Tent Rocks and Bandelier

This is my second visit to Tent Rocks and Paul, Arlene, and Linda's first time. We did the easy loop and were amazed at the cone like formations. Last time I hiked to the top and you can see my photos 10-22-2002.

A 1000 foot thick layer of pumice, ash and tuff were laid down 6 to 7 million years ago. Water wears down the landscape, but solitary harder rocks protect the softer ash below, thus forming the unique conical shapes.

Bandelier National Monument

Bandolier was just as amazing the second time around. Photos first visit 5/13/2014. Paul, Arlene, Carolyn and Linda enjoyed seeing this historic Pueblo site. The Pueblo's left this site in the 1400s and their decedents now live along the Rio Grand and other locations in New Mexico.  

Arlene, Linda and Paul checking out the largest Kiva

Linda and Paul,  Behind are the remains of a
large housing complex that once housed several hundred people.

The Pueblo people carved rooms out of the soft tuff that forms the walls of the canyon. 

Linda, Arlene and Carolyn.

Found a wonderful boondocking spot on the Rio Chama for the Memorial Day Weekend. Campgrounds are full, but this is better than any campground.

36.228323   -106.396389

Cochiti Lake

A beautiful location and wonderful weather at this Core of Engineers campground. My dry camping site with a great water view is only $6 a night with my senior pass. COE are some of the nicest campgrounds in the US.

Great diner with friends.

Got skunked, but had a great paddle.

Current location Cochiti Lake 35.640813 -106.320856

Murals, Murals, Murals

Tucumcari, NM is a town of murals. All these gorgeous panoramas were painted by Doug and Sharon Quarles. They depict life in and around town. Some are very whimsical and make you smile. We had a scavenger hunt. Karen won finding 27 of the 31 murals in town.

I don't know what might be in the women's restroom

5/16/14

5/18/13

Current location Cochiti Lake 35.640813 -106.320856

Great Little Dino Museum

The Mesalands Community college in Tucumcari, NM has a great dinosaur museum. Rather than use fossil replicates cast in fragile plastic, they partnered with the Fine Arts department's foundry to cast dino fossils in bronze. You are encouraged to touch and examine these unique sculptures of actual fossils.

The green hand print says yes you can wrap your hand around my big teeth.

Tyrannysaurus Rex skull.
Its large teeth were serrated like steak knives

Sea Lilies, Crinoids, look like plants but are
 actually animals that inhabited the
ancient sea floor 339 million years ago

210 million old Coelophysis is New Mexico's state fossil.

The paintings help you visualize the habitat hundreds of years ago. The gigantic horsetails, ferns and cycads surrounding this pond inhabited by crocodile-like phytosaur, Leptosuchus, that is chasing  away a pack of light-footed early dinosaurs, Coelophysis, which were scavenging the carcass of the heavily armored aetosaur, Desmatosuchus. 

Several Postosuchus of the later Triassic are closing in
 on a rauisuchian, not a true dinosaur. 

This heavily armored herbivore is a Desmatosuchus. 

It roamed the area 230 million years ago.

Hesperosuchus agilis above in an ancestral crocodile that lived on land. 

Approaching the pond is the herbivore aetosaur.

Celebrating my inner child.

5/13/14

Current location  35.158761, -103.722091

Remember Sugar Shack?

Those of a certain age will remember Sugar Shack sung by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs. We visited The Norman Petty Recording Studio where this number one song was recorded. In the fifties and sixties Norman's great talent as a recording engineer produced a sound, the "Clovis Sound," that was sought out by the likes of Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly and many other great artists of the grand days of rock and roll.

In the 50s and 60s the highway ran through Clovis right in front of the studio. Due to road noise, Norman often recorded groups at night. 

This studio is frozen in the fifties. Ken was a personal friend of the Petty's and gave us a terrific tour. He related many interesting stories about the groups that recorded here. The nice thing is that nothing is roped off or behind glass.  You can sit where the greats sat and touch the key boards and instruments their fingers played.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets used this microphone to record Peggy Sue.

The control room is tight and was state of the art in its' day. To achieve the sound Norman was looking for he modified off the shelf equipment and built his own custom recording equipment.

5/12/15

5/11/14

Current location  35.158761, -103.722091

New Shoes and Games

Serenity got new shoes. Her front left brake hung up and did not retract. The pads ground down to metal. That sound of grinding metal made my hair stand on end. The scored rotor was turned and new pads for all four wheels. I highly recommend Danny's Shop in Roswell, NM for the great job they did.

Duane did a very through and careful job.

WIN Game Day

We formed seven teams of two. Game on.

Frisbee Golf.  Recording the number of throws

 to reach and hit the can on each leg of the course

Ladder Throw. That's a 3 point throw Mark

Incoming 

Blue 3 pts, Orange 2 pts, and you guessed it. Yellow 1 pt

My partner Linda shows great form

Water Ballon Toss  Throw to you partner, then they throw it back. 

Then take one step back and repeat. Last unbroken ballon wins.

Linda and I, despite our unbridled enthusiasm, finished dead last. But we had a great day.

5/8/14

5/8/13

Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art

Don Anderson made his fortune in oil, but Roswell is greatly enriched by his first love, Art. He used his personal collection and work of artists in residence to establish this wonderful museum in 1994.  Don is also a painter of some merit, who paints large landscapes. He also realized that emerging artists need time and space to where they can work and experiment. Since 1967 he supports an artist in residence program for 6 artists each year. They receive a home, studio, supplies and a stipend for one year.

Don Anderson's landscapes

One of my favorite Don Anderson's

Golf bag Shark by Magdalena Z'Garaggen

Totem by Jerry Kirwin

Golf bag Shark by Magdalena Z'Garaggen

Rocket Trailer by Robbie Barber

Exhaust by Scott Greene

Progress II by Luis Jimenez

Pinon Sphere by Rebecca Davis/Roger Asay

What a great museum. 

5/7/15

5/6/13