before or after the one above. In this one both of us are looking down at the little pad of paper, or book, which my father is holding. Had I  drawn a picture for him? I don't actually remember being artistic as a child, but I like the idea.

Boo's Warm Belly

In the kitchen there is a wall heater, and there is a kitty basket in front of it.  This sleeping spot is very popular in the cold weather.  A couple of nights ago I noticed Boo in the basket, positioned so his belly was exposed to the heater.  It was very cute.  I especially liked the way his paws were arranged.

Gamma Crosses Over

My beloved Gamma, the oldest of my cats, has crossed over to the other side of the veil.  She had been sick for quite some time, but still seemed to be enjoying life, until just a few days ago.  I took her to the vet on Friday and she was given that final shot, given release.  Gams and I had been together for around 16 years, and she was a grand old kitty.  The name I originally gave her, all those years ago, when she first found me, was Blessing.  And she certainly was a blessing in my life.  I love you, Gams.

After Gamma left, the veterinary clinic I take all my pets to, Salazar Road Veterinary Clinic, in Taos, NM, sent me a condolence card, which you can see below.  Everyone who works there signed it.  How thoughtful, even though it did make me get all weepy in the post office.  If you are in the Taos area and need a vet, I can recommend the group over on Salazar Road.

Happy Brion New Gysin Year from 1976

As a new year begins, I find myself thinking of time, and I found this old card sent to me by Brion Gysin from across the ocean back in 1976.  I received it with great pleasure, a pleasure that still echoes today.  To wherever your spirit now wanders, Brion, I send thanks, from this future of our past...

Brion Gysin, on right, shown with his friend, 

author William Burroughs.

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Henry's Paw Pads

Henry is resting in the basket in the window on the north side of the kitchen.  I noticed he had all his paws stretched out together, and snapped this photo: