Hardwired

Ghost Ranch

New Mexico Book Settings: Abiquiú

As you near Abiquiú you enter a landscape rich with vast vistas, multicolored sandstone canyons with towering red and yellow cliffs that soar to fifteen hundred feet, and rocky, table-topped mesas in sharp contrast to the lush grasslands and the waters of the Rio Chama, a major tributary of the Rio Grande. It’s no wonder famous artist Georgia O’Keeffe fell in love with the land. The village will make its debut appearance in CLON-X  book four in the Darcy McClain and Bullet Thriller Series.

I first set foot in Abiquiú in 1986 and was instantly captivated with the desert landscape, and my love for the region has never waned. The town is located eighteen miles north of Española on a terraced, rocky mesa at an elevation of over six thousand feet and overlooks the Rio Chama. The Abiquiú Genízaro Land Grant was given to the Spaniards and the genízaros (Native American slaves) jointly, and is one of the last Spanish-American community grants still functioning and owned by the residents. Photo: Bed and Breakfast in Abiquiú.

Abiquiú was the gateway for pioneers headed west on the Old Spanish Trail, the historic trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements of Santa Fe to those of Los Angeles and southern California: seven hundred miles of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons, and one of the most arduous pack-train routes in the entire United States—an exhausting eighty-six-day trek. In the 1750s a new church, Santo Tomas El Apostal Church, and a convent were begun. Upon completion in the 1770s, the community was placed under the spiritual ministry of the Franciscan friars.

Santo Tomas El Apostal Church on the Abiquiu Plaza,

In and around Abiquiú are several interesting attractions, something for almost everyone. Abiquiú Lake, a reservoir, was created by damming the waters of the Rio Chama. The recreation area is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the activities include camping, hiking, swimming, boating, and fishing.

Prefer seclusion? Then head for the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, a Benedictine monastery set amid miles of undisturbed wilderness. Their guesthouses and ranch houses are available for a two-day, two-night minimum stay with a suggested donation of ninety dollars per night. Meals are simple and mostly vegetarian fare, and are shared with the monks in the refectory. All meals are enjoyed in silence, except during table readings by the monks.

Since water sports and solitude weren’t on my agenda for the day, but photography certainly was, I drove to the Echo amphitheater, about four miles up the road from Ghost Ranch, only to discover that the natural amphitheater was closed due to filming of Hostiles, a frontier epic. Disappointed, I motored back to Ghost Ranch where the film crew had set up camp, but the ranch was open to tourism, so we stopped to take photos and enjoy the scenery.

Ghost Ranch was part of the Piedra Lumbre Land Grant given to Pedro Martin Serrano from the King of Spain in 1766. When cattle rustlers started hiding their stolen cattle in the box canyons, they discouraged nosy neighbors by spreading rumors that the land was haunted by evil spirits. Rancho de los Brujos (Ranch of the Witches) evolved into Ghost Ranch. In 1936, Arthur Pack, publisher of Nature magazine, bought the ranch. Today, most people associate it with Georgia O’Keeffe.

 

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A Southwest Glossary: Architectural Terms N to V

Last year, my readership asked me to devote several posts to a glossary of terms used in Brainwash and Gadgets. Most are specific to the southwestern region of the  United States. I’ve also added a few terms that will appear in CLON-X as Darcy and Rio will return to New Mexico to resolve some unfinished business.

The glossary gives a description of each term and includes a photo(s) for easy identification. I also plan to do a photo blog series showing the exact locations chosen for certain scenes in the novels—for example, the crime scene in the arroyo on Darcy’s land in Taos (Brainwash). The glossary will be divided into three parts: architectural, geographical, and a flora/fauna/miscellaneous terms.

Nicho
Wall niches (recesses), usually arched or rectangular, used to display artwork, photographs, shrines, or santos (religious artworks). See also santo.

Parapet
A low wall that extends above the roofline in pueblo-style architecture and often masks a slightly pitched flat roof. See also flat roof and cricket in last week’s post.

Portál 
Attached, covered porch supported by posts and corbels, the perfect place to watch the sunrise over Taos Mountain or the sunset over Pedernal Mountain. Or you can simply marvel at the flights of hummingbirds zooming back and forth to your feeders.

Saltillo Tile
Terracotta tiles made in Saltillo, Mexico. Used indoors and outdoors for flooring, patios, and wall applications. If laid outdoors, the tiles should be sealed to protect against the weather. Shown on a bathroom floor and wall at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiú, New Mexico.

Santo
The Spanish word santo means “saint” as a noun and “holy” as an adjective. Santos are various religious symbols such as statues of saints, angels, or the Virgin Mary. Photo is a nicho displaying a santo and the framed in talavera tiles. See also nicho.

Talavera 
Colorful hand-decorated Mexican earthenware tiles used for countertops, trim, and backsplashes. The patterns are also available in sinks as well as drawer knobs and cabinet pulls.

Viga
Round log used as ceiling beams, either shaved or raw (debarked). Can be used indoors or outdoors. Indoors, see latillas in last week’s post A Southwest Glossary: Architectural Terms—A to L

 

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