ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS
Well, I thought I’d escaped but it wasn’t to be. So today it’s Fay’s account of the past nine or so days. Probably it’s appropriate because this part of the trip has been a long time in the planning for me.
We left Denver and headed south to Colorado Springs via the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods park and the cliff dwellings at Manitou Springs. The latter was to be the warm up for our explorations in the Four Corners area of the US. (This is the area around where Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico meet). We had an excellent day and managed to reach the town of Monte Vista and our Servas hosts Alta and George in time for tea.
They were keen to show us the sand dunes in their part of the world, and it was incredible for us to climb up these enormous dunes which backed onto mountains in land-locked Colorado. They really needed some water nearby but this part of the country is all really dry at present – and it’s a long way to the surf.
From here we have been travelling through the most amazing landscape, filled with amazing ruins of days past. The Four Corners area is filled with the cliff dwellings and pueblos of peoples long gone – like they disappeared from here around 1300AD!! (Although it is believed that the present pueblo people are their descendents). We even managed to attend an archeological group meeting in Durango, thanks to our host Janice, which gave us more insight into the area.
So our past week has been filled with visits to magic places like Mesa Verde, Aztec, Canyon de Chelly, El Morro and Acoma. For me, it has been far better than I ever imagined, and now we know that we really needed about 6 months to appreciate this special area, not just nine days. The building prowess of these ancient people was truly fantastic. A special time was a twilight hike down Canyon de Chelly with a Navajo landowner to see some ancient rock art and listen to old stories while we awaited moonrise.
It was also great to spend time in Ramah in New Mexico with Caroly and George in their self-built adobe house – with an outdoor hot tub.
And now we find ourselves in Roswell, New Mexico, visiting with Tim and Katie Parker. Tim we’ve known from a few years back when he lived in Dubbo. We have managed to stay away from any alien influences here, despite visiting the local UFO museum. Yesterday saw us visiting the Carlsbad Caverns which are truly enormous and beautiful.
So you can see why there has been a delay in adding this blog. This past week has been our busiest since we arrived in the US, with each day filled with exploring this truly magnificent area, seeing incredible things, and learning a little about the past. How lucky can we be?
Thanks Fay. Well done – as usual.
We head to Wichita, Kansas, tomorrow (Thursday), then spend a week or so with Ken and Corrine in Branson, Missouri and also at Parsons, Kansas. Keep your eye on the calendar…the dreaded 14 June is approaching! That’s when we turn into pumpkins! Or maybe the aliens will get us! (Unless we get out of the country in time.) Gra
posted by Keasty @ 11:25 AM
11 Comments:
Good to hear from you Fay.I am very concerned though about the strange Alien in the picture at Roswell. Never seen one wearing such weird shorts and holding some sort of cap in its claw.Hope they don't invade the earth!
Archeological sites sound fascinating.
Blessings Brian
Grahame and Faye,
Wonderful to hear (and see) that you are enjoying fascinating sites out west. Had we known you would end up in Roswell we would have "abducted" you both and made a trip to Wright Field, (aka Wright Pattereson Air Force Base)to look for the remains of the alien craft and it's occupants that crashed in Roswell in 1948. They are supposedly under lock and key somewhere on the grounds.
So sad to know that you are not allowed to see the states under your own terms. Well, I can only believe that there is a purpose for everything and that God has it under control for you both.
Prayers for you my friends,
Wil
I love the Four Corners area! I keep trying to convince Page to move there. That is so cool you got to go to an archaeological meeting! Great cave photo, btw. I’m jealous. I’m also extremely jealous that you got your picture taken with an alien! Yes, like Wil said, there are aliens frozen in an underground vault right here in Dayton. If you pass this way again, we will have to visit them. God bless you both!
In the presence of greatness!
I couldn’t believe what I observed tonight at dinner. My hat is truly off to Gra—he could sell ice to Eskimos or sand to nomads!
I’m posting the real story here, so he can’t embellish it—not that it needs any embellishment!
Ken & Corrine from Parson drove to Derby to pick up the Keasts. Arriving near dinner, we were going to the favorite Mexican restaurant. Knowing that this place is usually very busy on a Fri night at 6PM, Gra & I drove to the restaurant a few minutes early to reserve a large table, while Chari, Fay, Ken, & Corrine came a bit later.
After parking, we hopped out, and Gra, ever VIGILANT for license plates, noticed the tag on a mini-van, where the gent was walking to his car. It was a Kansas personalized plate, stating “ME TOO”. As they chatted about the tag, I walked on in the restaurant to get the table.
Gra gave the gent the usual “Gday, how are ya mate?” and then about license plate collecting. They could NOT have spoken more than 2 minutes! At that point, Gra is in the restaurant, and a few minutes later, he & I are seated at our table for six, awaiting the rest of the party.
Low and behold, a few minutes later, in walks the ME TOO gent, carrying a 1995 duplicate of the KS METOO tag. He spots Gra & I, walks up to our table, and HANDS THE TAG TO GRAHAME!
I was in utter shock!
Gra offered his profound thanks, and we jotted the gent’s name & email.
When I returned home, I looked and the gent lives about 5 blocks from the restaurant, so he must have driven home, secured the old tag, and drove back to find Gra and give him the tag.
Of course, Gra sat the newly acquired tag on the table when Fay & company arrived a few minutes later.
In the course of 10 minutes, we had the table, and Gra had his ME TOO tag.
Unbelievable! The man is GIFTED.
Ron
sounds like a wonderful trip with many friends along the way!
Thanks for your concern Brian! You would've enjoyed the archeological sites for sure. Jennifer would kill for them!
Hey the alien scene is something else! I think they actually landed and there are some aliens stashed somewhere... Wright Field? Scarey! No wonder aliens don't send another party, they'd only get a 3 month visa waiver for sure!
Thanks Ron for your story.... Fay just laughed when she read your version. Pretty accurate. You had to be there.
Thanks for calling in Dana. I'm a big fan of yours!
Now off to Branson, Missouri! (3 hours east of Parsons, Kansas.)
Oh Wil, 8 July 1947. From memory.
Grahame - Yep, that would be the date. I should have known better than to go from my memory. It has been known to lose a Trivial Pursuit game or two. :)
There was a song from my past that said if aliens would come here to visit, "we'd make great pets". !!
Something to ponder if you are so inclined.
Continued blessings,
Wil
No wonder aliens don't send another party, they'd only get a 3 month visa waiver for sure!
Hilarious!!! And the license plate story is amazing! :0)
I love the Four Corners area; I'd move in a heart beat if I could just figure out how to make a living.
Good to hear you're enjoying the visit here, visa issues aside. I love the Garden of the Gods park; my wife and I visited on a 10th anniversary getaway to Colorado a couple of years back. Hiking through Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak is fun too. Beautiful area; if I were to move from the Twin City area, Denver would be one of the few places I'd consider.
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