Chapter two- the signs

Back in Santa Fe, this time for real life- or what passes for real life in my sphere of being these days. I rented a condo for a year and will be here till January, when I need to go back home to teach spring semester. And since I've been talking about moving out west for years, and coming to Santa Fe for at least 15 years, I figured it was as good a time as any to spend more time here.

A friend of a friend was offering this place to rent. It's in a great location near the railyard, where the farmer's market, Site Santa Fe and a number of galleries are. It's also an easy walk to the Plaza. Not sure if I feel okay walking home at night, though- no one else does except the drug dealers. Yes, there are drug dealers in Santa Fe. Anyway, it was being used as an art studio by the owner, but it's really a large 1BR 1.5 Bath apartment with two patios. So I figured I could work and live here. So far, my second day here, I'm far from being settled and organized, but that will come. First I have to clean it better and get rid of the dead flies. I did not leave dead flies in my apartment for my subtenant.

It is so odd the way people show up when you don't expect, and how Santa Fe seems to create a vortex of those experiences. Hours after I arrived, I was getting into my car when a woman walked by with a dog that started barking at me. I looked over and the woman said, "Donna!" It was Eileen Torpey, a woman I know from grad school who lives here, and whom I've been in touch with, but not recently. She happened to be walking along the "river" (it's really just a tiny stream at this point) which is behind my place. I also ran into a woman who owns a gallery in the little town of Madrid in Target- she had been sitting a seat away from me on the flight out here. I was so excited to see someone I knew that I gave her a little hug, and she laughed.

However, last night I went to an opening of a group show because someone I had met at open studios this summer had a piece in it. I talked to him, but didn't see anyone else I know, except for the guy who works at the art supply store. I kept in mind Jackie Battenfield's advice to talk to at least four people at any opening you go to and I forced myself to say a few things to people I was standing next to, looking at the art. But no one continued the conversation. In fact one woman looked at me like I had two heads. Slightly discouraging, but it's early in my stay.

I loved the double rainbow I saw as I came out of (of course) a natural food store. It had just started to rain and I took a few photos with my phone. As I drove, it looked like I would drive right below it, as if it was the St. Louis arch. Could there be a more perfect sign than a rainbow my first day?