On Tuesday, Dec 2, I was part of a fund raiser called BuY the Book at Solace Crisis and Treatment Center in Santa Fe. http://findsolace.org/ They had an auditorium stuffed with an amazing array of donated books — $1 for paperback and $2 for hardbacks. I have no
At Solace Crisis and Treatment – too many good books,not enough time
Maria Jose Rodriguez Cadiz, Director, Laura, and Ned Jacobs, a board member at Solace
near the Plaza in Santa Fe
a barely damp desert after hours of “rain” south of Santa Fe
idea how I’ll get all the books I bought back home on the plane.
Wednesday, Dec 3, I made a two-hour presentation at Solace to the monthly Multi-Disciplinary-Team – a group of professionals from various fields who work on cases involving child abuse. There were about 25 people there with such diverse areas of specialty as forensic nurse, forensic interviewers, state and local law enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Attorney General, State Prosecutor, therapists, etc. To understate the obvious, their work is demanding, draining, and vital. They are also dedicated, fascinating, funny folks.
After leaving Solace and as soon as I got out of my work clothes, Doug and I went to the Plaza in Santa Fe & just walked around. The architecture and art is delightful and at times eclectic. I love this part of the world, though it is cold (lows in the 30’s & highs 45 – 55) There’s snow on a few mountains, and we passed some ice in the shade beside a sidewalk. Santa Fe is the oldest capital in the US (founded in 1607) and at 7,000 feet it’s also the highest. Denver, though it brags about its altitude, sits at only 5,200 feet.
From Santa Fe we rode south and a bit west for 300 miles to Silver City, NM, another favorite place of mine. I’ve been out West for over a week now but my eyes remain hungry for the high desert – the 30 – 40 mile vistas, dry river beds, squatty trees, stark rock formations. We rode down through light rain that stirred the smell of desert sand. I didn’t need to run the windshield wipers full-time; I’d flick them on randomly to brush water off the windshield. When we stopped for gas, there were small water puddles on the parking lot but none in the sand. The gas station attendant said it had been raining about 12 hours and that hopefully they’d gotten a half an inch. She added, “I can’t wait for it to snow – just not cold enough yet.” We turned west off I-25 and crossed the mountains to Silver City. I look forward to walking around tomorrow and visiting with special friends, Marion and Jamie.