cometsgirl

art in the ozarks

Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, collected contemporary art by artists in the United States for many years.

At some point she decided that the people of rural northwest Arkansas- most especially the children- deserved an art museum. Not just any art museum, rather one that rivaled well-known and prestigious museums on either coast of America. Plus, it should be free.

Thus Crystal Bridges Museum.

My first visit was in 2014, soon after it opened.

This is my fourth visit to Bentonville. Arkansas, location of Crystal Bridges Museum, also Walmart headquarters. I’m here to see an exhibit of photographs by Annie Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz at Work.

Bentonville is a charming town, with much construction going on as the success of the museum has been significant. Still, it is a small town.

21C Museum Hotel. A museum within the hotel. And filled with green penguins.

Onyx Coffee an easy walk away.

Lunch at the museum.

Late afternoon at Onyx.

Premier of A Case for Love at the local theater.

A lovely first day in Bentonville.

museum hours

Museum Hours is a 2012 film. “A Vienna museum guard befriends a visitor, and the two explore their lives, the city and the ways artwork reflects the world.”

While I’ve not seen the film, the words museum hours seems to fit as I travel today to Crystal Bridges museum. Located in northwest Arkansas, it’s an amazing place.

My best traveling friend and I are on a travel lark. We are journeying to see Annie Leibovitz At Work. Leibovitz, a famed photographer, has been in residence at Crystal Bridges for several months. She completes her residency in 6 days. Whew! We made it!

Annie Leibovitz At Work is a new exhibition of portraits.which includes a set of new works made just for Crystal Bridges—Leibovitz’s first museum commission.

Another exhibit I’m looking forward to seeing is Congruence by artist duo HYBYCOZO.

“Congruence is made up of 12 geometric forms. These are all truncated octahedrons, a special type of polyhedron that easily stacks together, leaving no gaps. The artwork includes a tall central structure and three individual shapes, revealing how the pieces fit together.”

Specifically commissioned for this site at Crystal Bridges. the sculpture glows with light,

We shall see.

Traveling mercies.

land of enchantment

I returned home from the Land of Enchantment a week ago.

Writing those words just now made me wonder about the origin of the phrase.

I found this: “The phrase was first used by American journalist and author Lilian Whiting in her 1906 travel guide The Land of Enchantment:From Pike’S Peak to the Pacific. The book does not actually focus on New Mexico alone, but on the southwestern states of Colorado, Arizona, and California as well.”

It took nearly 30 years for New Mexico state authorities to take up the phrase. In 1935, New Mexico’s Tourist Bureau described the state as “the Land of Enchantment” in one of its brochures in an effort to attract visitors to the area. In 1941, the legend was added to license plates and came into common usage soon thereafter.

I find Land of Enchantment fits my expectation and my experience of travel in New Mexico. I am often enchanted in this place.

By the vistas…

by the food…

by the silence when everything is covered in snow…

by the faith expressed around me…

and by the people, some of whom have become treasured friends. Abby, Dean, Sue, Lydia, Pablo, Bonnie.

I will return again and again to this enchanted place.

Traveling mercies.

fire and ice

While in Taos I have checked the weather repeatedly. How cold is it going to get tonight? Tomorrow?

Is it going to snow?

Last night when going to bed, we were under a winter advisory from 11pm to 11am. Snow flurries first, then snow! Yippee!

We previously had just a dusting of snow.

But wait! Today was the main event. Once it got going…

…it kept going. It snowed all morning and well into the afternoon.

It was stunning.

We needed more firewood, though. We had one pair of boots between us so we took turns traipsing over to the high stack of firewood.

I used the fireplace brush to clean off the car in hope of leaving tomorrow morning.

I also started the car up and drove backwards and forward repeatedly, moving over to each side so as to create a base for driving out.

We had a fire going for 12 hours.

Fire and Ice.

It was a very good day.

road trip

Today we took a road trip to one of my most favorite places in this area. Pilar. And the Taos Junction Bridge.

Awakening to a winter sky,

a morning fire was in order.

Then book a trip to Iceland for May, and off for coffee. Dogs frequently join their owners for coffee, and today was no exception.

Pilar is seventeen miles south of Taos. There were gorgeous vistas along the way.

After reaching Pilar, the turn-off west is where the real beauty is for me.

The road meanders for about six and one-half miles along the Rio Grande River to the Taos Junction Bridge.

A number of fisher-people were on the stream

I was gobsmacked by the views seen as we headed east for the return drive to Taos.

The Taos Friendship Tree just south of Taos

Back in Taos it was time for cheese enchiladas at a favorite spot, La Queva.

In for the night with what else, an evening fire.

Winter advisory in place tonight and tomorrow. Three to five inches. Stay tuned.

pjs sunday

We had a variety of worship choicess yesterday on the Sabbath day. The Roman Catholic Church at 7am at the Taos Pueblo. The Episcopal Church at 10:30am.The Methodist Church at 11am.

We vacillated until we decided it was pj sabbath. Part of me felt this was not okay.

The other side of me felt it was okay. At home I am very faithful to my parish and in community with those who worship on Sundays. So I gave myself permission for a pj sabbath.

My friend and I stayed in our pjs the entire day. We even wore pjs to our coffee place.

There were snow flurries off and on during the day. It was beautiful to watch the flurries dance their way to the ground.

I built a fire that lasted all day! It was good training for my fire-building skills.

Our one activity outside was to journey to Taos Apothecary. IN our pjs.

I’m a real fan of peanut butter cookies.

On the drive home we detoured just a bit so I could take some photos.

I woke up this morning….

And it’s still snowing.

It’s beautiful.

But how to get out? After all, this is massages day.

I borrowed my friend’s boots, grabbed the small fireplace brush, and set off.

There’s a real possibility of getting out!

a lolling day

Yesterday was a day of leisure. From dawn to dusk.

I built a fire first thing, of course.

It was a chilly morning.

It was only a 10 minute drive to Taos Coffee Apothecary for a cappuccino and a warm cookie. A chance meeting with the owners was delight-filled.

Later we decided to try a new BBQ place in town. SUP – Craft BBQ. We each enjoyed a S’Ploaded P-tater. My baked potato was covered with chopped brisket. Delicious!

Late afternoon it was time to go chase the sunset. Having missed opportunities to drive west toward the Rio Grande River gorge in December, we would not miss again.

Oh, how we were rewarded!

Turning around there was this…

And then day was done. Gone the sun.

Later I ran into town for supper takeout, and was treated to music softly played by this gentleman while I waited.

It was a very lovely leisurely day.

ephiphany in taos

It seems like I just returned from Taos. Actually it was not that long ago – about four weeks. Time to get on that auto/train/plane trek once again.

This is usually the time of year my traveling friend and I journey to Taos. In the Christian church, it’s the season of Epiphany – the twelve days after Christmas, made popular as a song sung most often before Christmas. But I digress.

Now that my friend has retired, we have the luxury of a longer stay. Eight days!

New snow fell yesterday, so I anticipate scenes like this.

But first, scenes driving from the mountains to the airport.

Then at the airport.

Soon to ride in my chair in the sky. Come along.

Traveling mercies.

departing the land of enchantment

Last night I returned home after six “enchanted” days in northern New Mexico. .

The early morning departure for the Albuquerque airport, and the three hour ride as a passenger, allowed me time to gaze outward and reflect inward about New Mexico.

17° upon departure, everything seemed crisp.