It finally cooled down here in Ghost Ranch. The temperature hit at least 100 a couple of days ago (that’s what the thermometer in my car said, although someone today told me that a meteorologist here told her it hit 106). At this altitude (around 6,000 feet) the air is thin and the sun deadly. Rain came from thunderclouds that appeared in the late afternoon, and now a pattern is starting to form. Cool mornings, the day’s high reaching somewhere in the low 80s, then thunderheads in the late afternoon and light showers before dinner.
Last night’s talent show was one of the highlights of the week. I was telling someone it can start to feel homogenous here at Ghost Ranch. People of a certain age, many Presbyterians, many married couples. But the Coffee House, which is what the talent show is called, is where everyone else shows up. Transgendered, gay, single, Latino, young. Creative people of every stripe and age. I’ll post the poetry of one writer in the coming days.
Today I took time off from painting to visit with my in-laws, who came for the day, and to take Em swimming. We also went to watch Dee do the high ropes course. I’m afraid of heights, so it was awesome watching Dee walk a high wire that looked at least three stories and maybe four high, scramble up the climbing wall, and as a finale climb up a 50-foot telephone pole for something called the “Leap of Faith.” She didn’t jump once she got to the top; she ended up looking down and then had to talk herself in to continuing on. She sat on the very top and then finally grabbed her rope and half slid-half jumped off. But man, I couldn’t even imagine giving it a try. I’m so proud of her!
Most days I’m painting all day long. I can hardly pull myself away from the work I’m doing. Painting with other artists, too, is powerful. We mostly sit without talking, although every now and then quiet conversations take place among different people in the class. Several folks spend all their free time painting in the workshop space, even though they could be out hiking or taking side trips or even resting. It’s a dedicated group. In fact, I bet they’re up at the studio painting right now, which I’d be doing, too, except I have three girls asleep in the room (one for a “sleepover”) and I figure I’d better get to bed myself.
-Related to post A Taste Of Ghost Ranch, NM
redravine.wordpress.com 
Sounds like quite a day at the Ranch. Creativity all around! I made it to ABQ without a hitch. Seems kind of muggy for New Mexico. Tired, more like beat. I noticed the city lights through the night air were very crisp when we landed. And when I left Minneapolis, there was a thick, humid fog over the Twin Cities. The sunset was beautiful from the air. I was on the eastern side of the plane. Keep painting, painting, painting! It’s a huge gift to give this to yourself – the gift of time.
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Yep, it’s been muggy. Hopefully due to the beginning of the monsoon season.
Glad you made it safely to NM. Hope to hear from you while you’re up north, but your first priority is the workshop. Only post if you truly have free time!!
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“The meaning of a word — to me — is not as exact as the meaning of a color. Colors and shapes make more definite statements than words.” — Georgia O’Keeffe (1976)
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Interesting quote, sharonimo, and it just now struck me this connection to something that’s been percolating inside me that I’d like to do a post on. This notion of words versus colors/shapes, writing versus painting/art. It’s obviously not always either/or, but right now it seems that way to me personally.
Thanks for the quote – it has special meaning to me right now.
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You’re welcome yb. I’m fascinated by color and envious of your ability to work with it.
This summer here in DC is a fascinating project with color — check it out: http://www.washington.org/colorfieldremix/
Entire streets have been painted, etc. Anyway, I’ve often wished that our faces would turn the color of our moods (like mood rings) so we wouldn’t have to always explain ourselves.
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Color Field Remix is a gorgeous website. Definitely worth the click.
I like the idea of mood ring faces. I wonder if that’s anything like auras. A friend of mine once worked with me to read auras, and for a day I was able to do so. Not since, though.
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[…] international travel, but whisking them away, the three of us sans Daddy. I’ve taken them to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, where we tried unsuccessfully to put up a tent in the wind and ended up walking into […]
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