today was the gay pride parade in taos. it was only my 2nd gay pride parade, i always seem to miss them or they are not available to me. my first pride parade with my brother and chris in philly, a huge one:) im very proud of this little town for being progressive, for being inclusive and for being human.
i am also so proud of my brother and chris. my brother is gay and ive never been ashamed to say that. he is and has always been a big role model to me and he gave our family the gift of finding tolerance. i have always looked up to him for his courage, and love him very much for teaching me about being yourself. happy gay pride, bro.
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so it is august and i have still not found a house to buy. the earthship i came here to buy fell off the market a day before i was ready to make an offer. this may have been a good thing, as taos might have indicated to me that this is not the right place for me to invest in real estate. i love this part of the country and have spent two months looking all over the surrounding areas , from pueblo to ABQ and nothing has motivated or grabbed me.
today my direction is to hold onto the money, pay the taxes and enjoy taos through the winter. there seems to be rumored a bigger buying market for art coming through town in september and i'm ready for that. i have however quit holding the studio open and am only available by appointment, or when my door is open. the art market (buying) is not what i had hoped it would be, and from talk around the town it hasn't been for some time. so with selling art as no longer the focus, i will be dialing it down and making a push to finish writing at least one of the books i have started. a part time job is in the horizon, along with some deep reflection on what may be next. taos is a magical place, come visit me while you can:) and stay tuned for the re-write of "my life with woman" p little red found a new friend today...water:) we took another road trip north and every time, there and back, we explore different places together. last drive i took her to a lake but it didn't grab her. today she loved the water, never going all the way in, or trying to swim, but played in it like a little kid just discovering water and was thrilled. the view wasn't too bad either, southern colorado drives are rockin so far. been road tripping to colorado a bit lately... looking at buildings. something i've always wanted since getting a taste in rochester, ny, is to rehab an old building. today the only towns someone like me can afford to do such a thing, is a small one:) walsenburg, co has a population of 4,000, and like many cities it has a depressed downtown with lots of vacation traffic and regulars to look at antiques. there are a few hippies and artists hanging around because it is cheap. not only is it inexpensive, it is in a beautiful part of the country, at the base of the spanish peaks in southern co. walsenburg is right off interstate 25, 130 miles south of denver, and on the path to durango and wolf creek. this could be a big investment opportunity if my foresight is correct?? and if not i have a big studio and maybe a space for future business endeavors?? went on a hike with red today, her inaugural i'm almost sure... first with me at least:) and as with everything thus far, she was perfect. red seemed to have a smile on her face the whole time. i must have attracted some karma my way, while taking care of my old boy tex for 2 years, to deserve such a sweet pup. as always the views on the west rim trail are inspiring and give you a great platform to think, relax and enjoy what is in front of you. its nice to have a hiking partner again.... red rocks. cloudy taos is just about as beautiful as sunny taos, for sure. it rained on and off today, here in the mountains and most of the things i had on my schedule were outside projects. so one adapts... one beer, yoga, a bike ride thru the town looking at the clouds, and two beers a dozen:) tomorrow the howell creative is officially open, i open the doors from 12 to 6, which really doesn't change my day much except i'm locked into the studio. hoepfully i can drag some folks off the street and back to the studio? its been a fun start up, and i've had some great support already. tonight a toast to my last night of unemployment... cheers taos. great day on kit carson road and in the park... old truck show that i missed:) bikers a plenty and a rumor that jack nicholson was in town and going to be on a bike, for dennis hopper night. no spotting and later we heard that he was in a car, which makes sense at 80 years old. the damn band played in the plaza and me and my two beautiful friends listened from the roof top, ending the evening with easy rider on netflix:) two snows this month in taos, but always sun:) don't think you'll hear me complain much about the weather. there are always good things to look at around here. today there are tons of people walking around town for the lilac festivals... to bad the snows froze out the buds and we have no lilacs!! later today there will be a swarm of motor cyclists for the dennis hooper day, memorial.... camera is charged and ready. it is the one week count down for me, and if i can get the sign makers to get in gear, im all set to open. i may have a soft opening (keg of beer) this weekend, and have a grand opening in june. fingers crossed on this endeavor, stay tuned. one of the unexpected joys i have been getting out of taos, is being on the bike at least once a day. its flatter here so i get out on more hard rides, and living down just tempts you all day to be out on the cruiser. today i took the long way on the cruiser to get some paint. the west side of town has some groovy views and the traffic is nil. reminds me of a good ole church hollar ride with my boonies. if you come and visit, bring your bike it is one of the better ways to see taos, and its all you need downtown. thanks to all of you who participated in brainstorming for the name of my new studio. as i said, the name is right above the door so it was probably a no brainer, plus the initials remind me of the high country (THC)... done deal:) spent my first night here last night and awoke to 3 inches of snow. i decided it was a great day to get started on the hanging and organizing.... something that never stops if you know me:) the loft lacks a bit of storage but thats a great exercise in minimalism. also my couch is not in the space, for i cannot move it solo, so ill wait till i make a friend:) i have a month and a half until i open. lots of landscaping, painting and framing some photos will keep me busy. loving everything so far and i hope all of you will come and visit this groovy spot and town. taos baby!! |
authorrobinson payne archives
September 2018
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