2023 Chimayo

Monday, April 3, 2023

After spending a long weekend in Colorado with sister Julie and brother-in-law (former) Paul and his new bride Peggy, Yvonne and John drove up to Boulder in the April sun, dropped their bags at Alan's house and went for a walk. Monday evening the Chimayo pilgrims met at Ann and Dave's house for potluck. Dave described his back pain problems and all lamented Ann and Dave not being able to go to Chimayo this year. We talked about who we would each walk for (Dave, for sure), sang some UU/Chimayo songs, opined about the sorry state of the world, reported on kids and grands, and reflected on the changes in the world and our lives over the last 30 years.

Tuesday, April 4

Snow on the ground and more coming. And very cold. Dean decided that he couldn't risk driving to New Mexico so he and Barb wouldn't be coming. Oh no! What to do? Yvonne and John would ride with Alan and Sally and we'd use FaceTime and texting photos to stay connected between Boulder and Taos/Chimayo. Six of us had dinner at Carelli's and so could do some of the talking we had expected to do in New Mexico.

Wednesday, April 5

Zooming down I-25, the sun came out and the snow disappeared, and by noon we had turned off the highway at Walsenberg and stopped for lunch at George's Drive In, always a favorite. The town was quiet but still in business and snow dusted the Spanish Peaks. Over La Vita pass talking about "Cheap Land Colorado" (Conover), the San Luis Valley and  Mormons. In San Luis, Alan took us on a tour of San Luis, where he taught and lived for a year, now all changed, and we talked about Emma and her El Patio Inn (now closed). Near Taos we turned west to visit the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and walked out and looked down at the river 650 feet below. Whew!

After checking in at the Sagebrush Inn, we drove back north past the Taos Plaza and stood in line at Orlando's waiting to be admitted for dinner. It was good - but we so missed Ann & Dave and Barb & Dean. Sigh. Yvonne had been reading "The Taos Truth Game"  (Ganz) so we talked about Mabel Dodge Luhan and what she did for Taos. Then a visit to the Mabel Dodge Luhan house, where we would have stayed if it hadn't been fully booked.  The plan was to look at the common areas, including the breakfast room we've so often enjoyed, but no, a sign explained the house was closed because of a retreat. The bar at the Taos Inn, where in the past we enjoyed live music over drinks,  was closed so we returned to the Sagebrush Inn and listened to singer/songwriter Jess Wayne and talked about Thursday.

Thursday, April 6

At breakfast at the Sagebrush Inn we talked about the special role Native Americans play in reminding us about sacred places, time, ritual, social structure, and animal spirits, all what we need more of as humanity destroys the planet - but they struggle for acceptance and success - trying to live in two worlds. On their way to Taos Pueblo, Alan and Sally dropped Yvonne and John near the Plaza, where they browsed op. cit. booktore before walking to the 100 year-old UNM Harwood Museum of Art, featuring "Outriders: Legacy of the Black Cowboy," old photographs and contemporary art. We also saw Mabel Dodge Luhan "santos" donations and paintings by friends such as Frida Lawrence,  Dorothy Brett, and Herbert Dunton. We all met for lunch at Bent Street Grill. 

Alan and Sally reported an excellent tour of the Taos Pueblo guided by a young Pueblo woman UNM nursing student who was an example of someone successfully bridging the two cultures. On to Ranchos de Taos, San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, and then the High Road through Truchas to Chimayo and the Hacienda. Viola greeted us warmly, reported that business was improving and that son Norman was "Ok." Cocktails and food at the Rancho - but Ann & Dave and Barb & Dean weren't there and we sorely missed them. Sigh. What to do? Facetime with each couple. That helped. Our  waiter in the bar was Zac, a friendly young engineer helping out Florence and who has run the pilgrimage in the past. Back in Uno we talked about past walks and why we were there.

Friday, April 7

Breakfast in Uno and talk about whether Good Friday was really good though it had to be if Christian theology was to make sense. Driving out to Nambe, we parked, formed our circle, confessed our goals, sang and Sally, Yvonne, and John set off, with Alan moving his car about a mile ahead on the road. Sunny, cool, beautiful. Walkers shouldering crosses, parents with children in strollers, girls in small groups, boys in small groups, old women, old men, low riders, deputies on horse back, motorcycles, fancy trucks, canopies covering tables (holding water bottles, oranges, glazed donut holes, powdered sugar donuts, soft drinks, bags of Fritos, bandaids), porta potties, dad and kids bagging trash. We stopped three times to trade off moving the car before arriving at the cross on the hill, where we could sit in the shade of a Utah juniper and FaceTime with our Boulder contingent. That was good. 

Alan and Sally left in the car to drive back to the Hacienda via the circle route so as to avoid the two mile backup from Chimayo to the "T" and Yvonne and John grided their loins to continue the walk mostly downhill to the Santuario. John was beginning to tip to the left but they made it to the plaza and found Elizabeth at El Potrero Trading Post. Sally and Alan walked over from the Hacienda and Yvonne and John returned there to take showers and rest. Kay was in Ohio but we talked to her friend Victoria who said she used our "Chimayo at 25" book we'd given to Viola to explain the Chimayo experience to others. A full house for dinner at the Rancho and we said hello to Florence.

Saturday, April 8

Breakfast at the Rancho and we talked to two thirty-something husbands/fathers who had just arrived after walking all night from Santa Fe (25 miles). They were very tired and hungry. Why such a hard road?  Wives and kids at home so this way didn't much impact their families. But why walk? To build their faith.  Florence comped our meal and on the way out we talked to her briefly. We thanked her and she pointed  out maybe this was our 31st walk (but we had missed one because of covid). Florence had lost some weight and I thought looked good. The Rancho was for sale, sort of, but no acceptable buyer had come forward.  

We spent an hour in the sunshine at the Santurario and some time inside reflecting. Then Yvonne filled a container Ann had given her with sacred dirt and gave it to Sally to return to Ann. Ann had also given Sally a painted rock to leave at the Santuario so Sally searched and searched for the perfect spot and finally found it. Yvonne documented the placement. See photo below. I felt so good and happy and at peace I didn't want to leave. But.... In Santa Fe, Alan and Sally dropped us at the Rail Runner station for our trip to Aluquerque and our flight back to SeaTac, where Jeni would pick us up. While I sat in the sun and guarded our belongings, Yvonne found pizza and brought it back for lunch. Everything was fine. JA