The view from our hotel window, yes indeed smog! Even though it doesn't show up in this picture we can see the HOLLYWOOD sign directly across from us. The Palm trees and other flora such as Bird of Paradise flowers blooming are a treat to see. Yesterday at the convention I saw a rather large hummingbird at one of the BoP flowers, really beautiful here from what I've seen so far. I'm currently hooked up to wireless at this Hotel and amazed at how easy this MacBookPro is to use!
The Convention was to promote American Airlines flying directly to Santa Fe starting in mid-November, which is great. As for Taos, we were invited to tag along as part of a rather large Santa Fe contingent. Here's a pic of our table with my altar set up and Joannie as usual working the phone, on the plane in the airport, all business for her all the time, (I think she drives and works at the same time too, Note to Joannie: You drive to work, not work while you're driving). There were probably 125-150 people at this thing and who was who I couldn't even begin to guess. Displays set up all over the courtyard were, a Santa Fe landscape painter, a contemporary potter, (actually letting people try the pottery wheel), a massage and healing herbal remedy area, & Santa Fe cooking school producing some rather delicious food. I tried the Lamb Chop, the Corn Muffin stuffed with shrimp, the calabaceta stuffed with tomato, and the cocktail a Tequila based Chimayo(???), yum to everything and yup I do like food. Other than the food area our Taos Altar Booth was THE BEST, and we were given the best location in the courtyard, in the center directly across from the stage. The food booth had the worst location stuck in a back corner, for over 3 hours we had no idea it was even there.
Taos Pueblo musician Robert Mirabal, was so gracious and wonderful, he even gave me a hug, jeez. He does have a whole lot of CDs to choose from so what to recommend I don't really know. Not to be negative, but like the new Bob Dylan Christmas CD, DO NOT GET the Mirabal Christmas CD, get one of the others!
When I noticed NM Gov. Richardson walk in to the courtyard, I NOTICED, he has some sort of aura about him, very strange, a definite presence to the man. He gave a great speech and was super to take the time out to come to this event, wow. This is my worst pic of him, so sorry sir, but I messed up the good ones trying to get the flashed eye look out, maybe I still need some training with the Mac. Here he looks as sleepy as I was at this point, Holly turned up after her wonderful day of shopping and walking on the beach, and we packed up the altar and headed off to a nearby Sushi Bar, good but not as good as Sushi by Hattorri back in Taos believe it or not, BELIEVE IT, the Taos sushi bar is better by leaps and bounds. Same on you LA Sushi! then we headed for desert at a another nearby restaurant which RC Israel highly recommended for a special desert which yes Holly ate and loved it, I opted for the traditional Tiramisu and an espresso. So far so good LA, just a bit of a let down on the sushi thing but traffic-wise rather like Chicago, very wide highways full of cars, sometimes moving along at a clip and sometimes slowly.