First Snow

Although the higher surrounding peaks have had snow for a while, the first snow here on the mesa occurred on October 7-8.  We didn't get more than a few inches here, but Taos Ski Valley (TSV) received about 2'.  The snow was so wet and heavy that it took out a lot of trees with leaves still on them and created a massive power outage.  I learned an interesting lesson regarding the need for electricity when you're on a well system and now have jugs of water stashed for future outages.  Here are some pictures from here on the mesa.  The Rio Grande Valley was absolutely spectacular and, of course, Scout was in heaven!   (BTW, snow and colder temperatures seem not to have affected the tarantula migration.)

View across the Rio Grande Valley.





My First Tarantula Encounter

So, this morning while on our walk, Scout and I encountered our first tarantula.

This was actually a small tarantula, perhaps just 3" across from toe to toe.  (Do tarantulas have toes?)  Later, we saw a second small one which walked within 2' of my foot.  They're actually quite graceful, but I don't think I'd want to get any closer than those 2'.  Scout was quite intrigued but obeyed a "leave it" command like the intelligent dog he is.

So far, none in the house but certainly a plethora of various other spiders and bugs.  Yuck.

A New "Invasion"

This morning, my landlord announced that it is the time of year for tarantulas to seek warm places for the winter and to keep an eye out for them in and around the house.  He also demonstrated with his fist the size of the creatures.  Well, this is the first time I had heard that there were tarantulas this far north and this high up.  I am not a happy camper....actually, I'm totally freaked out about this new development!  I haven't seen one yet, but the season is young and the dental assistant I saw today gleefully told me about running over "lots" of them on the road betwen Taos and Tres Piedras. 

Wish someone had warned me...... 

Scout Update

Scout has had some difficulty getting used to NM--there's no grass, for one thing--but I think he's beginning to settle in with the help of some stress-relieving tablets and spending a lot of time with me.  Also his paws are beginning to adjust to the rocky ground. 




Scout in the "yard" outside my casita.

I try to get him out for at least a two-mile walk every morning, at which time he meets up with about seven neighborhood dogs.  However, his real joy continues to be spending time in streams.  Here are some pictures of him and his new BFF (best friend forever) Tula in the stream below Tula's house.

Let me at that stick!

Oh no!  Tula has my stick!

Tula can have the stick.  I'm going to dry off.

Views from My Place

There isn't a day that goes by but that I'm sitting outside, looking at the expansive view across the Rio Grande Gorge, which is probably one reason it has taken me so long to unpack.  Here are some examples of what I see.

Dust devils (think mini-water spouts but composed of dirt).

Every morning, at least two (sometimes four) hot air balloons lift off the valley floor.

One of many drop-dead gorgeous sunsets I've seen.

Another Road Trip

My mother's sister, Evalyn, turned 100 on September 1st, so many of her extended family attended a birthday celebration in her honor in Pueblo, CO, which is about three hours from Arroyo Hondo.  On the way back, I passed through wild horse country in southern CO and snapped the following pictures of two different herds.  (Yes, those are wild horses on open range!)  Note that there are some foals, too.

Road Trips

 One of my friends and I made a trip to Silverton, CO, (a funky old mining town with some original buildings) to see the sights and also to visit his son.  Below are pics of some of the killer scenery we saw along the way.  Sorry, I don't remember the names of the mountains.

One thing for sure, for a girl who's been used to driving the flat land of New England for the past 30+ years, real mountain driving was a very interesting experience!

Northern NM.

Coming down from the pass in the previous picture.

Just outside of Silverton.

In CO.

Still in CO.

Back in NM.