So, who out there wants to hear more about our unpacking?! Hardly anyone? Thought so. As gripping plot lines going, "tedious unpacking" has never been a hit genre.
On the other hand, nature put on a pretty good show at sundown on Friday. Granted, even less-interesting sunsets are usually pretty good here. But for most of the week, sundown had been marked by mostly cloudless skies and haze drifting in from the wildfires that have been burning in the southwestern part of the state, a couple of hundred miles away.
Friday night was different. Winds blew in from a northerly direction, bringing in clouds and clearing out the haze. We watched as the sun got lower and lower:
A little after 8PM, the sun dipped below the peaks of the Jemez Mountains:
And all the clouds looking to our north decided to put on a little show:
Sundown in Santa Fe seems to take on a special significance of its own.The pace of activities slows up, be it work, being out and about, or just sitting, reading and talking with others. People gravitate to their windows or portals to watch the sun set. The intense glare of the sun dissipates, and the air temperature changes quickly as we move from direct sunlight into shadow. You feel it on your skin. The connections are palpable.
The crisp edge of the Jemez Mountains, maybe 20-30 miles off, provides a fixed point, letting us see in real time the narrowing gap between sun and horizon, reminding us of the spinning of the earth underlying it all. Behind us, a nearly-full moon is rising, waiting for its turn at center stage.
Soon, too soon perhaps, the show is over, night begins, and we return to what we were doing before. Beats unpacking any day!
Dan & Robbyne
