The Road North

We have now been in our Summer Campsite in Elysian for five days.  In that time, I've had a couple of doctor appointments and have knee surgery scheduled for June 10th.  I've had lunch with three of my cousins and we have re-connected with our Cleveland friends.  We also spent a day golfing with Lael and Doug and enjoyed a visit from Janet, Aiden and Amariah.  The hectic pace of summer has begun - love it!

Ah, but I started to tell you about our trip north.  We met Diane and Tud at the Sky City Casino along I 40 in New Mexico.  We spent the day touring the Acoma Pueblo.  It was the third time Mike and I have been there, and each time, we learn something new and enjoy it even more.  The museum is now complete and the tour guides are much more knowledgeable. 

Brandon (You can call me Turtle) was our guide.  He is a member of the Acoma people and grew up celebrating feast days at the Pueblo.  He spoke passionately as he told us about how the Spanish Priests enslaved "his people" and made them build the church.  He told how the wooden altar pillars were carried over 30 miles and that they could not be dropped.  If they were, the men had to go back and find another that would be suitable.  All of the ceiling beams were harvested from trees that grew in the mountains over 30 miles away.

This little fellow wasn't happy and caught my camera's eye.

The vendors, many of which still live year in this village on the plateau, make pottery in the same style and design used for hundreds of years.

The only tree that grows on this plateau...

The ladders were used to access the second story entrances; years ago, there were no entries on the main level.

Each family has an outside adobe oven - the same kind that has been used for centuries.

The village still looks much the same...

The butte far away is the original home of the Acoma; it was abandoned when the stairway collapsed and there was no other easy way to access the top.

This man's work captured the attention of all three of my companions.

Tud and Diane

Us

This piece of original pottery caught my eye; I paid to take a picture as the price to own was out of my range.  It is called The Storyteller.

This is the artist, who also offered cherry and apple pie for sale.  She told me that she found the materials and mixed all her own paints using natural materials for brushes, just as her ancestors had done. 

This is The Storyteller that is in the museum - made by a famous member of the Acoma Nation.

These pictures were from the early 1900's - I found them in the museum.  It is easy to see similarities between then and now.  Acoma remains a spiritual place to visit; if you haven't been - plan to stop next time you are in the area.

 

When we left Sky City, we headed north. 

Along the way, we saw antelope - look carefully and you will see them.

We also saw wild horses

and more antelope - at least their butts...

Colorado (east side), Kansas, and Nebraska seem to all blend... lots of windmills

and a few junk car lots.

Along The Side Roads on the High Plains Highway - heading North - Going Home.

"See You In The Fall"

That is what I was thinking when we parked our boat in the rented storage area in Navajo Dam, New Mexico.  Even though fishing has been terrible and the winds blow constantly during the month of April, we still have managed to truly enjoy Navajo Lake.  So much so, that we decided to store the boat nearby and return as early as possible in the fall. 

You already know that there are many many trees and fishing can be hazardous - we have over $100 in lures attached to those trees... well, maybe not that much...

So, Mike decided to buy a "gadget" - a lure retriever thingy - endorsed by Bill Dance so it must work... Well, it worked twice, caused great debates, retrieved swear words I hadn't heard for a long time and is now at the bottom of the lake.  That was interesting!

The spring weather at 6,000 feet is ever changing.  We actually came in one day and couldn't see the landing because of a snow squall.  That was interesting.

On the quiet, calm, and sunny days the reflections held my attention.  That was interesting.

The stuff laying on the banks was always interesting.  Now how did a full sized recliner get there...

Oh, but the best stuff on the shore was more than interesting - it ended up in our boat.  In the month we enjoyed Navajo Lake, we "rescued" 6 rods and reels - five of them completely salvageable.  We also now have a "new" anchor and a 5 step ladder for the boat.  It will take an entire blog entry to tell you about our collection of cedar driftwood - suffice it to say that the car is loaded and smells oh so good! 

The cloud formations were interesting.

Trying to see wildlife against the rocks and sand - that was interesting.

Exploring the shoreline was great fun and very very interesting!

Here's Mike replacing the prop - that is always interesting.

Here is Mike rescuing one of the reel and rods.

Bonnie and Barry "blew / flew in" for a few days.

Just to impress Barry, Mike caught a 24.5 inch rainbow trout.  With four in the boat... now, that was interesting.

And, of course, we explored the shore.  It was fun having them with us and I am already looking forward to them joining us when we return in the fall.

Hope the geese have a peaceful summer.  We are slowing meandering our way north.  Since the forecast was snow for MN, we are not moving too quickly.