yeeehaaa

Went to Santa Fe last week for spring break (Easter hols). We had a fab time; art and sculpture everywhere - some good some bad; scenery from a John Wayne movie around every corner; and people watching to DIE for.

If you had told me two weeks ago that Americans really do wear cowboy boots, stetsons and cherokee blanket coats I'd have laughed in your face. First day in Santa Fe, there they were, we thought 'oh how fun, the people in the shops all wear cowboy boots and stetsons (thats mainly what the shops sell in Santa Fe - hats, boots, turquoise jewellery, chillis and very expensive art). Day two we're going - ' oh the tourists are all wearing them too'. Day three - ' did we arrive during a line-dancing festival?' Nope-EVERYBODY wears them. For real. It's very bizarre, sitting in nice restaurants, surrounded by men in big cowboy hats - all poker faced and serious. The women are all doing the Dolly P thang too. If they're not in coyote ugly outfits they're doing the Texas Rose thang. It really is hysterical. Of course children LAPPED it up.

Twinkle got me to purchase a hand knitted, multi color skirt from an Indian crafts store for her. This she paired with her new white stetson, her cowboy boots she'd brought for riding in and a sparkly T-shirt. Thought she was the bees knees for days. (I later discovered a made in Taiwain label in the skirt but I cut it out before she saw it).

Son is SO extatic with his new non-pc gun and holster/sherrifs hat combo. This coupled with his Scottish complexion and first missing tooth is lining him up as a strong candidate for the new milky bar kid.

Was hot and sunny all week then snowed the day we left. I was glad it was the day we were leavingas we had only one fleece between us. My new silver Jesus sandals didnt offer up much protection under those conditions.

Stuff we did- visit to Indian Pueblos. Fun (especially when a local lady complimented Twinkle's new skirt!). Visit to cave dwellings with lots of very high ladder action for kids to freak out husband with. (Some very unattractive shots of my rear end taken on that day). Madrid, an old mining town full of hippies, tumbleweed and bikers and the sound of banjos carried in the wind. Its where they filmed Wild Hogs (apparently) haven't seen that one yet, I suspect I should. Dinner at the 'Cowgirl Hall of Fame'. Baked potato pudding a big hit. Basically a very realistic looking ice-cream, cream, pistacio, chocolate powder concotion. Who thinks of that then? Was someone sitting around one night going 'hmmm, now how can I make this ice cream appear more potato-like in appearance?' yummy though. (hence the big arse shots on the ladder visits I suppose). Horse riding in the canyon. Trip to the Rio Grande gorge (you've got to really). Pretended to be rich enough to buy some art in Taos (close escape there I had my wallet out at one point). At husbands insistence a visit to Los Alamos where the nuclear bomb was invented. A very very very wierd place is Los Alamos. Very Twin Peaks atmosphere. A visit to the nuclear bomb museum was forced upon us. Not a cheery family outing choice. And dull enough to have dad officially banned from all future destination decisions. I've got to humor him sometimes though, you know how it is.

Husband insisted on eating every endagered species he could, just to annoy Twinkle. So buffalo, ostrich and elk all got devoured with great gusto. This combined with a side of chillis with everything just made his week.

Casinos everywhere in the middle of nowhere - if that makes sense. Theres some weird Indian reservation exemption from gambling/us laws so literally 20 miles from anything a huge building appears. Very Jimmy Nail.