That's Trinidad For You

There's a saying I've heard from more than one person... more than one time.  "That's Trinidad for you." 

What that means is that this little frontier town and its' people have their little quirks, time-table, and a beauty that's unique, although sometimes frustrating.  It's probably best to split this thought into 2 segments. 

The people...

For the most part the people of Trinidad are very kind, warm, welcoming folks.  You can tell who is a Trinidad native because there is a slight accent to this part of the country.  The people here are genuine and kind.  Most are hard-working, generous people.  We have heard from complete strangers the request to stop in any time.  Come have a cup of coffee and visit for a while.

The frustrating part (one that I must learn to accept) is that there's time -- and then there's Trinidad-time.  When one says that they'll "be there in the afternoon," you're not sure if they mean today -- or even this week.  And you can't always pin them down to a day, either.  The laid-back attitude is one that I hope to accept and surrender to soon. 

The town... 

This town was part of the Santa Fe Trail in the mid 1800's.  It's an old frontier town.  When we first came here 5 years ago, we thought that the town had a bit of a crusty feel to it.  But one-by-one, the buildings are coming back to life.  People are starting to notice this little town. 

Trinidad has had repeated times of good fortune and repeated times of hardship.  It's been a thriving mining town and then the mines closed.  And these buildings that were once built with splendid care and detail, fell upon hard times.  But if one looks past the outer layer of disrepair and broken windows, you can see the art and love that went into building it.

The people who are starting to notice this little town are seeing this beauty and are starting to take these buildings and bring them back to life.  All one has to do is to take a walk down Main Street.  There are buildings that have such grace and intricate detail.  They just don't build them like that anymore.  Scroll work; faces carved into sandstone; corbels; intricate molding... it's really an art show in and of itself.  And this is what people are starting to see. 

Of course, there are still many, many buildings and even homes that are still "crusty."  Some are probably hopeless.  But that's OK too.