POTD: Taos Pueblo #3

Taos Pueblo #3
Taos. New Mexico
2011

This view shows a traditional horno (beehive shaped oven) in front of the pueblo. (I’m not sure what that buttress like thing is sticking against the back of the horno–that’s not typical.) Hornos are everywhere in the Taos area. Lots of people have them in their backyard, some for show but many are actually used to bake bread.

When I lived in Tucson many years ago I got interested in adobe buildings and made my own horno in the backyard of the place I was renting. I never did bake anything in it though. Later when I bought my own little adobe home, I added onto it using traditional adobe building techniques. I had a truckload of dirt hauled in, built a brick form, made a big mud pit and molded and sun-dried my own bricks. Some friends from graduate school (a few who are POTD readers) helped me on the project, stacking bricks, plastering, and painting. At least for me it was a welcome diversion from all that studying. I went by the house the last time I was in Tucson and the addition was still standing after all these years, so I guess we did a decent job.

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