Madness in Madrid

This will be my last post for a while, my dear family and friends.

You see I'm feeling rather down in the dumps right now because my camera was stolen yesterday while I was in Santa Fe.

How can I blog without a camera? What is a blog without photos? Who'd want to read my photo-less blog?

I learned the hard way this past summer when I ran out of photo space and decided to just post links to photo slideshows on other sites. None of my faithful readers much enjoyed that, though they did care enough to stick around. So I ended up having to buy more photo storage space, because even my concerned husband wanted my photos back on my blog.

But now, without a camera, I'm out of luck....and sad.....and angry and frustrated.

I'm hurt and upset that someone stole my camera. How can they live with themselves?

I think this photo, that I took of an art sculpture in Madrid, portrays just how I feel.


So before I fade away into the Black Hole of Blogdom, I thought I'd share some photos I took while my neighbor friend, Val, and I were exploring Madrid.

This photo makes me smile. Anything involving horses makes me one happy gal, even if it's only a statue, made of metal.
Madrid, population 300, is a unique place in the "Land of Enchantment". Located on the Scenic Turquoise Trail (State Highway 14) between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, Madrid is in the mineral rich Ortiz Mountains and is the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico. (Thanks to my 'model', my handsome 11 yr old son, Jackson, for posing in the following photos)
Beginning in the early 1920's, Madrid miners lit up the winter sky with 150,000 Christmas lights powered by 500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. The power was provided by the company's own coal fed generators. Madrid's Christmas celebrations ended with W.W.II and the mines closed in the 1950's. Today, Christmas in Madrid has been revived, with main street all lit up, Christmas carolers, Santa and parades. There are many interesting and unique displays all over town that are usually decorated, but also stay up all year to explore and enjoy, too.
Many of the stores and restaurants are located in interesting and unique structures, too. Like this old train car, used as an art gallery.
It's a funky town with bikers mixing with artists, mixing with new agers. Buddhist prayer flags are a common site.
We even stopped to say a few prayers among the fluttering flags. My friend, Val really knows how to make me laugh.
Sometimes we felt like we were being watched......
Maybe there was a hidden camera placed inside this tower? Looks like the aliens have left mysterious markings on that tower for us to decipher. What do you think?

Awwww. Something to make me smile again. Isn't this beautiful?
And this just knocked my socks off. It reminds me of my painted pony, Baby Doll.


And yet again, another movie has been produced in New Mexico. This one was filmed in Madrid a couple years ago and is called Wild Hogs, starring John Travolota, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, Bill Macy, and Marissa Tome. Disney built and decorated many structures while filming, including this beautiful diner, "Maggie's".
You can read more about what filming was like from a Madrid resident's perspective.


In some cities you see graffiti. Not so with Madrid. I really like these old painted advertisements on the sides of the buildings.

We took some time out to play while in Madrid. My pal, Val, is a true child at heart. Look at that smile of joy! Don't ya just want to sing? Come on now. Join me!

"He's got the whole world, in His hands. He's got the whole wide world in His hands.....He's got a cutie named Jackson, in His hands...He's got the whole world in His hands!!"
Look! And even the natives have joined in, too. Those Kachina spirits really know how to boogey, don't they?!

But the natives in my heart are still restless and unhappy. My camera is gone. Boo Hoo.