A long stretch between computer opportunities, but I'm overcoming the persistent strong headwinds and noticeable elevation climb and making great progress across the drought-stricken high prairie of eastern New Mexico.
The topography is more to my liking with distant mesas poking up on the horizons and the snow-covered peaks further in the distance. I've been staying along or nearby lonely highways in the company of tumbleweeds and bull snakes. Dots on the state map reveals towns lost to history and water has been scarce - I routinely jump barbed wire fences and push aside cattle to get water being pumped up from great depths by squeaky little wind turbines. The distance between Clayton and Springer, both historical hubs on the Santa Fe Trail, is a direct 82 miles with only a scattering of ranches in between. Pretty advanced pilgrim territory, in truth... not for everyone. I'm not sure this will be a high-trafficked pilgrim camino to Chimayo.
Still, there's plenty of interesting things to occupy my mental time - bison, bull snakes, coyotes, bull snakes, badgers, bull snakes, and plenty of chatty songbirds. Wagon parts, too, especially around the ruins of melted adobe huts, long abandoned. Despite the wind and the dust that comes with it, it's really romantically picturesque.
I'm just coming onto a thousand miles on this journey and should be at the Santa Fe Plaza on Friday and then on to Chimayo Sunday. The end is bittersweetly near.
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2 comments:
Hello Ann! You have been constantly in my thoughts! Was good to hear from you! You are an amazing woman....I am privileged to have met you! I will be in taos area the first week of June...I hope to come by chimayo! See you then.in the meantime....wishing you peace and love,Jill from Sublette,Ks
You are probably right, won't be for everyone. How exciting that you are forging it however!
I was going to say that I had never seen a bull snake, but then looked it up and found out that it is, or is related to, the gopher snake--which we do have here in the S.F. Bay Area. They are known for mimicing rattlesnakes--making a rattling noise to scare off predators. Not sure how they do this considering they don't have rattles;-) I diverge--congratulations and enjoy your final days!
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