RIO GRANDE

THE RIO GRANDE HAS BECOME A REAL FRIEND THAT WE HAVE MET UP WITH ALL THE WAY FROM THE GORGE IN NEW MEXICO TO THE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR BROWNSVILLE AND NUMEROUS LOCATIONS IN BETWEEN.SADLY IN PLACES THE FLOW IS ONLY 5% OF WHAT IT WAS-BECAUSE OF THE HUGE DRAWOFF FOR IRRIGATION ESPECIALLY AROUND EL PASO. THESE ARE A FEW IMAGES AROUND BIG BEND STATE PARK.IN MANY PLACES WE PADDLED ACROSS TO MEXICO AND BACK WITHOUT SPENDING A PESO OR LANDING A BULLET!!.AT A PLACE CALLED BOQUILLAS CANYON IN BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK MEXICANS SOME ACROSS AND LEAVE SOUVENIRS WITH HONESTY BOXES THEN COME BACK TO COLLECT AT NIGHT.!!THIS IS A MOVIE SET WHERE STREETS OF LAREDO AND OTHERS WAS SHOT.

DH LAWRENCE RANCH AND GRAVE

BY AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE IWAS READING ONE OF THE FEW DH LAWRENCE NOVELS I HAVE NOT READ.THE BOY FROM THE BUSH THAT I PICKED UP FROM A SECOND HAND BOOKSTORE ON A PANG OF ANTIPODEAN NOSTALGIA(IT IS SET IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1880's) WHEN WE CAME UPON THE DHL RANCH. I HAD A VAGUE RECOLLECTION OF A NEW MEXICO CONNECTION. IT WAS GIFTED TO HIM AND FRIEDA (WIFE) BY A WELTHY PATRON AS A PLACE TO ESCAPE EUROPEAN WINTERS AND ALTITUDE TO HELP HIS HEALTH PROBS. WELL IT IS NOW MANAGED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. A REMOTE AND BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.THIS IS THE HOUSE NOW A DOG KENNEL!!

DHL AND FRIEDA HAD A VERY OPEN RELATIONSHIP INVOLVING PARTNERS OF MULITI GENDERS. WHEN THE POOR BUGGER DIED HE WAS BURIED IN MARSEILLE. A DISPUTE BETWEEN FRIEDA AND OTHERS WAS COMPROMISED BY HAVING HIM DUG UP AND CREMATED AND HIS ASHES TO BE INTERRED IN NM.ANOTHER ARGUMENT RESULTED IN FRIEDA THROWING HIS ASHES INTO CONCRETE WHICH WAS BEING MADE INTO AN ALTAR SHRINE!!

THE RATHER HUMBLE CONCRETE SHRINE HOLDING THE GREAT MAN'S ASHES!!

ADOBES AND KIVAS

ALL OVER TEXAS,NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA ARE PUEBLOS-INDIAN VILLAGES-WHICH THE SPANISH COLONISED CHANGED ITS NAME TO A CHRISTIAN SAINT,ENSLAVED THE PEOPLE AND FOCED THEM TO BUILD A CHURCH.LUCKILY A LOT OF THE EARTH BRICK BUILDINGS (ADOBES) SURVIVE A LONG WITH THEIR LANGUAGES.THIS IS RUINS OF CHURCH AT PECOS.

TAOS CHURCH.

OLDER TAOS CHURCH AND CEMETERY.

ADOBE OVENS.

PRE-14TH CENTURY APPARTMENT BUILDINGS!!SOME COMPLEXES FOUR STORIES HIGH AND 400 PEOPLE LIVED WITHIN.

SOME OF THE PUEBLOS ARE ARTS AND CRAFTS MARKETS IN MANY OF THE OLD ADOBES.

A KIVA IS AN UNDERGROUND HOUSE COVERED IN WOODEN BEAMS AND GRASSES ENTERED VIA A LADDER IN THE ROOF.

OTHERS BUILT ROOMS BY CARVING OUT SOFT TUFF(COMPRESSSED VOLCANIC ASH).AS MORE KIDS WERE BORN MAKE ANOTHER CAVR. GET TO YOUR CAVE FOR TIME OUT!!

MANY CAVE DWELLINGS ARE ACCESSED BY 60 M OF LADDERS HERE IN BANDOLIER ,JEMEZ RIVER NEW MEXICO.

MASRE BEDROOM.BLACKENED ROOF BY FIRE TO HARDEN THE ROCK!!

HIS AND HERS WALKIN ROBES.

TRICHAS CHURCH 1711.

INSIDE A KIVA-THIS ONE ALSO INSIDE A CAVE!!THE ULTIMATE DWELLINF TO ASPIRE TO.

ALIBATES FLINT QUARRIES TEXAS PANHANDLE

ONE OF THE FEW FLINT DEPOSITS IN NORTH AMERICA MINED FOR 1000'S OF YEARS BUY LOCAL INDIANS WHO TRADED UPTO 1000MILES.ALL MANNER OF TOOLS AND ARROW HEADS MADE. THE WHAT I THOUGHT EXOTIC SOUNDING NAME WAS THAT OF A NOMADIC COWBOY WHO RANCHED THE AREA ALISTAIR BATES.I AM PLEASED IT WAS NAMED WHEN HE WAS A MISTER AND NOT A MINOR!! THE FLINT ARE THE DARK BANDS OF MAGNESIUM MINERAL THAT REPLACED THE SOFTER CALCITE.A HARDNESS A COUPLE OF POINTS BELOW DIAMOND BUT EASILY FRACTURED TO PRODUCE A RAZOR SHARP EDGE.

DEPOSITS WERE MINED UPTO 3M DEEP AND THEN OVER THE YEARS FILLED WITH SURROUNDING DEBRIS.

A BLANK OFTEN TRADED AND WORKED INTO TOOLS AWAY FROM THE QUARRY.

THIS IS WHAT HUNTERS WOULD CARRY ON HUNTS. SPLITTING OFF THE BLANK IN A CICULAR MOTION AND MAKING ARROWHEADS FROM THE FRACTURED SLICE.HITTING TOOL USUALLY ANTLER.

THIS IS AN ARROW BLANK FOUND NEAR PIT.AREA WAS WORKED FOR AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS.

WORKINGS.

MORE WORKINGS.

ALL TYPES OF MINERAL CRYSTALS ABOUND UNDER THE CAREFUL EYE OF NATIONAL PARK RANGER WHO ALLOW VISITS BUY GUIDE ONLY!!

SOME TEXAS VISTAS

BILLY THE KID'S GRAVE NEAR WHERE HE WAS SHOT BY PAT GARRETT FORT SUMNER (ACTUALLY IN NEW MEXICO).THE HEADSTONE IS NOW SHACKLED AFTER BEEN STOLEN AND RECOVERED TWICE. THE SHACKLING A SIMILAR FATE TO THE CHARACTER UNDERNEATH

!

CAPROCK CANYON. THE ANCIENT RED SANDSTONE WITH DOLOMITE CAPS PRODUCE A SPECTACULAR ERODED LANDSCAPE IN NORTHERN TEXAS ACROSS NEW MEXICO OF DEEP CANYONS AND FLAT TOPPED HILLS CALLED MESAS.

MADE FAMOUS BY THE SONG OF THE SAME NAME BY WAYLON JENNINGS.A STORE BAR AND DANCEHALL THAT HOSTS REGULAR COUNTRY MUSIC EVENTS .WAYLON AND WILLIE PLAY HERE TO HUGE CROWDS TWICE A YEAR.

66 66 (DOUBLE 66) RANCH TEXAS PANHANDLE

GUESS THIS IS WHY TEXAS IS THE LONE STAR STATE.

RIO GRANDE AT ROMA LOOKING ACROSS TO MEXICO.20,000 BORDER PATROL STAFF THE MEXICAN BORDER AT POSTS,ROADSTOPS,BY FOOT,ON CYCLES,PATROL CARS AND VANS AND

IN THIS LITTLE MAKESHIFT TOWER HOUSING ONE GUY WITH A PAIR OF BINOCULARS!!

RED RIVER BIKE RALLY

THE TOWN OF RED RIVER THAT HOSTS THE MEMORIAL DAY MOTORCUCLE RALLY. OVER 3000 REGISTERED BIKES. THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF MAIN ST WITH BIKES UP TO FOUR WIDE PARKED UP.

OUR CAMPSITE ON THE COLUMBINE CREEK WITH BIKES ROARING PAST ON THE ROAD BEHIND.

LB JOHNSON RANCH

PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S CHILDHOOD HOME JOHNSON CITY

A COMMON SITE ON TV DURING THE VIETNAM WAR DAYS. HIS OFFICE AT HIS RANCH NEAR STONEWALL TEXAS.HOUSE WAS DUBBED THE TEXAS WHITEHOUSE. OFFICE RESTORED TO WHAT IT LOOKED DURING THE WAR. NO PHOTOS.

600 ACRES OF THE BEAUTIFUL ROLLING HILLS AND OAK TREES NOW A NATIONAL MONUMENT. THE OTHER 2400 ACRES STILL OWNED BY THE FAMILY.