Posts Tagged With: Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Saturday, Dec. 21 Santa Fe

Apple’s version of Skype (FaceTime) provided us with the opportunity to have a video conversation with both Sarah and Sarah and with Deb and Rebecca this morning. Technology can be wonderful, makes the conversation feel much more personal.

Cookie Time!

The day’s activities did not really get under way until Jude returned from the airport with Bernie and Tony. The morning was cookie baking and house cleaning. Chris and I moved out of Jude’s guest room for Bernie and Tony. After all, they had decided before we did to have Christmas in Santa Fe. We checked in to the Courtyard Santa Fe.

Our primary destination was to go to the Children’s Museum. There was to be a demonstration of “flying farolitos”. These are luminaries that are supposed to float into the air.

Labyrinth and snowflakes

As we understood it, there would be these brown paper bags somehow constructed with a frame and a votive candle flying up into the air. Despite what seemed like a potential fire hazard, it was something unique to Santa Fe and we thought we should make an effort to see it.

Drumming at the bonfire

Well,it was so unique it did not happen. Evidently the Children’s Museum applied for the permit to do this but the permit was denied. So, we toured the grounds that were lit up with farolitos (luminaria, luminaires, depending on your spelling) into a labyrinth, around a group drumming by a bonfire, leading to a story telling area, etc. It gave us all a chance to re-live our younger days from so, so long ago.

At the Children’s Museum

The weather was in the 20s with light snow flurries, making the night seem more like Christmas. The flurries did cause some difficulties with the farolitos, extinguishing the votive candles in some of them.

Our next stop was the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. This is a new endeavor in Santa Fe. Their first plantings were this summer and they had a “Glow Walk”. It was not as elaborate as other Christmas lighting displays we have seen but like the Children’s Museum, it offered bonfires to warm oneself and an accordion player.

Santa Fe Botanical Garden accordion player with Bernie and Tony

For a description and a picture of flying farolitos, see:
http://innonthealameda.com/2010/12/the-canyon-road-farolito-walk/

Ed and Chris Dec. 21st, 10 pm