Old Man's Rambling Remembrances #30

Someone I know is spending several weeks before and after the solstice in the mountains near Las Vegas, NM. I am so envious! Northern New Mexico is where I live, no matter where I may be. Although our regular visits have slowed down somewhat, I coninue to have my memories.


TAOS WEATHER SNOW JOKE
5/9/99

My wife always goes prepared. A week’s trip usually requires packing for all contingencies for at least 11 days.

There are two passes which lead directly into Taos across the Sangre de Cristo Range. You may approach by the river road from Santa Fe, but the shortest way is to go in through one of the passes from Las Vegas (New Mexico). As we approached the village of Mora north of Las Vegas, the wife made a call to Donna, to let her know the correct phone number where we might be reached.

“Would you believe”, she said to Paul, who had answered the phone, “that we can see fresh snow? Just a few patches, but it’s fresh snow!” I turned right at Mora toward the slightly longer route, because I wanted to explore the road up to Angel Fire. I had recently recommended that road to my sister, but had never been on it myself. Within ten minutes, we were surrounded by vistas of solid white, with a “Central Texas style BLIZZARD” (a light snowfall anywhere else) which limited visibility to about one-third of a mile. “It’ll be gone by the time we get to Taos,” was my analysis.

When we arrived, however, there was still a light snow falling. My sweet wife almost wailed “I didn’t pack for snow in May!”. I have no idea why she was so concerned. We were in Taos, for goodness sake! We had jackets, you have to have jackets in northern New Mexico, whatever the season, but she was afraid she wouldn’t be “fashionable”.

In Taos she could have gotten away with wrapping the bedspread around her and stepping out
into the town. In the little city of mud, almost anything goes, although we we've never noticed complete nudity.

By Thursday, the “style” had evolved from serapes, jeans and boots to shorts and sandals, and I
noticed that, although she did not wear any of those things, she looked perfectly fine! In Taos, people know how to live.



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