Today was our last full day in Santa Fe… We spent the mornign helping around the gardens. I helped clean up the patio from the leave litter we’d made, while die worked with becky in the garden with becky. 

   We  dropped Max off at Make Santa Fe, the makerspace that Max sometimes uses. Today he was meeitng with his mentee (is that really a word ? protégée ?) Olvie. She’s a super creative high school junior who’s learning  cad , and animation. we saw some of her projects.. totally amazing. she crocheted Max a virus !

it was great seeing how Make wsi layed out.. they have soem amazing metal and pottery shops.. including a 3d printer that prints in porceline !

they also have an annual power tool race.. ehre’s one of the vehicles. 

they have a small electronics shop too.

As soon as max was done with his mentoring  we picked him up and headed upp past 10000 waves to Chamisa canyon.. it was a spectacuar hike.. We foudn a great spsirit circle for a Samstone .. 
There was the most amazing sunset, too 

We ended the day.. and our visit by wlkign up to Tuneup for an ealry and delicisons dinner. Its one of our favorite places.. CHeck out this ICE poster

Its been such a great visit. Max and Becky have been great hosts.. its been really nice being with them.> 

we’ll all be together in a few weeks.. which is nice

Now.. eading home early tomorrow

nite all, nite sam
-me

reat day with Max and Becky.. Dane and I woke early and walked down to the railyard. to the saturday market.  .. the produce and art were so beutiful.. lots of amazing mushrooms. I[v enever seen anything like this.. except in Max”s basement. 

We then headed over to max and beckys .. we whelped them out in their garden for most of the day.. We hlped them redo their compost pit yesterday.. today we helped them clea.   n up leaves in their yard to fill it.. . 

Later on diane when and helped becky prepare her beds at the community garden nearby..  .. they weaded and mulched. Its a really nice set of raised beds,. I think Becky is slowly taking it over one bed at a time. They are lucky to have her 

There was the sweetest puppy at the huse next to the community garden. His name is Midas… super cute. 

Meanwhile max finished up spackling the new glass block window that max and becky designed. I’m forever impressed  with how they take stuff like this on.. they are amqzing. 

We had a nice dinner finishing off leftovers.. .. and editing food packages 🙂  

and tryign on the masks that Max and becky had made for halloween 

we ended with game of code words.. never played it before. love it now

I think we all needed a peaceful day like this.. 
so nice to be here with max and becky

nite all, nite sam
-me

We did  a different take on BlackFriday.. no shopping.

we did take  a couple of walks  and hung out in a playground.. 

we also played with checkiens and picked potatoes 

Then took a hike at the Hondo reserve .. super beautiful

then stopped at the vet for some meds for violet

then back hoem for another great southwestern meal from Maria’s , one of our favorites

I love this great AI enhancement danny did of the family photo we took. The prompt was something like: “give everyone beards like john’s !”

then it was time to say goodbye to all the Neals.. 

it’s been great being with them . We really enjoy them !

Hope you all enjoyed your black friday as well !

nite all, nite sam
-me

We took a nice walk around town this morning as we waited for everyoen to wake up and get to max and beckys. We are really enjoying the weather and the light !

When we all got together.. we went on a nice walk in the dog park.. 

the rest of the day was about gettign ready for dinner. Max cooked the turkey  while becky and diane saw to all the other dishes. It was  southwestern themed thanksgiving with dishes for vegitarians, non -dairy peopke, gluten free people, non alchohol drinking people.. and just people 🙂 

here’s what I remember of the menu:
Beckys fresh  garden salsa and chips 
Southwest rubbed brined turkey by max
vegitarian blue corn stuffing 
blue corn muffins
multple gravies including mole turkey gravey, anchau red peper veggitarian gravy
cranberry slaw with onions
thanksgiving style cranberies
mashed potatoes from Beckys gardens
vegitarian enchilada pie with fresh garden veggies 
fresh slaad from the garden
squash and onion  stew
fresh wax and string beans from the garden 
really hot green chile sauce (hot even for me 🙂 
non-alcholi based mocktai of pomegranite and fresh prickly pear that becky and match had harvested all aroudn their neighborhood (from danny)

i’m sure i’m missing some stuff.. 

It was alll soooooo delicious. even these stuff . I got told be the meat eaters that max’s turkey was awesome.. and the only southwest style turkey they’d ever had.  

After dinner, diane gave the girls some little presents shed found in portland.  there was a dragon fly finger puppet  and a dragon fly cape for Vivian and a really cool crinkly noise make for jules.. 

then for dessert max had spent last night perfecting a non dairy pumpkin ice cream with non dairy whipped cream served on a bed of crumbs made from soem frozen vermont apple cider donuts that max had brought back on is last trip to vermont  That was paired with the gluten free green chile apple pie that Diane,. Max and Ihad picked up yesterday from Choclate Maven  

At about 8, the Neils gathered up and went home, while diane, max, becky and Iwalked across the steet to their house to watch a movie (guillermo del torres Frankenstein for the 2nd time _ 

vilet decided to use me as a pillow which was really nice !

great day. We missed every body who couldnt be here. MWe missed Gabe.. he made a good call to keep workign in Portland on an impossible paper deadline..before a planned trip to Germany to sscope it out..

of couse we missed Sam as we have done now for 19 years

We do have much to be thankful  for. and think about it every day.  Today especually Ispent time thinign about all the goodness and love in my/our lives 
 
Hope anyone reading this had a good and reflective day as well. 

nite all, nite sam
-me