New Mexico is not green, at least not the kind of green we learned to associate with living in Germany. The prevailing color is adobe brown, whether it is blowing around you in great gusts or in the colors of the Sandias. Even the houses reflect the futility of departing from an earth-toned palate, stuccoed in various shades of brown. In time, everything becomes dirt coloured. There are a few greens in carefully cultivated and irrigated yards, but past the spray of the sprinklers the most green you will see is in the sagebrush or cacti lining the open spaces
This was made obviously apparent on trek where there were no showers to be had and the only water was in containers laboriously carried in the handcarts. The wind blows the dirt everywhere and everyone acquires a layer of adobe tan which wipes off at the end of the day.
The worst was the dirt filling my hair. Even when covered by a bandanna and bonnet, the little hairs at the back of my neck became so full of dirt it was nearly impossible to get a comb through them . We got used to the grit which accompanied every meal and resigned ourselves to applying Chapstick and sunblock over the dirt layer. Perhaps the dusty layer helped block the sun, who knows. Even when water was brought up for the girls to wash their hair, the clean feeling only lasted until the next wind burst.
The simple pleasure of taking a shower once we returned home was unimaginable luxury. Such bliss to no longer be covered in the fine grit of adobe dirt!
This was made obviously apparent on trek where there were no showers to be had and the only water was in containers laboriously carried in the handcarts. The wind blows the dirt everywhere and everyone acquires a layer of adobe tan which wipes off at the end of the day.
The worst was the dirt filling my hair. Even when covered by a bandanna and bonnet, the little hairs at the back of my neck became so full of dirt it was nearly impossible to get a comb through them . We got used to the grit which accompanied every meal and resigned ourselves to applying Chapstick and sunblock over the dirt layer. Perhaps the dusty layer helped block the sun, who knows. Even when water was brought up for the girls to wash their hair, the clean feeling only lasted until the next wind burst.
The simple pleasure of taking a shower once we returned home was unimaginable luxury. Such bliss to no longer be covered in the fine grit of adobe dirt!
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