Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Aldea Purdy

Visited a delightful sheep farm near El Guique NM yesterday, which I am calling Aldea Purdy, after the gracious lady who presides over it. We (my cousin, who went to school with her, and I) enjoyed a tour of her pastures and her herds. Her property extends down to the center of the Rio Grande River, which runs by her farm. Then we had a fascinating introduction to the techniques and the machinery for washing, carding, spinning, and dying wool yarn. All of which she does, on a small scale, right on the premises, in the designated buildings in the complex. All that wonderfulness PLUS a genuine historic adobe home to relax in over a long and chatty lunch. It was just great and a glimpse of real NM that I was very lucky to get.

Above is a loose and inaccurate composite of her backyard taken from the rear terrace, overlooking the sheep pastures on the left (note the immense cottonwoods, one of which sports a tree house), and her huge flower garden on the right. Below is a view of the living room. I enjoyed it absolutely and thoroughly.

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Aldea Purdy's immediate neighbor to the south: Seeds of Change, an organic and heirloom seed research farm

4 comments:

John Robinson said...

What a fun day! And from the look of the sky in your composite, another "bluebird" day in beautiful NM. Where was the farm located? Does she do any weaving? Say, rugs ...?

Bill said...

Not that you care, but this is my favorite thing you've done yet! How did you hook up with her? It looks beautiful.

Observe Closely said...

It WAS the coolest thing ever. No, no weaving here. Her part is the sheep-to-skein part. She supplies the wool to the weavers.

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

How do I find Aldea Purdy? Wow-what a wonderful trip you have had! A least, it seems so to me...
I guess I could ask my weaving friends. I'm sure they will know her.