A Walk in the Arroyo

Part of M+D's daily housesitting routine is a morning walk with Audrey — and often the cat — in the arroyo near J+J's place. We joined them this morning.

Audrey's custom is to run on ahead, disappearing for stretches of time, reappearing to check on her walking companions every so often. The cat just kind of walks behind or alongside; apparently, she often just lays down and needs to be carried back.

 

The two often just behave like siblings fighting for attention. Their usual state is simply ignoring each other, though.



The sun was warming, but it was still early enough to be cool, especially in the frequent shady spots. Out about an hour, a leisurely walk. The cat, when threatened with me carrying her, got home under her own power. Audrey, so excited at the beginning, was dragging a bit by the time we got to the house.

Into the car and off to Tesuque Village Market for a late breakfast. We'd long heard about this place, and M+D actually sought it out last weekend. Surprisingly, not very crowded, but a good place to linger over a big, New Mexican breakfast.

Headed back to J+J's and hung out outside; D shared the some of research he's been doing on our neighborhood in Wethersfield. One of the main things he's been relying on is a planning document, ca. 1928, which took a look at the ways Wethersfield could (and should) manage a transition from a farming town to a bedroom community.



The ordinary, suburban environment is so taken for granted these days, it's interesting to find out what came before, how things got to be the way they are, how people and groups wound up where they did. It's really recent history, but so much is lost and/or overlooked.

Monica got to work turning the discarded sardine container found on the morning's walk into a little retablo for St. Christopher.



It'll get left at the house for J+J to keep or add to the shrine that passersby seem to be creating in the arroyo.

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For the first time since moving out here, there was not the usual Halloween party. We stayed in last night, better prepared than last year. Probably 15-20 groups of kids from just before 6:00 until about 8:30; by and large, very polite.