Santa Fe and its Opera: Grand

        Before you point your nose in the direction of New Mexico to travel to Santa Fe, do buy Barbara Harrelson's book,  Walks In Literary Sante Fe: A Guide to Landmarks, Legends and Lore. Harrelson makes sure that you do not have to scrounge for literature, as I did, about the grand town of Santa Fe. With only a few hours available to walk around in Santa Fe, the city provided a packed time and interesting subject matter for art enthusiasts and photographers. In addition to the remarkable culture, the weather seemed remarkable. In one direction we viewed lightning, and in another we spotted rainbows. Santa Fe seemed to me well-worth the altitude sickness for this Panhandle Plains gnome.

View outside my hotel window at El Dorado. 

Northwest corner of the plaza in downtown Santa Fe.

Visitors outside the Sage Creek Gallery.

Ken Rowe's work astonished me with its presence.

       Look through a shop's doors or windows in Santa Fe and one could encounter strong artistic renditions, such as Ed Natiya's sculpture pictured above.

 

Zuber Gallery.

We chatted with some of the artists. 

Gogy Farias sculpted the image of the Lady of Guadalupe for display at the sanctuary.

       Oh, I neglected to see who sculpted the above rendition of Saint Francis (my hero) standing before the Basilica of Saint Francis. 

       Inside and outside the buildings of Santa Fe, one can appreciate art. Here, the staircase of the Chapel of Loretto. My wager, were I a betting person, would pit all photographs taken of the staircase against any future architectural photographs by FEK. Frances, put this one on your bucket list, please.

       Gabriel stands outside the Analco House -- the oldest house in Santa Fe -- built to shelter the fellows who built the Church of San Miguel across the street. 

The Church of San Miguel has many details that make it a good stop when you visit Santa Fe. 

       Opening the season of the opera in Santa Fe calls for champagne. We attended a tailgate party hosted by our newest friends, Lauren and Walter. 

       Somehow the ominous clouds delayed their performance to provide special effects during the last scene of Madame Butterfly. As Butterfly learned of her betrayal, thunder shot across the north of the city, and rain poured sideways, drenching opera fans sitting underneath the roof of the Crosby Theatre. 

Clouds and a setting sun behind the Jemez mountains in the distance, and white pansies in the foreground at the entrance of the Crosby Theatre.

The amazing Crosby Theatre has no walls. Only until recently it had no roof. 

Experienced opera-goers bring umbrellas with them.

       Are those clouds in the sky in the background the stage producer's painting? No! Sitting in your seat at the Crosby Theatre you can see through the stage to the New Mexican horizon, stormy clouds and all. 

      Kelly Kaduce and the other artists who performed in Madame Butterfly stand, drenched by the sideways rain, before a long ovation. Flawless, perfect, and spirited performances by great artists bring tears to my eyes. The opening evening, with its great performance, seemed all the more memorable with the lightning, thunder, and rain blowing side-ways onto the people, the artists on the stage, and the orchestra. 

      After the performance finished at mid-night, the rain still poured by the bucket-full. I had the opportunity to capture the image above of ladies coming out of the ladies room at the Crosby Theatre. 

Ronda: Ghost Town and Haunted Cemetery

         I have recently discovered, thanks to Gabriel, the concept of "ghost towns." I live in North Texas where the oil boom made and broke towns. I am surrounded by ghost towns. How can I resist not going to see them through the lens of my camera? I cannot resist documenting their current state. Ronda has disappeared except for its cemetery and a sign or two welded onto wrought iron gates. 

Grave from 1898.

A row of gravestones along a wheat field. As recently as 2009, the cemetery serves as a last resting place.

In the same field, I found two outhouses.

A roof once served the community. 

Archer County Historical Museum

            If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop on by the Archer County Historical Museum. If you find the door closed, dial up the numbers on the note pictured above to ask if someone might be available to open it for you. That's Jack Lofton amazing Gabriel with his encyclopedic mind. I show, too, pictures of a printing press and a pulling machine (in HDR), plus the historical marker, and the facade of the old jailhouse now museum. The old jailhouse seems to burst at the seams with its permanent exhibit of . . . stuff . . .  lots of stuff . . . indoors and outdoors. 

Clouds Over an Oklahoma Prairie

           

                           

Luscombe

          Wichita Falls, a city rich in aviation history, has several airports within a ten-mile radius, including the runways of Sheppard Air Force Base. Only four miles or so away from the runways at the base sits Wichita Valley Airport, home base of some of the most classic aircraft ever developed. Here I show a 1946 Luscombe flown by Mr. McMurray. Today, Mr. McMurray gave Gabriel a lesson in aircraft operation. What a great aircraft for someone's first flight! (And look at that background! Thanks, Weather Goddess, for taking the rain to fall in the distance and not on the plane, embellishing this image.)

Where's Ben?

         The storms this afternoon looked marvelous -- as long as they remained distant. We wondered about Storm Chasing Ben. They did not look threatening enough to send him chasing them to capture awesome images, but he's probably out there anyway.

Bisous

           Bisous appeared and disappeared as in a flash today. She hides when we have guests, but today she came into the kitchen while Gabriel played the guitar in the living room. Once he stopped, she quirked her ears in his direction, heard him pit-patting down the hall in his socked feet, and slinked away, cat-like.

Sailing the Starfish

Putting in.

Adjusting the lines.

Sailing.

Returning.

Working Early

The great thing about rising early -- in addition to coffee or tea -- is the sunrise! 

This image shows Gabriel pounding a T post into the ground. 

JoAnn's Book Now on Sale

       The book, Emil Hermann, His Life and Art, written by JoAnn Crites, is available for purchase at the Museum of North Texas History, 720 Indiana Avenue, Wichita Falls Texas, 76301, or by phone (940)322-7628. Proceeds of the sale of this book go to the museum and the Wichita Falls Literature and Art Review. Interestingly, after the book was published, and during the advertising period, several people contacted JoAnn and the museum to say they owned paintings by Emil.

Cisterns in Istanbul

Tractors: Air and Farm

This is the nose of an Air Tractor, a machine to dispense chemicals over crops.

         And here is another kind of tractor. Dave was returning from mowing at the Humane Society's Cleaning Up Day. He insists that I cease taking pictures of him -- as if I could refrain with picturesque images like this one -- because he is Amish and is not allowed to have his picture taken. 

Thornberry Peach Festival

The experience seems good year after year with the sandwiches, the peaches, the cobbler, and the ice cream. Especially, so seems the music good at the Peach Festival every year in Thornberry. The Red River Valley Boys (plus drummer girl) delighted the spectators with their charm and well-played music.

Readying Reading: Santa Fe

          One of many fave towns, Santa Fe, seems a refreshing literary journey for a gallivanting ranching gnome. To embellish my visit there, I've procured the following book as part of a growing list of readings: Death Comes to the Archbishop, by Willa Cather. I can imagine vividly my dear friend and professor, Jeff Campbell, thrusting the book in my direction, adamantly wishing to share Cather's work with me. Next on the list: Walks in Literary Santa Fe: A Guide to Landmarks, Legends, and Lore by Barbara Harrelson; Literary Pilgrims: The Santa Fe and Taos Writers' Colonies, 1917-1950.
          We will visit the opera, too, while in Santa Fe. One of the best operas in the country -- the world -- we will enjoy listening to and watching Madame Butterfly.

Dundee

Another ghost town.

You might see the image of this school frequently online, or the side wall of the old store along Hwy 82, and you might even see the image of the Methodist Church . . .

. . . but you might not see from the inside of the church the stained glass windows, their art rendered modestly, as one might feel upon entering through its door.

Two Ways to Move a Helicopter

You might feel surprised by how maneuverable a grounded helicopter may seem. Some, such as Tommy's have removable wheels on each skid.

Once you accept Randy's offer to help you push the helicopter out of the hangar, you can remove the wheels, as shown below.

OR . . . you can land the helicopter, nimbly, masterfully, on a wheeled pad, a picture of which I show above, then pull it into the hangar with the truck. 

This pad needs a repaired wheel. 

I noted these old chalks on the moveable heli pad. Not needed here, except to make an interesting photograph.