Mesa Verde-May 20, 2008

Mesa Verde is one of the most interesting places I have been this year. Located in the south western part of CO, it is one of our nation's most spectacular archeological preserves. There are over 5,000 sites within and more than 600 cliff dwellings where the Anazasi once lived. The mesa top,for which this site gets its name, is more than 80 square miles and was forested with juniper and pinyon trees until successive forest fires have burned a great portion. I'll include more on that in the next blog as I can only load 5 pictures at a time.

The eariest known inhabitants of this region were named the "Basketmakers" who lived in Pit Houses from 500 AD-750AD. In the years between 750-1100, their skills increased and they began to build kivas. One is shown in my photos, the large pit in the ground. These served as ceremonial centers as well as a place to gather in the cold. Each kiva was covered with a roof and had a firepit, as well as a symbolic hole in the ground where the spirits could rise from the underworld.

The actual cliff dwellings were build around 1200 at the peak of their arts and crafts and handiwork. They farmed the top of the mesa and hunted for food. Around 1276, a 24 year long drought began and it is this that is the most likely reason these people left their beautiful homes. Some believe they joined the Hopi Tribe in Arizona.

It was surreal to stand on the high cliffs and look down upon these dwellings which appeared more like miniature clay models than actual homes. And yet, we we visited them on tour, the size and magnitude of these structures were amazing. They were well built and designed to be able to still be standing 700-800 years later. Becky and I had a great time scrambling up the 38 ft. ladder and crawling through the tight rock passages to enter and exit the structures. It was so special to share this experience together. I'll write more about the Anazasi Native Americans in my next blog.

Wishing you all a lovely day!

Durango for a night-May 19, 2008

Becky and I arrived in Durango in the late afternoon and checked into our accomodations for the evening, a rustic cabin situated right on the Animas River. Due to the high water level from so much snow, the river ran right under the porch. It was very beautiful.

We went into Durnago for the evening and she treated me to a late Mother's Day dinner which was delicious! We walked around and saw the historical buildings and a great hotel that she had stayed in on a previous visit. The train station was active with people coming and going from the Silverton/Durango run. Durango also began as a mining and smelting town during the gold and silver rush but is now an active and large commercial center at the gateway of the San Juan Mountains.

When we went back to our cabin, we sat on the proch swing, drank tea and talked. It was a lovely ending to another busy day!

Traveling the Million Dollar Highway-May 19, 2008

Becky and I left Telluride Monday morning and drove to Ridgeway where we picked up the Million Dollar Highway and headed toward Ouray. There seems to be no real agreement as to how the highway got this name; some think it was due to cost and others, to the views. Ouray is often referred to as the Switzerland of America and it is another lovely Victorian town which sprung up due to mining in the late 1800's. As we were driving down the main street, I looked down a side street and saw several deer munching in someone's front yard and heading our way. We stopped to take photos as they neared the main street, not at all afraid of us.

As we climbed, more and more snow appeared along with beautiful views and remnants of old mining operations. There is a lot of pollution due to these old sites which are still being cleaned up. We tried to find a ghost town but most of them are located down old dirt roads, still impassable at this time of the year. However, we did drive into Silverton and that was delightful and so "western." The buildings are beautifully restored Victorian style structures. You could almost picture the sheriff coming out in the street to break up a gun fight. I was surprised at how wide some of the main streets are in these old western towns, as if they anticipated such growth. We had lunch near the stop of the famous Silverton/Durango train. The sun felt so good!

After lunch, it was on to Durango.........

Becky's Visit- May 17-25, 2008

How lucky I was to have Becky come and visit me for a week! Originally, both of my daughters hoped to come at the same time. However, after May was decided upon, Melanie was chosen to participate in a "Short Rice Project" in the Phillipines. She is currently there for three weeks and having an amazing experience. She should be writing a blog.

Becky had been to Telluride before and has a very good friend from Williams College, who lives there. When I picked her up at the airport, we headed to Telluride for a couple of days. You can see a view of the ski mountain(the snow is melting on the lower portion) and that there is still plenty of snow in the mountains surrounding the village. Her friend Brian, his dog, Eli, Becky, and I all went hiking on the only "open" trail. It was a gorgeous day.

The first and last shot(technical difficulties), with the mountains in the background and the fence in the foreground, shows Ralph Lauren's property; a part of it. The fence extends for MANY miles along his property (at least 10-15). Sorry I reduced it too much!

On Monday morning, we left Telluride and headed to the Million Dollar Highway which leads through Ouray, Silverton, and Durango. I'll continue in the next blog, which will follow soon. Time to catch up again!

Hope everyone is well. Thinking about you!

More on the farm....Austin, CO- May 16, 2008

Picture 11,000 pounds of Rainbow Trout. It is quite a sight to see. Yesterday, a truck arrived from a fish farm (two trips) and stocked the ponds with fish of all sizes! In the beginning, the man scooped them out the the tank with a net. When he neared the bottom, he hooked up tubes to the tank and the rest of the fish swam out of the bottom and into the pond. Now, you can walk around the edges of the pond, and see lots of fish.

Besides the orchards at the farm, Black Canyon Anglers is also located here. Fisherman come from all over to fish the Gunnison River. They are taken miles from here and float the river, camping on the banks. But since they both leave from here and return, the ponds are stocked ensuring "happy fishing" on their overnights here. The trout came in all sizes, some at least two feet long.

This is a great place to watch wildlife. The irrigation ditch is the home to otter and I finally managed to catch one with one camera as they are very wary. They disappear under the water and you never see them come back up.

The other night I woke to a terrible smell and it was the telltale odor of a skunk, forcing me to close my window. She had a worse night than I did, however, as in the morning, I found her dead in the road, along with several of her babies which had been all ready to be born. She had been ripped open but not consumed and I wondered what animal would have done that. We researched it when we got to school and found that that worst predator of a skunk is the Great Horned Owl, who has no sense of smell. Most animals won't attack a skunk unless they are desperate......we all know why! Still, life is cruel.

Waking through the desert, you see an endless amount of holes; homes to so many animals. The holes come in all shapes and sizes and I try to imagine what might live in them. Many of them are mounded up, providing more depth for better insulation against the heat of the day and the cold of the night.

Ants are everywhere and their colonies are huge. Many times, the hill stands above the ground 6-12 inches and house thousands of red ants. I always try to walk around them.

Rabbits abound here and the other evening, I witnessed an unusual sight. I was walking back to my cabin and spotted two rabbits ahead of me in the road. They were facing each other and their noses were about 12 " apart. I stopped and observed. At first, both rabbits ears stood straight in the air. Slowly, ever so slowly, one rabbit's ears began to fall backward, barely noticeable. I continued to watch and over the next 5 minutes or so, the rabbit's ears that had begun to fall backward, were completely back against his back and his whole body had crouched down low. The other rabbit continued to stare and didn't move a muscle the entire time. It was an amazing staring contest. I wondered how long it would take for one of them to make a move and wished I had the patience to continue to watch. However, it had started to rain and I knew it could go on for a very long time so I began to slowly walk. My movement broke the spell; one rabbit began to move and off they went as fast as two rabbits could go, with one chasing the other once again. Was it a mating ritual or one rabbit showing his dominance?

In the picture with the mountains in the background, you can see a patch of white on the flat area way in front of the mountains. It is salt. Another picture shows my new friend, Benedicto, standing in the salt, which crystalizes all over the plants. The area is very squishy and feels a little like quick sand, but it is not;
another very interesting phenomenon.

I'll write more about Benedicto in another e-mail but briefly, he is a resident artist from Guatemala. He is painting a mural of the farm, teaches painting to the kids each day, and we incorporate our daily Spanish lesson into that time. It has been delightful getting to know this talented young man.

I walked down the road tonight, past the ponds, the magnificent bluffs where the mud swallows live, watched the birds, breathed deeply and tried to put a picture in my mind that would remain forever.

Springtime in Austin, CO- May, 2008

Just as in New England, the weather and the temperature change drastically and quickly. When we arrived back at the farm at the beginning of May, we had a couple of cool days, followed by a week of lovely, warm, "shorts" weather. Over the weekend, it changed again and we had lots of heavy rain, unusual for the high desert. Since then, it has been cool and overcast. I still manage to fit in some hiking and have returned a couple of times, to the high cliffs in front of my cabin.

The second photo is of the 3 mile drive to reach the 1000 acre farm (from the main road). It is dirt and bumpy but the view is lovely. Notice all the snow still in the mountains near us. The farm is in a valley, however, and we are at the tail-end of the blossoming fruit trees. They have several thousands between the peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples and cherry. The farm is alive with animals and I've had such fun watching the Canada Geese in the pond raising their babies.

If you look closely, in the first picture, you can see my cabin on the far right, taken from the high bluff. It is behind the large green field. You can see the Gunnison River (brown and wide) and the narrower irrigation ditches on either side. All of the "living spaces" at the farm are irrigated, providing the lush orchards and grass. The entire west is irrigated and I find the whole process amazing.

I will try to get another blog or two done this week before my daughter, Becky, arrives on Sat. (I can hardly wait!) Originally, both she and Melanie were going to try and come together, but Mel is heading to the Phillipines to study rice production, on Friday, for three weeks.....a very timely topic. Becky and I will spend some time at the farm, in Telluride, and hopefully, we will visit Mesa Verde.

More to follow about the wildlife here!

The Living Desert- Indio, CA- April 26, 2008

My favorite
North American Desert
Kestral
Spicebush Swallowtail
Javalina


Saturday school isn't always a bad thing; in fact, we had a great time visiting The Living Desert and didn't mind at all, that it was a Sat. For various reasons, we often miss a weekday of school and will make it up on the weekend. We headed out early as the temperature was predicted to hit 100 degrees. Now, that is not nearly as bad as 100 degrees at home, when all activity would cease and we would sit, dripping in exhaustion, with any effort. 100 degrees in the desert is hot, but if you sit in the shade, you almost always feel a cool breeze. Becky gave me a copy of Desert Solitude by Edward Abbey (some of you may be familiar with) and I've enjoyed reading how he describes the desert, in an extraordinary way.

The Living Desert is broken down into two main parts; the North American Desert and the African Desert. Each section contains plants and animals that one might see in each type of desert. Though the kids had been there before, they were eager to see it again and we had a wonderful time exploring and learning. Unfortunately, many of the animals were taking a siesta in the heat of the day, which is how they are able to survive in such extreme circumstances.

We had lunch in the African section where they have recreated an African village, except for the food which was hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and ice cream! The children loved the petting
zoo and the butterfly house, where we identified many varieties and watched butterflies emerging from the chrysalis stage.

When we returned home, we had to fit in P.E. so a trip to the pool was in order. There were no complaints about Saturday school.............