Somewhere between the blossoming crabapple and the thick, squat, ancient front door, I lost it. This was a journey of just 20 or 30 yards at most, but it was long enough for me to be gone, smitten, totally, recklessly in love with a small adobe home situated on one of the great streets in one of the great small cities in America. I am at home on Acequia Madre in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I can see now, in retrospect, that I didn’t get swept away overnight. Far from being the real estate equivalent of a one-night stand, my love affair with this little home on this little street began many years ago. I had mooned over its darling little footbridge, loved its location overhanging the acequia, and found its modest low-slung façade irresistible. I had even gone so far as to include a photo of the home in snow-covered glory in my 1986 book, Santa Fe Style. All of this occurred well before I saw beyond the walled exterior. But when my ardor took full flight, it had all the jolting immediacy and exhilaration-mixed-with-fear of a real, human love affair. Dave, my husband of many years, instinctively realized that out of nowhere had come this rival. For me it was love at first sight; for him, it was more like an arranged marriage. But once he was well into it, it too was to become the love of his life.

Since the course of true love never does run smooth, it was a sign from above when Donna appeared. She was not your typical eastside Santa Fe resident—that was evident from the serious mullet she sported. Though the hairdo didn’t go well with this venerable neighborhood, it was a great stylistic

companion to the flapping American eagle tattoo motif on her upper arm. Off in the not-quite-far-enough-away distance, we could hear the growls and frantic scratching of a giant Alsatian, evidently eager to tear us apart. Our little group—Dave and I along with Bob, our realtor, and Mike, the listing agent—exchanged nervous glances.

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