Mountain sunrises, mountain sunsets, D.H. Lawrence's famous ranch, the art of Georgia O'Keeffe, Native American history and culture, hiking through the snow, and flat open spaces as far as the eye can see. These are just a few of the many things Martha and I enjoyed on our recent trip to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. We, of course, love the mountains. We're Highfills after all. It's who we are! And there isn't much better than browsing an old bookshop with a good cup of coffee, all hidden away in a small mountain town, finding great old classics by Fitzgerald and Wharton and even a few newer (well, circa 1980s) titles coming out of the Middle East. It was simply wonderful. Here are a few photos.

Hiking in the woods in the snow just outside Santa Fe. Beautiful!

At D.H. Lawrence's ranch north of Taos. Sort of an eerie drive up a deserted mountain road to get there. Sometimes I wonder if we are the only people who are interested in things like this. Well, I'm grateful for the University of New Mexico's initiative to keep up with these historical places. Only one incident that seemed straight from a scary movie on the way there but it is probably best to keep that memory to ourselves.

This photo was taken on the way out of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, around Eagle's Nest. In the words of the famous wilderness explorer and environmental preserver John Muir, "The mountains are calling and I must go."