Pueblo Prayer

We end with the following Pueblo Prayer:

THAT SO LONG AS WE ENJOY THE LIGHT OF DAY, WE MAY GREET ONE ANOTHER AS KINDRED.

The Balloon Fiesta

“Colorful.” “Majestic.” “Like pictures come to life.” These are a few of the comments made about the sight of over 600 hot air balloons ascending all around us as we stood on our aerie overlooking the fiesta grounds. Bright colors and fantastic shapes filled our vision in the early morning hours.




So drawn to the balloons were some of our group, that they joined in helping launch, chase and deflate a balloon.











In the evening, the whoosh sound of propane tanks accompanied the glowing of multicolored balloons as they lit up on the ground boasting their beauty. The finale was a grand fireworks display that brought out the oohs and aahs.















We have all had a wonderful trip filled with phenomenal beauty, intense education, gastronomic overindulgence, increased art and jewelry collecting, and, most of all, convivial companionship that will lead to lasting friendships. We all look forward to meeting on the highways and byways along the way.

And Up We Go Again

On a clear, though somewhat windy day, we rode the world’s longest gondola ride, 3819 feet, to the top of Sandia Peak, also known as Watermelon Mountain. Albuquerque looked like a toy town below us.

After enjoying the view, we again imbibed in a tasty luncheon before returning to our coaches on the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Grounds.

Acoma Pueblo

On our quest for knowledge of the nineteen pueblos of the New Mexico area, we have gone to great heights. In fact, we ascended 367 feet above the desert floor to the oldest continuously inhabited city in the USA. Acoma, or Sky City, sits on a mesa overlooking the extended pueblo community. Access is by bus or by climbing a steep trail.















Acoma was first inhabited about 1150, possibly by people departing from Chaco Canyon. Their first brief settlement was on Enchanted Mountain, but a lightening strike damaged the staircase up that mesa and the people left, never returning.


While everyone in the pueblo has an ancestral home, only thirty to fifty elders choose to live year-round on the mesa, living without water or electricity. Other family members share the home for religious or family events. There is no male ownership, the youngest daughter inherits the family home and is responsible for those older than her.

The center area of the city is San Estaban del Rey Mission, built from 1629-1640 by forced tribal labor. It was built over the tribe’s largest kiva, intending to destroy the native religion. To protect the kiva as a center of traditional worship, Acoma people built square kivas next to their homes where they seemed like standard rooms. Today the mission is no longer a Catholic church but does serve as a religious center five times a year and is one of the places for traditional dances.

Jewelers and potters display their outstanding art work on tables along the dirt roads of the city. After enjoying the tour and purchasing some of the art, we again had a very good lunch at the Cultural Center back in the desert.

Zuni Pueblo

The Zuni Pueblo is the largest of the 19 in the Four Corners area. Eighty percent of them are engaged in the creation of top quality crafts, primarily jewelry and pottery. We had an opportunity to learn first hand from Zuni artists on our visit to the village.





After a traditional lunch of tamales, mutton stew, and bean pudding, we watched a jeweler create in silver and a potter draw her designs.






On the walls of the Old Zuni Mission is a mural of a parade of characters symbolic in the creation story and beliefs of the tribe. We were privileged to hear these stories from the artist who painted the murals in this historic church.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary

Sometimes people just happen onto their lifetime calling. This is true of Jacque Evans, an artist who obtained a wolf dog to paint a picture of the animal. She moved to an abandoned ranch in Candy Mountain, New Mexico. She soon discovered that a wolf-dog does not behave like a dog. It does not want to please its human and, really, wants to be the boss of the environment in which it lives. This made it very unsatisfactory as a pet. Jacque ultimately met Barbara Berge, a wolf-dog rescuer and the result of their partnership is the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. Here sixty-two wolves and wolf-dogs, who were kept as pets by people who really did not know what they were getting into and then rejected due to their non-doglike behavior, are cared for.


Our tour was led by Angel Bennett, Administrative and Educational Assistant, who introduced us to the wolves and dog-wolves, explaining both the general characteristics of wolves and the individual traits of the ones we viewed.
We learned that wolves are highly intelligent. In captivity they even learn by observation to open gates. Pairs mate for life and mourn the loss of their mate. Generally fearful of strangers, most of the wolves tolerate only the caretakers they know. They are not at all like Labs or other dogs who want only to please their owners although their reputation for attacking man is mostly mythical rather than factual.
Wolf-dogs who are not full blooded wolves but crosses between wolves and dogs generally have the traits of wolves and do not socialize with humans well. For this reason many are abandoned or given to shelters. The Sanctuary provides a safe haven for these animals who cannot be released to the wild but need to be as free as possible.

Pinehill Band of the Ramah Band of the Navajo Nation

Today was a day to learn about the native Americans who had inhabited the land we have been traveling thorough centuries before the white race even thought of sailing out of the sight of land. We started our visit to the Pinehill Band of the Navajo peoples with a luscious lunch of soup, frybread and blue corn mush. Maylee, our docent for our tour of the area, gave us a brief history of the tribe including the war waged by Kit Carson that led to the Long Walk to Fort Sumner in 1820. The tribe was allowed to return to their ancestral lands following the Treaty of 1868 in which the seven clans gave the US government title to the land in return for the promise of health care and social services. Needless to say, the promises made by the government carried little weight in truth. The land the native Americans returned to was covered in lava with little water. The people continued to live there regardless of the harsh conditions.




With the coming of the civil rights movement In the 1960s, tribal leaders, under a program of self-determination, formed a school board Though the board members spoke little or no English and were not literate, they were determined to educate their children on their own land with both native and standard curriculum. One hundred years after the treaty promising them services, as a result of a "sit in" in the office of Senator Joseph Montoya, the nation began to receive support from the federal government for schools and health care. Improved housing and health care are still needed. One third of the community lives without running water or electricity.



Today there are 500 families in the community with 300 children in the school. There is also early childhood and family education available. The education system is hands on with the children learning by doing. The school buildings are patterned after the hogan.

Everything is both male and female in the Navajo culture. Hogans are either male, angular, or female, round. The teaching wall in the west of the newly constructed haystack hogan has glass markers for the four mountains that are the boundaries of the nation.











Following our Mexican dinner at Tinaja Restaurant we enjoyed an evening of cowboy poetry and Navajo singing. Bert and Glenda enjoyed the music so much they had to dance.

El Morro

There is an old saying that if you don’t like the weather in the western mountains, just wait a few minutes. For us the saying is true. Neither rain nor wind nor sleet kept us from driving to and conquering El Morro, a mesa once inhabited by over 1,000 ancient villagers, traversed by Spanish conquistadors, and conquered by westward bound emigrants.


Our hike took us past black traces of seasonal waterfalls. We inspected ancient Zuni petroglyphs. We were taken by the writing styles of both Spanish conquerors who left no space between words and Americans settlers with their almost perfect penmanship. The climb up the steep switchback at 7000 foot elevation was rewarded with magnificent views and detailed Atsinna Ruins. As a storm threatened, we scampered over rocks on our windblown descent. We are glad the weather did not keep us from our stated climb.






Recovered from our hike, we enjoyed another bbq dinner at the Ancient Way Café adjacent to the campground. After dinner the men adjourned to the rigs for an evening of tv while the women decorated gourds in keeping with the culture around us.

Richardsons Trading Company

The traditional view of a pawn shop is a dark and musty place filled with sad stories of need and death. Richardson’s Trading Company is in many ways a pawn shop but it is anything but dark and dusty or sad. For ninety-five years Richardson’s has been a repository for the amazing art treasures of local Native Americans. It acts like a bank providing a safe place for valuables. Additionally the "bank" provides needed funds when it is necessary to pay a power bill or visit a doctor. Shimas (mothers) and cheis (fathers), who cannot sign their names, but transact business with a thumbprint, bring in their children showing them the way to protect family valuables. Their trust in the Richardson family is the key to the relationship. Mr. Richardson is over 90 years of age.

We were taken on a complete tour of the block square premises including a visit to the vault and the vault within the vault where the most valuable items are kept. Within these safes are rugs, saddles, jewelry, pottery, baskets, hides and more. Local natives bring in their valuable items and pay a monthly fee to keep them safely stored within Richardson’s vast rooms. All these items lend Richardson’s an air more of a museum than a store, with top quality artifacts on display.
Some of these wonderful works of art are for sale. On a tour of the store, our host Larry explained "dead pawn," articles whose owners no longer pay the monthly fee. Many of these are antiques and are for sale. In addition, newer jewelry, rugs, pottery and leatherwork created by local artists are for sale. Larry supplemented Shelly’s lesson on the many styles of Navaho rugs with an explanation of the labor involved. The weavers are primarily women who spend up to eighteen hours a day for months to create a collectable rug. On many rugs there is a line leading from the middle of the piece to an edge. This spirit line allows the spirit to leave the rug and not remain trapped forever.

After viewing the wonders of Richardson’s, many of us felt obligated to thank them with our credit cards. The men and women of our group left with some new adornments as souvenirs of this beautiful country we are touring.

Gallup Flea Market

Further retail therapy occurred at the Gallup Flea Market. Treasures and “junque” were all offered for sale. Additionally, local foods, including freshly roasted chili, were readily available.

The El Rancho Hotel

Our reward at the end of the day was a prime rib dinner at the El Rancho Hotel. The lobby is decorated in traditional western furnishing and the balcony walls are lined with autographed photos of the movie stars of our youth.

Chaco Canyon

Readers of this blog may think we just drive, see beauty and eat, but there is more. Our leader, Shelly, is determined that we learn about the history and peoples of the Southwest (there are rumors of a test). She has immersed herself in the culture and shares this with us at gatherings (frequently cocktail hours). Because of her, we bring a bit of knowledge to the places we go. It’s a good thing she does this because what we learned about Chaco Canyon from her was more interesting and better presented than what the ranger told us, though his description of Chaco being a "place of majesty and mystery" was most apt.
While Europeans were living in the Dark Ages, the Anasazi or ancestral pueblo people were constructing buildings up to four stories high, aligning walls with true directions, and using elaborate irrigations systems for low water use farming. The center of their culture was at Chaco Canyon were they built large pueblos.

Pueblo Bonito, with a population of about 2000, was built over a period of four hundred years and had over 600 rooms. The construction, unlike that of the homes of the greater surrounding area, was well planned and detailed. Not used for daily life, purpose of the pueblo is unknown. Starting with a series of buildings attached in semicircular pattern, construction progressed and expanded to enclose the area in what is called a "D shaped" pattern. The Great Kiva, named for its size, was probably a center for ceremonial events. There were also interior rooms lacking ventilation that may have been for storage.
Over 100 years ago archeologists began excavating the area and collecting artifacts. In order to preserve the area, the park service stopped excavations in the 1970s. There are other construction sites that are less exposed. Petroglyphs are located near the visitors center.

One of the most interesting discoveries is of the sophisticated solstice markers found on Fajada Butte. Quite by accident, an artist climbing the butte near the winter solstice noticed three rocks placed in a tilted configuration. She noticed that the sun shone through these rocks onto a spiral petroglyph carved into the rock face of the butte. The spiral petroglyph is pierced by dagger shaped shafts of light four times a year at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and winter and summer solstices. Fajada Butte is a spiritual place now closed to visitors

Thanks to Kim, Shelly, Joe & Connie

A brief Thank You ceremony was held during our bbq dinner in Gallup. Thank you Kim for the great plans and directions, Shelly for all we have learned, Joe and Connie for covering our backs.

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Chama

We boarded a bus at the Chama Railroad Station for a ride to Antonito Colorado, a climb starting at 8000 feet to in excess of 10,000 foot elevation. Started in 1881, the train was the only trade contact with the outside world for this remote area. In the 1920's the founder of the current line, General Palmer, wanted to build a narrow gauge rail line from Denver to Mexico City. He looked to the most direct route but his plans veered west with the discovery of gold near the four corners area. The rail line went through boom and bust until it almost completely busted in the 1960s when the corporation stated an intent to abandon the route. The states of Colorado and New Mexico worked together to keep the train running as a museum on rails.
With the support of Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, the route continues to travel, crossing the borders of the two states eleven times. After a beautiful ride in the morning, we had a hearty lunch at Osier then we boarded the second of two narrow gauge trains that took us on ride through western history.

Amazing Color

A tourist can read many guidebooks to learn when to visit an area to see fall colors but picking the right day requires more luck than skill. If that statement is true, our caravan leaders must be the luckiest people in the world. The aspen foliage that we found on our bus and train trip through the Conejos Canyon defied description. Roget’s Thesaurus lacks enough adjectives to describe the beauty we saw. For this day’s activity, our pictures are worth thousands of words.

Evening at Chama

After dinner we enjoyed an evening of nostalgia with Wiley Jim Fieffer serenading us with Don’t Fence Me In, Cool Clear Water, and other wonderful western songs.

Visit toTierra Wool

We left Taos Valley RV Park and played follow the leader through beautiful Scenery towards Chama. After about an hour on a narrow two lane winding road we arrived at the charming rural town of Los Ojos, NM where we were to tour the Tierra Wools. It is a “Grower/Spinner/Weaver Owned Company” which was started in 1982 by 8 original members and now employs 25 local weavers and spinners. That year they were featured in New Mexico Magazine and have been growing since.
By the 1950’s there were few local Spanish weavers left and the old Spanish Churro sheep that were originally introduced to the area were almost extinct. During the 1930’s the government had introduced more desired breeds of sheep that corrupted all but a few of the churro that were kept on outlying private ranches. During the 1970’s interest began to revive among local entrepreneurs who focused on creating a way to make the local art of weaving into something that could provide an outlet and an income for weavers. They worked to restore the Churro sheep whose wool is excellent for weaving because it is long, coarse and nearly lanolin free and is not crimped. Now, local ranchers raise sheep that produce the wool for the weavers. Each sheep is sheered only once a year after cold weather is gone. Only about 20% of the wool is spun and dyed locally. Most of it is sent to Pennsylvania and Vermont for processing. Of the wool that is spun and dyed locally, part is dyed with local plants such as Curly Dock, Cota, Chamisa, & Yeradela Neguita. Cochio, Indigo and Matter Root are purchased from Colorado. The original plant is boiled in water for an hour with bundles of wool which are then taken out and hung on rods to cool and dry. The rest of the local died wool is done with commercial dying products. Lupe (Valdez) who was our instructor on the art of dying uses only Churro wool for hand dying. She starts with 4 lbs of fresh plant material per 1 lb of fresh wool. The dye can be used over and over for dying, each use creating a lighter outcome. As an example when she purchases Cochino, it costs her $80 per pound, but she will end up with about 40 pounds of dried yarn ranging from a deep rich red to a pale rose pink.
Sofia who was our guide through the weaving process said that it takes about 6 lbs of yarn to create a 4 X 6 rug. She introduced us to Nancy who demonstrated the weaving process with both a hand bobbin and a larger spinning wheel. She then led us through the weaving process from stringing the warp onto a loom using the dummy warp which pulls the actual warp onto the loom, through filler strands which even and flatten the warp, to the stretcher which maintains an even edge to the rug. After this process, which is the most critical part of weaving is finished, the actual rug is started with about ½” header before starting into the rug colors. At the end, a finisher will complete it using this header. Some weavers weave in row designs which are done using a shuttle to run the yarn back and forth across the rug. More experienced weavers do tapestry designs which require running yarn through small sections of warp by hand to achieve the desired design.
Tierra Wools currently is a work area for weavers who also weave at home if they desire and a sales outlet for their products. The weaver we spoke to was doing a tapestry style rug and said that when it sells, she will earn the equivalent of $15 per hour for her work. They also have a web site where people can order rugs. They also have a week long camp where someone can go to learn to weave or spin or die wool. Each year at the end of April they have a fair where local weavers and spinners display and sell their goods.
After lunch we resumed our journey into Chama where we stayed at the Chama RV Park. We enjoyed wine and hours d oeuvres as we waited for the train to cross the bridge over the Chama river. We will be on this train tomorrow. Later in the evening we went to dinner at the Elks Lodge for a traditional bbq dinner.

A Special Birthday

Happy birthday today to Joann Bush. Looks like her children did remember her special day.

Taos

Roberta Myers is a woman of many personalities and she shared some of them with us on our tour of Old Taos. Here is the history of Taos according to Roberta:

The town was founded in the early 1700s by Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. When they got to the area, they found the Spanish had gotten there first, so they converted in order to survive.

Though Santa Fe was the major trading post, Taos had long been a trading center for pueblo people. In the 1897, artists, enchanted by the light, formed a visual art colony. With over 1800 resident artists, Taos has the highest number of visual artists per capita in the US. Among the founders of the colony were Joseph Sharp who turned a chapel into his studio and the Couse family who acquired his studio and the land.

Josepha Carson, wife of Kit, AKA our tour guide, explained the story of her marrying the explorer/soldier. One of family’s objections was that his first two wives were Indian. In spite of the nasty haranguing by her spinster tia (aunt), Carson persisted in courting this daughter of wealthy Spanish landowners. Maybe they were also influenced by his ability to speak thirteen Indian dialects, Spanish and French, while unable to read any language. In their twenty years of marriage, they had eight children of their own and ten adopted pueblo children. Josepha died in childbirth one month before her husband succumbed to a heart aneurism. First buried in Colorado, their graves are now in the Kit Carson Memorial Park.

In the town plaza stands a statue to Padre Antonio Jose Martinez (also buried in Carson Park). After his wife died, Martinez became a priest and committed himself to providing schools for the children of the area. He also published a local newspaper. French Bishop J.B Lamy opposed Martinez and excommunicated the "heathen" Spanish priests. Lamy tithed the church members to build the church in Santa Fe.

Mabel Dodge Lujan acted as a patron to authors of the 20s. Frida Lawrence, wife of D.H. aka our guide, shared her story of living in Taos and returning in later years with her lover. She also introduced Georgia O’Keefe and Ancil Adams to Taos. After an early visit, O’Keefe packed up a bunch of dry bones and sent them to her husband in New York. Back in New York City she created what some call The Great American Painting, Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue.

Jewish New Year

In honor of the Jewish New Year, we enjoyed challah and apples dipped in honey for a good new year. We ended our day with another fabulous meal prepared by the red team under the direction of Mich and Barb.

Birthday Celebration

Tonight was the night to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Congratulations to all those who are a year older and married a year longer.