Chaco Culture/Canyon

It's been a busy week, with a day of teaching, and lots of dyeing and ironing for the upcoming Ottawa Valley Quilters Show. Before time gets away from me, I wanted to share a few more inspirational pictures from my trip to New Mexico. As I mentioned, I went partly to attend the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Conference in Santa Fe, and partly to tour Santa Fe and New Mexico, and catch some of the sights I missed on a previous trip five years ago. 

We missed seeing the ruins of Chaco Culture/Canyon on our last trip as it was February and the road so muddy we almost got stuck.This trip New Mexico was experiencing a very dry April, so we made the drive. Two and a half hours northwest of Santa Fe on good roads, and then an hour on 16 miles of washboard dirt road.

Was it worth it? You bet! An afternoon of blue skies in the canyon that was home to thousands of people between 800 and 1200 AD.

Considering their age, the remains of Chaco Culture are still quite impressive, but they are fragile.

There are several ruins of pueblos scattered around the park

The main pueblo, Bonita Pueblo, is the most impressive and extensive. You can see the ruins of a kiva (underground ceremonial chamber) here.

One can step inside parts of the pueblo and gaze through multiple doorways down the length of the structure.

On one side the pueblos are protected by a large wall of rock. We found the structure below quite interesting, as it appears that this piece of rock is about to break away from the wall.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I am heading back to the dyeing and ironing.

Taos Pueblo

It was an utter pleasure and privilege to visit Taos Pueblo on my trip to New Mexico. Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited native pueblo in the United States, and it dates back about 1000 years. Natives  of the "Red Willow People" still live there, but mostly come for religious rituals. 

Of course the Spanish brought their religion when they came to this area. St. Geronimo Church was built around 1619.  There were clashes between the Spanish and the native population, and despite this about 3/4 of the population shares in Catholic practices.

The white cross of the church makes a bold statement against the blue sky.

The adobe buildings are built of earth, straw and water, mixed and poured into forms. 

At one time entry to homes was by ladder only, through openings in the roof. This allowed light in but also served to keep out intrudors.

The exteriors are plastered annually to keep them in good shape.

Doors are painted striking blue colours, that mirror the colour of the sky, and complement beautifully with the earth colour of the buildings.

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This door, however, was painted white, and patterned with hand prints.

Dogs are numerous and seem to be happy and well-fed, although their aloofness to strangers suggests they may not be pets.

The site of the old graveyard is located next to the village, but the newer graveyard is off-site.

Chile peppers drying in the sun are a common sight all over New Mexico.