Monthly Archives: November 2013

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with cowboy movies and television shows that often referenced the Pecos River as a major dividing line in skill and danger.  Remember “He’s the fastest gun west of the Pecos!” And then there was something like “He’s the meanest man west of…”  Well, I’m sure IContinue reading “West of the Pecos”

Those poor Indians, coming up against the immutable force of Spanish Catholicism during the age of the Inquisition. Judging from the legends on some of the exhibits we saw today, it seemed we were to feel sorry for the Europeans when the Indians revolted early on and killed many missionaries.  The Indians didn’t seem to understandContinue reading “For the love of God”

Wow, what were the odds?  I guess they were 365 to 1. Today we appeared for our long-ago reserved tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s house in Abiquiu and learned that it is her 126th birthday.  Cookies were served all around!

Instead of zipping to Santa Fe in one hour from Albuquerque, we travelled what is considered one of the most scenic roads in America, taking seven hours. And it was worth it.

We didn’t know what to expect of Albuquerque, and were apprehensive that it would be yet another city that forgot its roots, bulldozed its history, and tried hard to look like every other place in America.

We should really not tolerate history books that talk about Europeans discovering various parts of America.  The injustices which followed that thinking are too numerous to mention.  But every once in a while, there is a quiet reminder of man’s past relationship to this land, which had nothing to do with who owned what orContinue reading “More wonders of the West”

Hero or outlaw?  That’s the question you are left with when you hear the real story behind Billy the Kid and his nemesis, Pat Garrett.  Welcome to Lincoln, New Mexico, in the county of Lincoln, and at the center of the Lincoln County War, waged in the late 1870’s.  Like most wars, it was allContinue reading “Legends of the West”

Today we definitely went from one extreme to the other.  We spent the night in Carlsbad, NM, and so of course we had to see the Carlsbad Caverns.  Beyond amazing.

…in West Texas, which is why the McDonald Observatory is located there. This is one of the major astronomy centers in the country, and it contains some of our major research telescopes.