Labor Day weekend, part 1

 An eventful start to the weekend!

Friday night was the burning of Zozobra, Old Man Gloom, at the start of Fiestas de Santa Fe. It was pretty crowded, but I met two new friends, Paul and Debora, on the bus to Fort Macy Park. We had a lively conversation. I told them all about the Pinocchio Science Exhibit, and they told me of their world travels and how they have settled in Santa Fe, and how much they love this unique city. 

Here is more information about Zozobra, the original burning man festival.

I had also planned to meet up with Nancy, who is a friend from high school, and her family at the festival, but it was so crowded that even though I was less than 100 yards from her, I could not meet her until after the burning was completed. We had a nice conversation on the bus ride back from Fort Macy Park, catching up on all that has happened in the last year, since the high school reunion, which Nancy organized.

When we got back to the parking lot, I headed out and camped on a nearby site, which I found thanks to FreeRoam, a handy app for finding camping resources and which I recommend highly. I was a little cold that night. A lovely sunrise, though.

Lisa saw this view of my campsite and said "Enjoy your pile of dirt" 😄


Next morning I went to the Cathedral, where there is a magnificent Stations of the Cross Garden.

Jesus meets his Mother

Wanted to go to Santa Fe Farmer's market, but it was too crowded, and I just gave up. I poked around the Santa Fe plaza for a bit, took a nap in the truck and decided to go to the Mariache Extravaganza at the Santa Fe Opera. But first, I needed to do something about the cold! I purchased a sleeping bag liner at REI.

The Mariache Extravaganza was delightful -- The crowd was fun, and the performances were first rate. Some wonderful voices, including a police sergeant. I most enjoyed some original works composed by the headliner, Lupita Infante, including Serenata. My son Luke's String Project teacher Yvonne was also quite involved with Mariachi. Perhaps I will find some Mariachi music on spotify

The Santa Fe Opera itself is well worth the visit. a beautiful venue.

The mountains and valley at sunset provide the backdrop to the Mariachi Extravaganza

Off to find a camping spot! Hopefully the Sleeping bag liner will prove its worth.

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