Finally some excitement!!

Some of the pics are worth a click..... Some not so much... the lighting was just too poor.

It was great watching the Indian dancers last night, but my feet sure did hurt after all the walking and standing I had to do.... I think standing is the worst. These are Zuni dancers, and it may look like they're walking with a stick like old geezers do but actually their representing animals and the sticks represents the animals front legs.

The guy on the far right is a mule deer; having shot a few I recognize the antlers. And the guy off to the left is representing an elk, antlers I also recognize, having shot and eaten a few of those.

The girls are holding miniature woven baskets, which I assume they made, and an ear of corn; which I have also eaten. Apparently I live just like the Indians did.

Yes, it has been long-awaited; long-awaited in the cold, long-awaited in the driving, long-awaited just killing time. And if I had to do it again, I would go someplace warm and stay there until it was time to be in Gallup. Looking back at it, that decision sounds so simple, but with the possibility of looming diesel shortages, which I've seen no evidence of, I was kind of afraid to get too far from Denver. But looking back at all the cold days I spent in New Mexico; I don't think it was worth the suffering.... Going to the Bosque Del Apache was worth it; I enjoyed that, but the rest of it, not so much.

But all that's in the past, and I never cry over spilled milk... I lick it up off the floor like a dog. So I'm looking forward to going downtown and taking pictures of the historic route 66 stuff. Early Sunday morning would be a good time to do that since most cars will be off the street, but that depends on what's going on with the balloons.

I've seen some vendors come into the Park, so I guess some will be selling some food, which sounds like a good chance to get some homemade Tamales just like my mom used to make... Of course, I'm joking; my mom was raised in South Georgia she had probably never seen a Tamale.

Getting back to today. The infamous "Navajo time" struck again. The balloons that were supposed to take off this morning at 7:30 AM, didn't even get inflated until about 9 o'clock, and by then the wind was starting to pick up so all the hot air was released and everybody, including me, went back to their campers.... Now here's the problem...

Tomorrow the situation looks a little better for surface winds, but there is a fear that upper level winds will prohibit flying, and these folks keep a close eye on the weather reports about such things as that. So there may or may not be any balloons lifting off tomorrow either. So this just may be a situation where I could spend three days at a balloon Festival without ever seeing a balloon take to the sky.

But I'm pretty good at making lemonade out of life's lemons, so going into town tomorrow and taking pictures of some route 66 stuff sounds like a lot of fun to me, because after that I'll be heading South; I can't wait!

I'm not sure how far South I'll go; I usually keep going till I see a Saguaro, and then I know I'll be warm. But things have been so cold this Fall that I may have to keep going till I see a herd of Saguaros just to be safe.

Theboondork

Native American dancer. A young girl caught between thousands of years of  Native American history that she's been taught never to let go of, and all the modern things on her computer that she loves... She is truly caught between two different worlds. The past that bears no relation to anything a person needs to succeed in today's world, and a future where she's reminded of that fact every day... And yet she dances.

Zuni Elk dancer. He would be well advised to avoid the Colorado high country during Elk hunting season.

Apache dancers. Again representing animals, see their front legs?

I can see how this would scare the bejesus out of the pioneers in the 1800s. Bear in mind these guys are dancing with no shirt and no pants, which is exactly the way I dance in the camper at night, but it was really cold last night, I was wearing two coats while watching them, and I was still cold.

Native American singers and drummers

Native American singer and drummer. A thousand years of singing and beating a drum are etched in his face, and a thousand campfires are reflected in his glasses. He remembers the old ways but he may be the last generation to do so.

Younger Apaches and Zuni have the Internet so they no longer live in a world where all they hear about is the tribal ways, the way it's been, is the way it will  be.

During World War I there was a popular song named "How you gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen Paree" The young Native Americans, just like young World War I soldiers, are seeing  the rest of the world, maybe for the first time, thanks to the Internet, and for good or bad the door has been opened.