A Santa Fe Courtyard

Hello, all! I've been away from the blog for a bit; I apologize. The Hubby and I were visiting friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

We've come back, refreshed and renewed. And, as usual, I have a bunch of photos to bring to you.

These images were all taken within the inner courtyard of our hosts' home.

It's a gorgeous treasure box of a house, and this courtyard is the crown jewel. It's like a microcosm of Santa Fe: There are adobe walls, giant lodgepoles, and stepped-back, strong architectural shapes. There's bluish-purple sage--which grows wild all over this area--and a water feature, and a striking sculpture by a local artist.

That's sage in the foreground, above.

Four Macintosh apple trees anchor the four corners of the enclosed courtyard. Heavy with fruit that's still a little too tart yet for eating out of hand, the apples are perfect right now for a sour-apple pie:

 I spent part of one morning pitching the fallen apples over the courtyard wall, where the local critters will snack on them.

Speaking of local critters, this delicate little scorpion is dead:

It was the only way I was able to get so close and photograph its intricate, eerie beauty.

I love this shot. It's so quintessentially Santa Fe: the brilliant blue sky, the pale adobe, the strong architecture, and the natural wood:

In the center of the courtyard is an intriguing metal sculpture with a fountain at its bottom. I see faces in the middle; do you?

Echinacea flowers:

A teeny square window in the courtyard's outer wall frames the distant Sangre de Cristo range:

Under the apple trees are tall, soft grasses that sift in the breezes:

This staircase leads up to a rooftop platform, perfect for viewing the stars at night:

The courtyard entry has a handsome metal gate with hand-made knots. Inside the house, there's a coffee table with the same knotted-metal motif:

I think this is some sort of Penstemon? The honeybees and hummingbirds loved it:

As I stood taking pictures of these flowers, hummingbirds zoomed around me, battling to get the best gulp of nectar.

Here's the view across the courtyard, looking at the front door:

Hand-forged locks and handles on the doors:

Gor-Juss. Next, I'll travel out of the courtyard and show you some sights around Santa Fe. Check back here, soon!