An Inspired Cook

Welcome to New Mexico!  We are now officially back in the Land of Enchantment.  We packed up our belongings in Kansas and moved back to NM in May.  It took a few weeks to find the perfect home but are now settled into a beautiful pueblo style home on the West side of Albuquerque.  On any given morning we are blessed with hot air balloons to greet us, sometimes they are so close we can almost touch them.  Joe and I have gone to several farmer’s markets around the city, artist and craft fairs in Santa Fe and a memorable day with my sister Kat at the Vintage Market days where many things from the past were re-purposed into something new. This past weekend we enjoyed a day trip to the Purple Adobe Lavender Festival in Abiquiu, NM.  Afterwards we ventured a little further up the road to Ghost Ranch where Georgia O’Keeffe made her home and painted so many beautiful landscapes.  The area around Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch is referred to as Georgia O’Keeffe Country.  The land is rugged and full of color.  I can see the inspiration behind her beautifully painted landscapes.  We had the most gorgeous day.  The skies were a beautiful blue with massive clouds in the horizon.  As we drove home the skies turned an even darker blue and rained over the mountains.  It followed us home and shortly after we arrived the skies opened up and poured.  It was a day I will always remember.  It feels good to be home!

The Purple Adobe Lavender Farm Festival is the 2nd weekend in July.  This years was the 9th annual event and our 1st.

One of the events was picking your own bundles of lavender.  I saw many folks with baskets and scissors picking their lavender one piece at a time until they had a bundle that was tied with string or a ribbon.  We didn’t pick any on this day.  It was just perfect to be there walking through the lavender field with the most fragrant smell in the air.

There is a Lavender Tea House that is open year round.  They serve lavender teas, lemonade and  gelato. Also on the menu is lavender scones and chocolates.

One patch had dark and light lavender colors.

I bent down to smell the lavender when this bumblebee buzzed by.

He was very busy in his task but didn’t mind at all that I took his picture.

A labyrinth maze was set up in the middle of one field.

There were mature cottonwood trees for shade.

Just amazing!

Just down the road from the lavender farm were these beautiful horses grazing.

There isn’t much in Abiquiu to see except the Abiquiu Inn and restaurant and the O’Keeffe Welcome Center. Tickets can be purchased to tour Georgia O’Keeffe’s home at the Welcome Center.

Heading onward to Ghost Ranch, you can see the changing landscape.  Here are a few pics that I took along the way.

As we visited Ghost Ranch we saw magnificent colors no matter which way you look.  I tried to get the NM sky in each photo as it was a most unusual day with bright blue skies and white clouds in one direction and darker blue skies with dark brooding clouds in the other.

The valley with rain clouds in the distance.

What a beautiful tree!

This is Cerro Pedernal, spanish for Flint Hill. The mesa lies on the north side of the Jemez Mountains, south of Abiquiu Lake.  I found this so interesting because we always drive through the Flint Hills in Kansas when we go back and forth.  The Flint Hills in Kansas are rolling hills dotted with grazing cattle, it’s one of the most beautiful places in Kansas.  The shape of the mesa also reminds me a bit of Tucumcari Mountain in the distance.

As we got closer the clouds are starting to darken.

This is Abiquiu Lake.  The view is from Ghost Ranch.

As we begin our drive from Abiquiu to Santa Fe the skies open up over the mountains.

Here the clouds have completely shadowed out the mountains and the color has changed to an almost pinkish purple hue.

Back safely at home looking our my back yard.  Normally you would be able to see the Sandia’s from this view but today it’s almost invisible with the rainstorm.  I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of New Mexico through my photos.  The next set of photos are from my back yard, I have to say I have some incredible views.

One of our first days in our new home this balloon flew very close by.  It was if to say Welcome Home with that big Zia sign.

Evening looking out at the Sandia’s.

This balloon flew over on July 4th with an American Flag on the side.

A hazy morning filled with balloons.

The city lights of Albuquerque twinkle through my window every evening.

Magnificent skies!

Hiking near the Sandia Mountains.

One of the flowering bushes in my yard.

And I’ll end with some Purple Sage.  Just one of the many colors of New Mexico!