---#54--Forster Ray McAlexander, Cardinal-- 'offense, defense and special teams' position player---helped make many of those 'scored' points against the Panthers, [even the announcer pronounced his name correctly] that resulted in that 32-6 final score!! Way-to-go-Forster!!! Proud Grandma and Mom saw it all---

Football!!---JV game, Sept. 15, 2006--Farmington/ Clarksville---away game that Grandma and Sue{mom] cheered from the sidelines--incidently catching some of the action with these shots--but the star, for us, was--- 

and the final shot----just look at those colors!!--desert painting by nature, very hard to capture by man--with a camera or any artists' medium--and one of the most memorable natural wonders of the Southwestern desert scene----no city lights to dim the splendor. Similar to those sunsets over the Pacific Ocean that Tim excells in capturing--- 

--then come the sunsets---maybe more intense, but just as spectacular, yes?? 

--a collage of the sunrise---clouds constantly changing the color effects--beautiful--- 

Sunrise over Santa Fe---actually over the parking lot adjacent to the Sleep Inn Motel, where I stayed--much better morning and night skies for viewing the stars---[eat your heart out Ned]-- and risings and settings of the sun!! 

Sculptures in Santa Fe---very emotion-filled pieces--full, life-sized--dominating a corner gallery's outdoor space. 

My last day in Santa Fe, I drove up to the Espanola Valley, North of Santa Fe about 50 miles and stopped by the Historic Chimaya Trading Post. It's also an Historic Place because it was one of the earliest Trading Posts in the Valley---circa1650's-- It didn't open as scheduled--too much Fiesta!! I guess--anyway, I came back to finish posting my pics on my Blog before leaving in the A M for my 2 day drive to Fayetteville, AR. 

---this group--especially the youngest ones--dancing in the sun with such continuous energy--they were fantastic!! 

Cathedral Basilica with 1st Spanish governor [statue] in foreground, where the procession ends. Then the crowd stealers--- 

--since 1692, Viva la Fiesta! of Santa Fe--procession around the Plaza to the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi--with all the local queens and their courts and even the Bishop, blessing the crowd. Truly colorful--truly Santa Fe! Several of the queens and their attendants were staying at my motel, so I saw them early. One of the younger girls, at 7:45AM, said, "But why does it have to be so early? I asked," You'd rather it be late at night, wouldn't you?" and she said very enthusiastically, "Oh yes!!" She's one of the turquoise blue dressed young ladies. 

Pueblo Bonito was discovered and preserved for posterity between 1920-1927, taking 7 expeditions, under the direction of the National Geographic Society. 

If I had Tim's expertise, I'd make a panorama shot to better show the size of this Pueblo Bonita, the largest of the several Pueblos in the canyon. But there are people in the pics, just very small-seeming because they are rather far away from me, taking these pics--look for them in the middle row ---Yes, this place is HUGE!! A many-leveled, multi-roomed design to host huge crowds of people for large community religious ceremonies. And the present-day surrounding Native People--4 states, mind you-- still will travel to Chaco for very important occasions. But some have never been and are aware of what they have missed--at least the ones I've spoken with expressed this awareness. 

Without boring you with tons of pics, let me try to show what is so extraordinary about the architecture of Chaco---remember this is built by a people using only hand held tools--sharp corners to the walls, doors, windows and where 2 walls intersect/meet--no curves, unless an intended round shape was intended, as in the Kiva's. In addition, the walls were faced with another stone layer, even more precisely tooled than the inside wall--like a finishing surface in today's homes. They also built with strength in mind of the weight of a 3 story dwelling--tapering the base--again as in current construction design, where reinforcing 'rebar' is not available or desired by the builder. But remember this is 990-1250AD not 2006!! 

This is Fajada Butte--the recognizable landmark [just as El Morro was] from a long way away---in fact, I couldn't believe this really far off-in-the-distance butte was my goal--but it turned out to be so. This photo was taken as I was leaving and those dark clouds were about to dump their load on me--I didn't want to try to cross that ford across a flash flood--so I quickly took my last photos and left!! 

CHACO--the highlight of my NM trip--and a long-awaited treat for me. I've heard about, been admonished for NOT YET having gone, by rangers and ancient history buffs, like myself, so this year--this trip--I made the 375 mile[round trip from Santa Fe]drive. I selected a day after a series of rainstorms had dumped upon us all, so the air was clear and the weather was sunny but cool. This Chaco Canyon is fairly inaccessable. A US hwy runs near but the ruins themselves lie on a section of land that is still surrounded by active Native Peoples--farmers, cattle ranchers, goats, sheep, not to mention people--where you're driving thru their back yards, as it were!! We trespass by permission but on minimally maintained dirt/sand/mud roads, fording water runoffs [dangerous, flash flooding can occur]for 13 of the last 21 miles. You really want to go there. I mean REALLY!!! But I did--- 

--a garden of native flowers flourishes from the pools runoff. This pool is not spring-fed but only snowmelt and runoff from the 'monsoon' seasonal rains create and replenish it. A definite Oasis in the desert. 

--El Morro-- 

---water--a huge pool of life-sustaining 'good' water, at the base of this distinctive rock---and on the southern 'immigrant' trail, as well as on the Spanish conqueror's---where many marked their passage by leaving their mark on 'Inscription Rock'--El Morro--the butte--so easily used as a landmark/guidepost while crossing this vast desert. 

Speaks for itself---as will the following collage- 

Interior of the Hubbell home, now a museum, filled with priceless art that was given to Mr. Hubbell from visiting artists and friends--or ones who arrived as strangers and remained, to eventually depart, as friends. These artists paid for this extensive hospitality with the paintings, engravings, pen and ink, pencil sketches, baskets, weavings, leather work---all preserved by wishes of the Hubbell family, here, not to be separated but held and cherished by the many visitors, like me. 

J.L.Hubbell Trading Post---important as a family home [and trading post] of a man that worked with many tribes, with the intention of bettering their existance, as they made the difficult transition from the 1600's to the 1900's way of surviving. This was an Easterner that fell in love with the Indian people and married a Spanish " Don's" daughter, raised a family--and their families--with the intention of 'making relations between white and red peoples work!' He made friends, raised sheep, made a lot of money and bettered the lives of many---white and red. He and his family are buried on a hill, behind the family home, that is adjacent to but not on the Historic Site--it's on Navaho Nation Land and is held sacred by the Navaho people to this day. 

The Memorial, at Window Rock, to all Navaho Nation members that gave their lives in the service of their country--including the very important WWII 'codetalkers'. I've come across many references to these remarkable men in books written about/during the War--they were amazing!! 

Window Rock, AZ, center of the Navaho Nation--physically and spiritually--and a National Historic Site too. 

---Montezuma Castle. This Beaver Creek area --- an important water source---was populated by many different tribes/people of similar but separate ways--during this period of our history. All left this entire 4 state area [to be absorbed into existing Navaho, Hopi, Zuni, and others]in the 1400's--just walked away--leaving only their dwellings behind and the Petroglyphs that [sometimes] tell us their stories. 12,000 years of history--of OUR history--preserved for us by the National Park Service.