The Road To Ruins

We are in Aztec, New Mexico, home of the Aztec Ruins. And no, the ancient Aztecs did not build the ruins.  The ruins are of an ancient pueblo built by the natives in the 12th century. We also visited Salmon Ruins, just outside of Bloomfield, about 15 miles away.  Like the ruins we visited in Hovenweep, the peoples that built these villages were part of the culture that built the villages in Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.  In addition to the ancient ruins, Salmon Ruins has the 19th century farmstead of the Salmon family, that settled next to the ruins and for which it is named.

Both the Aztec and Salmon Ruins allow you walk a prescribed trail through the site.  Many of the rooms have been back-filled to provide support for the walls and keep them from collapsing.  In the Aztec ruins the trail leads through a few rooms with the original ceilings and the very small connecting doorways.  It is hard to imagine living in them, they are so dark and bare.  The Aztec ruins has a great kiva that was rebuilt  from the in-ground remains and is very impressive.  The west outer wall of the pueblo has green lines not seen in other pueblos from the period.  Was it purely decorative? Or did it have a spiritual or cultural meaning?  Who knows?

The campground we are at is on Ruins Road, only a scant half mile from the Aztec ruins.  We originally planned to stay here a week, but the weather and the campground are so nice we decided to stay a month.  The cottonwoods are just brilliant right now, glowing in the autumn sunshine.  We have had a few rainy days, and the nights get frosty, but we aren’t complaining.

As usual, there are more pictures at  http://picasaweb.google.com/campory57104/

Take A Break

This was sent to me by Margaret.  I am a terrible parachutist.

Here something you all can do for fun……….

Daffy Duck Parachute Jump

Try not to spend all day at it…Click here: PARACHUTE JUMP

Geography of Men and Women

This lovely disertation is from Mary Ann.

GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe:
well-developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain:
very hot, relaxed, and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece:
gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain:
with a glorious and all conquering past.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel:
has been through war, doesn’t make the same mistakes twice,  takes care of business.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada:
self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.

After 70, she becomes Tibet:
wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages, an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.

GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN

Between 1 and 90, a man is like Iran:
ruled by nuts.

THE END

Fifth Grade Assignment

This is from Mary.

The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their Parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it…

The next day, the kids came back and, one by one, began to tell their stories. There were all the regular types of stuff: spilled milk and pennies saved. But then the teacher realized, much to her dismay, that only Ernie was left. ‘Ernie, do you have a story to share?’

‘Yes ma’am. My daddy told a story about my Aunty M. She was a pilot in Desert Storm, and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory, and all she had was a flask of whiskey, a pistol, and a survival knife. She drank the whiskey on the way down so the bottle wouldn’t break, and then her parachute landed her right in the middle of 20 Iraqi troops. She shot 15 of them with the pistol, until she ran out of bullets, killed four more with the knife, till the blade broke, and then she killed the last Iraqi with her bare hands.’

‘Good Heavens,’ said the horrified teacher. ‘What did your daddy tell you was the moral to this horrible story?

‘Stay AWAY from Aunty M when she’s been drinking.’

Women Over 40

This is from Jeanne.  I’m not sure if it really is by Andy Rooney, but its still funny, and sounds darn near the truth! 

In case you missed it on 60 Minutes, this is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40.

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all.

Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, ‘What are you thinking?’  She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it.  She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified.  They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant.  Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons.

Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress.  Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?  Here’s an update for you.  Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage.  Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!