Taos Sky

We are in Taos. We began our drive Friday afternoon after the kids finished their horse camp. They loved their week at their camp and ended with a big award show for their week of jousting on horses with pool noodles.
We drove to Lubbock, listening all the way to the audiobook, Inkheart, which I recommend whole heartedly to everyone. We slept at a Home2 Suites and were surprised in the morning to run into some friends of ours from San Marcos at breakfast! It was a lovely surprise and we enjoyed their company for a bit before getting back on the road.
We drove into Las Vegas, NM and had lunch at our usual New Mexican restaurant. The whole town was very crowded and full of bikers. They must have been having some motorcycle rally.
We got to the Taos house around 3 on a gorgeously sunny afternoon and after unpacking and resting for a bit, we drove over to KTAOS for happy hour, mountain gazing, and play. I love that place so much.
On Sunday, we lazed about and then headed into town to Twirl, our favorite toy store, to let the kids spend their money and then play on the playground. I brought my book and sat in an Adirondack chair in the shade while they climbed through the tunnels above me and zoomed around me. Then we wandered into the plaza and found an excellent Thai street food cart where we procured a feast for lunch. Sated, we were able to make our way to the grocery store and fill our cart for the upcoming week.
Sunday afternoon, our family friend Tina arrived. I was sitting on the little front porch with my book and as soon as I heard her wheels crunching on the gravel of the driveway, I jumped up and ran to greet her. We spent our afternoon catching up and then decided that Tina should have the KTAOS afternoon experience as well. We enjoyed our happy hour there, but the rain threatened so we packed it up and headed into town for a fabulous dinner at Lamberts with beautiful food, wine and dessert!
Monday, I went for a long walk and then puttered around the house while Tina went to the Millicent Rogers Museum and the kids made stop animation videos, played outside and built paper airplanes. I made a nice pasta lunch and we all ate and regrouped when Tina came home. We relaxed and read and rested for the afternoon and Tina made us a splendid orange olive oil cake. Around three, we drove over to the Rio Grande gorge and walked out over the river. Taos is so green this summer! The sage is in bloom and the sky is huge and glorious and the clouds are puffy and white. In the afternoons the monsoons blow in to cool and quench us and it is an amazing sight to watch the rain in the distance pour down, but not quite touch the ground. This and more, we saw from the gorge and it was a beautiful sight. We drove Tina a bit further from the gorge and showed her the Earth ships and then drove back to the Taos Mesa Brewery for happy hour and early supper. The kids played booce and climbed around on the stage and made friends and we chatted and sipped (I had a lovely cider) and then ordered dinner. I played cornhole with the kids and then we drove home.
We go to bed early here. I love the quiet, peaceful evenings, with the light over the mountains changing by the moment.
Today the kids have cooking camp in a little house in Arroyo Seco. Tina and I will head to the Pueblo for a tour before the afternoon monsoons. This evening we will grill on our patio and listen to the willow trees shiver and rustle.
There are many things going on right now of which I can't speak.
Life is moving, and changes are happening every day. Expected changes and unexpected changes. Changes I embrace and changes I abhor. I am in the story of those changes, but they are not my stories so I can't tell them here. Maybe more later.