Worm Farm Fun

When Isaac found out that my grandparents had sent Grams a worm farm he hoped with all his might that it would arrive before we had to leave. Lo and behold, it came and he was there to help build it. Who knew that shredding paper and moving worms from my mom's compost pile into her new fancy worm farm would be so exciting to him, but it was one of the highlights of the trip! Had to capture the moment...so here they are shredding newspaper for one of the layers of the farm. Good times to be had by all!

Horseback Riding

Before horseback riding, we drove up to the ski valley in Taos to catch our ride to Big Al's camp at 10,000 feet in his truck nicknamed the Popemobile since the back is plexiglassed in and looks like whatever you call the thing the Pope rides around in. The dirt road up wasn't so smooth and it was cool and windy when we got there. Before we got our run-down on how to work with the horses we took in the awesome view. This picture of Grams shows me a woman in her element!


Next up we got trained on the wooden horses by the man himself, Big Al. Needless to say, though we wore our fleeces, we were more than happy to borrow the extra jackets they had available! Chilly and uber windy! Although Isaac was a little too young to ride alone, Big Al still taught him how to maneuver the horse--he rode in a kids saddle behind Big Al. Once we'd made our way through the trails, seen the view and enjoyed our ride, we headed back to camp for a

snack. There, Big Al let Isaac take a ride, led by Big Al, around the camp so he could practice what he'd learned on the wooden horse and ride "alone." Not sure how much he enjoyed himself, he may have been too cold to get full enjoyment at the time. But I know it will be a memory he keeps.

Blokus

While visiting Isaac, Grams and I were able to do lots of fun stuff. For Isaac it was great to be out in basically the middle of nowhere and be able to explore and go on adventures around the house alone (as long as he could hear us when we called). He set up a rope and swung across the acequias, explored, found sticks and rocks, and went for several days without needing much from me or my mom. But we also roasted marshmallows, played Blokus, went for a few walks, went swimming in town and went horseback riding starting at 10,000 feet--I'll get to that in the next post--as well as built a worm farm--also forthcoming. It was a wonderful time for all, except the flat tire on the way there that I changed at 11 at night in a gas station while 3 sheriffs loitered outside the convenience store chatting. Thanks dad for teaching me how to change my tire, those sheriffs weren't so good at "serving and protecting."

A Woman and Her Dog

My mom has long been waiting for the right time to get a dog. They are the most amazing companions; loyal, loving, kind and understanding. Along with her wonderful home came a truly amazing and wonderful dog. Tango is polite, mannered, quiet and independent, but is learning to love having a devoted person to hang out with. Her fur is, well, always in a tangle, hence her nickname Tangle.
She is a real beauty and I know one of the many pluses in my Smojer's world these days. Thanks Tango!

Smoje's Taos Home

Okay, I have been the biggest slacker at blogging. My apologies. Back in June, Isaac and I took a drive to visit my mom at her new place in Taos. For any of you who know her, you will look and see that if there is any place she should be, this is *it*! The first photograph shows her stone and wood cabin--yes, it's there tucked away behind the trees. There is an amazing view of the mountains behind her home, dirt roads and elk trails to walk on, neighbors with all kinds of cool animals, including yaks. There are also asequias (not sure how to spell that) running through the area--neatly dug waterways that control water run-off from the mountains.
To the front of the house you look out over the mesa, which is what is pictured to the right. It is a beautiful spot at the end of a dirt road, on the outskirts of a little town, fits my momma to a "T."