Waiting for Sandy ;-}

I thought maybe Sandy was going to be the next to post on this blog, but time and the river run on ... ;-}

We took in the Caroline Herring concert at the Opera House in Piños Altos Saturday night. She's from Mississippi by way of Texas and Georgia, and shared a lot of insights she gained from doing folk music research in the rural areas of Mississippi.

She made a couple of comments about the altitude and needing oxygen (Slaid Cleaves made similar remarks). I learned later from a Mimbres Region Arts Council staffer that they actually do have an oxygen bottle backstage for performers who aren't used to the 7,000-foot elevation. Seems odd for me, having moved here from 7,200 feet. Good thing those folks aren't booking into Silverton, Telluride or Leadville!

Yesterday morning was the second session of my Western Institute of Lifelong Learning class on Landscaping with Native Plants. It was a field trip and we were allowed to bring friends, so my BFF Sandy and I had a nice walk around a section of Silver City that has several parks and parking lots landscaped with drought-tolerant plants, mostly native. It was a wonderfully warm morning and the explanations by Trish of Lone Mountain Nursery were very helpful.

Followed by lunch at the Curious Kumquat. I know, it's a strange name and we were a bit hesitant about it ... it's now our favorite lunch spot. Always good, and often with unusual combinations of ingredients. And the desserts are ALWAYS scrumptious (and usually VERY chocolatey).

By the time we got done with all of that, plus going to Albertson's to take advantage of the 10% discount they offer senior citizens on the first Wednesday of the month, we called it a day and stayed in to watch American Idol last night (instead of taking in a musical duo at Yankie Creek Coffee House and then trivia at Isaac's). After all, we're retired! tv