Collectors Corner! Ed Sandoval's Newsletter (Taos, NM)

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Collectors Corner!

Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter

119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571

www.edsandovalgallery.com

edsandovalart@gmail.com

(575) 770-6360

What Was Once Lost Is Found Again

In the early 1990's, I had a horse named "Imaboy" or something odd like that. Beautiful – half Quarter Horse and half Arabian. I kept him in a field near Espanola because it was during my construction days, and I was constantly going back and forth on the high road and to Los Alamos and Taos. I'd often stop at the field, load him up and take him riding. I eventually changed his name to St. Anthony, and that's where this story begins...

Me & My Grandchild, Jordan, on St. Anthony

Me with St. Anthony

One October, in hunting season, he went missing. The fence wasn't damaged and he was not a horse to try to escape. I knew someone rounded him up and stole him. Furious, I put "Lost" ads in papers and flyers about my missing horse in every town within 100 miles. My mom was just as upset as I was. Being a good Catholic, she decided to light candles and pray to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things, for his safe return. Months went by...

Finally, around March of the next year, I got a strange phone call. The caller, who never gave his name, said, "I think I saw your horse around Penasco, up on a hillside above the village." He hung up – Click. Penasco is about an hour and a half by car from where he was snatched! I hitched my horse trailer to my truck and headed out immediately.

I searched for a long time in an open range area that's high up in the mountains, and I finally found him. He recognized me and came right over! He seemed very happy to see me, especially as he had been living on his own all winter in that wilderness. He was skinny, but overall he seemed okay. I loaded him up and took him home.

I know the person(s) stole him for hunting season, and afterwards they let him loose in the woods to fend for himself. Creeps! I truly despise thieves, especially when they endanger an animal. Luckily, mom got St. Anthony on the case, he delivered and I thought it was only fair to rename my horse after him. Thank you St. Anthony!

My Mom Learning to Ride on St. Anthony

Somewhat recently, I had another occasion to think about St. Anthony. We had finished our house south of Taos but hadn't moved in yet. Eager to get settled, I brought a prized possession to the house: a stained glass window of "El Viejito" that my friend Dave made. Gwen raised her eyebrow, the way Spock did on Star Trek, and said, "The lock is busted, and the door is often wide open. Someone has been coming in. You shouldn't leave that here." As a guy and an artist, not believing anything negative could EVER happen (LOL), I dismissively said, "Naaahhhh... It's fine. Nobody is going to take it."

El Viejito Stained Glass - Over 46" Tall

Famous last words. Sure enough, in a few days it was gone, along with a wrought iron fireplace cleaning set. Again, I was furious and took out "Reward" ads (with photos) in newspapers around northern NM. I thought that if I made this item "too hot" to handle, the thief would try to collect the reward or ditch it. After all, it's pretty recognizable.

Another anonymous phone call: "How much is the reward?" I said, "$500." He replied, "Not enough." Click.

Here's where things start getting weird. A guy who was part of the crew that built the house called me. He said he saw it at a drug dealer's house and that it had been traded for some cocaine. He offered to be the "go between" and negotiate the return of the item, all for the bargain price of $250 for him and $750 for the dealer who was holding it hostage. Uhhh... $1,000??? No.

Gwen's eyebrow went up again. She shook her head and said, "Absolutely not. I bet he's the one who stole it, and this reeks of manipulation and an obvious con job." Agreed! This guy had always been shifty, and the whole conversation was just ridiculous. It made sense that he was holding onto the stained glass and pretending someone else had stolen it to get lots of reward money while playing the role of an innocent good Samaritan. No thanks!

I decided to give up and move on - it was extremely unlikely I'd ever see it again. Dave took pity on my plight and made a new stained glass El Viejito! It is absolutely beautiful, with a turquoise sky, brownish green mountains and sage colored grass. LOVE IT!

A year later, a woman came into the gallery. She said, "I was walking my dog in a field near my house, and I found your stained glass window." What??? To be truthful, I didn't believe her. I was so jaded by this point that I expected some new scam. I asked if she could bring it in, not expecting that she would. The next day, there she was with it in tow.

What in the world happened? The wood was in great shape – it had been stored inside (not exposed to the elements) – but several pieces of the stained glass were cracked or missing, like it had fallen over onto a floor at some point. Was it too recognizable to pawn, too much heat, so the thief finally decided to get rid of it? I have no idea...but was glad to finally have it back. St. Anthony wins again!

Miraculously, David had some of the specific old glass he had used the first time to fix the broken areas, and now it is proudly hanging in our home. Wow! El Viejito had quite an adventure on his year-long journey! The tales he could tell....

Firewood - NM Style

Buying firewood is serious business. I've seen lots of ads and tried lots of sources, and it's a bit like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get.

If you don't specify the type of wood, you might get a load of pine, which sparks and cracks something awful. Imagine trying to relax in front of a firing machine gun. Don't specify aged or seasoned wood, and you'll end up with "green" wood that has so much water that it won't burn unless you constantly blast it with lighter fluid. Don't watch closely, and you'll be shorted and not receive a full cord.

After a good deal of trial and error, I have found a fabulous couple who are the real deal. They'll deliver a perfect cord or two of the hardest, most seasoned, slow burning pinon wood you ever saw. It's glorious! Contact me if you want their number. I'll share my firewood secret source.

The Circle of Trust

The thought of throwing away leftover food when there are hungry creatures searching desperately for a bite to eat does not sit well. Therefore, we save our scraps and put them in the "circle of trust" each evening.

There is a lone coyote who hangs out and always comes to dinner. We feel so sorry for him – all the rabbits have disappeared due to an illness (even our beloved "Spa" who made a home under the hot tub.) The forest service says it's cyclical and wipes them out every now and then. How do animals like coyotes find anything to eat?

After months and months of feeding, Mr. Coyote has started to realize we are not a threat. He's wandered up to the house a few times, especially to the water bucket (that we keep filled for all the animals...birds love it too). He's always alone. Isn't that odd? I thought they only lived in packs, but apparently not.

Best of Taos: First Place, Best Local Artisan

Thank you Taos! For the forth year in a row, I was voted Best Local Artisan. It's such an honor, especially since there are so many talented artists here. Thanks so very much!