How Sweet the Sound

"Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound", is exactly how I felt when I heard the beginning drops of rain last Saturday night - rain that mercifully and graciously lasted thru the night. I went to sleep that night accompanied by the staccato notes of rain falling on my skylights and snuggled into my quilt with a sign of deep contentment. It hasn't rained in Taos (except for brief 30 mins or less of light spit)since I moved here in the beginning of September. The dryness, lack of humidity, dusty roads and endless sun has made me newly appreciate the lush greeness of New England (and England for that matter)and the water which falls from the sky keeping leaves/grasses green, rivers/brooks full and flowing - and not the least - keeps skin from cracking rawness. Surprised by the contrast, longing for rain I was outnumbered by Taosenos who muttered dire predictions of "bad" weather for last weekend. I also recall the scores of comments made by Easterners about how wet a summer they had, flooding on Cape Cod, and laundry remaining damp - headed for the dryer.... It's an issue of balance, I guess, that keeps a line between deprivation and onslaught - however, nature doesn't tend to deliver according to this dictum.

And so you give up one thing in order to get another - more sun here but less rain - this is one of the major reasons I've heard so far for why people flock to Taos - the others being the skiing in the mountains, the abundance of art, artists and their galleries and, of course, the etheral and enchanting quality of light created by the altitude and location. Photographers love it here - I've met several with their cameras in the late afternoon (4 - 6pm) scurrying to set up their tripods to capture the lumious quality of the gloaming.

The 25th annual Wool Festival was held over the weekend at Kit Carson Park; a city of tents housing natural fibers, accessories, leather goods and one or two encampments of sheep, lamas and alpacas. One (actually the only) vendor sold kibbee (aka gyros)sandwiches for lunch; I had one before I went to visit the sheep who were next up for a shearing demonstration. I limited myself to sale items and managed to escape for under $50 - the yarn being used to prduce sweaters for sale at a local craft shop in Bethlehem, NH. Ignoring how little it yields in hourly pay I justify the small retail business by how much it supports my habit in trying out new patterns and the gratfication in seeing a project completed and utilitzed. I did make one splurge from my usual purchase of off white wool for fisherman knit sweaters by buying a teal green dk weight yarn for a scarf or socks - who knows maybe a Xmas present for me or someone else....