CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Here is some video from the festivities at the Roswell UFO Festival.











I'm out.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

http://www.roswellufofestival.com/

CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTER-PLANETARY CRAFT

It's July 4th weekend and that can mean only one thing....no no not the Nathan's Hotdog Eating contest...




I'm talking about the Roswell UFO Festival!!!

Thirty thousand people from all over the world are expected to attend the festivities that include a who's who in UFO-logy.

There will be a Parade of Aliens, a dealers room, speakers, food, parties and even the crowning of a Miss Roswell UFO contest, oh yeah, and a fireworks show. Don't forget the concert by Jefferson Starship [you knew that was a given].

Alas I was making plans to attend but timing just did not work out again this year so for now, feel free to read a previous post on the Roswell Incident here:

http://gmcbuddlowdown.blogspot.com/2009/02/incident-in-roswell.html

Here are some other interesting links as well including the official website:

http://www.roswellufofestival.com/

Recent UFO sighting over Socorro, NM:

http://abqjournal.magnify.net/video/UFO-Over-Socorro

Since we are discussing the 'news of the weird', check out these headlines from yesterdays Albuquerque Journal, our local newspaper:



A U.S. Airways flight from Charlotte, NC to Los Angeles had to make an emergency stop in Albuquerque when one Keith A Wright of Bronx, NY began to strip off his clothes. Gee, nothing exciting like this ever happens in coach.

full details here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/man-who-stripped-naked-on-labound-jet-held-by-fbi.html

And then there is this gruesome story from western NM

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_gallup_police_id_upper_half_of_body_as_nm_man_200907031455


Anyhow, have a safe and happy Fourth of July everyone!!!

I'm out.

THE PECOS

This morning I got up before sunrise again and headed north towards Santa Fe. Twenty five miles east of Santa Fe to be exact.

I had seen the signs pointing to Pecos National Historic Park when I went to visit Fort Union.

Pecos Pueblo [14th century] rivaled Taos Pueblo as one of the largest in New Mexico. Some of the buildings were four and five stories high and at its peak was home to about 2000 inhabitants.

And then came the Spanish.

Like Acoma Pueblo, the native population was forced to build a mission, part of which still stands.

The drive is only about 90 minutes from Albuquerque and easy to get to. If you are staying in Albuquerque or Santa Fe its a nice way to spend a morning.










































































I'm out.

www.nps.gov/peco

Patience young Jedi, I am working on a new post. Downloading pics and video as well as writing commentary takes some time.

I'm out.

post script:

Man I'm gonna miss Billy Mays. Rest in peace pal.

"Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence!" -- Bones McCoy

That being said, it didn't seem to stop the procedings on 19 June 2009 when the first commercial spaceport began construction. In case you missed it and were still asleep here is a report:





www.spaceportamerica.com
www.virgingalactic.com

I'm out.

post script:

Like so many other kids of the day, Farrah and MJ played a part in my life as a young person.

Every week my family use to watch Charlies Angels after dinner and somehow I even ended up with the 'Farrah' poster.




I recall as a freshman at university riding my bike home as fast as I could the day the THRILLER video was supposed to premiere. What an event that was.




Losing both of these cultural icons in the same day just sort of makes mortality that much more final.

Rest in peace Michael and Farrah and peace to your families.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALE!!

Just a quick shout out to my friend Dale of DALES RANTS, RAVES, RAMBLES AND THE OCCASIONAL RECIPE.

Happy birthday buddy I hope you had a good one!!

THE GETTYSBURG OF THE WEST

Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S Grant and Jefferson Davis - all names associated with the Civil War [1861 - 1865].

But...do you remember Henry H Sibley, Edward Canby or places like the Battle of Valverde, Glorieta Pass and Fort Union??

Not many people do, yet New Mexico had three fierce battles that ultimately ended the Confederates move into the western territories and thus preventing the South from stretching its reach to the Pacific.

The most notable was the battle of Glorieta Pass which many historians call the Gettysburg of the West.

The main fort and the largest in the southwest at the time was Fort Union in New Mexico, near the town of Las Vegas, NM

Journey Gnome says 'time travel' makes his stomach 'woozy' so I made this trip solo.

I got up at the crack of dawn. My destination: the remains of Fort Union, about two hours north of Albuquerque.



Early commuters from Albuquerque headed to Santa Fe.





Fort Union is located just north of the city of Las Vegas [the meadows] New Mexico. The mornings are beautiful here.




I could hear the crickets still chirping and even saw deer crossing a marsh, how cool is that.




[click on any image to inlarge]





It is a great drive and the roads are well maintained. Entrance into the park is only $3!!!



























The Santa Fe Trail goes right by Fort Union, the largest fort in the west.

I can't tell you how cool it felt to be standing here in the ruts of the Santa Fe Trail where so many people have traveled before me.

Trying to imagine what it must have been like 142 years ago when Fort Union had about 1,500 people here not counting the travelers heading west.

Keep in mind that Indians were still a very real threat too.






































The 'privy' or latrine. Trust me -- you can STILL smell it. Bleecchh!!






The fort jail. Basically a small dark room. No chair, no bed, just a floor.







The Santa Fe Trail looking northwest.





I'm still amazed at how many locals here that I know who have no idea of the role their state has played in history. From advanced civilizations that were here BEFORE Columbus or the pilgrims to Civil War battlegrounds.

None of the people I work with had ever heard of Fort Union or its role in history.

Their loss. I did this while they were at home watching TV.

I'm out.

www.nps.gov/foun

COMING SOON:

THE FINAL FRONTIER

STARDATE 19 JUNE 2009: THE DAWN OF THE NEW SPACE AGE.

Mark your calendars folks. History will be made this day at 11am as New Mexico's Spaceport America breaks ground on the worlds first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

Tune in to www.spaceportamerica.com for a live webcast of the event.

Spaceport America is a project developed by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and Richard Branson, founder of Virgin America Airlines and now, Virgin Galactic.

In 2006 Governor Bill Richardson and Secy. Rick Homans adopted the spaceport initiative as a formal state of New Mexico economic development program with Virgin Galactic slated to be the anchor tenant --signing on with a 20 year lease no less.

Spaceport America is the first built-from-scratch commercial spaceport built in the U.S.

It is a $225 million venture. Yes, a steep price but also a potential financial gain for the two cities closest to the spaceport: Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces.

The spaceport will also be home to the annual X Prize Cup, a suborbital space flight competition.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2010.

Oh, did I mention that tickets will initially cost $200,000?? I can imgaine what the luggage fees will be.

I'm out.