Early 1800's wagon 
Crumbling buttress with front and north wall.
The first meaningful snow is a delight. It cloaks the landscape
in a soft pillow of muted sound and heaviness. We woke to
three inches of wet fluff Wednesday morning, and I was compelled to photograph the
late fall marvel at two historic locations nearby. A scant half mile south of
Casa Immel resides the Hacienda de Los Martinez, the northern most grand hacienda
in New Mexico. Built in1804 the sprawling Hacienda is a robust symbol of Spanish
colonization with a rich history to tell. The snow fell lightly, and wet puffs clung
to the moist earth, the wagon and the canales. The stone body of the front facing northern
buttress had given way to the elements. The Hacienda was in
grave need of a fresh coat of mud and straw so I figured the cash strapped Taos
Historic Museums couldn’t afford its annual mudding or enjarre.
Buttress and long side wall. 
Canal #1 
Canal #2
The 21 room Hacienda was constructed as a fortress to repel Comanche and Apache raiders. It had two inner courtyards or placitas where the livestock were kept during attacks.
Next week I’ll visit historic San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos two more miles down NM 240.
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1 comment:
Nice celebration of the season's first snow, which is always special. The first two images are particularly rich and telling. Snow inspires, and your blog today reflects that! Thanks for heading out into the snow to capture them, Esteban!
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