Golden

On the east side of the Sandia Mts. sits the little town of Golden, as evidenced by the golden hued Ortiz mountains to the north.  We were lucky to arrive just as the priest was locking up, so he gave us a tour.  St. Francis church was built in 1839 and was just re-stuccoed last autumn.

The entire afternoon was golden in many ways.
~ The snowy Ortiz Mts.
~ From Golden, we continued on to the small, artsy town of Madrid. I love the bronze Big Horn sheep created by artist, Jill Shwaiko. Her paintings, too, have been inspired by ancient, primitive art. I tried to add a link to her work but the message said not a secure site.