Only from living in New Mexico have I learned to appreciate damp, overcast skies. That’s because there usually aren’t any, so when it happens, you wake up: “Wow, feel that! Smell that!”
( I honestly can’t remember the last time it rained enough to “connect the dots” on the flagstones. A couple of months ago? Six weeks, for sure, and that’s hardly any time at all.)
This morning I drove into town before the rain began. I was wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt from Hawaii, and a white gimme cap. With my camera bag slung over my shoulder, I looked like a tourist, except for the pony tail. But I blended right in with them, and they were there, too, most of them a little older than me, but close. I have to say, though, that when it comes to American retirees these days, any physical upheaval would clear the decks real fast. Compared to these guys, I was almost svelte!—made me feel good, frankly, like it’s never too late.
Everything smells different when it’s wet. The diesel fumes from passing semis turned downtown Taos Euro-esque, except this can’t be anywhere but here. Kit Carson’s house is just up the street in the photo above. That just slays me. Rain does strange things to people here, too. I went to the hardware store and bought Gorilla Glue, plastic gloves, and TWO brooms. In a little shop on the plaza, I bought a bag of pecan divinity—when have I ever done that?—and on the way home, I picked up a gallon of milk and a rose, spending every last cent I had.
Back in Llano Quemado, it rained all afternoon. All I could do was look at the rain and then take a nap. (On a cool, rainy afternoon with no one around, how can you not take a nap?) When I woke up and walked out to get the mail, it was raining hard. I took a garden hoe with me, so I could hack diversion ditches in the road and kill the runoff down the driveway. Afterwards as I stood there in the living room, shaking the water off the storage unit bill, I spied the cat sleeping on a different sofa: her winter position… That made me check: yup, four years ago on this date, there was snow on Taos Mountain.
Not this year, though, not yet.
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Its cloudy here today, too. No rain yet and temps still summerish. A “cold front” is supposed to arrive Sunday with temps all the way down to 75! I am SOOOO ready for fall but can wait awhile for winter.
I love the smell of the fresh wet sagebrush after it rains here. There’s nothing else like it.
Beth in Taos
yes it is very strange…i can only recall 2 days in 4 months that i’ve been here that the skies have been overcast,and with the mountains hidden in clouds it looks like anyplace usa….can’t wait for winter thought even though i pretty much hate snow …i think this year will be different though