Small towns are great in many ways, even our town of Taos. But even those characteristics we like about small towns can be an irritation at times.
For example, we know just about everyone in town. Wal-Mart, the post office and the grocery store become social centers. Yes, it's nice to see everyone and visit, but there are times when I've only got five minutes to dash in and pick up a gallon of milk. Basically, I need to plan on at least a half an hour just to run in and grab a gallon of milk.
We also know all our town officials, legislators, and school board. Because not many people show up at the polls for these elections, usually the person with the largest family is usually voted into office. Thus probably the reason we have at least two undesireable school board members.
I have been trying for a few weeks now to get placed in a school to do my field observation for one of my classes at college. I'm in the ALP (alternative licensure program) to get my teaching credential. I am required to do so many hours of observation in a classroom, plus so many hours of teaching. Well, there are rules to follow to get placed in a classroom. I have followed all the rules, but my timing is now the problem. The school board and the district are now fighting like cats and dogs.
We have a new superintendent. She came on last year and was welcomed heartily by our town with a big welcoming party. When I met her I was thrilled but also wary of how long her welcoming reception would last here. She's Cherokee and Chocktaw. Our town is predominantly Hispanic, which means it's strongly patriarchal and the Hispanic (men, especially) will probably only treat her as a figurehead. In other words, do what they say, don't implement your own ideas.
So she's got two things against her right off the bat: she's a woman, and she's not Hispanic. Not being Hispanic means she will not cater to only Hispanic ideas. Being Native American, she will probably include and keep in mind our Pueblo people even more when planning and implementing new ideas and tactics.
Apparently, not long after she took her position, she was starting to be harassed by a couple of our board members -- I'm assuming because they were already butting heads over things. I didn't hear about this until a few weeks ago when an emergency "meeting" was called and everything came to light.
Two board members have been accused of 37 counts of harassment and racism toward our superintendent. At the emergency meeting, she was going to resign, but decided not to. As of last Monday, she is now on "administrative leave".
How this affects me is that it sets me back on my school assignments. I have not been able to get approval to do my field work. My paperwork is sitting in the district office with all of this chaos going on. The focus is on our superintendent and board, and obviously not on getting the daily work done.
This morning I called the principal of the school where I'm to be placed, and she is going to walk duplicate paperwork over to district to see if she can get the ball rolling. But it's a mess over there, and she's not sure what she'll find, either.
So I'm sitting here waiting and am not happy. When the town is squabbling, things just don't get done until the fight is over. *sigh*
Showing posts with label Dailies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dailies. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Voting Day...
It's voting day... and we have about a foot of snow on the ground! It has been snowing steadily for the past 2 days now, and it's still snowing this morning. I stocked up on food and supplies yesterday in case we wouldn't be able to get out today. Good thing! But, I still have to get out somehow to vote! And with the schools closed today, they won't be plowing our road for the school buses, so will have to maneuver in the snow. :(
Jake and Derek are sick. Well, Jake looks like he feels better today. But Derek woke up in the middle of the night crying with a stiff shoulder. Couldn't find any Tylenol, of course. I finally found it this morning, but I've had my usual headache myself so my brain is gone, and just couldn't think in the dark with my head throbbing. ::sigh:: Poor Derek! I'm certainly not the best of Moms when I've got my own headache...
Derek was getting sick Saturday. We were at a chess tournament, and in the third round, he came out looking pale and saying he felt like throwing up, so didn't play well because he couldn't think. Fortunately, there was a grocery store around the corner, so I drove over there and got some Pepto Bismol chewables for him. It seemed to do the trick, as he whizzed through the remainder of the rounds and took second. Too bad he didn't feel better for that one round, as he probably would have beaten that kid, too, and taken first.
And then on Sunday was hockey. And he played like he didn't feel well, but when I asked him how he felt, he angrily retorted, "I'M FINE!" Okay, yeah, fine. Sheesh. Stupid me; hockey players are ALWAYS Just Fine, aren't they?? Butt out, Mom.
So yesterday Derek and Jake spent in bed watching videos instead of playing out in the snow. And it looks like Derek will be in bed again today. And Jake is already talking about going out to the property and driving around to see if anyone needs to be pulled out. ::sigh:: He always worries me...
Jake and Derek are sick. Well, Jake looks like he feels better today. But Derek woke up in the middle of the night crying with a stiff shoulder. Couldn't find any Tylenol, of course. I finally found it this morning, but I've had my usual headache myself so my brain is gone, and just couldn't think in the dark with my head throbbing. ::sigh:: Poor Derek! I'm certainly not the best of Moms when I've got my own headache...
Derek was getting sick Saturday. We were at a chess tournament, and in the third round, he came out looking pale and saying he felt like throwing up, so didn't play well because he couldn't think. Fortunately, there was a grocery store around the corner, so I drove over there and got some Pepto Bismol chewables for him. It seemed to do the trick, as he whizzed through the remainder of the rounds and took second. Too bad he didn't feel better for that one round, as he probably would have beaten that kid, too, and taken first.
And then on Sunday was hockey. And he played like he didn't feel well, but when I asked him how he felt, he angrily retorted, "I'M FINE!" Okay, yeah, fine. Sheesh. Stupid me; hockey players are ALWAYS Just Fine, aren't they?? Butt out, Mom.
So yesterday Derek and Jake spent in bed watching videos instead of playing out in the snow. And it looks like Derek will be in bed again today. And Jake is already talking about going out to the property and driving around to see if anyone needs to be pulled out. ::sigh:: He always worries me...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Fall Is Here!
Well, here it is Fall already! I can feel it in the air, and some of the trees have started turning. I just love this time of year! That crispness in the air and driving along the roads with flame-colored leaves parting as I drive gives me back that awe that I had when I first moved here and now take for granted.
Along with Fall comes school again. Well, we actually started August 1. "Start" to me means we start whole lessons in math. During the summer we did 2 or 3 division problems a couple of times a week because he didn't get the concept. And he was always writing almost every day in his "personal" journal, and, of course, I made him read daily. And, of course, "daily" is another of those words that is relative. :)
We did a lot of traveling again this summer. We stayed at my mom's house in California and from there traveled up and down the coast. We camped on the beaches, went to the San Diego Zoo, saw San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf and rode the cable cars. We also saw the Monterey Aquarium (awesome! I highly recommend it!!) and on the way back down saw sea lions and otter in the kelp off the beaches. In all of this Derek learned a lot, of course. It seems simplistic, but it's travel like this that put him ahead in history, geography and science when he was in public school.
Derek now knows how to swim pretty well and is a beginning diver! Hooray! He learned to surf the waves on a boogie board, too. Being raised in California where it seems EVERYbody knows how to swim, I was a little concerned that Derek wasn't a swimmer. Swimming is not an "extra" to maybe learn; it's a REQUIREMENT in my humble opinion!
So now we've started school. Compared to last year, I am much more calm and sure of myself. When we first started we both were questioning whether Derek was learning anything -- or "enough". I guess it's all the busywork that makes one feel the kids are getting lots of learning. In our home school, we don't do "busywork" or even worksheets. Well, worksheets for math every now and then to help with a concept. But other than that, no busywork.
I use the Robinson Curriculum, but with history being taught in the Classical method -- which means history is taught chronologically. And history is basically taught through reading. Derek reads from a book on the book list for 2 hours every day, writes one page in cursive, and does one lesson in math. I have added to his writing this year by having him do a lesson in grammar (about 10 minutes) and have him do a paragraph of copywork for penmanship practice (plus a list of about 4 or 5 words that he has trouble forming). One day a week that copywork is dictation instead. I feel this is another method of helping him to focus to be able to follow directions. He's doing MUCH BETTER at following directions! The copywork is also from poetry and a science text, so he's getting exposed to those (science for basic concepts like how plants pollinate). His penmanship has GREATLY improved since I incorporated those singled-out words for him to practice! I still read to him at night before bedtime, and that includes short-story books on his reading list (like Aesop's), history (Story of the World with the Bible), and learning about the Church.
The reason I'm much calmer and more confident this year is because I see that he's on target with math and way above reading level (always was above in reading, but now he's REALLY above reading level!). This summer I was looking at Language Arts texts and books that the kids are reading for his grade level in public school, and oh my gosh! Those texts and books all look so babyish for his age! Really gives me confidence to see that!
Science in public school is a joke to us, as all they do is have baby-type stories about animals and such. We subscribe to Ranger Rick and Discovery Kids where he learns much more about science stuff than he would ever even be exposed to in school. Plus, we travel. I don't understand how kids his age are expected to do science experiments; they don't know enough math yet. Maybe a rock collection or something I can see. But an actual experiment? I think until higher math is learned, all any science experiment can be is a project about observation.
Until next time!
Along with Fall comes school again. Well, we actually started August 1. "Start" to me means we start whole lessons in math. During the summer we did 2 or 3 division problems a couple of times a week because he didn't get the concept. And he was always writing almost every day in his "personal" journal, and, of course, I made him read daily. And, of course, "daily" is another of those words that is relative. :)
We did a lot of traveling again this summer. We stayed at my mom's house in California and from there traveled up and down the coast. We camped on the beaches, went to the San Diego Zoo, saw San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf and rode the cable cars. We also saw the Monterey Aquarium (awesome! I highly recommend it!!) and on the way back down saw sea lions and otter in the kelp off the beaches. In all of this Derek learned a lot, of course. It seems simplistic, but it's travel like this that put him ahead in history, geography and science when he was in public school.
Derek now knows how to swim pretty well and is a beginning diver! Hooray! He learned to surf the waves on a boogie board, too. Being raised in California where it seems EVERYbody knows how to swim, I was a little concerned that Derek wasn't a swimmer. Swimming is not an "extra" to maybe learn; it's a REQUIREMENT in my humble opinion!
So now we've started school. Compared to last year, I am much more calm and sure of myself. When we first started we both were questioning whether Derek was learning anything -- or "enough". I guess it's all the busywork that makes one feel the kids are getting lots of learning. In our home school, we don't do "busywork" or even worksheets. Well, worksheets for math every now and then to help with a concept. But other than that, no busywork.
I use the Robinson Curriculum, but with history being taught in the Classical method -- which means history is taught chronologically. And history is basically taught through reading. Derek reads from a book on the book list for 2 hours every day, writes one page in cursive, and does one lesson in math. I have added to his writing this year by having him do a lesson in grammar (about 10 minutes) and have him do a paragraph of copywork for penmanship practice (plus a list of about 4 or 5 words that he has trouble forming). One day a week that copywork is dictation instead. I feel this is another method of helping him to focus to be able to follow directions. He's doing MUCH BETTER at following directions! The copywork is also from poetry and a science text, so he's getting exposed to those (science for basic concepts like how plants pollinate). His penmanship has GREATLY improved since I incorporated those singled-out words for him to practice! I still read to him at night before bedtime, and that includes short-story books on his reading list (like Aesop's), history (Story of the World with the Bible), and learning about the Church.
The reason I'm much calmer and more confident this year is because I see that he's on target with math and way above reading level (always was above in reading, but now he's REALLY above reading level!). This summer I was looking at Language Arts texts and books that the kids are reading for his grade level in public school, and oh my gosh! Those texts and books all look so babyish for his age! Really gives me confidence to see that!
Science in public school is a joke to us, as all they do is have baby-type stories about animals and such. We subscribe to Ranger Rick and Discovery Kids where he learns much more about science stuff than he would ever even be exposed to in school. Plus, we travel. I don't understand how kids his age are expected to do science experiments; they don't know enough math yet. Maybe a rock collection or something I can see. But an actual experiment? I think until higher math is learned, all any science experiment can be is a project about observation.
Until next time!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Summer
Summer is here and so are all the vendors and tourists!
Pow Wow just passed, and now we're gearing up for the Indian Market in Santa Fe. Galleries are busy sprucing up and stocking up, and tourists clog our tiny streets and restaurants.
Along with all of this, the truck vendors are up here from Mexico. They RARELY (if ever) come up during the winter, so now is the time to buy.
Some of the items they've brought up are the same items, such as the big clay pots, clay suns, and garden statuary.
Some of the new designs they've brought up include the Talavera knobs. It doesn't look like they are making the smaller (1-1/2 inch) knobs any more. All of them are big 2-inch. The new designs are very bright and colorful, and are just about sold out already!
Another exciting item they brought up are Talavera tiles with numbers on them for addresses! I also found some wrought iron tile holders for the 4"x4" address tiles -- but they're VERY limited in quantity. These are the 4"x4" tiles in a holder:
The other new address tiles don't really fit into the new tile holders well, unfortunately. But here's a picture of them in one of the holders:
I put in a request for tile holders for these bigger (4"x6") tiles, but the guy who had them just looked at me like I was crazy. ::sigh:: And no response other than, "okay".
You have to understand, these guys that come up from Mexico with their wares bring what THEY want -- not what anyone orders. So I've given up on ordering! And then I just take whatever is here and be grateful that I have something to stock my inventory. Their way of thinking "business" is MUCH different than our way up here.
I didn't find anything worth while buying at Pow Wow this year (other than the fry bread and corn!!), so nothing new in that area.
We probably won't being doing much traveling this year, either, until we get our lot sold. We thought we had it sold, but the people's financing fell through. Darn! Until we get that sold, we really do not have a "real" house to live in and just need to stick close to home with short jaunts to Colorado to see Jake. So these posts are not going to include much travel this year!
Anyone want to buy a lot here in Taos with FANTASTIC 360 views?
Pow Wow just passed, and now we're gearing up for the Indian Market in Santa Fe. Galleries are busy sprucing up and stocking up, and tourists clog our tiny streets and restaurants.
Along with all of this, the truck vendors are up here from Mexico. They RARELY (if ever) come up during the winter, so now is the time to buy.
Some of the items they've brought up are the same items, such as the big clay pots, clay suns, and garden statuary.
Some of the new designs they've brought up include the Talavera knobs. It doesn't look like they are making the smaller (1-1/2 inch) knobs any more. All of them are big 2-inch. The new designs are very bright and colorful, and are just about sold out already!
Another exciting item they brought up are Talavera tiles with numbers on them for addresses! I also found some wrought iron tile holders for the 4"x4" address tiles -- but they're VERY limited in quantity. These are the 4"x4" tiles in a holder:
The other new address tiles don't really fit into the new tile holders well, unfortunately. But here's a picture of them in one of the holders:
I put in a request for tile holders for these bigger (4"x6") tiles, but the guy who had them just looked at me like I was crazy. ::sigh:: And no response other than, "okay".
You have to understand, these guys that come up from Mexico with their wares bring what THEY want -- not what anyone orders. So I've given up on ordering! And then I just take whatever is here and be grateful that I have something to stock my inventory. Their way of thinking "business" is MUCH different than our way up here.
I didn't find anything worth while buying at Pow Wow this year (other than the fry bread and corn!!), so nothing new in that area.
We probably won't being doing much traveling this year, either, until we get our lot sold. We thought we had it sold, but the people's financing fell through. Darn! Until we get that sold, we really do not have a "real" house to live in and just need to stick close to home with short jaunts to Colorado to see Jake. So these posts are not going to include much travel this year!
Anyone want to buy a lot here in Taos with FANTASTIC 360 views?
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Spring
Ahhh, Spring!
I love to watch the ground and trees wake up! I walk around the yard to see what is starting to poke its head up through the hard adobe, and sometimes am rewarded by a spot of color. With all the snow and rain we had this winter, we have lots of new wildflowers that I have never seen before! Plus there are different leaves poking through the ground that I have to wait to see what they are before I decide to pluck them.
And, of course, all my plant books are in storage! I miss my books. But I have someone who reeeaaallly wants my other lot and is in the works to get money to buy it. YES! I hope it happens, because then I can get myself a REAL house! Wow. A real house with real plumbing. I don't know what I'll do with myself!
Anyway, back to the flowers. In addition to the flowers, we also have an unusual number of weeds this year, too, of course. In particular this year are the stick tights. Sheesh, I cannot ever remember seeing so many stick tights! So I'm in the process of weeding them out. I'll never finish this year. The seeds are already formed and starting to fall. Darn! I try to weed at least 3 big trash bags about every other day (about what my allergies will allow).
Yes, it's also the season for Claritin, Sudafed and sun screen!
Here's some photos from the yard:
This is a type of ragweed, but I like to
call it a big dandelion. The flowers will
turn into those HUGE puffballs!
Blue flax. A not very good example, but
this poor thing looks like it may be all by
itself this year, as I have not seen any
more popping up.
Here is a new flower! I have no idea what it is...
And here's another new flower!
The orange is scarlet mallow. It's behind that
beautiful grass that I can't remember the name
of at the moment (some animal tail name I think)
In the foreground is one of those new little pink
flowers.
And here is the infamous stick tight!
Notice my forrest of them.... These
things grow from about an inch to
almost 2 feet high. They start with
cute tiny white flowers which turn
into these teeny tiny ball stickers
that stick to EVERYthing! They are
so hard to get out of socks, hair, animal
fur, etc. I usually just throw my socks
away when I forget to wear my boots
or forget to take my socks off. VERY
well named.
Close up of a stick tight
with seed pods already formed.
Here's some of that beautiful grass!
Fields of it are beautiful when the
breeze blows through it, making the
field just shimmer! (Notice trash bags
in background -- full of stick tights!)
I love to watch the ground and trees wake up! I walk around the yard to see what is starting to poke its head up through the hard adobe, and sometimes am rewarded by a spot of color. With all the snow and rain we had this winter, we have lots of new wildflowers that I have never seen before! Plus there are different leaves poking through the ground that I have to wait to see what they are before I decide to pluck them.
And, of course, all my plant books are in storage! I miss my books. But I have someone who reeeaaallly wants my other lot and is in the works to get money to buy it. YES! I hope it happens, because then I can get myself a REAL house! Wow. A real house with real plumbing. I don't know what I'll do with myself!
Anyway, back to the flowers. In addition to the flowers, we also have an unusual number of weeds this year, too, of course. In particular this year are the stick tights. Sheesh, I cannot ever remember seeing so many stick tights! So I'm in the process of weeding them out. I'll never finish this year. The seeds are already formed and starting to fall. Darn! I try to weed at least 3 big trash bags about every other day (about what my allergies will allow).
Yes, it's also the season for Claritin, Sudafed and sun screen!
Here's some photos from the yard:
This is a type of ragweed, but I like to
call it a big dandelion. The flowers will
turn into those HUGE puffballs!
Blue flax. A not very good example, but
this poor thing looks like it may be all by
itself this year, as I have not seen any
more popping up.
Here is a new flower! I have no idea what it is...
And here's another new flower!
The orange is scarlet mallow. It's behind that
beautiful grass that I can't remember the name
of at the moment (some animal tail name I think)
In the foreground is one of those new little pink
flowers.
And here is the infamous stick tight!
Notice my forrest of them.... These
things grow from about an inch to
almost 2 feet high. They start with
cute tiny white flowers which turn
into these teeny tiny ball stickers
that stick to EVERYthing! They are
so hard to get out of socks, hair, animal
fur, etc. I usually just throw my socks
away when I forget to wear my boots
or forget to take my socks off. VERY
well named.
Close up of a stick tight
with seed pods already formed.
Here's some of that beautiful grass!
Fields of it are beautiful when the
breeze blows through it, making the
field just shimmer! (Notice trash bags
in background -- full of stick tights!)
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Happy Mother's Day!
Mother's Day.... that time of year when all of us mothers should be doing what we want and spending our day being pampered.
Yeah, right!
Well, I DID get to spend my day doing what I wanted -- which was enjoy the beautiful Spring weather by working outside in the yard (yeah, I know, I'm nuts -- I LOVE to weed!!), and to have my kids around me, or at least to hear from them.
I started the morning by opening my cards -- one from Jake that he left for me earlier in the week, and the other from Derek -- richly embelished with his new-found cursive writing and lots of do-dads all over the envelope. Then Kirk in California called a couple of times, wishing me Happy Mother's Day and to make sure I'm okay, and what was I planning to do, etc. etc. So sweet! It's always good to hear from him. Then Derek and I were to leave for Trinidad, Colorado to go to see Jake.
Well, I didn't want to drive up to Trinidad without hearing from Jake in case he had to work -- he's always working, it seems. So I went out into the yard and started working on our forest of weeds -- mainly the sticker ones before they dropped seeds. By 3:00 I decided to leave, hoping to at least catch Jake for dinner. So off we went.
What a day for a drive! Gorgeous, just gorgeous! We go through Eagle's Nest and Cimmaron to go to Trinidad, so the drive is always interesting. And the light always makes things look differently, too, so it always seems like a new drive.
The trees are beginning to get their leaves -- that bright tender yellow-green -- and the grasses and plants alongside of the road were definitely green! The river we follow (what is the name of that, anyway?) is super full! All of our rivers are really full this year! Birds were singing everywhere! We only saw 2 herds of buffalo outside of Cimarron this time. Last time we saw a full 3 herds. And this time we only saw a few antelope. The buffalo and the antelope are all in the Valle Vidal, where they are drilling for gas. That's where Jake is working, uh-huh. Very very controversial. Well, like he says, it's not actually in the Vidal, it's on Ted Turner's ranch. So drilling in the Vidal actually is not happening -- yet.
When we arrived at Jake's place (he has a room in a prospector friend's house), he was just going to bed! He had to be up at 4:00 a.m. The place was littered with new gold pans, lots of gold sand to pan or run through the chute, and rocks. Of course, always rocks!
The latest in rocks is some really great siderite that has absolutely perfect cubes on them! Lots of gold in them, too, according to Jake and his friend Mack. (of course there's always gold in their rocks -- you think they'd bring home rocks withOUT gold?!?). Then I had to do the tour of buckets of new rocks found on their outings. I couldn't even begin to tell you what they are -- they just looked like plain old rocks to me. But I guess these new buckets are for the crusher (Jake has a rock crusher to crush rocks, and then he puts the dirt from these crushed rocks on his shaker table to separate the different metals in the rocks).
We then went to dinner -- Tequila's in Trinidad. EVERYthing else seems to be closed on Sundays in Trinidad! I wanted to go to that little Russian restaurant in the basement of the hotel on Main Street, but it, too, was closed. Bummer. Trinidad is an interesting little town -- almost everything is made out of bricks. Trinidad used to make bricks for just about the whole country, I understand. Brick streets, brick buildings, brick walls -- you name it, it's got bricks. Right next to where Jake works are the old kilns for the bricks. They look like great big beehives made out of -- you guessed it! Bricks!
On the way back home in the dark, it was the usual vigilant drive for elk and deer. Came really close this time to hitting 2 big deer! The elk always seem to know to stay by the side of the road until you pass. But not the deer -- they just dart right out. Well, unless the elk are already in the road when you come up to them. Then it's like driving through a herd of cows -- they kind of part to let you through.
I have such a hard time driving at night any more -- especially on this drive. It's a very windy road going up the east side of the mountains, and then coming back down into Taos. And, of course, there are trees everywhere, so all I can see is that small area to the edge of the trees that my headlights light up. Between my night blindness, the animals, and then the windy roads, it's kind of like a "white knuckle" ride! But oh so beautiful... (did I mention how beautiful the trees look on this road looks when it snows at night? Ahhhh!)
Yeah, right!
Well, I DID get to spend my day doing what I wanted -- which was enjoy the beautiful Spring weather by working outside in the yard (yeah, I know, I'm nuts -- I LOVE to weed!!), and to have my kids around me, or at least to hear from them.
I started the morning by opening my cards -- one from Jake that he left for me earlier in the week, and the other from Derek -- richly embelished with his new-found cursive writing and lots of do-dads all over the envelope. Then Kirk in California called a couple of times, wishing me Happy Mother's Day and to make sure I'm okay, and what was I planning to do, etc. etc. So sweet! It's always good to hear from him. Then Derek and I were to leave for Trinidad, Colorado to go to see Jake.
Well, I didn't want to drive up to Trinidad without hearing from Jake in case he had to work -- he's always working, it seems. So I went out into the yard and started working on our forest of weeds -- mainly the sticker ones before they dropped seeds. By 3:00 I decided to leave, hoping to at least catch Jake for dinner. So off we went.
What a day for a drive! Gorgeous, just gorgeous! We go through Eagle's Nest and Cimmaron to go to Trinidad, so the drive is always interesting. And the light always makes things look differently, too, so it always seems like a new drive.
The trees are beginning to get their leaves -- that bright tender yellow-green -- and the grasses and plants alongside of the road were definitely green! The river we follow (what is the name of that, anyway?) is super full! All of our rivers are really full this year! Birds were singing everywhere! We only saw 2 herds of buffalo outside of Cimarron this time. Last time we saw a full 3 herds. And this time we only saw a few antelope. The buffalo and the antelope are all in the Valle Vidal, where they are drilling for gas. That's where Jake is working, uh-huh. Very very controversial. Well, like he says, it's not actually in the Vidal, it's on Ted Turner's ranch. So drilling in the Vidal actually is not happening -- yet.
When we arrived at Jake's place (he has a room in a prospector friend's house), he was just going to bed! He had to be up at 4:00 a.m. The place was littered with new gold pans, lots of gold sand to pan or run through the chute, and rocks. Of course, always rocks!
The latest in rocks is some really great siderite that has absolutely perfect cubes on them! Lots of gold in them, too, according to Jake and his friend Mack. (of course there's always gold in their rocks -- you think they'd bring home rocks withOUT gold?!?). Then I had to do the tour of buckets of new rocks found on their outings. I couldn't even begin to tell you what they are -- they just looked like plain old rocks to me. But I guess these new buckets are for the crusher (Jake has a rock crusher to crush rocks, and then he puts the dirt from these crushed rocks on his shaker table to separate the different metals in the rocks).
We then went to dinner -- Tequila's in Trinidad. EVERYthing else seems to be closed on Sundays in Trinidad! I wanted to go to that little Russian restaurant in the basement of the hotel on Main Street, but it, too, was closed. Bummer. Trinidad is an interesting little town -- almost everything is made out of bricks. Trinidad used to make bricks for just about the whole country, I understand. Brick streets, brick buildings, brick walls -- you name it, it's got bricks. Right next to where Jake works are the old kilns for the bricks. They look like great big beehives made out of -- you guessed it! Bricks!
On the way back home in the dark, it was the usual vigilant drive for elk and deer. Came really close this time to hitting 2 big deer! The elk always seem to know to stay by the side of the road until you pass. But not the deer -- they just dart right out. Well, unless the elk are already in the road when you come up to them. Then it's like driving through a herd of cows -- they kind of part to let you through.
I have such a hard time driving at night any more -- especially on this drive. It's a very windy road going up the east side of the mountains, and then coming back down into Taos. And, of course, there are trees everywhere, so all I can see is that small area to the edge of the trees that my headlights light up. Between my night blindness, the animals, and then the windy roads, it's kind of like a "white knuckle" ride! But oh so beautiful... (did I mention how beautiful the trees look on this road looks when it snows at night? Ahhhh!)
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