Taos - with Wally and Mya

We're here!  Arrived yesterday about 3:00 after long ride over the mountains from I-40 up through Las Vegas (NM) where we had a delightful lunch at Estella's cafe (Susan had eaten here before) which has been in business since 1950, which doesn't seem so long ago to me.  New Mexico food is a very distant relative of Mexican and much more to my liking.  True, the beans and rice accompany, but my tacos were home-made shells, very light, and the stuffing was tomatoes, arugula and cilantro, etc. organically grown locally.  Believe me, nothing like Las Cacadas in Ninety Six.  Then last evening we ate out here in Taos where I had a chili relleno en novado which was stuffed with ground beef, pear, apple, raisins, topped with becan and brandy cream sauce!  Nectar from the Gods!  Surely beats the stuffed bell pepper I had years ago at a Mexican restaurant in Greenville.....Las Vegas plaza was fun - bought a lovely tinware piece from the artist and had a long history of Las Vegas lesson from him.  Visited with a man carving an "immigrant farm laborer" from a standing tree that was dying.  In the plaza that's what they are doing as the trees begin to die they hire an artist to carve statues from them. The Plaza Hotel was delightful.  We only looked, but would love to sleep there some time.  Many movies filmed there.  ........Then a long drive in the rain!  We actually were driving in the clouds at a couple of points and rain like they haven't seen before - at least Wally and Mya hadn't - and it is still cloudy this morning.  The house is lovely - lots of wood everywhere - back yard with beautiful quaking aspens - and we have four cats with us.  Wally and Mya will leave Saturday but for now we're getting a running expo on the area so we'll feel right at home by then.  What a gift!  This house sitting might become a habit!