Some of the rugs at Perry Null's Tobe Turpen Trading Post. In the foreground, you can see rugs by Wanda Tracey (lower left), and Abigail and Susie Smallcanyon.

Window Rock, AZ How can it be October already?  Eight students started our October Weaving in Beauty class and did their warps this morning.   Warping is hard work, so by this afternoon, we were ready for some shopping in Gallup, about 24 miles from here.  We started at Richardson’s Trading, where buyer Larry Fulbright is doing a wonderful job of acquiring high quality unique pieces.  We took a short walking tour of downtown Gallup, stopping by City Electric Shoe Shop for a look at their stock of moccasins, belts and Pendleton products.  We moved on from there to Navajo Spirit, Virginia Yazzie-Ballenger’s clothing company and Glenn’s Bakery (for the coffee of course, not the cookies).   We made a final stop at Perry Null’s Tobe Turpen Trading Post, where we particularly enjoyed seeing the large selection of Gallup throws and the Wide Ruins rugs by the Anna Clyde and several members of the Francis family.    We finished the day with dinner at Earl’s, where Native American vendors circulate among the diners with their wares.  It doesn’t get much better than this for people like us!

Tomorrow, we’ll get started with our weaving.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker