LAND OF THE ZIA

Once Upon a Time in the Southwest

2011-10-22T20:35:00.005-07:00

Another year is drawing to a close. I've been away from the blog-o-sphere for awhile.

I've noticed on several friends blogs that they too have either stopped posting or have had long pauses. Not sure what that means. Could the novelty of blogging be wearing off?? I don't know.

Anywhooo... I've been on a few trips since I've last posted and will try to catch up.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has come and gone. This year I did not make it nor did the balloons float south like they usually do at least a day or two during the fiesta. The weather for the fiesta was great the first few days of the week;however, out of the blue we got a SNOW STORM.

...and then it was nice again. Go figure. I took the opportunity to head to Sandia Peak which Albuquerque sits at the base of. The weather since then has been amazing.

Notice the white mountains in the back [click to enlarge].

Two days after the snowstorm I headed to the peak. A beautiful 45 minute drive or so.

There's nothing like a bowl of green chili stew 10,678 feet above sea level. Talk about an awesome view!!

Of course no trip to the Sandia Mountains is complete without a stop at Tinkertown. A very cool folk-art museum built by Ross Ward over 40 years.

I'm out.

The Air Up There

2011-09-28T17:13:00.005-07:00

It's that time of year again... the balloons are here. The Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta starts this coming weekend and runs through 9 Ocotober.

If you are in the area, keep your eyes on the sky!!

Check out KOB.COM to visit their live cam from the Balloon Fiesta grounds. The first mass ascension is this Saturday at 7am MST.

Official website at BALLOONFIESTA.COM

Here is my post from last year.

If you have spent any time in Albuquerque this past week you have no doubt pulled off to the side of the road and stared skyward -- the behemoths have returned:

It also marks my third year attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta -- now in its 39th year!

It also means an early rise:

The last three years I've arrived at the park and ride by 04:30 which seems just about right. It truly is the only way to get to the balloon fiesta. I would never recommend driving to it, especially on a weekend.

Once you get there, there is not a whole lot to do that early...except look for souvenirs and eat. Legend has it that the 'breakfast' burrito variation was created at the balloon fiesta by Tia Sophias out of Santa Fe. I don't know for sure, I do know it is delicious at five am!!

Even this early in the morning the grounds have a state fair feel about them.

Of course the main reason for being here is about to begin...

The previous few years, the early morning has been bone cold, this year every day has been perfect, in the low 50s. Of course the day I decide to go it is more like 45.

It is all worth it when you see these giants begin to inflate and surround you.

What other sporting event can you get up this close to the participants?

The colors in the morning light are amazing!

For the first time in several years every morning was picture perfect and mass ascensions were able to take place. Winds postponed all but one evening 'glow'.

The week ended on a sad note; however, when news arrived that Italian search and rescue had called off the search for Albuquerque ballooning legend Richard Abruzzo and his ballooning partner Carol Rymer Davis who disappeared over the Adriatic Sea while participating in the Gordon-Bennet Gas Balloon race, the oldest balloon race.

Reports indicate the gondola plunged 50 miles an hour over the Adriatic Sea. No wreckage has been found.

As this season of Land of the Zia comes to an end, I will take one last planned adventure next weekend. There is a chance of rain but I am hoping the weather holds out.

Stay tuned.

I'm out.

UP NEXT: Balloon vids, whooo hoooo!

Bitter Heart, let go ...and love.

2011-09-14T18:27:00.002-07:00

Oh man... one of my favorite singer/songwriters has released a new CD this week: Mason Jennings. Amazing.

Check it out for yourself:

And now I have to pack... headed to Tulsa/OKC early in the morn'

I'm out.

The Head and the Heart

2011-09-13T20:16:00.003-07:00

Hello folks, packing for my last scheduled trip of the year. I'm headed to Tulsatown to catch a gig at Cain's Ballroom and just relax before the craziness of the holidays.

I know, I know, I still have not posted Walkabout IV. What can I say.

Anyhoo... please enjoy this GREAT new band called The Head and the Heart. They have a new self-titled CD out. Well worth picking up or downloading. They are currently touring the east and then on to Europe.

LIVE FROM THE 505: The Burning of Zozobra!

2011-09-08T15:46:00.003-07:00

The Burning of Zozobra can be viewed LIVE at Santa Fe.com 8pm MST.

All 25,000 tix SOLD OUT.

BURN HIM! BURN HIM!

2011-09-02T20:15:00.004-07:00

Unfortunately I will not be able to make The Burning of Zozobra this year as I have to be to work at four am the following morning.... bummer. So here is a re-post of the 2009 event I attended with my buddy Dale who was visiting from Maine. If you plan on being in Santa Fe next Thursday night I highly recommend the event. Tickets in advance online are only $10 --$15 at the door. Only 25,000 tickets are being sold this year and it WILL sell out.

Enjoy the Santa Fe Fiestas and have a plate of green chili chicken enchiladas for me!!

KOB.COM [channel 4 in Albuquerque] will broadcast the event on its website. Check it out.

...meanwhile....set the Way-back machine for September 2009....

Early September signals the return of many traditions in New Mexico like roasting green chilis and the return of Old Man Gloom.

Last September my friend Dale was visiting and I took him up to Santa Fe where we watched the original 'burning man' burn.

We had actually arrived in Santa Fe a little late as we made a stop in Madrid, NM.

Madrid is a very cool little artist community on the east side of the Sandia Mountains. There are all kinds of arts and crafts shops and a restaurant or two. Madrid has a kind of funky/kitschy feel to it.

By the time we got into Santa Fe the plaza had pretty much closed up shop so we missed all the cool booths.

We parked a couple of blocks away from Fort Marcy Park and followed the crowds.

There was not much to be seen once there. The obligatory souvenir booth which had ok t-shirts [wtf - no black T's?? I would think that would be a given]. I saw a cool bobble head of Zozobra for $25 bucks...eh I could do with out it. I ended up not purchasing anything.

Next, the food vendors....err.. only 8 of them?? Kinda disappointing. We had some shredded pork that was ok.

Once on the field we pretty much just waited with everyone else. There were bands playing but nothing else.

What suprised me most were the people having picnics on picnic blankets. It was crowded enough with tens of thousands of people around you with out having to worry about stepping on someones blanket.

Also I was very suprised smoking was allowed on the field. Most curious.

The festivities started around nine pm -- for five bucks it was worth the wait. The light show was pretty cool and the burning it self was pretty awesome.

Pagan type dancers came onto the stage first and danced around the giant marionette, followed by dancers with fire sticks. The music was perfectly eerie.

There was something eerie about the whole event. Thousands of people chanting "Burn him, burn him" the whole thing had a pagan feel to it. As I mentioned before, if I were a four year old in the audience it sure would freek me out.

Did I mention the odor of 'ganja' was very apparent...lol.

I would think an event as old as this one, 86 years, would be able to afford 'known' bands. I guess too many peoples pockets are being lined.

Anyway... Zozobra was 'burned'. It was very creepy seeing his head on fire with flames shooting out of his eye sockets and mouth and him moaning and wailing about, ultimately seeing his head fall off in flames.

When all was said and done, it was pretty cool. The crowd then proceded to wander the streets of downtown Santa Fe yelling, "Viva la fiestas!!!"

Eighty-six years ago artist William Shuster, Jr came to Santa Fe to paint and would stay on to help build the arts community in The City Different.

Shuster created the first Zozobra, or 'Old Man Gloom' [now a 40 ft tall marionette, which Guiness has verified is the largest marionette in the world], an effigy of all the gloom and dispair from the past year, to be burned.

Tradition holds that you are supposed to offer your gloom and dispair in documents or notes to be burned with Zozobra at the Fort Marcy Park grounds near the plaza in Santa Fe.

Definitely one of the more interesting ways to spend an evening.

And so ends another adventure in the Land of the Zia.

I'm out.

When The River Runs Black

2011-07-24T16:49:00.007-07:00

The Las Conchas Fire has now become the largest in state history at almost 157,000 acres and is now 85% contained. That's the good news.

Monsoon season has started and all the burn areas are now going to lead to flash flooding, not to mention bears and mountain lions roaming populated areas looking for food!!

Ash run off from the northern fires have flowed into the Rio Grande River north of Albuquerque and have turned the Rio Grande black.

Runoff brings ash & debris into Rio Grande: krqe.com

Hungry bear drops by governor's mansion: krqe.com

COMING SOON: WANDERLUST IV

2011-07-05T15:40:00.002-07:00

STAGE 3 FIRE ALERT: BOSQUE CLOSED!

2011-06-28T16:14:00.008-07:00

Albuquerque and state officials have announced a stage three fire alert for the city. NO OPEN FLAMES ALLOWED!

Governor Martinez and Mayor Berry are urging everyone to NOT purchase personal fireworks and to go to public fireworks events instead. The governor and mayor do not have the power to ban fireworks regardless of the danger.

The city announced today that a 140 mile stretch of the Rio Grancde including the Bosque; the largest cottonwood forest in the world, which runs near downtown Albuquerque, is OFF LIMITS and CLOSED. Anyone caught near the river could be fined $500

The Bosque is a match head just waiting for a spark.

The Las Conchas fire near Los Alamos has grown to 60,000 acres in just two days and has Santa Fe residents on edge as the two cities are only about 20 miles apart.

The fire is said to be one half mile from the newly restored Bandelier National Monument visitor center. National monument employees have started to remove important artifacts.

A new fire called the Donaldson fire [near former ABC newman Sam Donaldsons ranch] has started near Hondo, NM

NM FIRE INFO:

www.nmfireinfo.com

www.helplosalamos.com

www.redcrossnewmexico.org

Las Conchas fire updates: www.inciweb.org/incident/2385

LOS ALAMOS UNDER MANDATORY EVACUATION!

2011-06-27T13:41:00.005-07:00

Bandalier National Monument, the city of Los Alamos, New Mexico and the Los Alamos National Laboratories, have been ordered to evacuate as the Los Conchas fire moves toward the nations premiere nuclear laboratory.

Los Alamos is about 80 miles north of Albuquerque.

Los Alamos under mandatory evacuation: krqe.com

The City

2011-06-21T21:41:00.004-07:00

With the southwest on fire, taking New Mexico based trips can be very daunting. Arizona's largest fire ever has now moved into New Mexico and charred over 10,000 acres; the town of Luna, NM dodging a bullet. Fires shut down Carlsbad Caverns this past week, Interstate 25 was closed between Raton, NM and Trinidad, Co due to fire and a fire north of Santa Fe has doubled in size. To top it off, trails in the Sandia Mountains over Albuquerque, including La Luz, the most popular, are now CLOSED until October unless we get some rain.

Since January the jet stream seems to have parked itself over New Mexico and all we seem to get almost everyday are howling winds fanning these fires, it really sucks.

Cold fronts seem to fear dropping below the Colorado State line; however, there is a glimmer of hope as monsoon season officially started this weekend and get this, the peaks above Taos got SNOW yesterday.

So it is no wonder I decided leave the Land of Enchantment to begin my annual adventure I call WANDERLUST.

My buddy T-Rob, out of Oklahoma, joined me once again for our fourth annual adventure. This year we headed to San Francisco and Yosemite NP in northern California.

We were in search of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, a valley that was flooded in the early 1920s after the San Francisco earthquake to provide water to the city and surrounding communities. The effort to stop the building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam was led by Sierra Club founder and environmentalist John Muir...

But first, the adventure would start in the city by the bay, San Francisco!!

This would be my second trip the 'the city' and this time T-Rob and I had a different approach to staying here. Last time we were here we booked a room at the Hotel Bijou downtown near Union Square. This time we used an online service called AirBnB [airbnb.com]. Man, what a great first time experience we had with this site.

Basically you can rent anything from a bedroom in someones private home to an apartment to a house! Why rent a hotel room when for the same price you can have a private flat, as we did, for about the same price as a cramped hotel room?

Our flat was in the Mission district, a quiet, safe neighborhood near restaurants and commuter lines.

We had a two bedroom, two bath private flat with private entrance for $200 a night.

Our hosts recommended we NOT rent a car while in the city and it turned out great. Public transportation in San Francisco proper worked very well for us. The F-Line [$11 for a three day pass] took us to the wharf and around town and the double decker tourist line [$35 for a two day pass] took us to all the main attractions, from Golden Gate Park to Union Square. Hop on hop off wherever you wanted.

One of the places we wanted to visit was the Haight/Ashbury district; home to 'the hippies' back in the 60s. Needless to say the remnants of that era are long gone. All we found there were tee shirt stores selling 60s prints, used clothing stores and homeless kids smoking pot in the park. The area just felt 'old'. There were a few buskers on street corners but outside of that not much to see. We did swing by Amoeba records, a place I love to visit in Los Angeles as well. I could spend hours there looking for CDs and old movies.

San Francisco is a gorgeous city and I plan on returning.

My reason for being here; however, was to search for the Hetch Hetchy Valley, and man what an adventure that was as you will see in my next post.

I'm out.

Noah and the Whale

2011-06-09T16:51:00.003-07:00

Whilst the southwest burns, I decided to head to Santa Fe with my brother and a friend of his to catch a show at the Santa Fe Brewing Company by the UK band Noah and the Whale.

We went early so we could eat dinner at the Blue Corn Cafe in the Plaza... excellent!!

After dinner, we headed over to the Santa Fe Brew Co to catch the show...that ominous sun floating in the sky, blurred by the smoke and ash from the Wallow Fire along the Arizona/New Mexico border... it was actually A LOT more red then seen here [not sure why the true color didn't photograph].

The following pictures are the actual color around us. No filters. Everything had a sepia tone feel to it. A sort of dreamy, hazy, eerie feel.

The opening act, Bahamas, was from Canada. Apparently there is no CNN on the tour bus as the lead singer, Afie Jurvanen, asked 'is this normal' ?

UK band Noah and the Whale took the stage later and played a great set even if they were a bit out of their element and parched by the desert heat, ash and smoke that was in the air.

Here is a great song of theirs for the ad ahead of the video]. Their latest CD is called Last Night on Earth.

Still a great night overall.

Santa Fe Brew Co ROCKS!!

I'm out.

The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black

2011-06-07T19:04:00.007-07:00

For about the past week and a half or so things around here have been very creepy.

This time of year in Los Angeles the weather effect called June Gloom is in place. A thick marine layer sits on top of the LA basin until about mid-July or August. The skies remain gray most of the time....but it cannot compare to what is happening here in the southwest.

Fires in Arizona and along the NM border combined with the jet stream right over Albuquerque have turned our skies dark. Smoke and ash have wafted over the city now for almost two weeks with this effect:

This is about 5pm!! From here I can USUALLY see to the other side of the valley and the three volcanoes to the west.

My dad likes to sit outside in late afternoon and wait for the ice cream man to come around. He can't do that now as he is on oxygen 24/7 and all this crap is in the air. Your eyes burn if you are outside too long.

A local weather dude says it reminds him of growing up in Montana when Mt St Helen's erupted.

I'm out.

Both Sides Now

2011-05-23T17:28:00.001-07:00

Belated

2011-05-22T19:40:00.003-07:00

Wow... been away awhile.

Last month I celebrated my 48th trip around the sun... what a ride it has been.

My old roommate from LA, Andre, joined me in Vegas for a long weekend.

The weather was perfect, low 80s. We stayed at the Golden Nugget down town, what a cool place. Really enjoyed my stay there.

In room amenities were a bit stiff.... $12 a DAY for internet service...are you serious???

The Golden Nugget is downtown along Fremont Street. There are a lot of casino's and shops and places to eat. Perfect for late night partying...not to mention being able to walk back to your hotel was great.

We also took a drive to Hoover Dam, I was curious in seeing the new bridge that was built over the gorge after 9/11.

In several places along the strip and on Fremont Street, there were characters you could have your picture taken with. Batman here actually whispered to Andre, "you know I do this for tips, right...?" DOH!!

Overall I had a very good time. I've known Andre now for over 25 years. I'm very glad to call him friend.

DOH!!!

UP NEXT:

WALKABOUT V: IN SEARCH OF JOHN MUIR AND THE HETCH HETCHY VALLEY!!

BREAKING TORTILLA NEWS!!

2011-04-26T20:52:00.005-07:00

A local favorite for over 20 years is changing hands!!

Mexico based Mission Foods has purchased the Albuquerque Tortilla Company!! The horror!!

Having grown up primarily in the west I've tasted many tortillas and Albuquerque Tortilla Company, in my humble opinion, makes the best.

One thing I have noticed about 'national' brand tortillas is that they are thinner and larger than the Albuquerque Tortilla brand, my guess is that the larger/thinner ones make for better burritos.

Albuquerque Tortilla Co's are more like mom's. A little thicker and chewier. Slap some butter on there and heat it up and ooooh man... makes for a good late night snack! Peanut butter and jelly, de-lish! And nothing beats them when served with red chili and pork.

Ok, I'm hungry now.

I've tried Mission Tortillas. Eh.. less said the better.

Below is a link to an article on the sale:

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/april262011/tortilla-commerce.php

The Dark Horse

2011-04-23T21:12:00.008-07:00

Gary who??

Former New Mexico governor, Gary Johnson, has thrown his hat into the ring as a Republican presidential candidate.

He is a fiscal conservative, slashing the size of state government growth in half and the state workforce by 10%

He left office with a $350 million dollar surplus -- to which former Democratic Governor Bill Richardson turned into a $500 million dollar deficit!! He also did not raise taxes for the eight years he served as governor and cut 1,200 state government jobs without firing anyone.

He is an outdoorsman and businessman.

He supports abortion rights, same-sex marriage and legalizing pot.

Did I mention he is a Republican?

He rebuffed efforts by the Libertarian Party to draft him in the 2000 presidential election. His support went to Ron Paul that year.

He had broad suppport from conservatives and liberals when he ran for governor.

He was known as Governor 'Veto' for using the fiscal axe on Democrats as well as fellow Republican politicians.

Still... hard core conservatives might find him a hard pill to swallow.

2012 could turn out to be very interesting, considering current New Mexico Republican Governor, Susana Martinez, is on Republican lists as a possible vice presidential candidate.

Did I mention he is, I beleive, the only announced candidate to have taken part in several Ironman Triathlons AND climbed Mount Everest?

I'm out.

"Today's mess didn't just happen. We elected it -- one senator, member of Congress and president at a time. I can help fix it. I'm a 'fix-it' man!" -- Gary Johnson

http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/

www.twitter.com/govgaryjohnson

The Man Who Walked Up a Hill And Came Down A Mountain of Faith.

2011-04-22T22:15:00.007-07:00

Every year on Good Friday, thousands of pilgrims from around the state walk to a small Catholic church in a small town in northern New Mexico named Chimayo.

Here is a post from 2008 on the event:

Today is a special day in New Mexico. Good Friday signals for many 'believers'* the annual 'walk to Chimayo', a pilgrimage for many to the small 300 year old spritual town of Chimayo, New Mexico, north of Santa Fe.

Every year on Good Friday tens of thousands of people walk to a church in Chimayo in observance of the Easter Holiday.

Sheltered in a little valley in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Chimayo hisotrically has been known for its fruit and chile production as well as cattle grazing.

The Santuario de Chimayo was built around 1815 to house a crucifix that, according to legend, was founnd in the dirt at the site. Long before the arrival of the Spaniards and Christianity it was considered by Native Americans to be a sacred spot.

During Holy Week, peaking on Good Friday, pilgrims walk miles to the santuario, a few toting large wooden crosses. They trek 10 miles from neighboring towns, 30 miles from Santa Fe and 90*** miles from Albuquerque!!!!!!

At the church they scoop up handfuls of dirt locally dug and blessed by a priest that many believe has healing properties.** The dirt is rubbed on your body or it is taken home. It is a very devout and spiritual exercise for those involved.

** How about this on a t-shirt: "My brother made the walk to Chimayo and all I got was this dirt". I'm bad...I know I'm real bad.

Although El Santuario de Chimayo is the more well known site for pilgrims, another is Tome Hill in southern New Mexico.

Many have personal reasons for taking such an arduous trek. Some walk for miles with 60 pound wooden crosses, some, like the man in the story below, walked 12 miles.... barefoot!!

For those of you that cannot make it to Chimayo, worry not because Holy Dirt from the Santuario is now available ONLINE!!! YES!For free if you cannot afford it.... but a donation is accepted. But WAIT!! The website for the santuario has even MORE items for sale...check this out:

www.elsantuariodechimayo.us/holydirt

Fortunately, I get my scapulars here in town at St Charles.

Happy Easter everyone!!

I'm out.

Tweeting Live From Vegas, 'baby'

2011-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Maxpedition!!

2011-03-27T20:44:00.004-07:00

WALKABOUT IV is around the corner, as such, T-Rob and I are getting ready for our annual expedition. This year we are in search of the legacy of conservationist John Muir, co-founder of the Sierra Club, and the disappearance of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in California.

One of the very cool web sites I've come across in preparation for the expedition is called Maxpedition.com

It is chock full of cool back packs and such, like this versapack I picked up for day hikes.

I also picked up this multi-purpose bag. Unfortunately my 17 inch lap top is a bit too big to fit in the side pockets; however, the quality over all is fantastic!

If you are a hiker or back packer I definitely recommend them!

www.maxpedition.com

Untitled Post No. 556

2011-03-27T08:05:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I'm sitting at the computer one evening when all of a sudden my screen goes whacky!

VIRUS!

I had let my virus protection lapse and left myself wide open to infestation!!

We learn the hard way... well I do anyway.

It had been about five years since my last computer so I decided to head out and get a new laptop. What sucks is that the photo editing software on my computer was from 1998!!!

I LOVED that software!! Simple, easy to use... that is why I would just install it in new computers I would buy over the years.

Unfortunately Adobe hasn't supported it in ages and when I tried to re-install it on the new computer [Windows 7] it kept crashing and giving me errors, suffice it to say i can no longer use it.

I've purchased some new programs but damn.... they are soooo advanced and confusing I just keep bashing my head against the wall!!! ARRRRGGH!!!

Does anyone out there know of easy to use photo editing software?? I need to be able to choose a wide variety of fonts, cut and paste separate images on the same screen and need special effects filters.

I tried two Corel programs.... one was too confusing the other was crap. I tried LogoDesigner and that looked promising but I am having problems importing images and when I went to their website other people are describing the same problem but the designer isn't offering anything that has helped as yet.

I tried a new [and pricey] Adobe software photo/video package....dayuum, talk about confusing not to mention frustrating!!!

Until then, I will have to have a bland logo... so please send any suggestions.

I'm out.

Man's Best Fried Stricken by Mystery Disease.

2011-03-21T20:41:00.002-07:00

A mysterious disease has stricken dogs in Durango, Colorado.

Tissue samples have been sent to the University of New Mexico for investigation.

The Man Who Climbed Everest

2011-03-19T21:14:00.004-07:00

Taos, NM Ski Patroller, Dave Hahn, leaves next week on a quest to summit Mt. Everest for a record 13th time -- more than any other non-Sherpa climber!

New Mexican eyes 13th Everest summit: krqe.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Hahn

The Code Talkers

2011-03-19T20:53:00.003-07:00

The second to last Navajo Codetalker has died.

Lloyd Oliver, 88, passed away this weekend.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/03/ap-marine-navajo-code-talker-dies-031811/

The last remaining Navajo Code Talker is Chester Nez, 89 who lives here in Albuquerque.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/31/original-navajo-code-talker-still-tells-his-story/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVIS!!

2011-03-12T17:47:00.004-07:00

Birthday greetings are in order for my friend and adventure buddy, Travis [T-Rob]!! Happy birthday, kid!!

Looking forward to Walkabout IV, buddy!!

CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

2011-03-08T19:39:00.004-07:00

It broke my heart to find out the Santa Fe Brewing Company Pub & Grill on NM 14 just south of Santa Fe has CLOSED!!

This was one of my favorite places to hang out, have a beer and see a live band (second only to the Troubadore in West Hollywood, CA)

I had been checking the Brew Co's website and had wondered why no bands were scheduled beyond February, or why I had not seen any shows listed on Pollstar.

Tonight I Googled it and came up with an older article from the Albuquerque Journal about it having financial problems and back rent.

They report it closed in December. Woe is me.

After a bitter cold winter I was SO looking forward to making it up the Turquoise Trail [back road to Santa Fe] and sitting on the patio having a beer and seeing a band. This really breaks my heart. The place, the crowd.... it was just one of the coolest, least pretentious places I have ever hung out at.

In memory, here are some video memories from shows I've been to there in the past.

Excuse me while I have a moment to myself and wallow....

^ Brett Dennen and Angus & Julia Stone ^

^ Yonder Mountain String Band ^

^ Drive By Truckers ^

I'm gonna miss you Santa Fe Brewing Co.

...sigh...

Albuquerque Journal article on the closing of the SFBrew Co:

www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/northsanta-fe/25935-kathaleen-roberts.html

DEATH OF THE CHUPACABRA!

2011-02-25T21:51:00.002-07:00

ART OR GARBAGE?

2011-02-18T22:21:00.004-07:00

Art is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Centuries from now when 'alien' archeologists from the planet Alpha Ceti 2 dig the cactus up, I wonder if they will know it's art.

$50,000 ... really?????

From The Archives

2011-02-18T18:14:00.006-07:00

I love this new technological age we live in.

I don't know how I would function now without my smart phone [HTC EVO], my internet radio [SqueezeBox] and my Wolverine film negative to SD card.

The above photo is from the latter half of the 20th century, circa 1990s.

Before cell phones, before the 'internet', before Netflix.

I found the negative in a box of negatives from pictures I took of my time in California. My Wolverine negative to SD card device is pretty dang good.

It was my first trip driving to Vegas from Los Angeles.

Oh man...if you have ever driven the 15 from Barstow, CA to Las Vegas, NV in August you know it is a HOT desolate lonely drive, well it was back then.

The last time I drove it, the freeway had been expanded to three lanes each way which helped prevent the parking lot situation driving back to Barstow from Vegas on a Sunday evening.

Was I really ever that young??

WALKABOUT IV

2011-02-18T18:05:00.003-07:00

JAY THE GIRAFFE

2011-02-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

Jay the giraffe is dead. A victim of Mr. Colds icy grip on the state of New Mexico. Curse you Mr. Cold!!!

Clovis giraffe dies after frozen fall: krqe.com

THE BRIDGE TO SOMEWHERE

2011-02-05T23:16:00.008-07:00

It has been two weeks since my last post [although I do tweet for the blog to fill in the gaps - see post at right].

Since then New Mexico was hit by a very bitter arctic storm, a storm that hit a third of the country. Now arctic storms may be familiar to the folks back east...but not in New Mexico.

This was our DAY temperature. The nights in Albuquerque dipped into the minus double digits!! Ugh. The neighbors across the street had a pipe burst so I feared for the worse. Thousands were without natural gas and the governor declared a state of emergency. CHUNKS of ice were floating down the Rio Grande!! I've never seen anything like that before.

Somewhere behind those clouds is a 10,000 ft mountain.

And just like that... it was gone.

...but I digress...

The day after Kasha Katuwe, I ventured north with my brother and a friend of his to Taos, NM.

Taos is now an art colony and skiing destination. Established in 1615, local native tribes had amicable relations with the Spanish; however, in 1640 native tribes in New Mexico revolted pushing the Spanish back to Mexico, only to be conquered again by the Spanish in 1661.

Today Taos is a town of about 4,600 with trendy residents such as Julia Roberts and Donald Rumsfield. It is only about two hours north of Albuquerque and about an hour north of Santa Fe.

One of the highlights of visiting Taos is Taos Pueblo belonging to the Northern Tiwa tribe. It is open to the public most of the year [it was closing for six weeks the Monday following our visit for 'spiritual' reasons]. It will cost you $10 bucks to enter and an additional $6 bucks if you want to take pics.

The former Spanish presence is very evident.

[click on any pic to enlarge]

Like Acoma Pueblo, you feel you are on a very detailed movie set.
The dwellings at Acoma; however, seem more well preserved and updated.

Note the doors on the pueblos. They are not part of the original buildings. The Spanish made the native people put in doors and windows. Traditionally pueblos are entered through openings in the roof via ladders. The north pueblo is one of the most photographed and painted structures in the US. It is also the largest multi-storied pueblo still existing.

A very cool place.

Just north of Taos is another marvel.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge [also called the Taos Gorge Bridge] is a cantilever truss bridge built in 1965 and is 650 feet high, the fifth highest bridge in the US.

My plans this year call for more trips to northern New Mexico so sit back and come along, won't you.

I'm out.

The White Cliffs of Kasha Katuwe

2011-01-29T23:54:00.006-07:00

My second trip I after arriving in New Mexico five years ago was to Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument north of Albuquerque.

Back then my camera was a primitive digital with 2005 technology and something like 1.8 megapixels... scoff!

Also, I had just started hiking when the skies went from cloudy to dark and I could tell a snow storm was coming so I turned back, not even half way.

Today was picture perfect in the upper 50s. I could not have asked for a better day. I might also mention that the gravel road to Tent Rocks is now PAVED!!

The area owes it unusual geography to the volcanic past of northern New Mexico. Volcanic rock and ash have eroded leaving spires throughout Slot Canyon.

If you are planning a trip, try and go in cool weather. Cold weather keeps snakes and other critters away. I didn't see one bug on the hike.

There was; however, snow and ice in the crevices so make sure you wear good shoes if visiting in winter/early spring.

Valley of the Pe... nah.. too easy...

If you are a low-lander [from below say...2000 feet] this could be very strenuous on you. Make sure you take water with you, even in winter, and I repeat: GOOD HIKING SHOES! I would also recommend possibly eating a good breakfast, those carbohydrates come in handy on a hike like this, you will need your strength on the last stretch.

Your reward should you reach the 6400 ft summit is a breathtaking view for miles and miles -- I could see the snow capped Sangre de Cristo mountains northeast of Santa Fe.

Tomorrow I journey further north.

I'm out.

2011-01-29T09:53:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I thought a Land of the Zia twitter account would be cool for when I'm on the road. I have no idea how to work it and am playing around with it so bare with me.

tweet.

www.twitter.com/zialander for those of you who know about such stuff.

[any tips would be greatly appreciated]

NEW YEARs EVE FREAKOUT!

2011-01-26T19:05:00.005-07:00

Greetings citizen! I hope everyone had a good and safe New Years!

I did. I managed to swing a trip out of town to visit T-Rob in Oklahoma -- and just in time too. The day I arrived in Tulsa it was almost 70 degrees while that morning in Albuquerque it was 28 -- YUCK!

I was in town to visit T-Rob and to see what has become an annual New Years Eve event in Oklahoma City: The Flaming Lips New Years Eve FREAKOUT concert.

The who, you ask? Flaming Lips are local Okies done good. They scored a big hit a few years back with their release PINK ROBOTS [YOSHIMI BATTLES THE GIANT ROBOTS] a sci-fi, Pink Floyd-ish album.

Lead singer Wayne Coyne is Grand Marshal of the annual March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons Halloween parade in Oklahoma City every year which I have covered in this blog.

I always enjoy visiting Tulsa and OKC. They are big metropolitan areas and so green thanks to the rivers and lakes near both cities. Lush is not something we see much of in Albuquerque even with the Rio Grande River running through the core of town.

I ate well while in town, from Cattleman's Steakhouse in OKC to The Hideawy in Tulsa. From POPS in Arcadia to Coney Isand hot dogs in Jenks, OK

I'm STILL stuffed.

Ah, but the main reason for visiting was the New Years Eve concert in OKC:

OKC and Tulsa are great towns to visit if you ever get the chance!

Well, I'm glad to say I know winter is on the way out -- I heard the ice cream man driving down the street this week and he was open for business.

I'm in the process of planning several exciting adventures for the year, in fact one is happening this weekend, so stay tuned!

I'm out.

SUFJAN

2011-01-17T18:49:00.003-07:00

Hey gang, just wanted to share some great new music with you!

Fellas name is Sufjan Stevens and he has several CDs and EPs out.

The first song is VESUVIUS from his CD - THE AGE OF ADZ.

The second is Chicago from his CD ILLINOISE.

Check him out.

SHAKEY-TOWN

2011-01-17T18:11:00.003-07:00

How time flies.

It was 17 years ago today I awoke around 4:27 am in Los Angeles.

I'm not sure why I woke up, I wasn't due at work til 8 am.

I looked at my table clock and vividly recall it reading 4:27 am. I took a glance out the window [at the time it faced Sony Studios down the street].

I then laid back down and rolled over.

The shaking started four minutes later at 4:31 am.

Some memories stay with you forever...like they happened yesterday.

The apartment was turned upside down that night.

As the violent shaking started I just kept repeating, "Oh my god, oh my god...!"

I jumped up and put pants on as the shaking increased. I then stepped in the door frame of my closet [not sure why, it wasn't a tornado!!]

I heard my roommate, Andre, call out my name from his room.

As the shaking began to decrease, I put some shoes on and went into the living room and saw Andre coming out of his room. Everything had fallen out of the cabinets and refrigerator. The power was out too and it was pitch dark. We could hear screaming coming from the three storing building and people running down the hallway.

We gathered our wits and ran down three flights of stairs too!

Everyone had gathered on the dark street along with other tenants from other buildings. We could see blue sparks in the sky from the downed transformers.

Then there was an after shock! It was right out of a movie as people started to scream in the streets.

Eventually the cold got to us and many of us went back in to the building and went back to sleep.

The following day I managed to get to work along with two other people. The boss' of course did not. There was no power either.

We mainly just held the fort and played poker all day -- and got paid for it, woohooo!

By that evening power had returned to the apartment and I saw the damage in the city on the TV: a freeway had collapsed literally down the street from work!!

I wasn't able to get a hold of my family until the following evening.

In the end, it is part of living in LA I guess.

I'm out.

PACK UP

2011-01-09T00:40:00.004-07:00

Don't know if you guys have heard of this chick....correction, young woman, from England but I sure hope you will. I can't get this song out of my head and if this is the sound of new music to come, I'm very excited.

...but it's not just Miss Doolittle that is bringing back a retro sound, I'm sure by now you have heard Cee Lo Greens infamous 'F**CK YOU' song which is also fantastic [please forget the Gwynith Paltrow version from GLEE... PLEASE!!!]

I'm out.

The Holidays Are Here And We're Still At War

2010-12-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

...winter arrives

2010-12-02T21:52:00.003-07:00

Autumn has turned into winter.

Even though this is a mild winter I hate to see the colors abandon the landscapes before me.

The smell of fresh cut grass: gone.

Somehow, sweet tea doesn't taste as sweet as it does on a warm summer day.

Two days before Thanksgiving I opened the door to get the daily paper [yes, I still read the paper!] -- 75 percent of the leaves had fell from the trees. The mass exodus of Autumn had begun.

Two days later it snowed. Four out of five years that I have been here our first snow has been on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving was nice. Dad celebrated his 82nd one with us, how cool is that!

Mom was missed -- 20 years since she has passed.

I don't really have a set time when I put up the Christmas Tree...whenever the spirit moves me, usually around 1 December though. Just a small one for me and dad.

I'll be leaving for Okie City soon for New Years, excited about that.

A new year.

A new trip around the sun.
Pack your bags.

I'm out.

ZIA-LANDER

2010-11-18T18:29:00.003-07:00

Yes friends, it has been awhile.

September/October always seem to be my busiest months.

Nothing exciting to report, just busy with life as many of you are.

Winter is trying to settle in here; however, looks like fall just doesn't want to budge. The mornings are in the 20s but the days warm up to the upper 50s -- just how I like my winters. Apparently it is a weather pattern known as 'La Nina'.

Although I usually don't travel in winter, this New Years I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate it...and so I am.

Oh, no where 'grand' by any means, I will be seeing The Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City New Years Eve...very cool.

Tulsa and Oklahoma City are becoming favorite destinations of mine. How can you not love the salmon at the White River Fish Market ... sooo good. And of course a banana split at Braums... mmmm.

A couple of observations:

New Mexico being a swing state and all, going Democratic one election and Republican the next, we recently elected both a Republican Mayor and the first Hispanic Latina Governor.

Governor Susanna Martinez is a Republican dream! She's a smart cookie -- former District Attorney and fluent in both English and Spanish! Oh how the Republicans have chased after that elusive Spanish vote...or is it Latino vote....or Chicano vote or...they'll figure it out!

Governor Martinez and Senator Marco Rubio out of Florida will make quite a team in 2012 pitching for the Republicans.

I can see the Republicans salivating now....next thing you know John Boehner will say he loooovvves tacos! Ole' !!

Congratulations are in order for the Navajo Code Talkers of WW2!!

NM Route 264 has been named the Code Talkers Highway in honor of the Navajo marines who created the complex code never broken by the Japanese during WW2.

"Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima." said Major Howard Connor at Iwo Jima during WW2.

The code talkers received NO recognition until August 14, 1982 when President Ronald Regan declared the day National Navajo Code Talkers Day -- well after many of them had passed on.

In July of 2001, President George W Bush personally presented the Congressional Gold Medal to four surviving code talkers.

Check out the official code talkers website:

www.navajocodetalkers.org

The Enchanted Mesa

2010-10-24T16:04:00.004-07:00

Welcome to my final travel blog for the season. New Mexico winters can be too harsh to travel in so I stick close to home and pretty much hibernate.

I'm not a big fan of winter unless I am in doors under ten blankets with the heater on.

My last planned excursion of the season took me again to the Acoma Pueblo, almost four hundred feet high on a butte in a remote region of western New Mexico between Grants and Gallup.

The view of the valley ad you enter from the other side is striking and this was a gorgeous day to be here: 70, light breeze, clouds.

Keep in mind you are not allowed to take pictures unless you have received a permit from the visitors center.

The cost at this time to visit Acoma Puelbo [which is also known as Sky City because of its position on the butte almost 400 feet above] was $20 and this includes your camera permit.

The most prominent building, which can be seen from most points on the butte, is the San Esteban del Rey Mission which was started in 1630 [32 years after Juan de Onate took possession of New Mexico for Spain.

Since then the Acoman people are Catholic mixed with traditional beliefs.

Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously occupied community in the US.
For further history on the Pueblo see my link at right from my first trip here.

The pueblo is not occupied full time by the families who own their houses. It is occupied during traditional ceremonies and special occasions like the fall feast day on 2 September in which outsiders are invited in to the homes of the people and fed.

During the summer and fall some of the residents do occupy the homes to welcome tourists. Tables are set up with jewelry and crafts, like this jewel box that in Santa Fe would easily cost you $100.

Lucky me...home made blueberry pies were for sale too... man this was soooo good.

...but I digress...

You totally feel like you are on a movie set, which by the way REDSKIN and WAY OUT WEST were filmed here.

There are no amenities here. No running water, electricity or plumbing, thus the port-o-potties everywhere.

The views are AMAZING!

The mesa in the distance is called Enchanted Mesa and is a spiritual place. No one is allowed to scale it to this day.

Mount Taylor can be seen in the distance.

After the tour, you are given the option of taking the tour bus back down or taking the 'rock' walk back.

The rock walk is a trail used by the early residents to go up and down the butte. It is NOT for the weak of heart. A few people found that out as the walk down began.

From the bottom of the trail you can get a good look at the pueblo up on the butte.

[click to enlarge]

Once you are back at the visitors center, I might suggest you stop by the cafe for some good grub, like the chips and roasted green chili avocado dip [yes yes, we put green chili in EVERYTHING here...]

And so ends another great travel season. I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me.

I'm out.

Those Who Came Before

2010-10-19T18:48:00.006-07:00

"My father was born here, in America. His father before him and his father before him and his father before him. Now which one of us is American?"

-- Navajo's Land

Welcome to my final travel post of the year [...well, as far as I know].

I have actually visited these places before; however, my brother Steve and his friend Chad had not. They mentioned it to me and I was totally on board.

Our first stop would be the Hubbell Trading post in the town of Ganado, a remote area of north eastern Arizona.

[For my original post on the history of Hubbell Trading Post see my earlier blog entry at www.gmcbuddlowdown.blogspot.com/2010/04/hubbells_20

Hubbell Trading Post is the oldest continuously in use trading post in the US. It was established by John Lorenzo Hubbell in 1878.

Today the trading post continues to sell Native American jewelry, rugs, arts and crafts as well as general store goods and food.

From Ganado Arizona we headed north to Chinle, Az and Canyon de Chelly [pronounced 'shay'] , an amazing canyon...sort of Little Grand Canyon.

Canyon De Chelly is home to the Navajo today; however, it was first settled centuries ago by the Ancient Ones also known as the Anasazi.

It is the home of Barboncito, the Navajo ruler who led the tribe on the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo, the reservation the Navajo's were put on when their lands were conquered. [See previous posts to right]

It was an awesome day for a hike, around 70, light breeze, gorgeous!

The hike down takes about thirty minutes...an hour coming back up. We definitely had to take a few breaks as it got a little steeper towards the top.

The layers on the side of the canyon pillars tell it's geological history.

When I was here last spring, a river flowed along the bottom of the canyon. I guess it has been a dry summer as the river was dry this time. There were also no horses running wild as last time [see my original post on Canyon De Chelly, link at right].

The White House Ruins, left by the Ancient Ones aka Anasazi.

This is an awesome hike and highly recommended. Keep in mind it is a strenuous hike and the elevation ranges from 5000 to 6000 feet, so you folks from sea level need to think about this.

We stayed at the Canyon De Chelly Best Western Inn, just outside the park in Chinle, AZ. It was a very nice, safe, clean hotel. The beds were very comfy after a long day hiking.

We had breakfast at the Junction Restaurant [closes at 7pm on Sundays] attached to the hotel, quite good [biscuits made from scratch!].

The town of Chinle closes up early on Sundays and the only places open serving food past seven are fast food joints like BK and A&W.

There is a Bashas [AZ chain] supermarket next door to BK.

Canyon De Chelly is easily accessible from Albuquerque.

Albuquerque to Gallup via I-40 [2 hrs] - Gallup NM to Window Rock, AZ via NM 491 to Ganado, AZ via AZ 264 to Chinle, AZ via AZ 191 [also 2 hrs -- 4hrs total.

Up next a visit to the largest adobe/mortar building in the US.

I'm out.

FLIGHT 21

2010-10-16T20:57:00.006-07:00

It was announced on Saturday that Armenia now has the worlds longest aerial tramway at 3.5 miles beating out Sandia Peak Tramway [2.7 miles] in the mountains above Albuquerque....sigh.

When it comes to aerial tramways...size does matter.

Also, I am sorry that I will have to delay the balloon fiesta vids I promised last post as I am out of state this weekend.

Last spring I traveled back in time 800 years to a remote area near the Arizona, New Mexico border. I mentioned I would be back in the fall...and here I am.

Adventure awaits....but first...

Below is a post on the Sandia Peak Tramway written a few years back:

WINTER 2008

That being said, I was scheduled for Flight 21 at Sandia Tram: 10,000 feet straight up. Talk about amazing...check these pics out man!!

The objective: to ascend the Sandia Mountains to a point of 10,378 feet.

[Don't forget you can click on any picture to enlarge it!!']

Wheels in motion.

Flight 21 now arriving.

Please get out your boarding passes.

Flight 21 now boarding.

Welcome to Sandia Peak.

BEHEMOTHS RISING!

2010-10-10T20:20:00.003-07:00

If you have spent any time in Albuquerque this past week you have no doubt pulled off to the side of the road and stared skyward -- the behemoths have returned:

It also marks my third year attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta -- now in its 39th year!

It also means an early rise:

The last three years I've arrived at the park and ride by 04:30 which seems just about right. It truly is the only way to get to the balloon fiesta. I would never recommend driving to it, especially on a weekend.

Once you get there, there is not a whole lot to do that early...except look for souvenirs and eat. Legend has it that the 'breakfast' burrito variation was created at the balloon fiesta by Tia Sophias out of Santa Fe. I don't know for sure, I do know it is delicious at five am!!

Even this early in the morning the grounds have a state fair feel about them.

Of course the main reason for being here is about to begin...

The previous few years, the early morning has been bone cold, this year every day has been perfect, in the low 50s. Of course the day I decide to go it is more like 45.

It is all worth it when you see these giants begin to inflate and surround you.

What other sporting event can you get up this close to the participants?

The colors in the morning light are amazing!

For the first time in several years every morning was picture perfect and mass ascensions were able to take place. Winds postponed all but one evening 'glow'.

The week ended on a sad note; however, when news arrived that Italian search and rescue had called off the search for Albuquerque ballooning legend Richard Abruzzo and his ballooning partner Carol Rymer Davis who disappeared over the Adriatic Sea while participating in the Gordon-Bennet Gas Balloon race, the oldest balloon race.

Reports indicate the gondola plunged 50 miles an hour over the Adriatic Sea. No wreckage has been found.

As this season of Land of the Zia comes to an end, I will take one last planned adventure next weekend. There is a chance of rain but I am hoping the weather holds out.

Stay tuned.

I'm out.

UP NEXT: Balloon vids, whooo hoooo!

Yellowstone Lite

2010-09-21T20:44:00.006-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year in New Mexico. The signs are everywhere: the aroma of roasting chili, the excitement of the state fair and balloon fiesta and the colors in the mountains are just some of the signs summer is reaching its end.

This past weekend I drove up to Valles Caldera -- a collapsed super volcanic caldera and the third largest caldera in the US -- just north of Albuquerque.

I guess you could call it Yellowstone Lite.

Whew... that sulfur smell was everywhere. The last eruption occurred about 50,000 years ago. A blip in geological time.

Thanks to the volcanic ash, there is lots of flora. From pine trees to wildflowers, simply gorgeous.

There are lots of hot springs in the area but beware you may also see tell-tale signs that some of them are 'clothes optional' even though it is prohibited.

As you enter the Valle Grande make sure you stop at the visitor's center and take the 45 minute van ride into the caldera grounds. It is only five bucks not to mention you can tell your friends you have driven into the heart of a volcanic caldera. The mound in the background is a lava dome, the youngest outcropping within the caldera.

After the tour of Valles Caldera we headed north on NM 4 to Bandelier National Monument [see previous posts for info on it's inhabitants].

A series of ladders takes you 140 feet up the cliff wall to the alcoves that were inhabited native Americans before the Conquistadores arrived.

It was a beautiful autumn day here in New Mexico.

I am SO not looking forward to the cold gray days of winter.

I'm out.

www.vallescaldera.gov

www.nps.gove/band

RETURN OF THE BOOGEY MAN!! [UPDATED]

2010-09-09T16:25:00.005-07:00

Early September signals the return of many traditions in New Mexico like roasting green chilis and the return of Old Man Gloom.

Last September my friend Dale was visiting and I took him up to Santa Fe where we watched the original 'burning man' burn.

We had actually arrived in Santa Fe a little late as we made a stop in Madrid, NM.

Madrid is a very cool little artist community on the east side of the Sandia Mountains. There are all kinds of arts and crafts shops and a restaurant or two. Madrid has a kind of funky/kitschy feel to it.

By the time we got into Santa Fe the plaza had pretty much closed up shop so we missed all the cool booths.

We parked a couple of blocks away from Fort Marcy Park and followed the crowds.

There was not much to be seen once there. The obligatory souvenir booth which had ok t-shirts [wtf - no black T's?? I would think that would be a given]. I saw a cool bobble head of Zozobra for $25 bucks...eh I could do with out it. I ended up not purchasing anything.

Next, the food vendors....err.. only 8 of them?? Kinda disappointing. We had some shredded pork that was ok.

Once on the field we pretty much just waited with everyone else. There were bands playing but nothing else.

What suprised me most were the people having picnics on picnic blankets. It was crowded enough with tens of thousands of people around you with out having to worry about stepping on someones blanket.

Also I was very suprised smoking was allowed on the field. Most curious.

The festivities started around nine pm -- for five bucks it was worth the wait. The light show was pretty cool and the burning it self was pretty awesome.

Pagan type dancers came onto the stage first and danced around the giant marionette, followed by dancers with fire sticks. The music was perfectly eerie.

There was something eerie about the whole event. Thousands of people chanting "Burn him, burn him" the whole thing had a pagan feel to it. As I mentioned before, if I were a four year old in the audience it sure would freek me out.

Did I mention the odor of 'ganja' was very apparent...lol.

I would think an event as old as this one, 86 years, would be able to afford 'known' bands. I guess too many peoples pockets are being lined.

Anyway... Zozobra was 'burned'. It was very creepy seeing his head on fire with flames shooting out of his eye sockets and mouth and him moaning and wailing about, ultimately seeing his head fall off in flames.

When all was said and done, it was pretty cool. The crowd then proceded to wander the streets of downtown Santa Fe yelling, "Viva la fiestas!!!"

Eighty-six years ago artist William Shuster, Jr came to Santa Fe to paint and would stay on to help build the arts community in The City Different.

Shuster created the first Zozobra, or 'Old Man Gloom' [now a 40 ft tall marionette, which Guiness has verified is the largest marionette in the world], an effigy of all the gloom and dispair from the past year, to be burned.

Tradition holds that you are supposed to offer your gloom and dispair in documents or notes to be burned with Zozobra at the Fort Marcy Park grounds near the plaza in Santa Fe.

This was a busy week for the city as it was also the beginning of the year long celebration of Santa Fe's 400th birthday.

Yeah, I said 400th birthday. The state capitol, or 'roundhouse' is the oldest continuously occupied government building in the US. Santa Fe is also the highest state capital in the US...but I digress...

As Dale and I approached Fort Marcy Park we had to have some bbq from one of the food vendors... mmm even with out the sauce it was good.

Most of the 'events' take place on the plaza, at Fort Marcy Park there isn't really anything to do except wait for the 'burning' to begin. Yeah, there are bands playing live, but if you dont' like the music, all you do is wait...and we did for about two hours... but then.. it started....

About 40,000 people attend the ceremony. Why people would bring blankets and have a picnic on the grounds is beyond me. It's standing room only.

Maybe it's just me... but if I were a 4 year old watching this I'd be pretty skeeeered. This giant standing in front of you moaning and waving his arms around... it gets creepier though... check it out...

There is something eerie about 40,000 people shouting "Burn him, burn him!!!

Definitely one of the more interesting ways to spend an evening.

And so ends another adventure in the Land of the Zia.

...BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE:

If you can't be in Santa Fe this evening you CAN watch Zozobra burn online at KOB.COM at 8:30 pm Mountain Time, 9:30 Central and 10:30 eastern.

I'm out.

Shakeytown

2010-09-06T00:14:00.002-07:00

With the waning days of summer before me I took my final journey out of New Mexico and to the left coast: Sandy Eggo and Shakeytown, aka San Diego and Los Angeles.

I fly back to Los Angeles every August to help one of my best friends and former roommate, Andre, celebrate his birthday. This year my fellow traveler, T-Rob, joined me again.

The August trip is always just to relax and be with friends.

Play it by ear.

We landed in Los Angeles and right away I could feel the ocean breeze and the 'smell' of water.

I was home again.

LA; however, was to be our second stop. [Andre was in Vegas] So we drove down to San Diego for the day.

And a beautiful town it is.

Of course we had to take in the San Diego Zoo.

The next day we drove up to Los Angeles.

Hit some museums....and of course the bars...but alas what happens in LA stays in LA.

All you will get here are these family friendly tourist pics and comments.

In LA T-Rob and I met up with my friend Andre and his buddy Marlo.

We just pretty much ate and hit the bars at night. I got to eat at one of my favorite places, Bosso Nova in West Hollywood. We had drinks at The Abbey [VERY crowded and four drinks cost $48!!!!!!!]

We also went to this VERY cool dive/dance Mexican bar called Le Bar. I really enjoyed that one even though I knew none of the music. The atmosphere was just very cool, very low-key.

It was a great long weekend.

I'm back home now and although I do not have any plans to journey out of state I do still want to take a few fall NM trips before winter.

Today was probably one of our last days of temps in the 90s. The mornings are already in the upper 50s.

Ah summer... I will miss you.

I'm out.

Bless Me, Ultima

2010-09-03T21:54:00.005-07:00

A few years back in this blog I had recommended the book Bless Me Ultima.

It is a coming of age tale for a young boy named Antonio and takes place during the 194os in northern New Mexico.

Antonio is a young boy trying to become a young man. Tragedy and mystery surround him, form him and shape him with the strongest influence coming from a woman named Ultima, the local curandera [witch/healer] who shows Antonio about life and nature.

The supernatural element is creepy as Ultima takes on three local witches and Antonio's uncle becomes possessed.

It's a great summer read and is available at the big name bookstores or online.

I mention this again now, because 40 years after its publication, Hollywood is going to turn it in to a movie directed by Carl Franklin [One False Move, Devil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time].

Northern New Mexico had been on film before in the movie Milagro Beanfield War made back in the 1980s and it did a fair job of capturing the amazing beautiful landscapes, people, history and Latin culture.
.
Bless Me Ultima if filled with the same elements. The book captures northern New Mexico culture well.

That is going to be a hard job to do on film. There are many mystical and spiritual elements in the book that I know will probably be left out of the film. My fear is that it will be turned into a 'horror' movie which it isn't.

I do have faith in Carl Franklin, although I do not know how well he knows the subject area and its people.

Fingers crossed.

If you are looking for a late summer read, check it out before it hits the big screen.

I'm out.

www.kob.com/article/stories/S1729313.shtml?cat=504

Monsoon Skies

2010-08-15T21:24:00.005-07:00

Not much to report lately.

Just got back from Arizona. The monsoon season is in full effect in the southwest and lends itself to some nice photos.

While in Winslow, AZ I stopped by the restored La Posada Hotel where I took my aunt to lunch at the Turquoise Dining Room.

Mmmmm... stuffed squash blossom... excellent...

The carnitas plate definitely ranks as one of my favorite meals ever.

...sunset over the San Francisco Peaks east of town at Flagstaff.

Time to start packing... headed west soon..

I'm out.

The Destroyer of Worlds - Revisited

2010-08-06T20:34:00.008-07:00

Sixty years ago today the Atomic Bomb 'Little Boy' was dropped over Hiroshima followed by 'Fat Man' over Nagasaki.

Earlier this year I visited the Trinity Site, birthplace of the Atomic Age.

My report follows:

Sixty-four years ago the Atomic Age began here in New Mexico.

After having lived here for four years I felt it was time to visit J Robert Oppenheimer and General Groves legacy.

The National Museum of Atomic History and Science here in Albuquerque sponsored a tour to visit the Trinity Site, the site of the first atomic bomb detonation.

Trinity Site is only open twice a year, the first Saturdays in April and October. It is still a top secret weapons testing facility and you would be wise to keep to the designated trails.

The trip started out at 05:45 hrs.

Our host, Milo, did a great job on bringing us up to date on the history of the bomb.

It is a two hour bus ride to Trinity Site from Albuquerque. It is a desolate trip. It is the same route you would take though to San Antonio, NM and the Buckhorn Tavern or the original Owl Bar [which the fellas from the Manhattan Project used to drive to for lunch and dinner -- oh to be a fly on that wall].

You would also take this road to reach the Lincoln National Forest to see Smokey Bear's museum and the town of Lincoln [see links to the right on both places].

As you pass Stallion Gate, the entrance to Trinity Site, your first stop will be the George McDonald Ranch House.

The house was originally built by Franz Schmidt in 1913, a year after New Mexico became a state. Later it was purchased by the McDonalds who were evicted in 1942 when the government took over the area for the Alamagordo Bombing and Gunnery Range. At the time the family had no recourse. War sucks.

When the Manhattan Project started, the government used the house to build the plutonium core, creating a 'clean room' or assembly area in the master bedroom.

There are two water holding areas outside of the house. The day before the detonation it is said the scientists went for a swim.

The house is two miles away form the blast area. It actually held up, with only the windows being blown out and the chimney collapsing.

The barn and holding pens did not fare so well.

Our next stop would be Trinity Site. The first time an atomic weapon was ever used [ok ok unless you count Sodom and Gommorah but that is debateable].

This is a replica of Fat Boy, the plutonium bomb detonated at Trinity and on Hiroshima. The bomb dropped on Nagasaki, 'Little Boy', was a uranium device.

The object below is known as 'Jumbo' the casing for the bomb tested here at Trinity.

An obelisk in the spot where the first atomic device was detonated stands as a reminder of world history, bringing both an end to World War 2 and an end to many innocent lives.

Because the Trinity Site is only open two times a year to the public you can imagine the crowds. There was just no way I could get a solitary pic of the monument marker. That's too bad; however, I thought it was cool that so many people still turn out.

DEATH SENTENCE FOR A LANDMARK

2010-07-29T20:38:00.010-07:00

Albuquerque and Santa Fe both had glorious buildings in its rich architectural history, sadly, many fell into ruin and because of a lack of funds and low community interest in historical preservation at the time as a whole many were demolished by the 1970s. [To their credit, the people of Santa Fe have preserved many more historical buildings than Albuquerque.]

How I would have loved to have seen the Hotel Franciscan in downtown Albuquerque restored.

It was demolished in 1972 and is now a parking lot.

The grand Alvarado Hotel at the train station could have been an amazing shopping and tourist destination today if it had been preserved:

In 1970 a wrecking ball knocked it down.

It is said that after a heated discussion at city hall over $3000 was pledged to purchase the building from the owners - the Santa Fe Railroad. The very next day only $25 was donated to buying it and that came from the Mayor.

And now it seems another cherished landmark has met its doom: the Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre on the grounds of the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe.

Tonight Lyle Lovett performed the last show ever at the theatre before it fades into history:

"Experience has shown collecting pledges is a lot easier than collecting cash...remember, we had to put the raising of funds for two antelopes at the zoo in the hands of the city's children."

-- Louis Saavedra, Albuquerque City Commsion, 1970, on trying to raise money to save the Alvarado Hotel.

...mood: sad

Brrrrrr.....

2010-07-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

This morning was chilly.

The State Fair is only about 40 days away, the hot air balloon fiesta about 90...

I am SOOOO not looking forward to winter.

WORD!

Would You Pardon a Cop Killer?

2010-07-24T21:48:00.006-07:00

RUIDOSO, NM — The history of Billy the Kid is fueled with enduring debates: Was he a hero fighting for justice in a corrupt landscape? Or was he a scoundrel, unworthy of respect, who sank to the level of his enemies?

It might seem politically questionable for Gov. Bill Richardson, on his way out of office, to wade into the debate, but the governor appears to be doing just that. And think of the field day his critics will have if the governor pardons a serial cop killer.

The Governor's Office confirmed that, during a spring meeting in Santa Fe, Richardson asked syndicated columnist Jay Miller to put out feelers to historians and others enthralled with the history of the Lincoln County War to assess the reaction to a pardon for the Kid.

After the Lincoln County War, Gov. Lew Wallace offered to pardon the Kid if he testified about heinous crimes. The Kid did, but Wallace never held up his end of the bargain, and the outlaw subsequently killed two Lincoln County deputies in his infamous escape from the Lincoln County jail.

A spokeswoman for the governor said last week that there's nothing new about Richardson's consideration of a pardon and that the idea just "came up" during the meeting with Miller.

But someone close to the highly publicized Lincoln County investigation of the Kid's 1881 slaying told me he was contacted in recent months by someone from the Governor's Office asking for his reaction to the idea of a pardon.

Richardson first talked about a pardon back in 2003 during a press conference in Santa Fe to announce the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department had opened an investigation into the Kid's slaying on July 14, 1881, by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

The idea, investigators said, was to try to refute, by DNA evidence, claims by several men, such as John Miller and Brushy Bill Roberts, widely regarded as impostors who professed to be the Kid after the historical record said the outlaw had been killed. Those claims, the thinking went, cast doubt on Garrett's character, and modern forensic tools could lay the stories to rest.

In any event, publicity about a new investigation was said to be good for New Mexico tourism.

But critics lambasted the case. Officials in Silver City and Fort Sumner fought off legal efforts to dig up the remains of the outlaw's mother and the Kid himself in the hunt for DNA. They said the investigation just fed doubts about established history and undermined the value of Billy's Fort Sumner grave as a tourist site.

There are even disagreements about whether a pardon would boost state tourism today.

"Leave him (Billy the Kid) alone," said former Fort Sumner Mayor Juan Chavez. "As far as pardoning, what good will it do now? He's dead."
The investigation has since ground to a halt, beset by lawsuits and the rebuffed attempt to dig up the remains of Brushy Bill.

At the Wild West History Association Roundup at the Inn of the Mountain Gods on Tuesday, the question about a pardon was still a hot topic 129 years and one week after the Kid's death.

Santa Fe resident Bob McCubbin, outgoing president of the Wild West History Association, said he and some others would welcome a pardon as long as the claims of "impostors" were not raised and the governor "doesn't mess around with history too much."

Albuquerque historian Chuck Usmar, who is writing biographies of the Kid's adversaries Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan, said the Kid should never receive a pardon, given his role in gunning down lawmen. "Whatever one thinks about them, they were still the legally constituted lawmen in the county, and he (Billy) killed four of them," Usmar said.

English author Frederick Nolan, considered one of the pre-eminent historians of the Lincoln County War, said he could see both sides. Nolan said a pardon by Richardson, to make up for Wallace's broken promise, would be "wonderful" as long as no validity is given to any claims by Kid impostors.

But Nolan said he could "just as readily move to the other camp" and question the value of a pardon for the Kid's earlier crimes since, after Wallace reneged, the outlaw murdered two other deputies during his escape.

Then again, Nolan added, the Kid may have felt justified killing to escape a death sentence set up by Wallace's broken promise. After all, the Kid was the only person ever tried and jailed for any of the killings in the bloody Lincoln County conflict. Why die for that brand of justice?
"It's an awful difficult dichotomy to find yourself in if someone puts you on the line and says: What would you do now? You're the governor of New Mexico, what would you do?" Nolan said.

"I don't know that I wouldn't just say, 'I think I'll duck.' "

Rene Romo
Albuquerque Journal

For my posts on Billy click on the link at right.

I'm out.

HIS handiwork

2010-07-24T21:24:00.004-07:00

It was 17 July around 06:20 hours.

I stopped and looked up at the sky.

How delicate HE is with his brush.

How fortunate I am to witness it.

The Half-Way Point

2010-07-19T20:17:00.004-07:00

It may only be the middle of summer...

...however, the signs of its demise are on the horizon...

Monsoon season is once again upon the southwest.

Late afternoon dry lightning storms and thunderstorms appear seemingly out of nowhere. One hour it is sunny, the next dark clouds roll in with sudden cloud bursts.

So i have not written much lately...man it has been hot, hot enough to make me not want to drive into the desert.

My sister and I did; however, travel to Arizona for July 4th. I thought it would be nice to spend it with my aunt and grandfather.

It was.

Whenever I can hit the open road, I do. I really do not mind driving on highways at all.

We headed to Winslow, Arizona - our home town.

And like the Eagles' song TAKE IT EASY there IS a corner with a 'flatbed Ford'.

Seriously.

Every Fourth of July, the city of Winslow, Arizona holds the largest fireworks show in northern Arizona at Vargas Field.

My Aunt Ruth was actually headed out of town the next morning to attend her grand daughter's soccer tournament, so my sister and I stayed at the La Posad Hotel in downtown Winslow.

I've written about the La Posada before, it is a restored railroad hotel, a Harvey House from the 1930s and man is it magnificent!!!

I did not feel I was at a hotel. That night I did not need the a/c so I just opened my window and turned the ceiling fan on low. I slept great. I felt like I was at someone's home. Beautiful place.

That night after the fireworks show we got back to the hotel around 10pm. Instead of air conditioning, all the windows in the building were open and this wonderful breeze flowed through the building. It was the coolest feeling ever. No modern fluorescent lighting or a/c.

Only light from old fashioned light bulbs and a breeze.

People were in the Grand Room...get this...READING!!

People were out on the patio....get this...TALKING TO EACH OTHER!!

Unbelievable!!! Who ever heard of such craziness???

Oh, and Dale... we ate in the Turquoise Dining Room. For dessert I had the bread pudding...check the cookbook...man it is DELICIOUS...best I ever had. Your clients would like it.

Anyhow.. I still have a few trips up my sleeve before the chill of winter creeps in.

Promise...I will do a better job of keeping in touch.

I'm out.

Men Who Sleep With Horses

2010-07-02T19:50:00.003-07:00

Here in Albuquerque we have a television news reporter named Stuart Dyson.

I remember listening to this guy on the radio when I was a kid.

His style reminds me of the fast talking over the top radio newsmen from the 1930/40s who would sensationalize the headlines.

He is always serious but has this streak of odd humor sometimes. He stands out from the other run of the mill reporters on local TV news.

In a recent report he did a story of a 'horse watchman' at the fairgrounds who was brutally beaten late one night while by another stable hand. He was having trouble getting a statement from a witness.

...watch:

I'm out.