A morning in the company of Forest Hart

For years we have seen the magnificent bronze moose sculptures as we drove back and forth on Rte 1, and knew they were the work of Forest Hart. It wasn’t until recently that a couple of friends mentioned they had visited his property and seen his amazing works of art. Arrangements were made, and off we went – five of us – to visit Forest and see his domain – hundreds of acres in Monroe with far reaching views.

Of course, why would I have expected anything else? This artist, a native Mainer, who took all the time in the world to explain the whole process, talk about his life, share the story of the horrible fire that took everything that he and Susan owned, and all in a humble and selfless way. His interest, at a young age, in taxidermy and his knowledge of anatomy is astounding. His stories of Fearless, the fluffy tailed white weasel, that visited them for 6-weeks, and the photos of the other wildlife on their  doorstep is fascinating.

More fun times in Belfast with the Dutch….

We are so happy to have Agnita, Henk and the girls here again (before they return to Amsterdam:(

It was especially festive with the Arts in the Park weekend, being on the waterfront and all the activities surrounding the visit of  the Lynx, and celebrating their 20th anniversary.

(The) Lost Kitchen .. Debut dinner in Freedom on July 4

Erin French, proprietor, decorator, hostess, and cook is an artiste! Her restaurant officially opened with a 5-course meal in the beautifully renovated Freedom Mill, and it was flawless! Each item on the table had been carefully thought out, and each course lovingly prepared using the freshest of ingredients and cooked to perfection. I can’t wait it go back!

Two extremes

We took a run out to Santo Domingo Pueblo – I was hoping to find some jewelry makers ‘open’, but no luck. Will stop over at the Plaza tomorrow where the portico of the Governor’s Palace is lined with amazing, licensed jewelers and artists. Photos are discouraged in the pueblo, but these are stealth-on the move shots.

We then drove to Canyon Road, the renowned ‘high end gallery strip’ in Santa Fe. The sculptures on display are amazing and, needless to say, there was n0 point delving too deeply into the galleries. – other than to view. The road itself is charming with the traditional adobe buildings.

We had to return to Jambo’s, the African restaurant we went to last week, for another amazing meal. I love that place!

The piece de la resistance was our first attempt at a memorable New Mexico sunset. We have seen beautiful sunsets all over the country, at home, and around the world, but I really wanted to experience one here!

Variety is the spice of life

The farmer’s market at Santa Fe’s Railyard district was fun – especially seeing the different types of beans and chili powders. Finished off the New Mexico History Museum at Governor’s Palace.

Sunday took us to Albuquerque to the Indian Cultural Center to see some native dances and view other exhibits, plus have a delicious lunch at their cafe and bakery.

Monday we took to the hiking trails in the mountains north of Santa Fe searching for some geocaches – success 3/3!!!