This September I returned to New Mexico, and I spent part of my trip in Santa Fe during the Festiva de Santa Fe. I arrived in town late on September 5th, just in time to take in the full celebration.The festival kicks off with the burning of a giant puppet named Zozobra, or ‘Old Man Gloom’. People gather in the late afternoon and write down their ‘gloom’ on pieces of paper, (bad thoughts, things they want to be rid of, etc), and drop them in a box. Later these papers are collected and tossed inside Zozobra. A celebration follows and includes members of the community dressed in historic and traditional costume, various bands, and dancers. At the end of the evening, the party reaches a crescendo when fire dancers light torches and begin a ceremony to destroy the gloom. Finally Zozobra bursts into flames as he sways and gestures in front of a sky blazing full of fireworks. It is quite a spectacular event. I loved being a part of Santa Fe’s community that night; a crowd of festive, happy faces. Here are some photos of Zozobra…. Following the burning of Zozobra is a busy festival lasting three full days. Two of my favorite events were the traditional dancing and music, ongoing downtown throughout the festival, and the children’s pet parade. I also enjoyed the food booths set up around the center of town. Santa Fe really came to life at night with all of the colorful lights, the smells of different fair foods and the sounds of traditional and contemporary music. It was a great time. The children’s pet parade, or “Desfiles de los Ninos”, is an annual event. However, this was my first Festiva, and this parade has to be the most hysterical costume party I have ever seen. Probably the biggest laughs of my life happened at the children’s pet parade this year. Imagine an hour of pets ranging from chickens and rabbits to dogs, cats and goats….all dressed in costumes! Some kids matched their costumes to their pets and many built theme floats to ride on or drag behind them. Some groups dressed like their pets and some went their own way, but all marched with the bands and dancers down town for the better part of a morning. My only regret is that Oli had to miss it. He would have loved the chaos. After leaving Santa Fe, I headed to Abiquiu and spent a few days hiking at Ghost Ranch…. I returned to some of my favorite trails, including Chimney Rock, and tried out some new places too. My favorite this year had to be the hike to Kitchen Mesa, closely followed by a shorter hike to Box Canyon. This year’s rain in New Mexico has contributed to some of the most beautiful late season wild flowers I have ever seen. The canyons are literally awash in blue aster petals. What a truly amazing trip. Thank you to the wonderful people at Abiquiu Inn for a lovely stay, and special thanks to Louis the gardener, who made me feel most welcome on his earth.And once again, thank you to my friends Maria and Stephen for their hospitality in Albuquerque and for their fantastic guidence in and around the city. Thank you for leading me to such visual, culinary and artistic delights. It is nice to have a home away from home with good friends.

Short Trip to New Mexico….Visited Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Chimayo. Lots of changes in Albuquerque!Friends Maria and Stephen were my fantastic hosts in Albuquerque, and although the visit was far too short…it was a great time. I know I can not be away for long. Thank you both for a wonderful stay. The drive to Chimayo was every bit as beautiful as I remembered, and the dinner at Rancho de Chimayo was even better. Leaving New Mexico is always hard for me, but I know I will be back in a couple of months to spend more time in the mountains.