Monday, November 7, 2011

Revisiting America

I'm sure most towns have interesting, unusual characters that have played a part in their history and one of these in Taos was Long John Dunn, an entrepreneur, who now has a bridge and area of town named for him. Getting to town in the early 20th century wasn't easy, only one road to get in and out of town. To arrive from the north, you took the train south to Tres Piedras, hired a carriage, later a car, for a ride to the Rio Grande River. The length of the trip necessitated staying overnight at the Bridge Hotel, owned by Long John Dunn. The next day, for a fee, he brought you to Taos, everything timed perfectly to his advantage. He built the road, the bridge, and the inn, and there are remnants of the inn east of the bridge. His former house in Taos is now a bookstore, and there are a number of quality shops around the bookstore called the John Dunn Shops.
After church yesterday I stopped for brunch, eggs benedict, wonderful, at the renowned Doc Martin restaurant housed in what used to be the offices of Doctor Martin who came to the area in the early 1890's. He was the typical rural doctor, making chouse calls in a buggy, later a tin lizzie, accepting any kind of payment, chickens, potatoes, meat, whatever. Over time he and his wife bought several properties around a small plaza and these are now the lobby and patio of the hotel. After the doctor's death, the wife continued to buy and expand into what is now the Hotel Martin. It is well known for its celebrity clientele, but I didn't see any at the time I was there, too early probably. The place becomes quite lively at night with the Adobe Bar in the hotel, nightly entertainment, and the quality food. The ownership has changed many times but this bar and restaurant has really been the center of social activity in the town for many years. The people I saw in the restaurant yesterday could have been born there?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Revisiting America

One day this past week, I was in Mariposa Boutique, not shopping, looking, and the owner, Katie Iko invited me to church. That's where I attended today, Taos Valley Baptist Church. Pastor Nick Shields delivered a great message from Revelation 3:14-22, concerning "luke-warm" Christians and churches. A very good crowd, lots of children and youth, off-the-wall music, but good, a full calender of activities, so friendly, and something I haven't seen before, a list of church member services. Everything from specially designed cards to plumbing and firewood.
The day I went to Arroyo Seco I also visited the Taos Pueblo. I'm sure most have read about or seen this unusual village. It's considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA. The Native legends and detailed oral history trace their existence back to the beginning of the evolution of man and all of creation. The Native Language, Tiwa, is unwritten, unrecorded, and will remain so. The details of their traditional values are guarded as sacred and are not divulged. The past oppressions upon this culture has required them to keep the details unspoken.
The two main structures of the Pueblo, Hlaauma/North House, and Hlaukkwima/South House are believed to be well over a thousand years old. The buildings are made entirely of adobe and have to be plastered annually with adobe due to the exposure of the four seasons. The Pueblo maintains a restriction of NO ELECTRICITY, and NO RUNNING WATER within the sacred village. Some homes adopted the use of wood stoves for cooking but many still continue to cook right in the fireplace.
Conservation and preservation of the Sacred Village and the Blue Lake Wilderness Area are the primary concern of the Taos Pueblo. Their goal is to maintain the area of over 100,000 acres in it's most natural state-protecting trees, water, fish, wildlife, soils and land from damage. The Taos Wilderness Act provided the tribe with exclusive use of the area for traditional purposes and is closed to the geneeral public.
There is a fee to walk the grounds, as well as camera use, and guides are available as well.
Many of the houses are open and have jewelry, breads, and leather goods for sale. It sorta contradicts itself, but it is well worth the visit, and I will explain more in the book, plus pictures.

Revisiting America

Thursday night when I attended the marionette show two ladies spoke to me, they were admiring the coat I had on, they asked if I was by myself, then they asked me to sit with them. Both are artists, Barbara Bartels and Margaret Baucom, so I found out where they were showing some of their work and visited the stores. Both very talented in my estimation, but entirely different techniques. I was only able to see one of Barbara's because the gallery was closed, but will be open later. But Margaret's paintings were in Arroyo Seco, a small town maybe five miles from Taos.
Arroyo Seco is described as a combination of historical adobes used for shops and enough other experiences to surprise anyone. I was warned to go very slow because the streets are very narrow and many pedestrians are roaming around.
Someone suggested taking your time because the store owners liked to visit with everyone. I found that to be true. Probably 20 shops in all but one of the favorites was The Taos Cow. I took a picture outside because one of the benches is painted like a cow, didn't go in, but found out later that this shop was voted one of the top ten ice cream shops in America by Bon Appetite Magazine. Comments were, "it's pricey but worth every penny". You'll never know if I revisit the town. They do serve breakfast and lunch, so maybe.
One block off main street is a rather plain, but beautiful church, cared for by Manuel a specially designated caretaker called a mayordomo, and this honor and privelege of caring for the church is handed down from generation to generation, Manuel's father and grandfather before him. I was unable to get in the church, but someone said there were priceless alter screen paintings inside.

Revisiting America

The Taos Plaza, a plaza being the town center, in Spanish tradition, always housed the church and governmental offices, is over 200 years old.
My guidebook suggested you stand in the center of the Plaza and make a 360 degree scan of the important things in the area. The first being the statue
of Padre Antonio Jose Martinez whose influence as a legislator, leader, priest, and educator had an incredible impact on Taos and New Mexico.
The Hotel La Fonda stands on the site where many hotels have stood, but since 1937 has been the official name and place of one of The places to stay in Taos. Another story tells about this site being Long John Dunn's casino, later.
East, a US flag flies over the Plaza. During the Civil War, Kit Carson and some of his friends raised the Union flag to give the message of sympathy with the North, and they stood guard over this flag around the clock.
Taos has special government permission to fly this US flag 24 hours a day in honor of this event.
A Bronze Cross Memorial, to the east also, memorializes the many members of the New Mexican National guard who fought in the Phiippians, were captured by the Japanese, at least half died in the infamous Bataan Death March and in prison camps.
To the north you face what used to be the County Courthouse, but now the building houses shops. During the depression in the 1930's the WPA employed artists to paint murals in the building, this area now being blocked off from public view. Up exterior stairs in the back are paintings by the famed Mexican artist Diego Rivera, also kept from public view.
Facing north is a small gazebo used for concerts and other performances. Stairs going under the structure once housed part of the town jail.
The church Our Lady of Guadalupe, once part of the plaza, can be seen back of the gazebo and was first built in the early 1800's, replaced in 1911, burned and rebuilt in 1961, but definitely a small beautiful structure.
This plaza, as most centers of small towns, will continue to change, but the fact remains, the history is captured by the memorials and the fact that the area will always be known as The Plaza.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Revisiting America

Thursday night I attended a most amazing performance, "The Cashore Marionettes" at the Taos Community Auditorium, a part of the park complex.
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above by strings. The word "marionette is derived from "Mary" and originated in Europe in the Middle Ages when nativity plays were performed using the stringed puppets. However, marionettes themselves are much older and no specific date can be given. In the U.S. puppet shows are often considered to be exclusively for children but throughout the rest of the world, puppet and marionette plays are classicly adult entertainment.
Joseph Cashore created his first marionette from clothespins, wood string and a tin can. His goal, after making that first puppet, was to create the illusion and sensation that the puppet was alive. He soon realized that in order to have the fluid motion he sought in his puppets, he would have to create his own control designs. He spent the next nineteen years, while pursuing a career in oil painting, experimenting with the construction of the marionettes and divising totally new control mechanisms.
Cashore resides in Colmar, PA, graduated from the Uni.of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and has been making marionettes for more than 30 years. He is an accomplished artist as well as puppeteer, and his talent in sculpture and portraiture is evident in his marionettes. The marionettes, their clothing, all the props, the vingettes, the selection of the classical pieces he uses as background, all create a magic controlled by the subtle movements of Cashore's hands. A bucking horse, wrinkly elephant, young rock star, and old woman are some of the few characters Cashore has brought to life. In spite of his own shyness, Cashore has finally become comfortable with the attention he receives. But he says the audience isn't looking at him, but at the creations that come to life under his hands, to play a guitar, place flowers on a grave, rock a child to sleep, pick up certain objects and place them.
I wish I could have counted the number of strings on some of the characters, there must have been at least fifteen or twenty on some that did very intricate things.
Cashore hgas been awarded the highest honor a North American puppeteer can receive, the Citation of Excellence from the United States branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette. Its citations are "awarded to shows that touch their audiences deeply; that totally engage, enchant, and enthrall. I was totally engaged, enchanted and enthralled.

Revisiting America

On my way to the park I pass the Fechin House which was opened as a museum in 1981, although it wasn't open at all when Fletcher and I visited Taos at another time.
Nicolai Fechin is considered one of the greatest portrait artists of our time. He earned a scholarship to the Kazan Art School, graduated from there, received another scholarship to the Imperial Art Academy of St. Petersburg, and later taught for ten years at the Kazan school having been appointed State Teacher of Painting. The Kazan Art School's Director suggested his daughter to help Fechin translate his correspondence, which became monumental after he began showing in exhibitions in Munich, The Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Chicago Art Institute. Having won many awards his work attracted buyers from many nations. Fechin later married the Director's daughter and they had a daughter.
An invitation, to come to America, interrupted by World War I, delayed his emigration and establishment of a stable career. Portrait commissions, important exhibitions, and teaching supported the family while living in New York and Pittsburg, but the climate was ill-suited to his delicate health. Accepting an invitation to visit Taos, in 1926, the land and people reminded Fechin of his Russian home, so he moved here in 1927. After a divorce in 1933, he and his daughter moved to the area of Los Angeles, California, where he taught, painted and exhibited for the remainder of his life.
The house contains many influences, Russian, Spanish, and Pueblo. Fechin's training included a thorough study of architecture and theater design. Buying seven acres of land including a small studio, outbuilding and two-story house, he used local laborers to renovate the studio and rebuild the house increasing its size by three times. Being a tireless
worker he painted all day long when the light was right, and then worked on the house.
Fechin's extraordinary use of wood showed the influence of his years in the forested land of Kazan, and his many carvings reflect his love of wood. The metal work, (light fixtures, door hardware, etc:) was designed by Fechin and forged by a local blacksmith. He never used power tools, but used an adze, textured the wood, then hand carved it with an amazing array if designs. You can tell I was impressed with the home, as well as the black and white drawings and portraits on display.
There is a WALMART in town.

Revisiting America

My casita, I should ask someone, but I think it means, "little house", is so charming, nice-sized living room, big fully-equipped kitchen, with eating area, big bedroom, bath, and utility with washer, dryer, plenty of storage space, and a little covered front porch. There are 8 units in the complex, all separate houses with different configurations, stucco finish, walled in with "coyote" fencing and adobe pillars at the entrance and exit. One block off main street, but you hear no traffic because of the many trees and fencing, so, "New Mexicoish, I know that isn't a word, but that's how I want to describe it. I walk two blocks down main street to the Kit Carson (remember him, I'll go into more detail about him later)Memorial Park. There is a walking trail, benches to sit, tennis and badminton courts, ball fields and bleechers, an amphitheater, restrooms, beautiful landscaping and trees, even in this winter weather, and at the back of the park, a small cemetary, the burial place of notables such as Kit Carson, etc:.
The first morning I walked, Wednesday, I got back to the house and was locked out, the screen door having locked on its own. My landlady, Lovey, so kind and nice, assured me it had happened before. An hour later I was inside thawing out, having wished for my tool kit, locked in the car, and Lovey having to go to another apartment to get her tools. Neither of our tool kits were necessary, we finally tore the screen and used a table knife to lift the latch. I leave home now with every key I own, but the screen door has no key, so.

Revisiting America

My accomodations on this ferry were a little larger, the room having two sets of bunk-beds rather than one, giving me more floor space, and the bathroom was a little nicer. The dining was cafeteria-style, good food, as many as five entrees for the night meal, cafeteria open 24 hours. I'm sure most of the ferries are about the same, this one only a little smaller and older than the trip to Ketchikan.
Met some interesting ladies touring with an Elder Hostel group, having been to Ketchikan for tours and study. All on board were invited to watch 2 movies concerning their study. A nice way to travel-people your own age, inexpensive, many, many areas of study, everything planned and coordinated for you. Something to look in to.
There are three crossings where you are in unprotected waters, and I had begun to dread the Port Charlotte one, which usually lasts two hours, but this time I considered it rather rough, and it lasted three hours, but one of the workers, when I asked, said it was an "average" crossing.
Anyway, we were on time getting to Bellingham Friday morning, around 8:15.
I was so glad to get on the road again, and I was non-stop when I drove off the ferry.
The scenery, having changed drastically in the month I was in Ketchikan, was so beautiful, most of the trees having turned every shade of yellow and gold, and stacked up against the mountains. I couldn't take pictures and drive, so I chose to make time. Spent the first night in Baker City, Oregon(the scenery gorgeous through the state), drove on to Provo, Utah (the scenery so different with the bare hills and mountains) the second night, and having called Mack and Marie Jones, spent Sunday night with them in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I've always considered true friendship the kind that regardless of the years of abscence between visits, you pick up right where you left off. It was a great visit, and they are such welcoming and attentive hosts.
Only about 140 miles from Pagosa Springs to Taos, so I was checking in my Casita in Taos by 1:00 p.m., just so thankful for a safe journey.

Revisiting America

There are two things I intend to accomplish today, catch up on my blogging, and watch Alabama beat LSU.
There are several things scheduled in town that I wanted to attend, a fundraiser for the Charter School featuring soup and pottery. Local potters, with the students participating in the glazing, make the bowls, and the soup and bread is provided by local restaurants. Plus, original music by Charter School students.
And, there is an opening reception and trunk showing for November's artist Faith Welsh, who will be demonstrating knitting and crocheting techniques of her hand-knit wearable art peices featured at the Museum Store at the Harwood Museum of art. Not that I knit or crochet, but it would be an interesting event.
My reluctance in not going out is the fact that it has been snowing steadily for the last several hours, everything, including my car, covered in snow. A beautiful sight, but I'm not too sure that I want to venture out in it.
I do need to "back-up" and get me to Taos, which was a wonderful trip in itself.
I woke up to rain, on the 26th, and wondered about getting my car packed, but it did slack enough for that, and I was able to get some thank-you's to certain people, eat lunch again at The Point with Nicole, tell Dave Rubin good-bye again, and get in the line for the ferry by 2:00 p.m.
Should be no hurry, because once you're on you're not going anywhere. But as I said before, I certainly didn't want to miss it.