Nambé Beauty
If you get the chance to drive NM 503 through Nambé on the High Road to Taos, you will be awestruck by the sublime beauty of the rolling piñon and juniper studded hills surrounding you. Also, you will have a wonderful vantage point from which to witness the upper Rio Grande valley nestled between the Sangre de Christo mountains to your east, and the Jémez mountains to your west. Seeing thunderstorms sweep across the valley, or immense 360-degree sunsets from here have been some of my most memorable experiences in life.
I've seen this area hundreds of times, as it's my preferred route between Chimayó, where my parents live, and Santa Fe. This afternoon did not scream "TURNER SKY!!!" like a big pink sunset might have, but it did strike a chord of gratitude from me just for the fact that the space is still open and preserved from development, and is still fairly protected from the scars of 4x4 and ATV tracks.
Alas, not all of the locals share my reverence for the beauty of this open space, as evidenced by illegal trash dumping (despite the availability of a transfer station nearby). This is something that has always angered me, yet I cannot find a better way to combat it than to share my own appreciation for natural, un-marred beauty through my photography in hopes that recognition and respect for it's value might catch on.
In the Fall, the Arroyos get a burst of color from the Chamisa plants that line their sandy edges.
In the winter, the yellows give way to blues and deep greens, as well as the occasional snow white powdering.
Sometimes when there is a summer storm flying through, the rain will fall gently from the clouds. In the afternoon or evening the sky to the west might open up for a moment to create a rainbow, or at least a piece of one...
I'm sure you can see why I feel so strongly about preserving this open space, which is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Hopefully, it will someday be designated as a protected wilderness.
~Amadeus
